Quote:
Originally Posted by clintbradford
>> ... The wifi only Kindle at $139.99 is now the best value in ereaders ...
We DID drink the Bezos Kool-Aid, didn't we? (grin) And although I have absolutely no need for one, I, too, pre-ordered one.
Other manufacturers and vendors would KILL for Amazon's (and also Apple's) kind of marketing power: Being able to snatch $140 or $190 from consumers - for a product no one here has touched nor demo'd nor will even ship for a month.
Long live Kobo.
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How did I drink the Kool-Aid? I didn't pre-order one.
I think the nook is the best device for me. I'm not sorry that I bought one. However, I'm not too stubborn to admit when another company makes a great product.
People are forgetting that the name of this part of the forum is "which one should I buy?" not "why mine is better than yours."
The new Kindle is not perfect (no device is), but it is an amazing value based on the improvements that were made at the price.
The nook is not perfect. It uses an lcd screen that some people love (for some reason hard for Kobo owners to believe), and some people hate. It does not have the same long battery life as the competition (but still great compared to other electronic devices). Yet, some people find the overall package of the nook to suit their needs best.
The Kobo is not perfect (sorry to break it to you Clint). It is overpriced, the screen quality is worse than the competition (Sony PRS 505/300, nook, Kindle--shouldn't screen quality be important to those that stare at screens for hours to read), page turns are slow (I know, how could that be important to avid readers!), it doesn't come with a wall charger, and it uses antiquated bluetooth connectivity rather than wifi or 3g. It is also no longer the king of small form factors. But hey, some people are willing to pay more for less because they like the design. Good for them!
Just please don't try and make the argument that if someone finds the Kindle appealing, they are not intelligent and are being brainwashed. Maybe they just see a good value and want to get their money's worth. Also, don't tell me that if someone finds the nook appealing, they just like to see pretty color covers and are superficial. Maybe they actually like the lcd interface even though it diminishes the battery (I do). The style vs. substance argument works against the Kobo more than the nook because you aren't getting much for the money. But it is small, and has a quilted back!
At $150 I can't see how the Kobo stacks up to the competition, and I think that recommending it to new buyers is a little deceptive. I would never say that my nook is overall the better device than someone else's new Kindle, but I think it might be better for some people. The point is that the Kindle and the nook are both in the same league at a competitive price point. The Kobo is not, no matter how much those that own one love it. A new buyer wants to get the best device for the money, not the device that someone is stubborn about because they already own it (how hard is it to admit that, heaven forbid, another device might be at least just as good as yours).
As a consumer, I have no loyalty to any company. I don't care if it's Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, or Sony. I won't get on these boards and tell everyone to buy a nook because that's what I decided to do (after much research too Clint). I will read what they post as their needs, and try to make a recommendation based upon my experience with the various devices (not just my nook).