Kindle HDX vs. Kobo Arc 7HD vs. Nook HD+

[Scorehound]

Yesterday I started a thread because I was looking for a good E-Reader that was accessible for me as a lowly Canadian soul. I contacted Barnes and Noble and Amazon yesterday and got the impression that if I used a relative's U.S address (I have an Aunt in Texas) that I would be able to download all of the content.

That being said, before I make any judgements on which tablet reader I will buy, I need to challenge the experts on this one to answer for me a few questions on which of the tablets listed above would best fit my needs, also which one is the most versatile and easier to add content to.

1. Which tablet reader is better for children's books?

I have 2 daughters, and one of the things about the Nook HD that I read was that it has books available that are interactive and fun for kids, and I want to be able to have fun reading to them at night before bed and thought that the Nook would be a good choice for its kids content. Do the other 2 tablet readers have good content for kids?

2. Which tablet is better for magazines, photography books, graphics and color?


I am a photographer, so I will be spending money on adding a supply of photography books and magazine subscriptions to my reader so I can have a mobile reference library with me at all times. I will also have my portfolio on the reader so I can showcase my photography to potential clients and friends.

3. Can any of these tablets fill out .pdf content?

All of my invoices for clients are in .pdf format, so I was thinking I would be able to fill out .pdf invoices on the go and send invoices to people even when I am not at home. Are there any apps that these tablets could benefit from that would allow me to do this?

4. Which tablet has the best eBook and content organization?

I don't want to spend a lot of time flicking through pages of unorganized content looking for a book to read or a magazine issue I want to read.

5. Which tablet is the most stable (less glitchy) generally?

I know this question might cause some claws to come out, but this purchase is an important one so I want a good idea on which tablet has the least bugs or the most manageable quirks so I can spend less time regretting my purchase and more time enjoying my purchase.

6. Which tablet's manufacturer has the best customer service?

This is a BIG one for me, as Customer Service is one of the most important reasons people either love or hate the products they buy. One of the things that makes me hesitate about buying the Kobo is I have heard the customer service is a bit sketchy. Is this true? Who has the 4 star service?

7. Are the apps Amazon will actually let you download on the Kindle any good?

One thing that I hesitate about the Kindle is the restrictions on the apps you can download. Anyone have any thoughts on the app selections for the Kindle?

8. How hard is it to activate the Nook for a Canadian?

I am leaning towards buying the Nook HD, but the biggest fear I have is that I will spend good money to order one only to be stone walled on registering it to download the Nook content. I want to be able to subscribe to the magazines and download all of the content.



If anyone has the time to answer these questions for me, it will help me make my final choice. Is Kobo the answer? Will the Kindle blow my mind? Is the Nook my dream machine? Please help me decide! :-)

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Is there any reason you're not considering the Nexus 7? Because that's the one you should be getting by far. I could see some people going for a Kindle if they are heavily invested in the Kindle ecosystem such as being a Prime user but as a Canadian you won't receive those benefits. So in my own opinion the new Nexus 7 is absolutely the one you should be getting unless you have some kind of objection to it that I have missed.

[Scorehound]

The problem for me is that I want a device geared towards reading. The 3 devices I listed are attached to book stores and all 3 devices have dedicated features for Book lovers. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Nexus 7 is just a tablet, no? And as such I would only be able to read and download books from an app downloaded from the Google Play Store?

To be honest I haven't done any research on the Nexus... I will have to look at it, but in the mean time these 3 are the ones I have my eyes set on. Thanks for mentioning the Nexus though... I will have to give it a serious look! :-)

[Sregener]

While it is true that all 3 of the tablets you listed have dedicated features for ereading, effectively, those are just an Android "skin" that hides some of the interface from you. Other than Amazon Prime videos, which for some reason Amazon has decided to restrict only to Amazon-branded Android devices (but iDevices are okay for some reason), I can think of nothing you could do on a branded device that you could not do on a Nexus.

You can download a Nook app, a Kobo app and a Kindle app that will all function pretty much like they would on the branded devices. So for overall compatibility and store independence, you can't beat the Nexus.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

I don't know about Barnes and Noble but both Kindle and Kobo have reading apps for Android and there are a plethora of dedicated reading apps (Moon+ Reader, Aldiko, Mantano) that you can use to sideload books. If you want a pure reading experience then I would recommend getting anI eInk reader. But if you're getting a tablet then I think you would really be limiting yourself. For example, the Amazon app store is much more limited than the Google Play store which isn't available on the Kindle Fire (unless you're into hacking your device.) The Kobo hardware is not nearly as good as the Nexus. Now if the Nexus were priced like an Apple product I could see why you would be willing to accept something less but the Nexus pricing is very comparable to the other tablets you're looking at.

[mystika1]

I have a nook HD+ that I use for reading. The screen size is great. If you like magazines... The larger screen is better imho. Because they added Google play to the HD+ you could buy books from Barnes and noble or install any other book store app on it as well. It is a nice inexpensive tablet for reading. The nexus 7 has newer hardware and the specs show better resolution and faster processor. Honestly.. I watch video and movies in my HD+ with no lag. If you are just reading on the tablet you really wouldn't notice a difference in processor speed. I don't know anything about the fire except that some people report a line of colors on the edge of the screen when reading on a page that has a white background. If you look at reviews of the kindle fire hdx you should see a few of the latest reviews indicating this.

