hi. just read linnette's review 2. like her, i pinch myself each day
noting the amazing array of well crafted digital devices for the
blind.
i just read this review on amazon that gives alot of information
including good direct links to amazon pages for more. i just copied
and pasted the complete article here.
stay well ... william
Customer rating 5.0/5.0
July 8, 2016 By Phil (not) in Mågnoliá
Amazon Verified Purchase
312 out of 322 found this helpful
Just two months following Amazon's introduction of their
premium-priced (and somewhat controversial) Kindle Oasis E-reader with
Leather Charging Cover, Amazon has brought out their 8th-Generation
Kindle. Imagine, the Kindle was first released on November 19, 2007,
for $399!
This is the least expensive model in the current Kindle lineup and
bookends the Oasis at about a third of the price, with the Paperwhite
and Voyage in between. In the eight and a half years that have now
gone by since the first Kindle, Amazon continues to make incremental
improvements, and this new refinement of the Kindle has a couple of
significant differences that make the product and experience better,
for some users at least.
I ordered this model because I wanted to see how much different this
Kindle is from my other models (I have one each of the others
mentioned above). Does it really make that much difference to have a
Kindle without the built-in lighting?
IN BRIEF - WHY PURCHASE THIS PARTICULAR KINDLE MODEL?
-- It's the least expensive Kindle (and the price is unchanged from
the 7th generation version).
-- As an e-reader it does everything that the more expensive Kindle
models do - it runs the same e-reader software, it has the same
processor as the more expensive Paperwhite and Voyage models, and it
synchronizes with your Kindle book library and downloads books via
wi-fi.
-- It has exactly as much storage for books as any other current
Kindle model, 4 GB, enough for 'thousands' of books.
-- It will operate for almost as long on a battery charge as any of
the Kindle models (see more details below)
-- Plus, if you want to have the new VoiceView capability (see
explanation later) then this Kindle can do that too (and some of the
others cannot, at least at this point in time).
WHAT DOESN'T IT DO THAT THE MORE EXPENSIVE MODELS DO?
-- It does not have a lighted screen. It works great and is totally
readable under all normal lighting conditions.
-- The screen resolution is a bit less sharp – the specifications are
167 ppi and 16-level grayscale (see more detailed discussion below).
-- It does not have 3G capability for downloading books away from a
wi-fi network.
-- It does not have page turn buttons, the controls are only touchscreen.
-- Other Kindle's have different style covers available from Amazon
(in particular the 'origami' cover for the Voyage, for those who like
that particular cover style).
HOW IS THIS KINDLE DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS MODEL?
The previous Kindle can still be viewed on Amazon here: Kindle
E-reader, 6" Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, Wi-Fi (Previous
Generation - 7th)
This new version is priced the same as the previous one (and note that
they are sometimes discounted by twenty dollars or more). There are
only a couple of changes, however they are significant:
-- It's a bit smaller and thinner (6.3" x 4.5" x 0.36" compared to
6.7" x 4.7" x 0.40"), and it's significantly lighter (5.7 oz vs 6.7
oz, which may seem like not much difference at just 1 oz but it's
actually quite noticeable). This is now the second-lightest Kindle.
Only the Oasis without cover is lighter, and the Oasis is a different
concept with most of the battery in the cover rather than in the
device itself.
-- It has BLUETOOTH!! For the first time, a Kindle includes Bluetooth
capability, which doesn't mean that it can play your audio books but
does mean that the Kindle VoiceView capability can be used (see
explanation later).
-- after several years when Kindle's were only offered in black,
Amazon has re-introduced the option of a Kindle in WHITE!! (OK, it may
not sound like a big deal, but for some Kindle fans who fondly recall
the first Kindle's that were ONLY available in white, this is a
welcome change).
AMAZON HAS FOUR DIFFERENT KINDLE MODELS? WHICH ONE SHOULD I PURCHASE?
