Japan: limited choice: Kobo glo vs PW2

angel999 · 10-04-2013, 04:20 AM

Dear all,

I'm right now in Japan and looking for e-reader.
In Japan, we're quite limited... no B&N, no latest Kobo Aura or Aura-HD. Sony they don't have front light, so it is not a choice.
So my choice is between Kobo Glo ad PW2.
Honestly speaking, the PW2 looks to have still few problems and Kobo glo looks better.
Money is not really a problem as e-readers are cheap in Japan.
Closed format of Amazon is not really a problem with Calibre.

I'm trying to find elements to say Kobo glo is a bad product compare to PW2. But i don't see....

Thanks by advance

meeera · 10-04-2013, 06:18 AM

It depends on your wishes, your usage, and your dealbreakers. If you're happy with limited choices in how your book is displayed on an unmodified device (line spacing, margins, fonts, etc), and you're not anti-Amazon, then a Kindle is probably a great way to go. It likely wins out in customer service, too, should you need a warranty return.

If you are fussy about how your page looks and how your text is displayed*, and perhaps if you're a bit of a tweaker (you like to customise things, you might like to try uploading altered firmware to get the device doing exactly what you want it to do, you think you might like to play around with Calibre getting your epubs/kepubs and shelves juuuuust right), and you don't mind a bump on the road here and there, a Kobo might be a better choice for you. If added storage (micro SD card) is a dealbreaker for you, then Kobo's the obvious choice over Kindle.

* this is me, by the way!

soulfuldog · 10-04-2013, 06:33 AM

Don't think the Kobo Glo is a bad product at all, but depending on your light sensitivity, you might find the light on it a little bright and a little blue. I did read one review which rated the new Aura very highly saying it was a lot better than the Glo (I think they rated it 9 compared to the 6 they gave the Glo - I can't find the review), and if you look at this video comparing the Aura HD v Glo, I immediately notice the very blue tinge to the Glo's light.

I think the light on the PW2 looks much better, but if that blue tinge doesn't bother you.... then you might be happy with the Glo. The Kobo firmware is prone to bugs, but it is far more customisable than the Kindle.

Canuck_in_Japan · 10-04-2013, 07:45 AM

Hardware-wise the PW2 is obviously the way to go. You need to decide whether you're interested in being in Amazon's ecosystem. There's a possibility that the new Aura will come to Japan (how can it not?) but there have been no announcements so far.

angel999 · 10-04-2013, 11:14 PM

Thank you...

Wait for Kobo Aura or Aura HD could be a solution... but as there is no announcements for Japan... We don't know if it will be 1 month, 2 month or more....
Kobo owner is Rakuten, but it looks that announcements are still managed in Canada... (and they don't care of Japan..)

Shopaholic · 10-05-2013, 02:11 AM

The Kobo has far too many glitches and bugs. It's not worth the headaches IMO. Go with the Kindle. Easy. No hassles. Works out of the box. No hair pulling or migraine pills necessary.

Canuck_in_Japan · 10-05-2013, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopaholic

The Kobo has far too many glitches and bugs. It's not worth the headaches IMO. Go with the Kindle. Easy. No hassles. Works out of the box. No hair pulling or migraine pills necessary.

Counter point: I have never experienced a bug that I am aware of with Kobo other than the long paragraph thing which is really more of a niggle. I guess it depends on what kind of reader you are. If you're the kind who simply turns on the reader and flips the pages then you'll be fine. If you're the kind who must adjust page margins using Calibre then you might have problems.

meeera · 10-05-2013, 03:03 AM

I'm the same as Canuck - no migraines here with either of my Kobos. The odd niggle - the long paragraph bug doesn't bother me, the italics bug did (it's fixed now), and one upgrade issue long ago with my Touch (fixed with a factory reset) - but these niggles I'm far more prepared to put up with than Kindle display niggles, which would bother me every single second of my reading.

Each to their own! Kindles are probably fine for the majority of readers, and are very very likely to be perfectly fine for new ebook readers who aren't font-monsters.

