Bottom Line Up Front: The Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader on the market. While it is better than a Kindle Paperwhite, the nearly double price doesn’t make it a definite upgrade. If, however, you are buying a new Kindle, get the Voyage.
I have owned an Amazon Kindle for long enough that I can’t remember the last time I purchased a paper book. Most of the e-reading community agrees the Kindle is the best option. I completely concur and will only buy books on Kindle. In fact, I have re-purchased paper books I already have on Kindle because I find it to be such a better experience. A quick few reasons why Kindles are better than paper books:
- You can keep a bunch of books on a Kindle at once. I like to read many things at a time.
- You can buy books instantly.
- You can digitally highlight and save portions for later use.
- You don’t need to use a physical bookmark to remember where you were in the book. It always picks up where you left off.
- It syncs across devices. If you own a Kindle and have Kindle software on your phone or a computer, you can open a book on one device, read, then open it on another device later and pick up where you left off on the first device!
Isn’t an iPad the same thing?
If you are comparing a Kindle with a tablet like an iPad or Galaxy Tab, stop. While they both are electronics (e) and you can read things on them (readers), tablets aren’t e-readers. For many many reasons, a Kindle is in its own category. Biggest ones being battery life and ability to read in any environment such as direct sunlight or a dark room without eye strain. E-readers are meant to really just read, while a tablet is meant to do many things. It is true that you can download Amazon Kindle software to read ebooks on tablets and computers, but it is a different experience. A Kindle is much more like reading a regular book. A few reasons why a Kindle is better than a tablet for e-reading:
- Kindles last for weeks to months on a single charge.
- Kindle screens use e-ink not a backlit LCD display like a phone or tablet. It looks like paper.
- Even in direct sunlight on a beach, the Kindle is as easy to read as paper. No phone or tablet can even come close.
The Kindle Evolution
I am on my 4th generation of Kindles. From generation 1 to generation 2 (Kindle Keyboard) there were a lot of size improvements (thinner, lighter). I upgraded my Kindle Keyboard to a Kindle Paperwhite a few years ago. There were significant changes like a touch screen and further decreased size. The biggest one though was the addition of a backlight. I upgraded to the Voyage recently because my wife and I were in too much Kindle competition for pre-bed reading. She was trying to use the Keyboard with the reading light and I honestly I felt bad. Bad enough that I gave her the old model Paperwhite and got myself a new one. I know, I know. I am so considerate…
Impression of the Voyage
After having it for a few weeks, I can tell you this: It has a clearer screen, new features, and is physically built different enough that it is a better device, a better experience. The adjustments aren’t drastic over the Paperwhite though. Like most of computer hardware these days, there isn’t much left to upgrade to make people buy something new. Think TVs, laptops, tablets, and even phones now. The changes from year to year as far less than they used to be and far fewer people are buying new devices when the old ones work almost as well. Amazon had to release something new and this device is better, just not too much.
Which One Should You Get?
QUESTION: Do you find e-readers superior to paper books? Why or why not?
References/Further Reading
My Paperwhite is one of my favorite things in the world. I can’t remember the last time I read a paper book.
Also you need to give your wife the Voyager. Put up a poll and let your readers vote.
Ha ha. Great idea, but I already did a poll. I asked my dog and he said I should get the Voyage. I asked him to say “Yes” if he thought she should get it. He just stared at me…