E-Reader for international use (again)

[Mange2]

There was an old thread on this subject last year, but starting anew as recommended in the expectation that much has changed in the reader world since then . . .!

I am ready to replace my 4-year-old Canadian Wi-fi enabled Kobo (sorry--can't seem to find any model info anywhere!), and want to ensure that I don't trap myself into a restrictive purchasing/formatting environment--would really appreciate advice. I am presently living in Germany and will be moving to the Middle East next year. Since moving from Canada to Germany has already posed problems with the Kobo, I need a product which offers greater purchasing flexibility and ease-of-use.

What I dislike about Kobo:
--generally slow
--cumbersome to navigate, the more so since the rubber nipple most used to turn pages wore off within months
--Wi-fi only worked for the first month and has never functioned again
--Customer service via e-mail is absolutely nightmarish to deal with; I eventually gave up (my device was still under warranty provided I took it into the Chapters store in Toronto from which I purchased it--too long a plane journey!!)
--no backlight
--limited options for bookmarking, annotations, dictionary
--although I purchase English-language books and pay with a Canadian credit card, because my bank-recognised mailing address is in Germany, my default store is the German store. I can search and access other stores for a specific title, but am unable to browse English-language best-sellers and recommendations because I am supposed to want German books. Customer service did eventually confirm that this is "how it is." Tough luck. This is annoying because I cannot visit my local bookshop to keep abreast of the latest English-language offerings, so had hoped to be able to do it online.

What I like about Kobo:
--small and light
--reasonable battery life
--purchase and payment is quick and straightforward once account is set up.

I do have VPN and the possibility to source the device either in North America, Europe, Middle East or Asia, and don't mind paying more for the right product.

Can anyone share their relevant experience or expertise to help guide my choice?

Much appreciated!

[ProfCrash]

The Sony is available in Germany and has a good reputation. The Sony reads ADE books so any books you bought through Kobo should work on it without having to do anything.

Kindle is international and has a good reputation. If you have a Canadian Credit Card you would be able to buy books from the Canadian Kindle store which should give you good access to the books you are looking for.

There are ways to get around geographic restrictions, you can do some searches and find that information. If you are willing to strip DRM and convert, I think you will find that the e-reader store means nothing and what matters is finding a device that you like and are comfortable with.

If you do not want to deal with the hassle involved in circumventing the geo restrictions and DRM then you probably want to let people know because that can influence what you people recommend.

[bevdeforges]

Get the various stores' free computer apps and download your books to your computer rather than directly to the e-reader. (Or download epubs using ADE software.) Side load onto your reader (using Calibre as appropriate for tagging, converting or whatever). Forget about the wi-fi for direct loading onto your reader. An added advantage is that you maintain a backup of your library for the next time you want to change devices or when an online shop goes bust.

As ProfCrash says, it's up to you how you want to deal with DRM but it's relatively easy to get around. (And frankly, almost a necessity for international purchasing of English language titles.)

If you go Sony, and have a Canadian contact, register your device with the Canadian Sony bookstore and buy their gift cards through your local contact.

[meeera]

The issues of cumbersome, slow, and no light (eink screens are frontlit, not backlit) have all been solved on modern Kobos. There are even some signs of the customer service looking up, which I hope will continue. You can now create collections in Calibre (see the sticky) and transfer them across into the device in bulk, which helps navigation. They remain small and light with excellent battery life. If you have an investment in Kobo books and prefer the features available with non-sideloaded books (like syncing bookmarks across devices), this might be your best bet.

As the others say, if you're prepared to strip DRM and convert (since you are happy to get around georestrictions I'm assuming you might be), which is fast and easy, you can buy any device and patronise any shop.

[Gazella]

I'm located in the Middle East and own a Kindle Paperwhite. I purchase my books from the US Kindle Store as the Middle East Kindle Store has a very disappointing collection of ebooks and sometimes when I download I get "This book is not available in the Middle East". So, I decided to shop in the US Kindle Store. Since I have a US address, it was easy to do. Plus, there is no need to use a VPN as a lot may think. I do not recommend a Kobo, even though the device itself will work there, the Kindle is much easier to use internationally. I've tried purchasing from the Kobo Store once and I had so many issues, I first had to use a US VPN, the ebook I purchased wasn't able to download to my computer, I contacted Kobo CS and waited more than a week for a reply back, eventually I was able to work it out myself. So yes, if you'll be moving from one country to another, I highly recommend a Kindle. Also, the 3G works fine here.

[Mange2]

Thanks so much for all the feedback! Now looking into side-loading, Epubs and DRM, stripping or otherwise . . . but lots of very useful leads to follow, and much more helpful than the pushy salesperson at my local Saturn who had no idea what to recommend. Very much appreciated! Will report back once I make up my mind.

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by Mange2

Thanks so much for all the feedback! Now looking into side-loading, Epubs and DRM, stripping or otherwise . . . but lots of very useful leads to follow, and much more helpful than the pushy salesperson at my local Saturn who had no idea what to recommend. Very much appreciated! Will report back once I make up my mind.

Forget about sales people, they're always useless from my experience, I always stay away from them, it annoys the heck out of me when I enter a store and there's this salesperson that runs up to you and starts pleading and begging you to buy something. Anyway, we're here to help with any further questions you may have