Paperwhite 3, Glo HD or Aura H2O?

Elodoriel · 10-13-2015, 07:45 PM

Hello.

I’m going to be purchasing an e-ink reader later this week. I’ve read scores of reviews, but having discovered this website, I finally have a means of asking the opinions of average users, so I’m hoping that you can help me out. I’m currently reading on my Samsung Galaxy S6 and on my laptop. I purchase my ebooks from a variety of stores, prioritising epub but I haven’t shied away from Amazon if they’ve been cheaper or had a book exclusively. All of my ebooks have been cleansed and backed up, and I meticulously organise their metadata into a state of uniformity in Calibre, converting them where necessary. It’s where my obsession with sorting my bookshelf and buying the prettiest editions transferred itself…

So: I have access to Kindles and Kobos in-person. I don’t want to buy online, because the stores selling these readers both have excellent returns policies, and I see lots of complaints about faulty screens from both companies. It’ll just be less of a hassle. I want a front-lit reader, which narrows my choice to what is available at said brick-and-mortar stores: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Kindle Paperwhite 3, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Aura and Kobo Aura H2O. At the moment, I’m tossing up between the Paperwhite 3, Glo HD and Aura H2O.

The Kindle seems to have the lion’s share of the market, and I don’t mind converting my books if I need to. The Glo HD, if I’m not mistaken, is Kobo’s direct competitor to the Paperwhite 3? In any case, they’re the same price as each other in my local stores; unless I receive information to discourage me to from buying the Glo HD, I’ll be leaning more towards that than the Kindle because of the accepted formats. I know that I can convert my books - after all, I convert all of my Amazon purchases - but I’d rather not deal with the potential formatting problems, you know? I have a lot of poetry; poor formatting would slaughter the readability.

Speaking of poetry, the Aura H2O has two very persuasive features for me: the larger screen, and the waterproofing. I read poetry frequently; I’m studying the Arts, so it’s essential. It’s far easier to read poetry on my laptop than my phone because of screen real estate. The Aura H2O’s larger screen seems like it would aid in reading poetry immensely. It looks, to my uneducated eyes, as though it’s just large enough to make the experience comfortable. Furthermore, the 6-inch screens remind me of mass-market paperbacks. As a former hardcover devotee, MMP size seems slightly on the small end of the spectrum. As for the waterproofing, I read in the tub. At the moment I simply take a paper book with me, but it’d be nice not to have a separate book on the go solely for tub reading!

I’ve played with all five available readers in-store, and to me it all seems like much of a muchness, with the exception of the H2O being comfortably larger. (The only issue there is that the price hike isn’t quite as comfortable.) I’m not experienced enough in this technology to make an educated choice based on the live demo models alone, so I’m hoping that you folks can help me: Should I be splurging for a H2O based on my reading preferences, or are the Paperwhite 3 and Glo HD fine enough on their own? If so, when format isn’t considered, should I choose one over the other for any specific reasons?

Cinisajoy · 10-13-2015, 07:51 PM

Whichever one you want.
There are people happy and unhappy with all models.

Elodoriel · 10-13-2015, 07:55 PM

I understand that, Cinisajoy, but at the very least the Kobo Aura H2O does seem to have enough significant differences that it's worthwhile to ask people their opinions of each device. What's the point in having a "which one should I buy?" forum if the automatic response is going to be "whichever one you want"...?

JSWolf · 10-13-2015, 07:55 PM

If you would prefer a larger screen than 6", my recommendation is the H2O and you get a very nice 6.8" screen. If you want a 6" screen, my recommendation is the Glo HD. Kobo is not playing the games that Amazon is with typesetting. Amazon is using a new format called KFX to give the enhanced typesetting. Kobo just works with ePub. Also, Kobo gives more options and the screens/lighting is very nice. I'm not saying the screen/light is not good with the PW3. But if you want an ePub capable Reader, Kobo is a good choice.

Elodoriel · 10-13-2015, 07:57 PM

Thank you, JSWolf.

My library already is all in ePub, so I'm only considering the Kindle if there's some "essential" feature that I wasn't aware of when I played with the demo models - if Amazon is restrictive about the typesetting compared to Kobo, that's definitely going to push me towards Kobo.

JSWolf · 10-13-2015, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elodoriel

Thank you, JSWolf.

My library already is all in ePub, so I'm only considering the Kindle if there's some "essential" feature that I wasn't aware of when I played with the demo models - if Amazon is restrictive about the typesetting compared to Kobo, that's definitely going to push me towards Kobo.

You cannot get the enhanced typesetting on a PW3 from any side loaded KF8 or Mobi eBook. Since you do use ePub at your library, then it's a simple matter of which screen size do you want. Personally, I prefer the 6.8" screen.

Elodoriel · 10-13-2015, 08:05 PM

Thank you so much. You're being so helpful! I do want the larger screen, I'm just debating whether it's worth the extra money. I suppose that in the long term, it'll pay for itself in terms of comfort...

JSWolf · 10-13-2015, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elodoriel

Thank you so much. You're being so helpful! I do want the larger screen, I'm just debating whether it's worth the extra money. I suppose that in the long term, it'll pay for itself in terms of comfort...

When I bought my H2O, there was no Glo HD and the choices I had was the H2o or the Voyage in terms of high resolution Carta screens. I went with the H2O because I wanted the larger screen and I would do it again.

Elodoriel · 10-13-2015, 08:09 PM

Excellent! I guess I'll get the H2O!

JSWolf · 10-13-2015, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elodoriel

Excellent! I guess I'll get the H2O!

Good choice!

