Paperwhite vs Glow Kobo - specs please

[DaMastah]

Originally Posted by SameerH

Kobo Glo has the new 1024x758 hi resolution Pearl Eink screen. The contrast ratio is helped a lot by having the light on, so yes it is whiter with the light on.

Thanks for the answer, that cleared it up for me.

I pre-ordered the device, still I'm a bit disappointed that you changes the size of the device compared to the touch... I'll have to get a new pouch...

Anyway, nice work on that device, looks very promising. I hope you'll be more responsive on the firmware updates on that one.

[Iskariot]

Mr. Kobo aka SameerH ,

Would you be willing to enlighten a potential customer about the dictionaries too?
If you have read this thread you must have noticed there is some confusion about this topic. And for some of us dictionaries are quite important.

I love your Glo by the way. Kobo seems to be one of the frontrunners at the moment. Very interesting.

[Nightyume]

Originally Posted by volpo

Of course you meant 'favour'?

Of course

I blame my tablet's prediction algorithms...it's using "Singapore English" which honestly has me flumoxed as to what to expect from it insofar spelling and variety are concerned... So yeah, sometimes American spellings slip through (which sucks because I actually think conserving the "u" in words like favour, colour, honour, neighbour, etc. makes them prettier

Originally Posted by DNSB

My brother-in-law is a word freak and loves that his reference library at work carries the Oxford English Dictionary in it's 20 volume glory plus 3 additions volumes. There are words in there that haven't been in common use since Shakespeare was scribbling. The CDROM version of the OED along with the Historical Thesaurus is available via the corporate network for online lookups while at work or using the VPN. A great resource for those authors in love with polysyllabic logorrhea and for those who try to read and enjoy their work.

Personally, I settle for the Canadian Oxford English Dictionary which has a very good grip on the way that Canadian spelling wavers between the UK and the US usages.

I looooove the OED. Plus it's soo much fun for translation class because it makes justifying my interpretations so much easier as it has basically every conceivable definition for a word/idiom available (though it can get tiring reading all the way to definition 94. g., which I have actually done...). Unfortunatley the electronic version only works on XP and I don't exactly have XP right now (and my computer doens't have the necessary free space in order to run it virtualized). The Canadian Oxford would be nice, but as I'm not in Canada right now, it's a skosh difficult to get. The Kobo Glo will also be a tad difficult to get, will cost me about twice as much, but will hopefully be worth it (it will be my first e-reader after all, don't let me down kobo).

But yeah, having the ability to add in dictionaries would be great. I wouldn't mind paying for them either as long as they're good. Hopefully Kobo can find a way to make this happen.

[LoveMyBooks]

Something that I have not seen here on this forum thread is weather or not there is a comparison with Kindle PW and Kobo Glow on the whisper sync technology. I have now realized that that will probably be the deciding factor for me.

I noticed that the Kindle PW has that technology, whereby you buy the e-book and possibly pay a little extra(?)in order to be able to "listen" to the book when you are too busy to actually read. Then resume actually reading and pick up where you left off from "listening" as the technology allows for bookmarking.

If the Kobo Glo would offer that, then my decision is done. I love Kobo and want to stay a customer.

I hope somebody can help me

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBooks

Something that I have not seen here on this forum thread is weather or not there is a comparison with Kindle PW and Kobo Glow on the whisper sync technology. I have now realized that that will probably be the deciding factor for me.

I noticed that the Kindle PW has that technology, whereby you buy the e-book and possibly pay a little extra(?)in order to be able to "listen" to the book when you are too busy to actually read. Then resume actually reading and pick up where you left off from "listening" as the technology allows for bookmarking.

If the Kobo Glo would offer that, then my decision is done. I love Kobo and want to stay a customer.

I hope somebody can help me

Hi LoveMyBooks,

"Whispersyncing" is not what you describe. Whispersync synchronises your reading progress throughout the devices you use to read, like your e-reader, you smartphone, your computer...

And yes, Kobo does offer that, though only for books that you buy from Kobo.

The listening to the book thing, or text-to-speech, is something the previous Kindles have. The PaperWhite actually does not have it: http://liliputing.com/2012/09/amazon...aperwhite.html Nor does the Kobo Glo.

Sorry

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

Hi LoveMyBooks,

No, the Kobo Glo does not have a whispersync equivalent.

But, nor does the Kindle Paperwhite.

I think it's the Kindle Fire that has it. And you have to own both the ebook and the talking-book to be able to use it...

Sorry

All of the Kindles and Kindle apps have Whispersync. I think you're confusing it with Immersion Reading. Only on the Fire can you listen and read along at the same time. Whispersync means you can put down your Kindle, open your Audible app and the audio starts where you left off on the book.

There is a small delay, if I recall correctly, I need to close the book, or the app so that it mark where you left off. So, if I'm reading on my iPad and start the Audible app on my phone, it won't go to my last spot until I close the Kindle for iPad app.

[LoveMyBooks]

Thank you Mrs_Often...and hello to you.

Yeah, I think I confused the technology name as I see that the Kpw does have the whispersync technology but only in that it has the ability to sync with the other devices; pc, phone, etc. I see now, looking at the kpw specs that there are no speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GEKXUO/ref=fs_cl
go about halfway down the page...where it says "Designed with readers in mind"

I love E-ink so looks like I will stay with my device until Kobo puts speakers on the glow and allows it to read...LOL.