Shopaholic · 10-05-2013, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Counter point: I have never experienced a bug that I am aware of with Kobo other than the long paragraph thing which is really more of a niggle. I guess it depends on what kind of reader you are. If you're the kind who simply turns on the reader and flips the pages then you'll be fine. If you're the kind who must adjust page margins using Calibre then you might have problems.

That's not the case with any of the people I've met in person who have a Kobo. They've never even heard of Calibre nor are they the type to even consider messing with things that some on this board grumble about: margins, fonts, weights etc. They just want to read hassle-free.

I talked readers on the weekend with a woman who hates hers with a passion. Her and several members of her family all got the mini's and they hate it. They constantly have to do factory resets.

Canuck_in_Japan · 10-05-2013, 03:33 AM

Well that is indeed a problem. I've only had an Aura HD since April (my only experience with Kobo) and I have yet to have to do a reset. Sorry to hear about your friend's problems.

Mhtsos · 10-06-2013, 03:37 AM

+1 for the kobo migraines.
Almost every month I have to do a factory reset,and I'm not alone.
Quite a few people here and in the greek forum complain about it.
The problem seems to be the updates,not the firmware(at least for my device).
I wouldn't advise anyone to buy kobo now,at least until they get their s@#t together and launch a decent firmware.On the other hand their hardware is state-of-the-art.

Canuck_in_Japan · 10-06-2013, 03:41 AM

I think we can all agree that between the PW2 and the Kobo Glo there's really no contest. If you're happy with Amazon's ecosystem (or converting to Amazon's format) then I say go for it! You'll be the proud owner of the cheapest (pricewise) Paperwhite in the world!

booklover6 · 10-06-2013, 07:25 AM

I wonder if the people who have to factory reset their Kobos are syncing with Kobo a lot. I never do (beyond initial set up) and have never had to reset a Mini. The only time I had to reset a Glo was when I was hacking it and messed it up (my error).

I have had my Glo freeze on me....or refuse to open a book (only with the latest firmware). Now that is very annoying.

ETA - I went back a firmware to 2.6.1. I liked it better. Hopefully it won't freeze up any more.

DaveinJapan · 10-06-2013, 10:33 AM

Ah, nice to see other Japan folks around!

I'm not familiar with the Kobo device, but how do the prices compare?

angel999 · 10-06-2013, 09:59 PM

Thanks readers,
Price of Kobo Glo is about 8000yen (80dollar, 61euros) and the PW2 is about 10000yen (100dollar/76Euros).

10-04-2013, 04:20 AM	#1
angel999 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo aura HD	Japan: limited choice: Kobo glo vs PW2 Dear all, I'm right now in Japan and looking for e-reader. In Japan, we're quite limited... no B&N, no latest Kobo Aura or Aura-HD. Sony they don't have front light, so it is not a choice. So my choice is between Kobo Glo ad PW2. Honestly speaking, the PW2 looks to have still few problems and Kobo glo looks better. Money is not really a problem as e-readers are cheap in Japan. Closed format of Amazon is not really a problem with Calibre. I'm trying to find elements to say Kobo glo is a bad product compare to PW2. But i don't see.... Thanks by advance

10-04-2013, 06:18 AM	#2
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,659 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	It depends on your wishes, your usage, and your dealbreakers. If you're happy with limited choices in how your book is displayed on an unmodified device (line spacing, margins, fonts, etc), and you're not anti-Amazon, then a Kindle is probably a great way to go. It likely wins out in customer service, too, should you need a warranty return. If you are fussy about how your page looks and how your text is displayed, and perhaps if you're a bit of a tweaker (you like to customise things, you might like to try uploading altered firmware to get the device doing exactly what you want it to do, you think you might like to play around with Calibre getting your epubs/kepubs and shelves juuuuust right), and you don't mind a bump on the road here and there, a Kobo might be a better choice for you. If added storage (micro SD card) is a dealbreaker for you, then Kobo's the obvious choice over Kindle. this is me, by the way! Last edited by meeera; 10-04-2013 at 06:21 AM.