Cinisajoy · 10-13-2015, 08:53 PM

I was just answering your you have seen complaints on both.
My personal choice would be the H2O if it came with the Amazon store.

meeera · 10-14-2015, 03:13 AM

I love my H2O. What country are you in?

Elodoriel · 10-14-2015, 03:19 AM

I would rather not disclose that.

meeera · 10-14-2015, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elodoriel

I would rather not disclose that.

...ok, Secret Squirrel?

Some of the features/benefits/drawbacks are country-specific, like library book availability.

JSWolf · 10-14-2015, 04:37 AM

If outside the USA and you do use Overdrive, than an ePub Reader is best. No Kindle books via Overdrive outside the USA.

10-13-2015, 07:45 PM	#1
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	Paperwhite 3, Glo HD or Aura H2O? Hello. I’m going to be purchasing an e-ink reader later this week. I’ve read scores of reviews, but having discovered this website, I finally have a means of asking the opinions of average users, so I’m hoping that you can help me out. I’m currently reading on my Samsung Galaxy S6 and on my laptop. I purchase my ebooks from a variety of stores, prioritising epub but I haven’t shied away from Amazon if they’ve been cheaper or had a book exclusively. All of my ebooks have been cleansed and backed up, and I meticulously organise their metadata into a state of uniformity in Calibre, converting them where necessary. It’s where my obsession with sorting my bookshelf and buying the prettiest editions transferred itself… So: I have access to Kindles and Kobos in-person. I don’t want to buy online, because the stores selling these readers both have excellent returns policies, and I see lots of complaints about faulty screens from both companies. It’ll just be less of a hassle. I want a front-lit reader, which narrows my choice to what is available at said brick-and-mortar stores: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Kindle Paperwhite 3, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Aura and Kobo Aura H2O. At the moment, I’m tossing up between the Paperwhite 3, Glo HD and Aura H2O. The Kindle seems to have the lion’s share of the market, and I don’t mind converting my books if I need to. The Glo HD, if I’m not mistaken, is Kobo’s direct competitor to the Paperwhite 3? In any case, they’re the same price as each other in my local stores; unless I receive information to discourage me to from buying the Glo HD, I’ll be leaning more towards that than the Kindle because of the accepted formats. I know that I can convert my books - after all, I convert all of my Amazon purchases - but I’d rather not deal with the potential formatting problems, you know? I have a lot of poetry; poor formatting would slaughter the readability. Speaking of poetry, the Aura H2O has two very persuasive features for me: the larger screen, and the waterproofing. I read poetry frequently; I’m studying the Arts, so it’s essential. It’s far easier to read poetry on my laptop than my phone because of screen real estate. The Aura H2O’s larger screen seems like it would aid in reading poetry immensely. It looks, to my uneducated eyes, as though it’s just large enough to make the experience comfortable. Furthermore, the 6-inch screens remind me of mass-market paperbacks. As a former hardcover devotee, MMP size seems slightly on the small end of the spectrum. As for the waterproofing, I read in the tub. At the moment I simply take a paper book with me, but it’d be nice not to have a separate book on the go solely for tub reading! I’ve played with all five available readers in-store, and to me it all seems like much of a muchness, with the exception of the H2O being comfortably larger. (The only issue there is that the price hike isn’t quite as comfortable.) I’m not experienced enough in this technology to make an educated choice based on the live demo models alone, so I’m hoping that you folks can help me: Should I be splurging for a H2O based on my reading preferences, or are the Paperwhite 3 and Glo HD fine enough on their own? If so, when format isn’t considered, should I choose one over the other for any specific reasons? Last edited by Elodoriel; 10-13-2015 at 07:49 PM. Reason: spelling

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10-13-2015, 07:51 PM	#2
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Whichever one you want. There are people happy and unhappy with all models.

10-13-2015, 07:55 PM	#3
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	I understand that, Cinisajoy, but at the very least the Kobo Aura H2O does seem to have enough significant differences that it's worthwhile to ask people their opinions of each device. What's the point in having a "which one should I buy?" forum if the automatic response is going to be "whichever one you want"...?

10-13-2015, 07:55 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you would prefer a larger screen than 6", my recommendation is the H2O and you get a very nice 6.8" screen. If you want a 6" screen, my recommendation is the Glo HD. Kobo is not playing the games that Amazon is with typesetting. Amazon is using a new format called KFX to give the enhanced typesetting. Kobo just works with ePub. Also, Kobo gives more options and the screens/lighting is very nice. I'm not saying the screen/light is not good with the PW3. But if you want an ePub capable Reader, Kobo is a good choice.

10-13-2015, 07:57 PM	#5
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	Thank you, JSWolf. My library already is all in ePub, so I'm only considering the Kindle if there's some "essential" feature that I wasn't aware of when I played with the demo models - if Amazon is restrictive about the typesetting compared to Kobo, that's definitely going to push me towards Kobo.

10-13-2015, 08:05 PM	#7
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	Thank you so much. You're being so helpful! I do want the larger screen, I'm just debating whether it's worth the extra money. I suppose that in the long term, it'll pay for itself in terms of comfort...

10-13-2015, 08:09 PM	#9
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	Excellent! I guess I'll get the H2O!

10-13-2015, 08:53 PM	#11
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I was just answering your you have seen complaints on both. My personal choice would be the H2O if it came with the Amazon store.

10-14-2015, 03:13 AM	#12
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,658 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	I love my H2O. What country are you in?

10-14-2015, 03:19 AM	#13
Elodoriel Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: none	I would rather not disclose that.

10-14-2015, 04:37 AM	#15
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If outside the USA and you do use Overdrive, than an ePub Reader is best. No Kindle books via Overdrive outside the USA.

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