Sony PRS-T1 or Kobo Touch? Please share your uptodate opinions.

jmcollis · 01-31-2012, 02:31 AM

Hi there,

I'm a newbie around here and this is my first post. I've been looking around at the options for an ereader as I want to move on from book reading apps on the iPhone and get a specialist reader. From looking at the options, at the moment I am considering either the Sony PRS-T1 or the Kobo Touch. Now having read some of the reviews on the web and comments in this forum, I'm interested in getting some updated views for a number of reasons.

1. I'm in New Zealand, this changes some of the options available for example Amazon Kindles are available, however their online bookstore apparently is more limited than elsewhere due to which editions they will sell to international customer. The local bookseller chain Whitcoulls has an online epub based store that seems to be closely related to the Kobo store.

2. Prices and the prices relations between different models vary here. For example the Sony T1 is currently $239NZ and the Kobo Touch is $199NZ. This may make a difference as I believe in the U.S. and U.K. the Sony is cheaper than the Kobo. (update: I see that Whitcoulls seem to have a special on the Kobo this week until Sunday, lowering the price to $179NZ.)

3. There have been recent updates to software both for the Sony and also the Kobo. Does possibly changes the performance of one or both units. Any feedback about this issue would be much appreciated.

Although I haven't used a hardware ereader before, I have already been using Calibre for books on my iPhone and have a collection of free epubs already. Also I'm reasonably technically literate and capable so transferring files from a Desktop to ereader does not phase me at all.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

robko · 01-31-2012, 11:09 AM

I would suggest trying both out hands on if you get the chance. Either are probably going to work for what you're looking for, and it may be more a choice of which feels better in your hand. Sony has pdf reflow, but Kobo has better formatting (spacing/fonts etc). I have a Kobo Touch and I haven't had any major issues and I love it. The only drawback is that Customer service is slow if you do happen to be one of the unfortunate few with a problem.

ProfCrash · 01-31-2012, 08:43 PM

All of the bookstores are going to have problems with lack of books being available for sale. While you can buy a paper book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble in the US without a problem, the store in the US counts as the point of purchase, e-books are more limited. The point of purchase is your computer in your home country. So if a Publisher does not have the right to sell the book you want in New Zealand it cannot sell you that e-book.

The books available at Whitcoulls are going to be under the same restrictions as the books available at Amazon.

Just an FYI

The Terminator · 01-31-2012, 08:53 PM

I've used the Kobo Touch and really like it, but it doesn't have folders or tags to sort your books. But you can the search function and sort them by date read, author, title.

I tried the Sony at Staples today and it was pretty good, but I couldn't get the pages to turn without the buttons? The page turns were just as fast as the Kobo Touch.

The only thing I didn't like about was the glossy finish, it reflects everything around it which is annoying.

If Tags and Folders aren't important to you, the Kobo would be great.

John F · 02-01-2012, 09:29 AM

I would suggest holding off on A Kobo Touch until the next firmware. I have one, and with the latest firmware (1.9.16), there are issues. Pages often don't turn/dead taps, and response for some menu choices is very slow/erratic.

I do like the formatting options.

LuvReadin · 02-01-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Terminator

The only thing I didn't like about was the glossy finish, it reflects everything around it which is annoying.

It is, but some of the covers do a very good job of hiding that.

I chose the T1, and am very happy I did!

spindlegirl · 02-01-2012, 02:45 PM

I have owned both, and now my husband has my kobo touch. He likes it as it satisfies his basic needs, whereas I have a bit more specific (yet not further above "basic") needs.

What made me consider the T1 as a huge upgrade was how easy it was to sort books into categories and easier library loaning. (downloads from the library directly into my device, wirelessly).

I also found the constant changes with how the Kobo Touch gets used and such via firmware upgrades, a bit of a hassle. I also had the less common situation of being a linux user, and since I often did a "factory reset" which necessitated a new setup each time, it was a hassle to find a windows system to plug into the Kobo desktop to re-"setup". Many people did not have many problems with the Kobo Touch, but I found them frustrating.

jmcollis · 02-02-2012, 01:44 AM

Thanks everyone. I have been to a Whitcoulls store and tried both. At the moment, I am leaning towards the Sony. I have a colleague who has an earlier Sony and highly recommends them. Also the comments here about categories have some resonance to me, as I am sure that I will want to be able to have multiple ways of listing books. I haven't made a purchase yet but so far that's how I'm seeing it.

