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12-27-2011, 04:17 AM | #1 |
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Kindle v kobo touch. Some questions answered and some feedback required.
I'm in the market to purchase an ereader. I have an iPad 2 and I use this for reading. The device is too heavy however I don't mind reading on this screen (indoors).
I've been researching for the last few weeks and watched so many reviews and read so many articles. Where they miss the mark and my advice is... What's the purpose of your ereader? For me I don't need anything flashy. I want a portable reader that is functional and I will use it for reading. I'm not too concerned about the web. Rowsers etc. Whichever one offers best range? I've looked at several of the ebook sites and I've found the kobo and amazon sites best. They both have great selection. I picked a few of the titles I love and searched them. Both came up on each site and kobo was slightly cheaper on all occasions. That said it seems that amazon has a better range in general. What functions are essential? For mine the best asset of any reader is the built in dictionary capability. Kobo has this but it's a 2 press process. Kindle seems to do it in one. Also if you side load formats into the kobo the dictionary function doesn't work Beside dictionary the kindle has prettymuch a strangle hold on you purchasing from them with their limited .mobi. Kobo can load in several variations which is a benefit in my opinion. I'm not pigeonholed. Form of the ereader? I've picked up both devices and in my opinion the kobo wins hands down. I've toyed with a kindle and a Sony and the kobo really feels comfortable. The screens all display the same in my humble opinion. So my dilemma still stands. I haven't purchased yet and I throw it out to you guys to provide me with any feedback. I'm pretty set between the kindle touch and kobo touch. Thanks. |
12-27-2011, 10:26 AM | #2 |
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Either one will work well as an eReader. Either one should get a case/cover on it, which will significantly change how it feels in your hand. Both provide a wide range of books in their native stores. And both can use sideloaded books, though the Kindle has an edge here with their dictionary working on sideloaded books as well. Format restrictions are a non-issue at this point - there are lots of stores that support either format, and there are ways to change the format and buy from competing stores. (I buy some books from the Kobo store when geo-restrictions require it, since my Kindle account is in the US, but my Kobo one is in Canada.) The final consideration you haven't mentioned is customer service, and I think Kindle definitely has the edge here.
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12-27-2011, 12:31 PM | #3 |
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I can solve one of your dilemma's: Kobo dictionary DOES work on sideloaded e-pubs. This was added a few firmware updates ago. I don't have experience with the Kindle dictionary, but from what I've read it may have a slightly better actual dictionary in it. I've never used a cover on my Kobo's (even though some people say it's a must), so go with whatever you feel better with.
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12-29-2011, 09:49 PM | #4 |
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Is there any special reason you've dismissed the Sony PRS-T1 already?
You won't be restricted to the Sony store (neither will you be to the Kobo/Kindle store should you buy one of those). Sony and Kobo both read Adobe DRM protected e-pubs and everything that hasn't got DRM is easily converted (not PDF though). Since dictionaries seem to be important to you I'd take a closer look at the Sonys. You haven't said where you live or what your preferred reading language is, but the T1 (I think the dictionaries are the same on the x50's) offers both the Oxford English (UK) and New Oxford (AE) as well as English <-> German/French/Spanish/Italian/Netherlands dictionaries. |
12-30-2011, 04:36 AM | #5 |
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I looked at the Kobo, Kindle and Sony before I bought and am very pleased with my Kobo. I like the fact that it is uncluttered with just 2 buttons - one at the top to turn it on and off and one at the bottom to return to the home page. The touch screen is great: it's responsive but not too sensitive. I bought a customized case but very rarely use it when reading - too bulky and heavy - though it's useful for travel and storage. I never use the dictionary. The only word I have not known the meaning of in the last month has been "Golem". I don't think that would be in the dictionary! I use Calibre on my laptop to convert files and it work seemlessly with the Kobo.
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12-30-2011, 10:05 AM | #6 |
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I'm pretty similar to you in that the 'extras' are really of no concern to me, it's all about just reading a book. Browsing the internet, note taking, audio etc don't matter at all, and the difference between the screens are pretty minimal.