Well, I may be able to help with that, because as it happens I have
each of the current models and can give at least my own perspective on
what the pros and cons are of each:
-- Lighted Kindles: Three of the four current models have self-illumination:
---- Kindle Paperwhite: least expensive of the lighted Kindles, has
the same display resolution as the Voyage or Oasis, touch screen
control only, the best value for lighted Kindles and I believe this is
Amazon’s best selling Kindle model.
---- Kindle Voyage: Adds page turn buttons to the sides of the display
as well as touch screen, the lighting technology is improved, the case
design is a bit sleeker and similar to some of the recent Fire models,
and it has the ‘origami’ style case available which is nice for
propping the Kindle up for reading.
---- Kindle Oasis: Newest and most expensive Kindle, further improved
lighting technology, has a significantly different style with battery
both in the Kindle and in the case, page turn buttons plus touch
screen. Lighter than any of the other Kindles.
The choice comes down to how important the differentiating features
are. If you want the ability to turn pages with buttons instead of or
in addition to the touchscreen, then either the Voyage or Oasis have
that ability. If you want the lightest Kindle and like the style of
the Oasis, including the need to purchase it bundled with the case and
then have the case available for supplementing the battery of the
Oasis itself, and you’re ok with the price of the Oasis, then it is a
good choice. If you simply want a great Kindle with self-illumination,
and touchscreen controls are ok, then the Paperwhite is the best
value.
And of course if you do not require a Kindle with the built-in
lighting, if most of your reading is done under conditions that would
be acceptable for reading a ‘real’ book (remember those?), then this
least expensive Kindle works great for that and operates in exactly
the same way as all of the other Kindle models.
I’M NEW TO THE KINDLE. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
I’ll offer a few basics in getting started with Kindle:
-- An inexpensive case is a good investment that will protect the
screen when not in use and provide some drop protection as well,
depending on the kind of case that you purchase. The Kindle is pretty
rugged, but like any device with a screen, it can be damaged.
-- Protect your Kindle by entering a passcode that must be provided in
order to use it. Then, if it’s lost or stolen, there is less chance of
someone using your account without your knowledge or permission.
-- This Kindle does not include a USB charger (nor do any of the other
current Kindle models), but it does include a USB charging cable. If
you don’t have a charger, any phone or tablet charger with a micro-USB
connection will work, and you can also plug it into your computer or
other device with a USB power output, for charging. There are lots of
inexpensive chargers available on Amazon, including their own chargers
which are a bit expensive but work well.
-- Read the users guide! It comes pre-installed on the Kindle and it
will walk you through the features and how to adjust the various
settings. I also recommend that you return to the users guide from
time to time, as your familiarity with the Kindle develops, because it
is a lot to absorb all at once and each time you read through it you
will probably pick up more nuances in how to make best use of the
Kindle’s features.
(Also note that the users guide can be downloaded even if you don’t
own the Kindle, if you want to browse through it to see how the Kindle
works. See ‘Technical Details’ on the Kindle product page.)
BUT OTHER KINDLES HAVE BETTER DISPLAY RESOLUTION!
Yes, they do. If you look at the ‘Compare Kindle E-Readers’ chart on
the product page, it’s clear that this Kindle has ‘only’ 167 ppi
resolution, and the others all have 300 ppi. That’s double the
resolution and it must make a big difference, right?
Well, it depends. In my video review I place this Kindle next to my
Oasis model and although the video is not a close up view that would
better show the clearness and sharpness of the display, you can see
that they look just about the same. I love the sharpness and clearness
of my Voyage and Oasis models, but when I pick this Kindle up to use
it, I really don’t notice a big difference. I think that it looks
perfectly fine and I would not suggest spending more for one of the
higher end Kindle’s simply for the display difference. For the
lighting – yes. And if you are very particular in the sharpness of
what you’re reading, it may make a difference to you. In that case –
get the Paperwhite!