My husband wants to purchase a new tablet for me and I was looking at the nexus as well. I am going to wait a while as I really can't find flaws in my HD+

Hope this helps,

Penny

[Scorehound]

Hmmmm.... you guys have given me something to think about. Thanks!

[Scorehound]

So in comparing the Nexus 7 to the Kobo Arc 7 HD, what benefits does one get in buying the Nexus as opposed to buying a dedicated tablet designed for readers with multimedia options like the Arc? I have been trying to find comparisons to these two readers on the net but I have found no luck.

How does each manage magazines?

Can I buy Kindle and Nook books through Google Apps and run them flawlessly on a Kobo? Nexus?

Can I subscribe to magazines on those apps is I use a Nexus 7 as opposed to the Kobo?

[Canuck_in_Japan]

I can't really comment on the content. Your best bet would be to go onto Google Play website on your computer Web browser and go to the books/magazine section and see what's available. I know that my Android phone has a Google books and Google Newsstand app so I'm sure that would be on the Nexus 7.

[Scorehound]

After reading reviews and watching comparison videos on YouTube I think I have narrowed my choice down to the Kobo Arc 7 HD and the Nexus. Thanks for recommending the Nexus 7. But now I am struggling to find out which one I should buy. This isn't easy! :-)

[~Kate]

One last word, if you haven't hit the "order" button yet. I have the Nexus 7 2013 and it is a very nice tablet especially for the money. But I just bought the Kindle HDX 8.9" (also have a few older Kindles) and am really thrilled with it.

For what it is worth, the extra 2" on the Kindle HDX makes a huge difference if you are reading magazines, large files, and probably picture books if you are reading to children. The screen is beautiful and the browser is much better than the older Kindle HD. I am spending more time reading on my Kindle HDX 8.9 these days just because there is more real estate to read pages faster. Movies are fantastic.

Amazon's ecosystem for buying books is pretty well organized and integrated with the Kindle - purposely set up that way so it is easy for you to buy from them.

I haven't filled in pdf forms on it though, or used an app for that. Can't comment on the Nook or the Kobo Arc. Good luck!

[Canuck_in_Japan]

That's a good point. I don't think I'd want to read a magazine on a 7inch tablet.

[mystika1]

Originally Posted by ~Kate

One last word, if you haven't hit the "order" button yet. I have the Nexus 7 2013 and it is a very nice tablet especially for the money. But I just bought the Kindle HDX 8.9" (also have a few older Kindles) and am really thrilled with it.

For what it is worth, the extra 2" on the Kindle HDX makes a huge difference if you are reading magazines, large files, and probably picture books if you are reading to children. The screen is beautiful and the browser is much better than the older Kindle HD. I am spending more time reading on my Kindle HDX 8.9 these days just because there is more real estate to read pages faster. Movies are fantastic.

Amazon's ecosystem for buying books is pretty well organized and integrated with the Kindle - purposely set up that way so it is easy for you to buy from them.

I haven't filled in pdf forms on it though, or used an app for that. Can't comment on the Nook or the Kobo Arc. Good luck!

Have you noticed a rainbow or blue line along the edge of your screen when reading? I read several reviews at Amazon that showed unhappy users with this problem. Also... It had been said that this tablet is only good for people who are heavily invested in Amazon content or people who use prime.(is that so?) Can you easily side load apps from Google market? One thing I noticed with nook(before they integrated Google play) was that there were hardly any good apps available. I am worried that the fire would be the same way.

Sorry for the million questions. I am truly interested.

Penny

[Scorehound]

The only issue I have with the Amazon tablet is the cost. I'm okay spending $250-$270 for a 32 GB Nexus 7, but to get the Kindle 8.9" tablet will run me in the $400 range and I just do not have the funds for a purchase like that. That is why I was looking at the Kobo and the Nexus. I have been mulling over the Kindles for days, and I have come to the conclusion that for the price and limitations of the Amazon environment, the Kindle tablets just are not an option for me.

I want the freedom to install whatever app I want and to do whatever I want on my tablet. I want to be able to read books, subscribe to magazines, read books to my kids and browse the net and share my photography while catching the odd Netflix movie or wasting time staring at YouTube.

Believe me, I gave the Kindle Fire HDX a serious look, but I have to be real and consider what I need out of a tablet.

[~Kate]

Originally Posted by mystika1

Have you noticed a rainbow or blue line along the edge of your screen when reading? I read several reviews at Amazon that showed unhappy users with this problem. Also... It had been said that this tablet is only good for people who are heavily invested in Amazon content or people who use prime.(is that so?) Can you easily side load apps from Google market? One thing I noticed with nook(before they integrated Google play) was that there were hardly any good apps available. I am worried that the fire would be the same way.

Penny

No I haven't noticed any margin defects on my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 - no problems at all. Just to be on the safe side I usually order electronics at Best Buy (they price-match to Amazon), and if there are any problems I can return it very easily.

Yes it is for people heavily invested in Amazon content - for me it is a great thing. I got a lot of my books (many good ones) as Amazon Daily Deals; and the whole setup makes it easy to search/organized/fast. I think Amazon Prime is well worth the money.

I have sideloaded apps but not from Google market. Not a problem for me since almost all the apps I use are available on Amazon. You can search for yourself for apps on Amazon's website to see if they have what you need.

I didn't realize how much I appreciated the ease of using Amazon Kindle Fire tablets until I bought a Microsoft Surface RT tablet. When I got the thing there were 58 updates that took about 20 hours to download and install. Then it was updating to ver 8.1 which is another story.