Mother's Day is Soon. HD Glo or PW3? (Canadian)
Hi friends! Don't post often on this site, but love reading it. Never was a big reader until a few years ago, and then I eventually got a Kobo Glo.
I am now wanting to upgrade and very torn between PW3 and Kobo Glo HD. The Voyage would probably be my go to pick, or even the Oasis, but money is a factor, and Canada's prices on the Voyage and Oasis is mental.
Anyways, I want to compare a few things and hope to get an opinion. I have a few questions throughout, that will be bolded.
Frontlight
-I seem to see two things: the Kobo Glo HD seems to look less natural in some comparisons, yet other times, I am reading that the Glo HD has a better lit screen. Is one significantly less natural looking than the other or what? Does one look particularly white/black while the other looks more yellow or blue?
Software
-I know PW3 is the real winner, but I am unable to take advantage of Amazon's features for two reasons:
1) I am a Canadian, and don't have access to some features like book lending
2) I have a ton of epubs, so sideloading my content onto a Kindle means I don't get X-Ray, or Word Wise. I love both these features, but sadly, it seems like I need to buy Kindle's formatted e-books to use them.
While Kobo doesn't have any extra features, I have the stat tracking features that tell me how many minutes in a chapter, % read, and so on. Does Kindle also have these features for non-native/sideloaded formats?
Formatting/Typography
-I know Kindle got an upgrade with the formatting of their ebooks, but it seems like this is still restricted to Kindle's native ebook format. I know the new Bookerly font helps fix these issues too (issues of massive spacing between words, broken up lines, etc). With my Kobo, it seems like a much easier experience to read things without such odd breaks.
Will I have a lot of trouble with the typography if I use sideloaded books on the Kindle now? Or will I have to specifically buy books that have the new typography support? Is the new typography update restricted to just the bookerly font?
Interface
-One thing I love about Kindle's new update is that the homescreen looks so much better. Having the three last read books, plus a listing, plus recommendations/goodreads integration on the bottom half of the homescreen seems really neat and personalized. I love the idea of using goodreads to find books and have them show up on my Kindle.
I intend to explore new books using goodreads on a PC, but the connectivity on the Kindle seems perfect.
With the Kobo, the homescreen tiles are okay, but just a mashup of ugly looking tiles, and it seems less organized. It's a minor thing, but the new homescreen looks gorgeous on the Kindle, and the whole ecosystem feels so personal.
I also am trying to find information on the turn speed and general snappiness.
Do people experience issues with turning pages not registering until you have to press another 3-4 times? Sometimes on my Glo, the touchscreen feels like it doesn't respond.
Does the Glo HD crash significantly often? Is the software more stable than on the Glo? Is it faster, snappier, more responsive? I know Kindle is supposed to be more stable..
Hardware Quality
-I have never touched a Kindle, but from my impressions, it seems like a few people have taken shots at the Kobo Glo HD not feeling like a "premium" device. Is the PW3 significantly superior or something? I have no problem with my Glo. I am hoping the Glo HD hasn't cut any corners or anything. I dont think I'd have an issue with HD's build quality, are the reviews just exaggerating?
My biggest concerns with switching over to Kindle:
-Formatting/converting. I worry that I wont be able to flawlessly convert epub to AZW or whatever else runs on Kindle. I worry that line breaks, spacing, and other typography issues will come up and make the whole reading experience a headache.
-I worry that features like "Time to Read" and "percent read" wont work on sideloaded books
-No access to the great features like Word Wise and X-Ray since I will be sideloading my books.
-No customization of fonts and reading experience. I like my custom fonts on Kobo. I am sure I can easily get used to what's on the Kindle, but wish Amazon would release more fonts. From what I read, the black and white on Kobo Glo HD is much better than PW3, both due to the screen and the customization of the fonts
My biggest concerns with Kobo:
-Is the PW3 lighting whiter/more natural? Is the Glo HD better/less blue than the Glo? I get the impression that the Glo HD lighting looks more blue or yellow
-Software continues to seem more buggy. What are the outstanding issues that currently exist for Glo HD? How is the general touchscreen responsiveness, speed of turn pages/opening books, and stability?
-No real connectivity to Goodreads or way to explore new books. Kindle's new homescreen just seems better connected and personalized
-No cool features like Word Wise, scrolling through pages through a smaller window, or X-Ray...but it's not like I can access these on a Kindle anyway
-I worry about getting a defective unit or a poor quality unit that breaks when I'm just out of warranty. Amazon support seems like they'd be much more accommodating, and I worry Kobo may be more riskier. My Glo has been rock solid in terms of build quality, however.
Sorry for the long post. Hoping to get some clarification for the bolded issues.
Last edited by TimeEffect; 04-25-2016 at 05:26 PM.
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