Kobo or Nook if same price?

Asawi · 03-28-2011, 01:53 PM

A friend want to try out using eReaders and want me to bring something "cheap and cheerful" back from my US trip in June.

I already have a Nook that I can give/sell and I really like it a lot and know what it's all about.

I am also checking out the Kobo online (the pretty one in white and lavender - we are girly girly, me and my friends...), but I can't physically try it out since I'm in Sweden. If I was to get one it would be online (through a US friend) and that would mean $100, approx the same as the refurb Nook I have.

Anyone tried both of these and can offer some insight? If they are approximately the same price (taking that issue out of the equation), what are pros and cons of the two devices?

The reader wil primarely be used for Swedish ePub library books, so bookstore availability/georestrictions doesn't matter at all.

(With the current price drop of the PRS-350 it could be in the running as well, but for this particular friend I think a somewhat larger device would be better.)

So, Kobo or Nook - pros and cons?

faithbw · 03-28-2011, 04:37 PM

I've tried out the Kobo in Borders a few times. Honestly, one of the reasons why I didn't buy it despite it being less than a brand new Nook was that it just didn't feel very sturdy to me. It felt as light as a Kindle but not as well made. I hope I don't offend Kobo owners but it felt kinda cheap to me. The plastic felt cheap. I also don't like the bezel of the Kobo. It was more difficult to navigate with it as opposed to the LCD touchscreen of the Nook, the keyboard of the Kindle or the touchscreen of the Sony. I felt that it would be better to spend the extra $50 on the Nook. The screen on the Kobo didn't look different from any other e-ink reader IMHO.

The Nook feels more sturdy to me. I like that there are page turn buttons on both side of the device. I think the placement of the page turn buttons are really convenient. Plus, being in the US, if I do have an issue with it (and I actually did have a major issue with one less than 24 hrs after initially buying it), I can always take it back to the store and have it checked it or replaced. I have mixed feelings for the LCD screen. In terms of navigating the menu, it works really well. Now, if I'm trying to use the keyboard on the LCD screen, it seems to lag a bit. I mean I guess it's not that big of a deal but if I compare typing on the LCD of the Nook to typing on my iPod Touch, the difference is huge. Also, I have a really hard time doing page swipes on the screen when it's dark. Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. Which is fine since I have the page turn buttons and they work very well. However, this may or may not be an issue for someone else.

Zarich · 03-28-2011, 04:55 PM

Is yours updated faith?
Because I thought the page swipes worked better now with 1.5. Though there was still the odd time when you had to swipe a few times.
I am with you on the kobo. It seems like an odd decision to not have page turn buttons, but there you go.

faithbw · 03-28-2011, 05:35 PM

Yep. It has version 1.5. I usually have to swipe it a few times for the page to turn and often I just give up. There have been a couple of times when I swiped the LCD screen inadvertently and the page turned.

ProfCrash · 03-28-2011, 06:48 PM

The Nook. The Kobo is missing basic features like bookmarks. Unless that has been corrected, last I read it was still a problem.

Asawi · 03-29-2011, 01:22 AM

Thank you for you input! It's much appreciated!
I think I'll go with the Nook, unless I should stumble upon a bargain Kobo while I'm over there. Not likely, but you never know!

AlexSno · 03-29-2011, 07:36 AM

You probably made the right choice!

03-28-2011, 01:53 PM	#1
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,467 Karma: 3865860 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Libra2, Tolino Vision 6	Kobo or Nook if same price? A friend want to try out using eReaders and want me to bring something "cheap and cheerful" back from my US trip in June. I already have a Nook that I can give/sell and I really like it a lot and know what it's all about. I am also checking out the Kobo online (the pretty one in white and lavender - we are girly girly, me and my friends...), but I can't physically try it out since I'm in Sweden. If I was to get one it would be online (through a US friend) and that would mean $100, approx the same as the refurb Nook I have. Anyone tried both of these and can offer some insight? If they are approximately the same price (taking that issue out of the equation), what are pros and cons of the two devices? The reader wil primarely be used for Swedish ePub library books, so bookstore availability/georestrictions doesn't matter at all. (With the current price drop of the PRS-350 it could be in the running as well, but for this particular friend I think a somewhat larger device would be better.) So, Kobo or Nook - pros and cons?

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03-28-2011, 04:37 PM	#2
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	I've tried out the Kobo in Borders a few times. Honestly, one of the reasons why I didn't buy it despite it being less than a brand new Nook was that it just didn't feel very sturdy to me. It felt as light as a Kindle but not as well made. I hope I don't offend Kobo owners but it felt kinda cheap to me. The plastic felt cheap. I also don't like the bezel of the Kobo. It was more difficult to navigate with it as opposed to the LCD touchscreen of the Nook, the keyboard of the Kindle or the touchscreen of the Sony. I felt that it would be better to spend the extra $50 on the Nook. The screen on the Kobo didn't look different from any other e-ink reader IMHO. The Nook feels more sturdy to me. I like that there are page turn buttons on both side of the device. I think the placement of the page turn buttons are really convenient. Plus, being in the US, if I do have an issue with it (and I actually did have a major issue with one less than 24 hrs after initially buying it), I can always take it back to the store and have it checked it or replaced. I have mixed feelings for the LCD screen. In terms of navigating the menu, it works really well. Now, if I'm trying to use the keyboard on the LCD screen, it seems to lag a bit. I mean I guess it's not that big of a deal but if I compare typing on the LCD of the Nook to typing on my iPod Touch, the difference is huge. Also, I have a really hard time doing page swipes on the screen when it's dark. Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. Which is fine since I have the page turn buttons and they work very well. However, this may or may not be an issue for someone else.

03-28-2011, 04:55 PM	#3
Zarich Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1202 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi	Is yours updated faith? Because I thought the page swipes worked better now with 1.5. Though there was still the odd time when you had to swipe a few times. I am with you on the kobo. It seems like an odd decision to not have page turn buttons, but there you go.

03-28-2011, 05:35 PM	#4
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	Yep. It has version 1.5. I usually have to swipe it a few times for the page to turn and often I just give up. There have been a couple of times when I swiped the LCD screen inadvertently and the page turned.

03-28-2011, 06:48 PM	#5
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	The Nook. The Kobo is missing basic features like bookmarks. Unless that has been corrected, last I read it was still a problem.

03-29-2011, 01:22 AM	#6
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,467 Karma: 3865860 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Libra2, Tolino Vision 6	Thank you for you input! It's much appreciated! I think I'll go with the Nook, unless I should stumble upon a bargain Kobo while I'm over there. Not likely, but you never know!

03-29-2011, 07:36 AM	#7
AlexSno Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 330 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: none	You probably made the right choice!

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