Amazon Kindle |OT| of eInk superiority

DaBargainHunta said:
Tablets and e-readers serve vastly different purposes. I would never want to read seriously on a tablet - e-ink is far superior for that task - but if you're looking for an all-in-one, a tablet is obviously the way to go.
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I need a new tablet as well. Since I already have a Kindle Basic, that really is OK to use, bar the lack of light, I'll maybe wait a bit more for a better price.
 
hardcastlemccormick said:
I know this isn't a Nook thread, but I really hope Amazon doesn't follow suit.
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I'll be going back to paperbacks/the library if Amazon does that. I already dropped Nook and switched to Kindle this year, and there's not really a superior third type to go to. The whole "you can only use OUR device to read your books" attitude is incredibly obnoxious.

My Kindle just blows everything else out of the water. The Voyager looks amazing, but having bought the Paperwhite only a few months ago I can't really justify an upgrade (yet).
 
So my out of warranty kindle broke while in my backpack, what is the cheapest place to get a paperwhite in the UK? Should I wait for a possible clearance/price drop when the voyage (4th november in the UK) comes out or is that not intended to replace the paperwhite?
 
solarus said:
So my out of warranty kindle broke while in my backpack, what is the cheapest place to get a paperwhite in the UK? Should I wait for a possible clearance/price drop when the voyage (4th november in the UK) comes out or is that not intended to replace the paperwhite?
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Chance your arm and tell Amazon about it. I did it with mine out of warranty, got a new one. My brother did the same, got a new one.

I just emailed and said my Kindle broke and how much to get it repaired and was offered a free replacement.
 
kharma45 said:
Chance your arm and tell Amazon about it. I did it with mine out of warranty, got a new one. My brother did the same, got a new one.

I just emailed and said my Kindle broke and how much to get it repaired and was offered a free replacement.
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Thanks for the advice, gave this a try in the live chat just now and no such luck though. They were offering me a refurb old kindle touch for 70 something pounds in exchange for my faulty kindle, which is a bad deal seeing as the new kindle touch is launching for £59 soon.
 
solarus said:
Thanks for the advice, gave this a try in the live chat just now and no such luck though. They were offering me a refurb old kindle touch for 70 something pounds in exchange for my faulty kindle, which is a bad deal seeing as the new kindle touch is launching for £59 soon.
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I wonder if amazon has a rating for the customers that lets them do that. Say if I spent a ton of money with them or above a certain amount. I was told the same thing since my kindle was stolen out of my car (with everything else) about a year ago and heard that amazon would replace it for free. I got with them through chat and phone and both times offered a cheaper one but no free units.

I did get a paperwhite about 3 months ago with a staples $25 off coupon card so there might be some deals like that coming to help you get a decent unit for a good price.
 
solarus said:
Thanks for the advice, gave this a try in the live chat just now and no such luck though. They were offering me a refurb old kindle touch for 70 something pounds in exchange for my faulty kindle, which is a bad deal seeing as the new kindle touch is launching for £59 soon.
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What part of Amazon did you contact? You should be contacting the Kindle department and probably be talking on the phone. I know from others in the past, that talking to Amazon's customer support compared to Kindle customer support has made the difference. Of course things change and there is no guarantee. Also could be different outside of USA too.
 
solarus said:
Thanks for the advice, gave this a try in the live chat just now and no such luck though. They were offering me a refurb old kindle touch for 70 something pounds in exchange for my faulty kindle, which is a bad deal seeing as the new kindle touch is launching for £59 soon.
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Worth a try! Don't ask don't get. Odd deal though. You'd think you'd get offered something better than that.
 
I usually have better luck when I email Amazon, instead of live chat. I never get anything out of live chat. Don't have any experience with Amazon over the phone.
 
As much as I really do like what I've learned about the Voyage so far, $199 is too steep. I'll stick with my first generation Paperwhite for now.
 
B33 said:
As much as I really do like what I've learned about the Voyage so far, $199 is too steep. I'll stick with my first generation Paperwhite for now.
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im ok with them making a $200 model, I just wish they could have gotten the Paperwhite down to $99 and the base Kindle down to $49. They seem to be going in the wrong direction in terms of pricing.
 
SiDCrAzY said:
I usually have better luck when I email Amazon, instead of live chat. I never get anything out of live chat. Don't have any experience with Amazon over the phone.
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My kindle (a 4 years old kindle keyboard) broke tonight (corrupted display). I got on a live chat with customer service and they are sending me a free "previous generation" (I think 2012 version) Paperwhite. And since I had 3G on the broken one, this one comes with 3G as well.