[LoveMyBooks]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

lThere is a small deay, if I recall correctly, I need to close the book, or the app so that it mark where you left off. So, if I'm reading on my iPad and start the Audible app on my phone, it won't go to my last spot until I close the Kindle for iPad app.

Hi SolRaven;
Do you have to buy the book twice? First on Kindle then on Audible?

[Mrs_Often]

Agh! Thanks SolRaven for the correction. I realised my mistake just after I put my laptop away and came right back to correct it... but you beat me to it before I finished editing my post! It's edited now... I was wondering while I wrote my first version about what a weird name "whispersync" is for something that talks to you

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBooks

Hi SolRaven;
Do you have to buy the book twice? First on Kindle then on Audible?

For some books, yes, for some books, no. Some publishers allow the text-to-speech. Others prefer you to buy the audiobook as well, so they don't allow it. (I'm newly brushed up on such knowledge )

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBooks

Hi SolRaven;
Do you have to buy the book twice? First on Kindle then on Audible?

Yes, but if you buy the Kindle book first, the Audible book is greatly reduced in price. I had an Audible account for the past few years, and I wasn't able to get the Kindle versions for a reduced price. Plus, when I tried to add an Audible book, because I already had an Audible account with unused credits, I wasn't offered the reduced price, I could only use my credits. My Audible plan was for one credit a month@ $15 ea. If I bought a Kindle book afterwards for $10, I would spend $25 for both the ebook & audiobook. Without an Audible account, I could buy the Kindle book for $10, then add the Audible book for $4, for a total cost of $14, which is less than what I was paying Audible for just the audiobook!

Coincidentally, if you didn't have an Audible plan, and just bought the audio book outright, it would probably cost as much as a full priced hardcover and for really long books, a lot more!

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

Agh! Thanks SolRaven for the correction. I realised my mistake just after I put my laptop away and came right back to correct it... but you beat me to it before I finished editing my post! It's edited now... I was wondering while I wrote my first version about what a weird name "whispersync" is for something that talks to you

LOL... All of Amazons names for their services are a little confusing. Whispernet, Whispersync, Immersion.... It's hard to keep up!

Originally Posted by Mrs_Often

For some books, yes, for some books, no. Some publishers allow the text-to-speech. Others prefer you to buy the audiobook as well, so they don't allow it. (I'm newly brushed up on such knowledge )

Mrs_Often you're just a mess today! LOL... but I love your enthusiasm!

[LoveMyBooks]

Thank you both so much for helping me.

If there were a way for Kobo to sync with a "read out loud" type of app...that would be great. I read on my Kobo wifi...I also sometimes read via the Kobo app on my phone. Why not be able to have a "read out loud" app on phones (or computers) as well that would sync up with the Kobo library. I would still upgrade to the Glo....even though I would be using my phone to "listen" to my books. I would be a very happy woman!

[sombreastre]

I know this is not what you want to hear, but to those of you who enjoy listening to audiobooks, I heartily suggest to do it with a standard mp3-player: they've gotten extremely cheap and rugged these days(unlike ebook readers), and almost all of them come with a bookmark function.

As for reading some parts on the ereader then continuing on the mp3player(say you hop into your car), and maybe then back to the ebook in the evening, yes you do have to muanually sync to where you've gotten to if you use two different devices(no magic immersion-whispersyncing-all-the-things spell), but with ebooks chapter-skip functions and audiobooks split in properly numbered/named chapters, it's almost always a non-issue and takes very little time(especially if you happen to stop at chapter breaks).

Do try it, before deciding to get an ebook reader which, say, might have audio functionality but is a bit lacking on the latest cool features (like an old kindle vs a paperwhite one).

just my 2 cents

[LoveMyBooks]

Originally Posted by sombreastre

As for reading some parts on the ereader then continuing on the mp3player(say you hop into your car), and maybe then back to the ebook in the evening, yes you do have to muanually sync to where you've gotten to if you use two different devices, but with ebooks chapter-skip functions and audiobooks split in properly numbered/named chapters, it's almost always a non-issue and takes very little time(especially if you happen to stop at chapter breaks)

just my 2 cents

Hi sombreastre....
Actually..I wouldnt mind doing any of that....as long as I can find a place to purchase the ebook and the audio book together for a discount. I"m a Kobo user and I really have no desire to switch. Any suggestions?

[sombreastre]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBooks

Hi sombreastre....
Actually..I wouldnt mind doing any of that....as long as I can find a place to purchase the ebook and the audio book together for a discount. I"m a Kobo user and I really have no desire to switch. Any suggestions?

I see what you mean there. I hadn't thought of that because I do not pay for my audiobooks as they're classics available in the public domain (try librivox.org if you haven't ever heard of it, some audiobooks may not be that good, but some others have professional quality, you just have to choose-and-pick a bit till you find a decent one).

As a side thought, say you buy the ebook from kobo then the discounted audiobook from them. What format is the audiobook in? Don't you have a way of reducing it to simple mp3 files per chapter, then transferring it to mp3-player? (I ask because I never bought audiobooks from them and have no idea of what you get when you buy one)