<div>Difficult to ima-gine that a little black-and-white e-reader could be dramatically improved upon in any way, but Amazon has done just that with the Kindle Voyage. They now have a vanilla Kindle that costs Rs 5,999, the Paperwhite, which is for Rs 10,999, and Rs 13,999 (3G version) and now the Voyage for Rs 16,999. And lots of very nice cases in great colours for all of these.<br /><br />The Paperwhite really lets e-ink come into its own, making text so nice and legible even in outdoor daylight. Now, the Voyage takes it up a notch, adding a lot to what was already one of the best ways to read — and be eco-friendly at the same time. <br /><br />I was wondering whether I was imagining it but no, it’s true that the Voyage is a tiny bit smaller than the other Kindles. That makes it easier to hold by just that fraction — but it’s a fraction that matters. On this version, Amazon has also fixed one of my pet peeves. I hated the power button, its placement on the underside of the reader and the way it needed to be pressed hard. Now, there’s a soft round button exactly where your fingers will naturally reach on the back of the reader. One touch and your Kindle is asleep. But, there’s also now a great smart case, so the device wakes up when you lift the flap off. Another great addition is the tiny squeeze needed on the edge of the device to turn the page. While reading, your fingers are right there and just a little pressure turns the page. That’s much more of a big deal than it sounds. I turn the font on fairly large and need to turn pages very often, but the effort needed to do this is now nothing. If you find the squeeze method annoying, you can tap the screen to move to the next page.<br /><br />The Voyage is more than noticeably faster than the others. It’s responsive and smooth. The screen, at 300ppi, is also much crisper and brighter, making it easier to read smaller text clearly. There are little changes to the interface, but it’s the better hardware that makes this Kindle a premium one.<br />The Voyage is for those who read a lot and don’t mind investing in their reading. It’s expensive, but a vastly improved experience. While the other two options are more gift-able, the Voyage is probably the one you want to curl up with yourself. <br /><br />(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 18-05-2015)</div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