10-04-2013, 11:14 PM	#5
angel999 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo aura HD	Thank you... Wait for Kobo Aura or Aura HD could be a solution... but as there is no announcements for Japan... We don't know if it will be 1 month, 2 month or more.... Kobo owner is Rakuten, but it looks that announcements are still managed in Canada... (and they don't care of Japan..) Last edited by angel999; 10-04-2013 at 11:15 PM. Reason: Typo

10-06-2013, 07:25 AM	#13
booklover6 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,533 Karma: 14008730 Join Date: May 2008 Location: PA (USA) Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle	I wonder if the people who have to factory reset their Kobos are syncing with Kobo a lot. I never do (beyond initial set up) and have never had to reset a Mini. The only time I had to reset a Glo was when I was hacking it and messed it up (my error). I have had my Glo freeze on me....or refuse to open a book (only with the latest firmware). Now that is very annoying. ETA - I went back a firmware to 2.6.1. I liked it better. Hopefully it won't freeze up any more. Last edited by booklover6; 10-07-2013 at 08:40 AM.

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10-04-2013, 06:33 AM	#3
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	Don't think the Kobo Glo is a bad product at all, but depending on your light sensitivity, you might find the light on it a little bright and a little blue. I did read one review which rated the new Aura very highly saying it was a lot better than the Glo (I think they rated it 9 compared to the 6 they gave the Glo - I can't find the review), and if you look at this video comparing the Aura HD v Glo, I immediately notice the very blue tinge to the Glo's light. I think the light on the PW2 looks much better, but if that blue tinge doesn't bother you.... then you might be happy with the Glo. The Kobo firmware is prone to bugs, but it is far more customisable than the Kindle.

10-04-2013, 07:45 AM	#4
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,475 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	Hardware-wise the PW2 is obviously the way to go. You need to decide whether you're interested in being in Amazon's ecosystem. There's a possibility that the new Aura will come to Japan (how can it not?) but there have been no announcements so far.

10-05-2013, 02:11 AM	#6
Shopaholic Cockatoo Mom! Posts: 1,509 Karma: 1812695 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: PW4, Kobo: A1, Clara, Libra 2, iPad Pro 11, iPad Mini	The Kobo has far too many glitches and bugs. It's not worth the headaches IMO. Go with the Kindle. Easy. No hassles. Works out of the box. No hair pulling or migraine pills necessary.

10-05-2013, 03:03 AM	#8
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,659 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	I'm the same as Canuck - no migraines here with either of my Kobos. The odd niggle - the long paragraph bug doesn't bother me, the italics bug did (it's fixed now), and one upgrade issue long ago with my Touch (fixed with a factory reset) - but these niggles I'm far more prepared to put up with than Kindle display niggles, which would bother me every single second of my reading. Each to their own! Kindles are probably fine for the majority of readers, and are very very likely to be perfectly fine for new ebook readers who aren't font-monsters.

10-05-2013, 03:33 AM	#10
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,475 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	Well that is indeed a problem. I've only had an Aura HD since April (my only experience with Kobo) and I have yet to have to do a reset. Sorry to hear about your friend's problems.

10-06-2013, 03:37 AM	#11
Mhtsos Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 514984 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Greece/Germany Device: Acer Iconia A210,Sony PRS-T1(sold),Cybook Orizon,Kobo Glo,Kindle PW2	+1 for the kobo migraines. Almost every month I have to do a factory reset,and I'm not alone. Quite a few people here and in the greek forum complain about it. The problem seems to be the updates,not the firmware(at least for my device). I wouldn't advise anyone to buy kobo now,at least until they get their s@#t together and launch a decent firmware.On the other hand their hardware is state-of-the-art.

10-06-2013, 03:41 AM	#12
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,475 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	I think we can all agree that between the PW2 and the Kobo Glo there's really no contest. If you're happy with Amazon's ecosystem (or converting to Amazon's format) then I say go for it! You'll be the proud owner of the cheapest (pricewise) Paperwhite in the world!

10-06-2013, 10:33 AM	#14
DaveinJapan Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 84238 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: iPhone	Ah, nice to see other Japan folks around! I'm not familiar with the Kobo device, but how do the prices compare?

10-06-2013, 09:59 PM	#15
angel999 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo aura HD	Thanks readers, Price of Kobo Glo is about 8000yen (80dollar, 61euros) and the PW2 is about 10000yen (100dollar/76Euros).

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