At the beginning of October I "lost" my Kindle Voyage. I feel a bit better saying "I lost it" instead of the truth - it was stolen from me with a bunch of other stuff. It was the thing I had the hardest time replacing - technically and mentally. It felt like losing a bit of myself - my comfort - when I needed it most.
I was actually contemplating replacing it, not for any particular reason.. It was working fine after 4 years of constant use. It wasn't a "done deal" but it became one when my precious was no longer here...
I've researched the current devices - on Amazon, Kobo and even ventured into the new color devices. After reading / watching quite a bit of reviews I decided on the Boox Nova 3 Color.
The reviews were raving, mostly about the innovation but the performance as well. Yeah, the (color) hardware wasn't the best, but the software compensates. So I ordered it and waited, and waited, and waited. It took a whole month but it finally got here! I only managed to read 2 books in between as I simply couldn't make myself read on my phone (or any other LCD screen). But when the device finally arrived I was more than disappointed.
This is NO kindle.
The screen isn't as sharp as I remember my Kindle Keyboard way back in 2010. It's not that the background wasn't white (I didn't expect it to be!), it was pixelated making the font on top not as sharp as I would want / expect it to be. Highlighting (in color!) wasn't the best to say the least with a lag of the color on top making it feel like a device a decade older and that's without mentioning the ghosting.. oh the ghosting.. I thought the software was suppose to address this issue but it doesn't (or not well enough). You need to constantly refresh pages. Not on every page turn but quite a lot and certainly if you highlighted something on the previous page.
The device couldn't have been less intuitive with a horrible user experience. I'm a very technology oriented gal, I can't remember when was the last time I felt LOST trying to figure out a device. This one has A LOT of options around the screen, yet it doesn't explain what all of those actually DO.
Having more than 10 different screen display options doesn't "help you" make the visual better, it only frustrated when after a long time of "playing" you amount to very little visible change. What would happen is I open the device - not be very pleased with what I see - play around with it for half an hour or so - feel annoyed and reluctant to actually read (the reason I got it in the first place) - close it and go do something else.
This device has many (other) benefits - the note taking on it's own and over PDF files, the bigger screen allowing to read those PDF files comfortably in a rather compact device (especially if you're into Manga). Being able to buy books from different vendors (aka not needing to convert the format every time I do). COLOR! Even if muted and a bit strange. But all those fade away if it doesn't do what I mostly wanted and needed it to do - allow me to read my books.
So after a week and a half I returned the device and ordered the newly released Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition. It's hasn't arrived yet. I'm actually still waiting for the shipped notification. I dread the days I'll be reading on my phone but I'm also hopeful to have a Kindle in my hands again. Amazon has been making E-Ink devices for a LONG time now, all of them taking the No. 1 spot and for a good reason. I don't see Amazon compromising this spot with a "half baked" device. When Color on E-Ink is truly ready Amazon would deliver, not a day prior, and certainly not with the futureless and failed Kaleido technology.
I'm not sure if I'll just update this post or write another one when the Signature arrives. We'll see. Right now I'm somewhere between bummed and expectant. I guess you won't seeing a lot of me the next two weeks..
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