But so far I have bought 7 Kindles from them including a preorder for a Voyage. I also buy a ton of stuff from Amazon every year. So maybe there is something to "customer rating". But then again, maybe not and I just got lucky.
 
outunderthestars said:
im ok with them making a $200 model, I just wish they could have gotten the Paperwhite down to $99 and the base Kindle down to $49. They seem to be going in the wrong direction in terms of pricing.
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Agreed. Though, I think these new models will be with us for a long time, minus some refreshes and very aggressive price drops over the years.

Gadfly said:
My kindle (a 4 years old kindle keyboard) broke tonight (corrupted display). I got on a live chat with customer service and they are sending me a free "previous generation" (I think 2012 version) Paperwhite. And since I had 3G on the broken one, this one comes with 3G as well.

But so far I have bought 7 Kindles from them including a preorder for a Voyage. I also buy a ton of stuff from Amazon every year. So maybe there is something to "customer rating". But then again, maybe not and I just got lucky.
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I do think that Amazon does have a customer rating of some sort. I've seen too many people on forums give diverging CS behavior to think otherwise.

In fact, I had a very different experience one year to the next...and it just so happened that I bought very few ebooks in between.
 
hardcastlemccormick said:
I do think that Amazon does have a customer rating of some sort. I've seen too many people on forums give diverging CS behavior to think otherwise.

In fact, I had a very different experience one year to the next...and it just so happened that I bought very few ebooks in between.
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They certainly do. They look at your aggregate spend as well. On slickdeals an Amazon customer service employee discussed some stuff a couple of years back.
 
So, my Kindle Keyboard battery seems to be screwed up. Contacted Amazon about it and they gave me several options.

Refurbished Kindle at 47 dollars (latest basic model) or Paperwhite 1st generation at 79 dollars.

They also offered me $15 dollars off for a brand new Paperwhite 2nd generation model.

In regards to the Paperwhite 2, that would be the $140 version since I live in Canada (no ads).

Any recommendations on where I should lean towards? I was thinking maybe the Paperwhite 1st generation. Is the latest version worth paying 45 extra?

EDIT: After offering me a refurbished Paperwhite 2 incorrectly and multiple transfers, they ended up offering me $30 dollars off a new Paperwhite from amazon.ca. I'll take it.
 
My Kindle's touchscreen suddenly stopped responding properly. You would think they'd have a solution for what's obviously a software defect, but nope, customer service keeps trying to sell me new Kindles at a tiny discount. As if I'd buy something new from them if this is how they're going to support defective devices.
 
Well I dragged my feet on preordering the Voyage and now that I finally decided to pull the trigger Amazon says it's backordered until mid-November:/ Luckily Best Buy still has it available for October 21st shipment.

I really want that higher res screen and turn buttons but I'm skeptical of the new glass front and oddly shaped back. We'll see.
 
Branduil said:
My Kindle's touchscreen suddenly stopped responding properly. You would think they'd have a solution for what's obviously a software defect, but nope, customer service keeps trying to sell me new Kindles at a tiny discount. As if I'd buy something new from them if this is how they're going to support defective devices.
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I think I've had the same thing happen to my kindle. Incidentally just at the time when they announced the new model. I'd try to turn a page but it wouldn't register, or it would sometime take a long time to turn the page and turn multiple pages after the first try didn't work. It went away after I restarted my kindle. May be worth a try.
 
Nymerio said:
I think I've had the same thing happen to my kindle. Incidentally just at the time when they announced the new model. I'd try to turn a page but it wouldn't register, or it would sometime take a long time to turn the page and turn multiple pages after the first try didn't work. It went away after I restarted my kindle. May be worth a try.
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I've reset it several times.
 
Amazon's offering a deferred payment plan on Kindle devices (the Voyage included) to select users.

You don't pay interest and there are no hidden fees. It's 20% of the full price plus applicable taxes and shipping upfront. You'll then owe the remaining balance in equal monthly installments.

It's tempting, but I'm skeptical of the Voyage. I think I'd rather wait until a 2nd generation model hits.
 
I've seen that payment plan a lot on Amazon on pretty much all their Eink Kindles. It is tempting, but like you said B33, 2nd generation is the one to wait for.
 
I just received my Voyage and love it. For the price, it SHOULD feel like a premium device and it does. The flush, glass screen makes a big difference, and while I love physical page turn buttons, this feels like a solid compromise. The device is thin, the text is crisp, and the auto brightness works as intended. I've owned every Kindle e-reader except for the first and the DX, and as many reviews have said, this is their best yet.
 
