Glo Thinking of a Glo --- Questions

[Catsnkites]

I have an original Nook, which I love. However, I live in fear of it dying one day. I looked into the Nook Glowlight and the Kindle Paperwhite and, while I like the feel of them, I have a major issue with how they handle shelves or collections.

Since I can't "test drive" a Kobo in the store, I come to you guys!

I want to create a group of books ... I think Kobo calls them collections. Let's say I have 200 books on my Kobo and I create a collection called Mysteries. How do I add books to this collection? With my current Nook, I would go to the book and then add the book to the shelf. With the new Glowlight and Paperwhite, the user goes to the shelf or collection and then has to scroll though all 200 books and pick the ones that belong.

Also, on my Nook, when it's sorted by shelves, there is an "un-shelved" section at the end, so I know those books need to be placed somewhere. I particularly like this feature, as I often add 10 books at a time and there's no way I would remember the titles of these ten to find them in a list of 200 books.

How does Kobo handle non-Kobo books? I buy books from all over and anything that Adobe can't handle, I convert to ePub with Calibre. Will I be able to put all of my current books (no matter the source) on a Glo?

How do you charge the Glo? Can I use a wall charger? I see on the user's guide, the Glo charges from the computer ... but can I use a cell charger or another USB type wall charger? I usually realize my Nook needs to be charged at night as I'm reading .... I have the charger plugged to the outlet by my bed and charge while I'm reading.

Is the bezel matte or glossy? It probably won't make a difference since I won't be using a book light ... but the glossy bezel on my Nook drove me crazy until I got a matte skin for it.

Any more questions I should be asking?

Thank you so much!

Susie
Kansas

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Catsnkites

I want to create a group of books ... I think Kobo calls them collections. Let's say I have 200 books on my Kobo and I create a collection called Mysteries. How do I add books to this collection?

By far the easiest way is to use Calibre to manage your books and collections. The relevant sticky is here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=193184

Once you're set up, it's dramatically quicker and easier to manage collections this way - and it will all restore readily after a factory reset, should you need to do one.

How does Kobo handle non-Kobo books? I buy books from all over and anything that Adobe can't handle, I convert to ePub with Calibre. Will I be able to put all of my current books (no matter the source) on a Glo?

No problem, so long as you deal with the DRM, which I'm assuming you know how to do already. PDFs don't handle well (but then, they aren't an ebook format as such). If you have epubs, mobis, azw3 it will all convert easily with Calibre, as will a whole variety of other formats.

How do you charge the Glo? Can I use a wall charger?

Yes. I have used an iPhone charger, but also just a powerboard with USB slots. No problem.

Is the bezel matte or glossy? It probably won't make a difference since I won't be using a book light ... but the glossy bezel on my Nook drove me crazy until I got a matte skin for it.

I only have a black one, and it's a nice matte.

On other questions: you might want to also have a poke around the hacks/developer forum. Some of the stuff there is a bit high-level if you're not into that, but for example the brightness two-finger-swipe adjustment is brilliant.

Consider fonts, if you're picky. (Note that I don't use that as a negative.) One of the beauties of the Kobo is the ability to sideload your own fonts. This is something that some of us use extensively.

Consider layout, if you're picky. Out of the box, your Glo will respect things the publisher has told it to do: huge margins, for example, or gaps between paragraphs, or whatever. You can use Calibre to tweak your books and override these sorts of annoying settings.

[TechniSol]

The Kobo collections are virtual, so adding something to a collection does not remove it from the library or list of books. You can also add a book to multiple collections.

With the current firmware 3.1.1 you can:

1. Go into the Library and select books and then add them to collections individually, one at a time.

2. Go to collections, select one, and then add books to it from the entire list of books in the library by marking those to be added.

3. Add a column in Calibre for Shelves or what have you and edit the metadata on groups of books to have them automatically added to the right collection when the books are transferred to the device via Calibre. This is handy as you can organize by Author, Series, etc.

The last option, since you already use Calibre, is probably the best in that once you have decided which books belong in which collection it will always be maintained in your Calibre library. Further, if you have more than one Kobo device/app capable of collections you only have to organize your collections once. Should you ever need to reset the Kobo device or perform some other action that dumps your side loaded books your collections will be maintained.

I suppose you could edit metadata for all unclassified books to place them in an "unclassified" collection, though technically they then would be... That really appeals to my sense of the absurd!

You might need to visit Apprentice Alf's site and download and set up plugins for Calibre to get your Nook ebooks into Calibre and onto your Kobo as Nook uses a different version of Adobe DRM requiring your credit card number to unlock the DRM. Similar action may be required for other books with differing DRM. YET ANOTHER REASON CURRENT DRM SUCKS!

