Kindle PW or Kobo Aura (non HD)..maybe BN Glow

constroy · 05-01-2014, 09:22 AM

Currently use sony 505 and love it but battery has been having charge issue and I would like a lighted reader. Considering Kindle PW or Kobo. (Maybe even a BN Glowlight as well). Leaning towards the Kobo. I'm a little concerned about all the problems people have with the Kobo, although it seems to happen mostly when you start "tweeking" things. A few pinholes which can happen with any reader screen as well as some weird scratches on the screen and from my research that appears to be just the "pattern" of the screen they use during build and you dont notice it when you're reading. I wouldnt be doing anything more than using calibre with it and updates as needed. I have only seen the PW out of the three of them and the originally black BN reader with light. I usually sideload all of my books and hardly every buy anything from amazon. (I really dont like the idea of a PW because of the fact I usually dont get books from Amazon, but by using calibre I think I can get books from anywhere and convert them to epub which is usually what I read so I think I can avoid the whole buy only from amazon thing with a PW). My boyfriend has a nook (black glowlight) and seems to like it but it refuses to work in colder weather. Battery no like!!

Right now a place called Chapters is having a sale on aura for 109.99 through the 15th. (I assume there is a duty tax with that...I think). Seems like a good idea to try a Aura. Anyone know anything about chapters? Their site said for returns I would have to take it to chapters, which is not a possibility because I live in the states or I can send it registered mail which takes 6-8 weeks. I'm a little leery about deals from places I know nothing about. My karma with deals is usually buy a dud then I get stuck not being able to return it or gets "lost" during the return! Any thoughts?? Thanks ahead or time everyone. All of you are always so helpful!

eschwartz · 05-01-2014, 06:33 PM

You can also buy books from anywhere and convert them from .epub to .azw3 and sideload onto a Kindle Paperwhite. It is no harder than sideloading a .epub onto the Kobo. Do not discard the PW as an option merely because you don't buy books from Amazon -- if the features and hardware work for you more than the Aura, take it!

Just don't get the Nook. Nooks are slow, haven't been updated very much, have been way behind the curve for a while and are dying out.

Kobos are good devices with lots of nice customization options that the Kindle lacks. Kindles have guaranteed perfectly stable firmware, and "Just Work" without fuss and with a simple clean GUI. I happen to really like the fact that the Kindle homescreen IS the library list rather than requiring an extra tap.

Which one do you prefer, clean and simple or loaded with customization options?

bookwurm70 · 05-01-2014, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by constroy

Currently use sony 505 and love it but battery has been having charge issue and I would like a lighted reader. Considering Kindle PW or Kobo. (Maybe even a BN Glowlight as well). Leaning towards the Kobo. I'm a little concerned about all the problems people have with the Kobo, although it seems to happen mostly when you start "tweeking" things. A few pinholes which can happen with any reader screen as well as some weird scratches on the screen and from my research that appears to be just the "pattern" of the screen they use during build and you dont notice it when you're reading. I wouldnt be doing anything more than using calibre with it and updates as needed. I have only seen the PW out of the three of them and the originally black BN reader with light. I usually sideload all of my books and hardly every buy anything from amazon. (I really dont like the idea of a PW because of the fact I usually dont get books from Amazon, but by using calibre I think I can get books from anywhere and convert them to epub which is usually what I read so I think I can avoid the whole buy only from amazon thing with a PW). My boyfriend has a nook (black glowlight) and seems to like it but it refuses to work in colder weather. Battery no like!!

Right now a place called Chapters is having a sale on aura for 109.99 through the 15th. (I assume there is a duty tax with that...I think). Seems like a good idea to try a Aura. Anyone know anything about chapters? Their site said for returns I would have to take it to chapters, which is not a possibility because I live in the states or I can send it registered mail which takes 6-8 weeks. I'm a little leery about deals from places I know nothing about. My karma with deals is usually buy a dud then I get stuck not being able to return it or gets "lost" during the return! Any thoughts?? Thanks ahead or time everyone. All of you are always so helpful!

I highly recommend the Aura HD, though maybe you are looking at the 6" Aura. I have never owned a Kindle, so I can't speak to that. I do own a Nook with Glowlight and a Kobo mini. The Aura is great. I did not have any problems with mine, hardware or software. Runs great, handles lots of side load, on a card and on the reader. Now my mini on the other hand, that is very buggy. I don't think it likes side loads. Constantly freezes on me, very annoying. But I rarely read on anything besides my Aura HD. The other two are mostly for traveling, but I generally miss my Aura and have been starting to take it with me.

The other thing I like about having a Kobo, is that is where I am buying most of my books now. I DO like not having to side load them, even though that wasn't really a consideration for me. Most of my books were purchased on Fictionwise, so they are with B&N now and I have to side load them. But it is a pain when it is so easy to have them sync from the store.

Poppaea · 05-02-2014, 09:30 AM

I just got an Aura and I love it. No problems at all and no pinholes either. The Aura is small and fast and I love the fact I can do most of the things I wanna do just with swiping the screen. This is zooming in on a map, brighten or darken the light, making the font bigger or smaller. There is a menue for all these things, too, but the swipes are so fast and convienent when I read in bed.

The software is fine. Also no complaints here. I just found out, I can read the book description when I select something from my library. This is just so great, it really made my day, as I usually have couple hundreds books on my reader and now I dont have to remember what they were about.

The reader does have collections, so this was nice to have after having had a Sony reader before.