Thanks again for your time to reply to the question.

jmcollis · 02-08-2012, 09:05 PM

Thanks for all your suggestions and help.

I've decided and am now the proud owner of a Black Sony PRS-T1.

I've been enjoying it over the last couple of days and have already finished one book and am 2/3 of the way through another.

Cheers from one happy camper!

Cheers,
John

bcgirl · 02-09-2012, 02:24 AM

Awesome! I also got a black Sony PRS-t1 for Christmas and just finished book #6. I also got the cover with light. Such a cool device! I love it, love it!

owly · 02-09-2012, 05:03 AM

I think it also depends on how you like to turn the pages. The Sony T1 doesn't have the tap-to-turn-a-page funktion like the Kobo Touch does and I personally love turning pages that way so I doubt I'll be getting one.

LuvReadin · 02-09-2012, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owly

I think it also depends on how you like to turn the pages. The Sony T1 doesn't have the tap-to-turn-a-page funktion like the Kobo Touch does and I personally love turning pages that way so I doubt I'll be getting one.

You can swipe to turn a page (and set it up for either direction); it's not that different.

scrapking · 02-09-2012, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmcollis

Thanks for all your suggestions and help.

I've decided and am now the proud owner of a Black Sony PRS-T1.

I've been enjoying it over the last couple of days and have already finished one book and am 2/3 of the way through another.

Cheers from one happy camper!

Cheers,
John

My understanding is that it's possible to use Kobo-purchased books on the Sony relatively easily. If you choose to investigate that, know that Kobo frequenly offers significant discount coupons (some specifically for the NZ market too). There's a "Kobobooks.com Discount Codes" thread here on Mobileread that's invaluable for this. They don't work on e-book publishers that have moved to the agency system, but the further from the U.S. your local Kobo store is the less likely you are to run into agency books, it seems. Almost every book I have bought was eligible for Kobo's discount codes (I'm in Canada).

jmcollis · 02-10-2012, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owly

I think it also depends on how you like to turn the pages. The Sony T1 doesn't have the tap-to-turn-a-page funktion like the Kobo Touch does and I personally love turning pages that way so I doubt I'll be getting one.

I actually like the fact that I can use real buttons on the bottom, or the touch swipe (which doesn't take very much at all) to change pages. Depending on how I am holding the device, there are options.

Cheers,
John

jmcollis · 02-10-2012, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapking

My understanding is that it's possible to use Kobo-purchased books on the Sony relatively easily. If you choose to investigate that, know that Kobo frequenly offers significant discount coupons (some specifically for the NZ market too). There's a "Kobobooks.com Discount Codes" thread here on Mobileread that's invaluable for this. They don't work on e-book publishers that have moved to the agency system, but the further from the U.S. your local Kobo store is the less likely you are to run into agency books, it seems. Almost every book I have bought was eligible for Kobo's discount codes (I'm in Canada).

Cool. Thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eyes open for that!

Cheers,
John

01-31-2012, 02:31 AM	#1
jmcollis Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Device: Onyx Boox Poke 5	Sony PRS-T1 or Kobo Touch? Please share your uptodate opinions. Hi there, I'm a newbie around here and this is my first post. I've been looking around at the options for an ereader as I want to move on from book reading apps on the iPhone and get a specialist reader. From looking at the options, at the moment I am considering either the Sony PRS-T1 or the Kobo Touch. Now having read some of the reviews on the web and comments in this forum, I'm interested in getting some updated views for a number of reasons. 1. I'm in New Zealand, this changes some of the options available for example Amazon Kindles are available, however their online bookstore apparently is more limited than elsewhere due to which editions they will sell to international customer. The local bookseller chain Whitcoulls has an online epub based store that seems to be closely related to the Kobo store. 2. Prices and the prices relations between different models vary here. For example the Sony T1 is currently $239NZ and the Kobo Touch is $199NZ. This may make a difference as I believe in the U.S. and U.K. the Sony is cheaper than the Kobo. (update: I see that Whitcoulls seem to have a special on the Kobo this week until Sunday, lowering the price to $179NZ.) 3. There have been recent updates to software both for the Sony and also the Kobo. Does possibly changes the performance of one or both units. Any feedback about this issue would be much appreciated. Although I haven't used a hardware ereader before, I have already been using Calibre for books on my iPhone and have a collection of free epubs already. Also I'm reasonably technically literate and capable so transferring files from a Desktop to ereader does not phase me at all. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

