Kindles compared: which one is the best?
I have a problem. It's a problem worth sharing. It's a problem I know others have.
If an alert pops up on my screen, I cannot help checking it. Instant message, text message, email or alert, the allure is irresistible. It's enough to distract me from what I am doing at the time to flick into a new app, tab or screen to ensure it's nothing urgent.
This is part-occupational necessity, part character flaw. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. For some it's the fear of missing out (Fomo), for me it's Fomsu - the fear of missing something urgent.
This is why when I truly need to relax, I turn to a novel. A book can be guaranteed not to send you anything work related. No badges or alerts will pop up mid page; it won't ring; it won't sound a siren to signal an incoming problem.
All it will do is take you from where you are to where the author wants you to be. For this reason, I have clung to the printed page as a life raft in the tumultuous sea of work-life balance.
But also among my character flaws is the need for instant gratification - the latest New York Times bestseller when I want it - in a form that I can tuck into my handbag for flights.
For this reason, I've used the Kindle app on my smartphone and tablet for the past couple of years and here my problem arises. My lit-laxation is constantly interrupted by work.
The release of two new Kindle models proved the perfect opportunity to try an alternative. The top-of-the-range Voyage arrived in a few months ago and the latest version of the Paperwhite was released recently. Both provide a really good reading experience - with no interruptions.
As a book lover, it's hard not to love both models. Both have an e-paper backlit screen, which means no more lights-on/lights-off fights in bed. But unlike other backlit devices, the light feels gentle on your eyes even at the end of a long day of screen time.
Kindle has worked hard over successive models, to promote the Kindle as a screen that's not really a screen, even promoting its devices to parents keen to cut down on kids' screen time.
The Voyage has the slight advantage over the Paperwhite after sundown in that it includes a function that automatically adjusts brightness depending in the light in a room.
Both models have the same e-paper screen resolution with 300 pixels per inch, about twice as many as older models which means the text appears sharper. Even with text enlarged and reduced to maximum or minimum size, both are pleasantly readable and unpixelated. Both have a six-inch screen, which for this booklover is just the right size.
The devices are a similar size and weight, with the Voyage housed in a slicker, slightly slimmer casing, while the Paperwhite feels reassuringly sturdy. I loved the slightly contoured casing, which made one-handed reading easy.
Turning pages is achieved through a swipe on the screen, while the Voyage has the added feature of a page turns via an impression of the side of the device. This method produces a slight vibration, or satisfying "thunk", making page turns reassuring tactile.
Both models include Kindle's 'X-ray' function which allows users to look up the meaning of words, or find multiple references to characters within the same book - handy for complex works or plot twists and turns. Like previous models, the Voyage and Paperwhite include discreet displays showing the percentage of book read and location. Both include the ability to bookmark a page and the capacity to move easily between books in your library (all sourced from Amazon).
Both devices do exactly what they say on the box and little more. They are tools for reading books. The Voyage and Paperwhite feel low-tech when moving from a smartphone, with simple monochrome displays and a singular purpose, but again, this is part of the appeal.
They do one thing and they do it well. They will not give you breaking news, light your way, or give you the latest from the NZX, but they will let you read a book, where and when you want it, without a single interruption.
The Voyage is a sleek, reading device. The screen is brighter than the Paperwhite and the styling slicker. Whether this, and the additional page-turn functionality, is worth the $120 that separates the two will depend entirely on your budget.
For me, the Paperwhite provided everything I needed, and I would spend the price difference on a few more books with which to while away my downtime.
Are you a regular kindle user, or do you prefer the tangible feel of regular book?
Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Joanna Norris. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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