Looking for more impressions on the Voyage. Amazon has a 'special offer' they are extending to some members where you pay 20% up front and pay the rest over 4 months (no interest, no bullshit)... really takes the sting off the higher price. I'm thinking about jumping on it.

To see if you are eligable, just go to the amazon.com's kindle section and browse through the kindle hardware you should see a bar near the top advertising it.

Also does anyone know if the Kindle Voyage works on paperwhite generation chargers? it looks like a pretty standard usb to outlet adapter, but apparently does not come in the box

Aaaand lastly... what about covers? Do you have one and what do you think of it? Not sure I like the origami covers...

Here is the cover I have (made for Kindle Paperwhite Gen 1) do you think this will fit in it? Because I *LOVE* that cover and I don't know if I could find anything I prefer to it.

*edit* well I ordered one using the 20% over 5 months deal... but it's backordered till around the 20th of November... gives me more time to finish some games I suppose, although unfortunately there are several huge games coming out that week of November so... yeah.

November is full of pain and I just made it a tiny bit worse :P
 
Mutagenic said:
I just received my Voyage and love it. For the price, it SHOULD feel like a premium device and it does. The flush, glass screen makes a big difference, and while I love physical page turn buttons, this feels like a solid compromise. The device is thin, the text is crisp, and the auto brightness works as intended. I've owned every Kindle e-reader except for the first and the DX, and as many reviews have said, this is their best yet.
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What's the move to a glass screen like?
 
That offer to pay off the Voyage isn't available in the UK. Which is a shame because the price is too much really but paying it over a few months makes things a lot easier.
 
yyzjohn said:
I would read actual hard-core Kindle user's reviews. There's a forum I check called "Mobile read" which has a large Kindle user base. Here's a thread from a bunch of users who received their Voyage and their impressions/issues

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248379
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I like Mobileread, but it is a place where there tends to be a far more negative voice. People tend to be more driven to negatively comment than positive in general.

I'm not surprised to see negative impressions about a new Kindle anymore either. Since the Kindle 2, people have been saying the previous generation was better. And with the introduction of a frontlight screen, there are people who simply hate what that layer does to e-ink. And the PW had it's fair share of messed up screens (I got lucky with a good screen), no surprise to see a 1st generation Voyage battle the same defects.

With that said, there are lots of people in that thread happy with the Voyage.
 
VistraNorrez said:
I like Mobileread, but it is a place where there tends to be a far more negative voice. People tend to be more driven to negatively comment than positive in general.

I'm not surprised to see negative impressions about a new Kindle anymore either. Since the Kindle 2, people have been saying the previous generation was better. And with the introduction of a frontlight screen, there are people who simply hate what that layer does to e-ink. And the PW had it's fair share of messed up screens (I got lucky with a good screen), no surprise to see a 1st generation Voyage battle the same defects.

With that said, there are lots of people in that thread happy with the Voyage.
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Yes, I also read and post on Mobileread. Negative voices speak out often and there's as much fanboy bullshit as there is on GAF.

Also I'd say the posters on Mobileread tend toward the "old and kinda losing it" side of things. That reveals itself more when people talk about their INSANE ebook usecases.
 
DagsJT said:
That offer to pay off the Voyage isn't available in the UK. Which is a shame because the price is too much really but paying it over a few months makes things a lot easier.
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Ack, that sucks, hope they roll out the offer in more places.

Yeah paying $38 a month with no interest made it a pretty easy buy for me. I look forward to getting mine and replacing my Gen 1 Paperwhite. I also have a Kindle Keyboard. I need to sell both of them actually... I don't know if there is much of a market for older kindles though.
 
VistraNorrez said:
I like Mobileread, but it is a place where there tends to be a far more negative voice. People tend to be more driven to negatively comment than positive in general.

I'm not surprised to see negative impressions about a new Kindle anymore either. Since the Kindle 2, people have been saying the previous generation was better. And with the introduction of a frontlight screen, there are people who simply hate what that layer does to e-ink. And the PW had it's fair share of messed up screens (I got lucky with a good screen), no surprise to see a 1st generation Voyage battle the same defects.

With that said, there are lots of people in that thread happy with the Voyage.
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The talk of yellow screens doesn't sound too good, but I'll just have to order one and find out.
 
VistraNorrez said:
I like Mobileread, but it is a place where there tends to be a far more negative voice. People tend to be more driven to negatively comment than positive in general.