You can use any "standard" micro USB charger or cable.

Matte bezel.

I think Kobo currently has the best collection management when coupled with Calibre as it does not need to be manually performed on the ereader, although it does take a little bit of setup in Calibre.

About the only complaint I can conceive regarding collections is that it is a flat list of collections. There is no support to create a structure like Fiction Non-Fiction with subgenres below them. Personally, I can conceive of living without it, but some people are far more greatly afflicted with the organizational gene than I am.

I have a Glo, so I think from your post you'd be pretty happy with one in terms of wanting more collection management options, etc.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

About the only complaint I can conceive regarding collections is that it is a flat list of collections. There is no support to create a structure like Fiction Non-Fiction with subgenres below them. Personally, I can conceive of living without it, but some people are far more greatly afflicted with the organizational gene than I am.

I have a Glo, so I think from your post you'd be pretty happy with one in terms of wanting more collection management options, etc.

Hah Hey, the Kindle Touch/PW1 does have this, via the Collections Manager hack for Kindle! (for once, the Kindle seems to have a "feature" the Kobo doesn't, weird, huh?)

@Catsnkites, the Kindle can add books from the book selection (long-tap in list/cover view) to collections, it will pop up a list of your collections and you can check which ones the book should be in. When sorted by collections, your book list will first list collections, then any non-collected books; in Recent/Title/Author sort mode, it will list collections together with your full library list.

That being said, the Kobo still has far better collections support, without using unofficial hacks. The Jailbreak + Collections Manager kindlet + patched Kindle Collections plugin lets calibre make collections for you, and it does support subfolder collections FWIW, but it kinda requires doing all those things....

[EndlessWaves]

I know Kobo Supports ePub and Mobi/PRC (although obviously not AZW). I've not tried LIT, LRF, and RB though.

Kobo also claim HTML support but whether that's inside a zip file to keep documents and images together or only single page documents I don't know.

The surround isn't as matte as it could be (it's scatters light less than plain cardboard for example) but it is more matte than the screen so I've not had a problem with it being distracting.

[gabby98]

I see you have all the answers I could have provided for your questions, but to through in my two cents...I am a recent migrant from NST Kobo glo. I was a little weary about it at first, but I have to admit that I LOVE this darn thing, and the light is a huge bonus for me. I want to buy another for my daughter and now my coworker seems interested in one as well. Very glad I made the switch, though I still have my NST as a backup/loaner.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by EndlessWaves

Kobo also claim HTML support but whether that's inside a zip file to keep documents and images together or only single page documents I don't know.

It works for single page documents. I hadn't tried a HTML document with images before, but I did just now and the images didn't load.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by EndlessWaves

I know Kobo Supports ePub and Mobi/PRC (although obviously not AZW). I've not tried LIT, LRF, and RB though.

Kobo theoretically displays .mobi books, but in practice people experience all sorts of problems. Happily, mobi, azw, lit, lrf and html all convert pretty nicely to epub with Calibre (in my experience), so it's not an issue in practice. The manual says RB too, I've just not tried that before.

[TechniSol]

eschwartz,

Hah! Right back atcha. Are you quoting Harry Dresden after having his bell rung, or did you come up with that inspired retort all by yourself? ;-)

I happily recline corrected. (I'll attempt standing after I stop chuckling.)

Allow me to state for the record, that I am in no way all seeing(I wear glasses for distance), all knowing(I'm terrible with names), or all powerful(OK, maybe I'm middling impressive performing for small audiences of relatively uneducated children on a really good day...), but at least I'm not telling folks they cannot definitively do things that apparently they can... consider that before you get your hackles up over something again.

PS Remember how Harry handles trolls.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

eschwartz,

Hah! Right back atcha. Are you quoting Harry Dresden after having his bell rung, or did you come up with that inspired retort all by yourself? ;-)

I happily recline corrected. (I'll attempt standing after I stop chuckling.)

Allow me to state for the record, that I am in no way all seeing(I wear glasses for distance), all knowing(I'm terrible with names), or all powerful(OK, maybe I'm middling impressive performing for small audiences of relatively uneducated children on a really good day...), but at least I'm not telling folks they cannot definitively do things that apparently they can... consider that before you get your hackles up over something again.

PS Remember how Harry handles trolls.

Sorry, what I meant is that it's just funny, that the Kindle can actually beat the Kobo when it comes to collections. Never thought I'd see the day.... No offense intended.

