MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Kindle Paperwhite 2015 vs. Nook GlowLight Plus vs. Kobo

potaco · 11-18-2015, 10:17 PM

I'm having a really tough time deciding what to pick up for myself, mainly due to the newly-released GlowLight Plus. I currently have a basic Nook Simple Touch and am looking to upgrade. The options I am considering are the 3rd-gen Kindle Paperwhite (2015), the Nook GlowLight Plus, the Kobo Glo HD, and the Kobo Aura H2O.

Some notes about my preferences:

My biggest complaint about my NST is the lack of a backlight, which all options satisfy.
My second biggest complaint is the way the eInk works, where the font gets slightly lighter on each page (or even certain spots of the page) until the whole screen eventually does a flashy refresh. I'm guessing the new eInk on all the devices avoids this.
The size of my NST is OK, but the buttons are bad and I find myself relying on the touchscreen.
I am (illogically) somewhat biased against mobi files, though I am not tied to any ecosystem whatsoever. I'm very comfortable converting books in Calibre, so format support and book selection are something of non-issues (obviously it would be more convenient to not have to convert).
I would like to stay around $100-130. On that basis alone, the H2O may be ruled out unless some retailer runs a Kobo Black Friday deal, which doesn't seem to be the case.
I don't care about waterproofing, 3G, Pocket integration, expandable memory, or syncing between devices.
Battery life is not a huge concern.
I would like even lighting and sharp, clear text.
I do like the idea of Kindle's "Word Wise" feature, but if it is only available on certain Kindle books, it loses a lot of value to me.

The way I see it:

The Nook GlowLight Plus is the new and improved version of what I have, but possibly a rushed product without a lot of feedback yet.
The Kindle Paperwhite is a very safe choice and will likely be the cheapest option for Black Friday. The text options aren't the best, but they seem more than sufficient.
The Kobo Aura H2O is big, waterproof, and the most expensive. I'm not sure how I feel about the size, but the waterproofing is neutral and the price is a big negative. If I was going to spend $180, I would probably be considering the Kindle Voyage instead.
The Kobo Glo HD seems like a middle of the road choice. I'm not familiar with Kobo besides what I've read.

Overall, I'm probably way overthinking this and will just end up with a Paperwhite next Friday... Just curious if anyone has any additional comments, especially with regard to the new GlowLight Plus.

Thanks!

11-18-2015, 10:17 PM	#1
potaco Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2015 Device: none	Kindle Paperwhite 2015 vs. Nook GlowLight Plus vs. Kobo I'm having a really tough time deciding what to pick up for myself, mainly due to the newly-released GlowLight Plus. I currently have a basic Nook Simple Touch and am looking to upgrade. The options I am considering are the 3rd-gen Kindle Paperwhite (2015), the Nook GlowLight Plus, the Kobo Glo HD, and the Kobo Aura H2O. Some notes about my preferences: My biggest complaint about my NST is the lack of a backlight, which all options satisfy. My second biggest complaint is the way the eInk works, where the font gets slightly lighter on each page (or even certain spots of the page) until the whole screen eventually does a flashy refresh. I'm guessing the new eInk on all the devices avoids this. The size of my NST is OK, but the buttons are bad and I find myself relying on the touchscreen. I am (illogically) somewhat biased against mobi files, though I am not tied to any ecosystem whatsoever. I'm very comfortable converting books in Calibre, so format support and book selection are something of non-issues (obviously it would be more convenient to not have to convert). I would like to stay around $100-130. On that basis alone, the H2O may be ruled out unless some retailer runs a Kobo Black Friday deal, which doesn't seem to be the case. I don't care about waterproofing, 3G, Pocket integration, expandable memory, or syncing between devices. Battery life is not a huge concern. I would like even lighting and sharp, clear text. I do like the idea of Kindle's "Word Wise" feature, but if it is only available on certain Kindle books, it loses a lot of value to me. The way I see it: The Nook GlowLight Plus is the new and improved version of what I have, but possibly a rushed product without a lot of feedback yet. The Kindle Paperwhite is a very safe choice and will likely be the cheapest option for Black Friday. The text options aren't the best, but they seem more than sufficient. The Kobo Aura H2O is big, waterproof, and the most expensive. I'm not sure how I feel about the size, but the waterproofing is neutral and the price is a big negative. If I was going to spend $180, I would probably be considering the Kindle Voyage instead. The Kobo Glo HD seems like a middle of the road choice. I'm not familiar with Kobo besides what I've read. Overall, I'm probably way overthinking this and will just end up with a Paperwhite next Friday... Just curious if anyone has any additional comments, especially with regard to the new GlowLight Plus. Thanks!