I'm not surprised to see negative impressions about a new Kindle anymore either. Since the Kindle 2, people have been saying the previous generation was better. And with the introduction of a frontlight screen, there are people who simply hate what that layer does to e-ink. And the PW had it's fair share of messed up screens (I got lucky with a good screen), no surprise to see a 1st generation Voyage battle the same defects.

With that said, there are lots of people in that thread happy with the Voyage.
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Yeah I know what you mean. I've read through some of the complaints and some of the screencaps of "flawed" screens, and they look fine to me. I realize sometimes it's difficult to capture stuff like that on camera, but I think many people are way too picky on that forum.
 
kharma45 said:
The talk of yellow screens doesn't sound too good, but I'll just have to order one and find out.
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If it isn't an even screen, send it back to Amazon as defective.

One of the reasons (besides, you know, money) I'm holding out for the Voyage 2 is I know Amazon will iron out the kinks. By all accounts PW2 fixed the problems of PW1. I'm not sure where Amazon can go for 2015 high-end model other than revision. Maybe they'll jump on the waterproof bandwagon.
 
The voyage is a new iteration of the paperwhite so it's already benefitting from revisions from both Gen 1 and Gen 2 of that. Waiting another gen isn't going to perform miracles. When I got the Gen 1 paperwhite people complained about the screen color too. people have even done it on ipads and iphones before. it's just a side effect of them arriving at people's homes pretty soon after production and there's always a pretty simple explanation for the problem, either it's gas between the layers of glass/plastic or the glue not totally dried or on and on, it usually works itself out through a simple solution. For example, in this case people are reporting leaving it in the sun for an hour or so has helped.

I'm not worried.

As for myself, in the past i'd tell myself "my current kindle is fine, i'm not upgrading again until they add color finally!" after seeing several color e-paper prototypes over the years. And yet it has yet to materialize in the market. It's frustrating, but you can't just wait and wait. Buy and enjoy now, you can buy a new one in another year or two. :P The old ones make great hand me down gifts or can fetch a few bucks on the secondary market.

Also: a waterproof kindle? come on. I think amazon has had enough of these wacky product ideas. Look at how fantastic their 3D phone has performed! They need to focus on features that are important to the users. Do you really read your kindle in the pool? There are so many features higher up the list than waterproofing it.
 
Zulithe said:
Also: a waterproof kindle? come on. I think amazon has had enough of these wacky product ideas. Look at how fantastic their 3D phone has performed! They need to focus on features that are important to the users. Do you really read your kindle in the pool? There are so many features higher up the list than waterproofing it.
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You'd never read a book in the bath?

so sad...
 
I agree that a waterproof kindle is not a huge priority for amazon but for me is the accidents and other issues that can come from using one. It is an expensive thing. I know for a few folks around here it isn't but most people that have one try to keep it working well and treat it nice. If they said hey its waterproof now that could just be another of the million bullet points that could appeal to someone who thinks they would just fuck it up because of spills or accidents they have. At this point and I would imagine on the kindle it should be easy as shit to waterproof. Waterproofing tech is not that hard to do or that expensive considering that the device only has a few buttons and no headphone jack (or that I am aware of) it should be something they just do.
 
Zulithe said:
As for myself, in the past i'd tell myself "my current kindle is fine, i'm not upgrading again until they add color finally!" after seeing several color e-paper prototypes over the years. And yet it has yet to materialize in the market. It's frustrating, but you can't just wait and wait. Buy and enjoy now, you can buy a new one in another year or two. :P The old ones make great hand me down gifts or can fetch a few bucks on the secondary market.
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I went from a Kindle 2 to a Paperwhite. So I went 3 generations between. If I went for the Voyage 2, it would be the same kind of upgrade. So it makes more sense for me to wait, too. I also cannot spend $200 right now either, especially when I still really love my PW.
 
Reading a Kindle in the tub is the best. It's the only reason I even take baths, and not just showers. Once I get my Voyage, I'm going to keep my old cheapo Kindle in a Ziploc. Not risking the new one.
 
Well, the AC adapter arrived. Voyage still on backorder, should have it mid-November I guess O.o. Glad I skipped out on a case for now. I've decided, after more reading, that I do not like the orgami case amazon is marketing as their most recommended option, which is a shame because previously, the cases they try to bundle with your kindle are almost always the very best ones available. I absolutely love the Amazon branded case I bought for both my Kindle Keyboard and my Kindle Paperwhite 1st Gen.

Now the hunt is on for a case designed for the Voyage which is as good or better than those options.

I carry my kindle around in my daybag and it absolutely needs some level of protection, mostly for the screen.
 
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