[TechniSol]

Well, in that case I not only owe you an apology, but gladly offer one. Truly, I had a hard time thinking badly of a fellow Dresden fan, but I saw the Kindle bit and the specific quote of my post and may have just jumped the gun little.

I'm not a Kobo fanboy or anything, I have nooks here too, I just felt like I was being whacked. I am a technology fanboy. If there's no objection I'll leave the post up in it's original form as an object lesson for others.

Until Dresden can glance in the general direction of an ereader without sparks flying, I remain chagrined.

[Catsnkites]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

@Catsnkites, the Kindle can add books from the book selection (long-tap in list/cover view) to collections, it will pop up a list of your collections and you can check which ones the book should be in. When sorted by collections, your book list will first list collections, then any non-collected books; in Recent/Title/Author sort mode, it will list collections together with your full library list.

I was basing my statements on the User's Guide for the Kindle PW ... it says you tap on a collection and then add books ... if the user can also tap on a book and select collections, that's awesome ... SO much easier!

I am assuming (which gets me in trouble!) that it would be a pain to add my current B&N books and other ePubs to the Kindle ... please correct me if I am wrong.

I use Calibre to convert books for use on my Nook (including Amazon books) and for use on other devices ... for example, I bought a Nook book for my daughter and did not log out of my account and into hers by mistake. Since the book came to my Nook and not hers, I converted it to ePub and sideloaded the book on her Nook (I have no desire to read her teen dystopia books! ...)

I am a newbie with Calibre ... simple conversions are all I do ... so the plug-ins and what-not are a new thing.

It sounds like I can use Calibre on the Kobo Glo ...WITHOUT rooting ... to do my shelf management ... Cool! I would then use Calibre for ALL of my books, EXCEPT library books, which would need Adobe Digital.

If I was sorting the Glo by collection, how would the library books show up, since they wouldn't be in a collection? (at least to start ....)

@Technisol ... the "un-shelved" books were important to me because that's how I know which ones I need to shelve .... after sideloading 10 library books, I want to add them to a shelf titled "Library - 3/5", so I know when they expire. Since most of the time, I really couldn't tell you the exact titles of the books or the authors, I sort my Nook by shelf ... leaving all the new books at the end as "un-shelved" ... so I know those are the ones I just loaded and need to add to the shelf.

My mom has a Nook Simple Touch and when she sorts by shelf, to only shows the books that are on a shelf ... not books that aren't on a shelf. (which, I know, makes sense ... unless those are the books you want to shelve.)

SO ... did you all buy your Kobos from the website?

How is their tech support?

What about return policy?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

Well, in that case I not only owe you an apology, but gladly offer one. Truly, I had a hard time thinking badly of a fellow Dresden fan, but I saw the Kindle bit and the specific quote of my post and may have just jumped the gun little.

I'm not a Kobo fanboy or anything, I have nooks here too, I just felt like I was being whacked. I am a technology fanboy. If there's no objection I'll leave the post up in it's original form as an object lesson for others.

Until Dresden can glance in the general direction of an ereader without sparks flying, I remain chagrined.

That's okay.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Catsnkites

It sounds like I can use Calibre on the Kobo Glo ...WITHOUT rooting ... to do my shelf management ... Cool!

Yes, this is true.

@Technisol ... the "un-shelved" books were important to me because that's how I know which ones I need to shelve .... after sideloading 10 library books, I want to add them to a shelf titled "Library - 3/5", so I know when they expire.

If you're doing this straight after adding the books, you'll see a tile on the homepage showing the added books - go straight to them and shelve. Note that just after adding books, they will show up at the top of your Library if you sort by "Recently Read".

SO ... did you all buy your Kobos from the website?

No, I bought from a local shop, Officeworks.

Tech support: avoid email. Use the phone or live chat. It has a rather chequered history, but lately things seem to be improving, by reports here. Make mobileread your first stop for tech support, though, if you ask me.

[eschwartz]

@Catsnkites,

Addind sideloaded books to any ereader is pretty easy, there are only two issues: 1) DRM, and 2) format (for the Kindle).

As one of the initiated Mobile Readers () you don't have either of those problems.

The exception is of course the Nook -- and only in the sense that the recent models have practically no (externally visible) storage, thus making books in general, even the ones you download from them, a problem.

And collections are much easier on the Kobo than by jailbreaking your Kindle, so much as I hate steering anyone away from Amazon () I think the Kobo would be better -- unless you really like the Kindle and don't mind either jailbreaking or doing all your collections by hand.