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01-31-2012, 11:09 AM	#2
robko Wizard Posts: 2,454 Karma: 5469320 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo	I would suggest trying both out hands on if you get the chance. Either are probably going to work for what you're looking for, and it may be more a choice of which feels better in your hand. Sony has pdf reflow, but Kobo has better formatting (spacing/fonts etc). I have a Kobo Touch and I haven't had any major issues and I love it. The only drawback is that Customer service is slow if you do happen to be one of the unfortunate few with a problem.

01-31-2012, 08:43 PM	#3
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	All of the bookstores are going to have problems with lack of books being available for sale. While you can buy a paper book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble in the US without a problem, the store in the US counts as the point of purchase, e-books are more limited. The point of purchase is your computer in your home country. So if a Publisher does not have the right to sell the book you want in New Zealand it cannot sell you that e-book. The books available at Whitcoulls are going to be under the same restrictions as the books available at Amazon. Just an FYI

01-31-2012, 08:53 PM	#4
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	I've used the Kobo Touch and really like it, but it doesn't have folders or tags to sort your books. But you can the search function and sort them by date read, author, title. I tried the Sony at Staples today and it was pretty good, but I couldn't get the pages to turn without the buttons? The page turns were just as fast as the Kobo Touch. The only thing I didn't like about was the glossy finish, it reflects everything around it which is annoying. If Tags and Folders aren't important to you, the Kobo would be great.

02-01-2012, 09:29 AM	#5
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,173 Karma: 63764653 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Glo HD	I would suggest holding off on A Kobo Touch until the next firmware. I have one, and with the latest firmware (1.9.16), there are issues. Pages often don't turn/dead taps, and response for some menu choices is very slow/erratic. I do like the formatting options.

02-01-2012, 02:45 PM	#7
spindlegirl Wizard Posts: 1,594 Karma: 21245891 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra h20, Paperwhite 2017, Phone & Tablet w Moonreader	I have owned both, and now my husband has my kobo touch. He likes it as it satisfies his basic needs, whereas I have a bit more specific (yet not further above "basic") needs. What made me consider the T1 as a huge upgrade was how easy it was to sort books into categories and easier library loaning. (downloads from the library directly into my device, wirelessly). I also found the constant changes with how the Kobo Touch gets used and such via firmware upgrades, a bit of a hassle. I also had the less common situation of being a linux user, and since I often did a "factory reset" which necessitated a new setup each time, it was a hassle to find a windows system to plug into the Kobo desktop to re-"setup". Many people did not have many problems with the Kobo Touch, but I found them frustrating.

02-02-2012, 01:44 AM	#8
jmcollis Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Device: Onyx Boox Poke 5	Thanks everyone. I have been to a Whitcoulls store and tried both. At the moment, I am leaning towards the Sony. I have a colleague who has an earlier Sony and highly recommends them. Also the comments here about categories have some resonance to me, as I am sure that I will want to be able to have multiple ways of listing books. I haven't made a purchase yet but so far that's how I'm seeing it. Thanks again for your time to reply to the question.

02-08-2012, 09:05 PM	#9
jmcollis Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Device: Onyx Boox Poke 5	Thanks for all your suggestions and help. I've decided and am now the proud owner of a Black Sony PRS-T1. I've been enjoying it over the last couple of days and have already finished one book and am 2/3 of the way through another. Cheers from one happy camper! Cheers, John

02-09-2012, 02:24 AM	#10
bcgirl Groupie Posts: 197 Karma: 996872 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC,Canada Device: iPad2-64gb, Sony PRS-T1, KOBO mini	Awesome! I also got a black Sony PRS-t1 for Christmas and just finished book #6. I also got the cover with light. Such a cool device! I love it, love it!

02-09-2012, 05:03 AM	#11
owly Guru Posts: 729 Karma: 3822612 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sweden Device: Paperwhite 2, Kobo Aura H2O	I think it also depends on how you like to turn the pages. The Sony T1 doesn't have the tap-to-turn-a-page funktion like the Kobo Touch does and I personally love turning pages that way so I doubt I'll be getting one.