So apart from the biggie of where you are happiest buying your books from, the how it looks & feels in your hand, and how it deals with page turns (plus how much does it flash, is it fast, is there any ghosting) are the main things. Unfortunately, I can't really help you make your choice, as I'm still undecided until I can get a proper go at using all of them - which is what I think you really need to do before deciding. Though you don't need to be as pedantic as me! If you make a choice you'll probably end up being really happy with whatever one you have chosen, once you've taken the plunge! Swipe or tap to turn pages - I think I prefer the tap of the Kindle (and you have the option to do either), not sure if you can do both on the Kobo, and I think it's swipe only on the PRS-T1 but with the option to set-it up so you can swipe from either side. Neither the Kobo or the Kindle have physical page turn buttons which I think would be a big miss, and although the PRS-T1 has them, they are at the bottom and not on the side. The problem is, this is something that you are probably only going to discover your preference for with a bit of use... Which leads onto how it feels. Being in the UK I've only played with the non-touch Kindle so far, though I liked it. I've only had a very brief look at the Sony and will probably need to go back and make sure it's one running the latest firmware. I have played about with the Kobo and was impressed with the way it looked, speed, lack of ghosting etc, but it was attached so tightly to the display stand I couldn't get a feel of the quilted back. As soon as the Kindle Touch is out in the UK, I'll be back round all the shops playing with them all over again. |
12-30-2011, 10:16 AM | #7 |
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The Kindle Touch is very good indeed. I was fortunate enough to have someone in the US send me one here in the UK, and I find it to be excellent. I thought I might be bothered by the lack of physical page-turn buttons, but for me it's a complete non-issue.
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12-30-2011, 10:24 AM | #8 |
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Kobo Touch can use epubs from other bookstores, Kindle can't. I've also been impressed with the amount of updates that Kobo has done. It's almost not worth looking at the earliest reviews because so much has been added.
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12-30-2011, 10:27 AM | #9 |
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Given that Amazon have the largest selection, and, generally speaking, the lowest prices, too, that's rather a red herring. If Amazon don't sell it, it's probably not available as an eBook.
Having said that, it is of course very easy to buy a book in ePub format and use Calibre to convert it to Mobi format for the Kindle. Or of course, vice versa, if you own an ePub device and want to buy from Amazon. |
12-30-2011, 10:46 AM | #10 |
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I have a Kobo Touch and I've played with Sony T1. I enjoy my Kobo and don't use a case while reading but do have one for storage. I found the page turns on the T1 a little slow and wasn't really keen on how it felt in my hand. I think what you'll find is everyone has an opinion and you should play with your choices and make your decision that way.
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01-02-2012, 11:47 AM | #11 |
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Yes, Kobo gives you both swipe and tap options as well.
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01-04-2012, 11:32 AM | #12 |
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My wife has a Kindle 4 and I have a Kobo Touch, boith the latest versions. They are very close for reading, but there are a few reasons why I prefer to Kobo: 1. although the dimensions are identical except that the hard rubber "quilting" on he back of the Kobo makes it maybe 1mm thicker, the Kobo feels much more solid and robust - the rubberised finish contributes to this. 2 Although Calibre does a good job of almost all conversions (95% of PDF to epub are fine), most bookstores offer epub, so it is handier not to rely on the slightly quirky output of conversion. 3 The Kobo's menu system (updated in Dec2011) is much simpler than the Kindle and the two button interface is much simpler too. 4 I prefer the touch screen page turning - I find the edge bars on the Kindle a bit fiddly; the Kobo screen is supposed to handle tap and swipe, but I have never managed to get swipe to work - the touch is very sensitive when it is touched very lightly, less so when belted hard.
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01-04-2012, 11:39 AM | #13 |
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A couple of things that could be better on the Kobo 1) It would be very nice to remove the book adverts that appear on the bottom of the home screen - I understand that they appeared last month with a firmware update, and 2) it would be nice to have a reliable browser - sometimes the URLs and links work and sometimes they dont; on the other hand, it is very tricky to get at the Kindle browser, and when I did, it broke and adversely affected the reading process for days until the effects wore off.
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01-06-2012, 04:25 AM | #14 | |
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Kobo dictionaries
Quote:
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01-10-2012, 11:17 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
If you do that, "Show all" will lead you directly to the shortlist - much faster than going through the library. |
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