Quote:
Originally Posted by rashkae
Kobo's are great for people who like to tinker, whereas Amazon is openly hostile to developer community trying to work with Kindle. Also, the paperwhite is great device, but Kobo has upgraded models that are still very affordable, (H20 and Aura One.). The Kindle Oasis is insanely expensive by comparison, and still doesn't have adjustable color temp.
All that being said, Kindles 'just work' with much less hassle, and give users easy access to Kindles large and increasing library of exclusive books.
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I use both Kindles and Kobos (and Sonys and Nooks and a Tolino, an EZ Reader, a JetBook and (soon) its cousin an Aluratek Libre) but I agree with what you say. Kobos are great for customization. The problem is, you almost
have to tinker, especially if you want to fill up your screen with text. But Kobos also have issues with their touch screens that I don't run into on the Kindles. Not that hard to live with, but sometimes the "double-tap" is a nuisance, especially if I've been using another eReader for awhile.
But there are also other things Amazon does better. They've got Audible integrated into their newer eReaders (for those who like audio books). They've got a better website and bookstore. They've got a better dictionary built-in. They've got X-Ray, for those who like this sort of thing. They've got "Send to Kindle" for websites or, via email, for books. They've got a free lending library. Highlights (for Amazon purchased books only) show up on a website. Syncing between devices "just works." And, apparently, they've got good integration with GoodReads (which is something I don't understand or use). And the devices themselves seem more robust to me.
That said, I'm not running down Kobo. I like to tinker. (I rode a Triumph motorcycle and drove a Sunbeam Alpine Coup in my younger years, which — kind of like the Kobos — also required tinkering.) I like to customize. Until Amazon recently gave Kindles the ability to add custom fonts, that was a huge plus for Kobo. Kobo's bookstore has gotten better — there was a time when my payments kept getting rejected because my credit card company flagged a small purchase from Canada as a possible scam. (I've noticed that now payments go to a Kobo USA address.) With the Walmart alliance I think any of these problems are now gone.
As to the original question ... I think Kindles are popular for the same reason Microsoft Windows is popular. Its widely available, its simple, choices are limited and straightforward. And it basically "does the job." There was a time when Kobos and Nooks and Sonys were available in retail outlets (I think both Target and Best Buy sold all three) but Amazon still won out. Until the Walmart / Kobo alliance, there was no quick and convenient way to buy a Kobo in the U.S. for years (unless you lived near one of the few independent book sellers who sold them). Hopefully Kobos will get a decent chunk of the market — I'm afraid Nooks are probably on their way out.
With Calibre, custom fonts and Apprentice Alf's DeDRM plugin, I really don't have to worry about where I buy my books now. I've made the decision to buy more books from Kobo because I want more than one eBook seller to survive. That doesn't necessarily mean I'll be reading that book on the Kobo. It could be anywhere. I like all my eInk readers an switch off a lot. I'm currently reading a book I purchase from Kobo on my Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro, which is a really nice reader and has an incredible battery charge for something this old. With Calibre I embed the DejaVu Serif E-Reader font, set the margins to taste, and lose nothing to the newer eReaders. (This is one of the readers I'll be keeping.)
(And I'm rambling again. Sorry.)