WHAT IS VOICEVIEW AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
VoiceView is an accessibility feature that is intended for blind and
visually impaired users of the Kindle, and it does two things:
-- it allows this Kindle to be paired with a Bluetooth speaker, so
that audio feedback can be heard and the kindle software can be
navigated with audio assistance. Please see my video review for a
brief demonstration.
-- it provides a text-to-speech function where the text of Kindle
books is read and can be heard through the separate speaker. Again, my
video review includes a short demo of this.
Note that this Kindle does not have it’s own speaker, you have to
supply that (or Bluetooth headphones or earbuds).
Here is some additional information on VoiceView:
- This page on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/b?node=14100715011
provides information on their accessibility features for the Kindle,
including VoiceView.
- Here is Amazon's guide to VoiceView:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201829340.
It gives an idea of how VoiceView works and what the various features
are.
- for the Kindle Paperwhite model, it's possible to purchase a
separate adaptor - Kindle Audio Adapter - or you can get the adaptor
bundled with a new Paperwhite - Kindle Paperwhite Blind and Visually
Impaired Readers Bundle.
The audio adaptor sold for the Paperwhite does not work with this
basic Kindle model (see comment section below for remarks from one of
the other Kindle users who checked this out).
WHAT ARE ‘SPECIAL OFFERS’ AND WHY DO THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE
PRICE OF THE KINDLE?
For the past few years, Amazon has incorporated a limited amount of
advertising in the Kindle. For example, when the Kindle is ‘sleeping’,
the display will show a promoted book, or something else Amazon is
trying to sell. A banner ad at the bottom of your home page will also
show a similar promotion. Those are ‘special offers’, and if you don’t
like that, then for $20 extra you can purchase a Kindle without them.
They are not particularly intrusive. I have Kindle’s both with and
without special offers and the ads aren’t a big deal, really. A Kindle
without special offers will show a geometric pattern as a kind of
screen saver display when it is sleeping, and that’s the biggest
difference.
If you buy your Kindle with the Special Offers, and later decide you
don’t like them and want them removed, you can do that easily by
paying the extra $20, either on the Amazon website or by contacting
customer service.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
If you’re interested in really getting into specifics regarding this
Kindle, as well as the other Kindle models, the following sections
will cover various aspects of the designs and usage.
SIZE AND WEIGHT
All of the Kindles are similar size and weight, but the differences
may be significant for some users:
-- Oasis: 4.6 oz without cover + 3.8 oz for cover = 8.4 oz total
-- Voyage: 6.3 oz without cover + 4.8 oz (origami leather cover) = 11.1 oz total
-- Paperwhite: 7.2 oz without cover + 4.7 oz (Amazon leather cover) =
11.9 oz total
-- Kindle: 6.7 oz without cover + 3.8 oz (Amazon leather cover) = 10.5 oz total
BATTERY CAPACITY AND LIFE
Amazon does not give the actual battery capacity (in mAh) in their
specs although eventually that information should be available online
and I'll add it to this review. In the meantime Amazon does state how
long the various Kindle models will operate on battery, and a
comparison can be made.
Here is what battery life actually works out to be, in terms of actual
available reading time between charges for the current Kindle models,
using Amazon's own stated specs which all assume "wireless off and the
light setting at 10:
-- Kindle: 4 weeks @ ½ hr of reading/day = 14 hrs
-- Paperwhite or Voyage: 6 weeks @ ½ hr of reading/day = 21 hrs
-- Oasis (including cover): 8 or 9 weeks @ ½ hr of reading/day = 28 - 31.5 hrs
-- Oasis (without cover): 2 weeks @ ½ hr of reading/day = 7 hrs
The differences could be significant, but in my own use with each of
the models, I find that I am only needing to recharge the batteries
occasionally and it is not at all disruptive to using the Kindle.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
If Amazon’s own product information, plus this rather lengthy review,
have not answered all of your questions, there is an extensive help
page for this Kindle, with lots of information on just about every
aspect of the device itself and how to use it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202049100&ref_=hp_gt_kind_8