And I am in total awe of the possibility to just tap a word and have a look at wikipedia (I do read history books quite often and this is a nice feature to have, when my memory doesn't serve as it should).

The price you can get it for is a steal. I paid 135€ for mine.

Glorfindel · 05-02-2014, 09:41 AM

I'd get a PW if I were you, but haven't used a kobo, check the kobo forums to see how stable the latest update is. Based on problems that I've read about the desktop software isn't any good, but if you use calibre then that won't be a problem. Read the 1 star reviews on Amazon to see any problems people have had with them.

constroy · 05-02-2014, 10:53 AM

Well in regards to eschwartz question probably clean and simply. Options are always great too, but when it comes down to it all I want to do is read and I read a lot as most of you do. I have a few hundred books all in epub format. what I understand as far as it goes with Kindle if you use calibre its easy enough to change to usable format for a kindle so you are not bound to buy directly from amazon if you choose not to do so...I think! If anyone has any insight on that it would be much appreciated. Probably will not buy BN because of what you mentioned about the lack of updates etc. Makes sense to me. I have also read the many threads on MR on Aura vs PW and there seems to be more issues with aura than pw. Gives me a lot to think about. I just wish I could get my hands on a kobo to see what it looks like for myself. Plus PW is on sale right now for ad free device for $120.00.

Josieb1 · 05-02-2014, 11:16 AM

I have a Kobo Aura, a PW1 and a PW2.

I love all my devices but must admit the PW2 is the nicest device. It's screen is clearer and sharper than my Kobo Aura. It's more responsive, I find my Aura can freeze on me, although I do only read sideloaded epubs, not kepubs from Kobo so that may be part of the problem. I had to tweak my Kobo to get the text to fill the whole screen but the latest firmware may have solved that problem now with the setting to remove header and footer.

I have a few bugs with my Aura, apart from the freezing, when I move to the next chapter I find I have to go forward a page and then back to actually see any text. I also have pin holes. It is a nice device though, small and discrete.

The PW is not without it's compromises though, you can't use your own font, something I like on the Kobo, but for a easy to manage reader with a great screen and perfect performance I think the new PW is the best choice out there.

Josieb1 · 05-02-2014, 11:23 AM

If your ePub books are DRM free it's easy and painless to convert them into mobi using Calibre, which is free to download, then you can either sideload them to a Kindle via USB, or email them to Amazon to deliver to your Kindle via their server. That way your books are available on the Kindle and any Kindle apps you might have on any phone or tablet.

Cloud collections is a pain for sideloaded books as you get annoying pop up messages all the time but for books held in the Amazon Cloud they are fine. I use the Send to Kindle software on my laptop to send books to my Kindle as I rarely buy from Amazon.

eschwartz · 05-02-2014, 01:06 PM

If you are sideloading to the PW convert to .azw3 not .mobi -- it is an updated MOBI that uses a slightly better rendering engine and also supports embedded fonts if you care.

constroy · 05-03-2014, 11:33 AM

I have just about made a decision. After downloading Kindle Previewer and trying a couple conversions on calibre of my epubs it pretty much squashed my concerns about epub conversions to a usable kindle file. I dont know why I ever doubted it would work. Calibre is the best and has never failed me! Running into town so I'll do another quick hands on with the PW. Amazon still has a great price on them and I think I'll be a little more comfortable with the stability of the firmware than a Kobo. I appreciate the input from everyone and if all goes right I'll be the proud owner of a new PW soon! Headed over to the Kindle threads to ask a noob question about wall adapters. Thanks again!!

05-01-2014, 09:22 AM	#1
constroy Member Posts: 23 Karma: 78628 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Washington State Device: PRS-505 Blue, nexus 7, Kindle PW2	Kindle PW or Kobo Aura (non HD)..maybe BN Glow Currently use sony 505 and love it but battery has been having charge issue and I would like a lighted reader. Considering Kindle PW or Kobo. (Maybe even a BN Glowlight as well). Leaning towards the Kobo. I'm a little concerned about all the problems people have with the Kobo, although it seems to happen mostly when you start "tweeking" things. A few pinholes which can happen with any reader screen as well as some weird scratches on the screen and from my research that appears to be just the "pattern" of the screen they use during build and you dont notice it when you're reading. I wouldnt be doing anything more than using calibre with it and updates as needed. I have only seen the PW out of the three of them and the originally black BN reader with light. I usually sideload all of my books and hardly every buy anything from amazon. (I really dont like the idea of a PW because of the fact I usually dont get books from Amazon, but by using calibre I think I can get books from anywhere and convert them to epub which is usually what I read so I think I can avoid the whole buy only from amazon thing with a PW). My boyfriend has a nook (black glowlight) and seems to like it but it refuses to work in colder weather. Battery no like!! Right now a place called Chapters is having a sale on aura for 109.99 through the 15th. (I assume there is a duty tax with that...I think). Seems like a good idea to try a Aura. Anyone know anything about chapters? Their site said for returns I would have to take it to chapters, which is not a possibility because I live in the states or I can send it registered mail which takes 6-8 weeks. I'm a little leery about deals from places I know nothing about. My karma with deals is usually buy a dud then I get stuck not being able to return it or gets "lost" during the return! Any thoughts?? Thanks ahead or time everyone. All of you are always so helpful! Last edited by constroy; 05-01-2014 at 10:39 AM.

05-02-2014, 11:16 AM	#7
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,086 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra 2	I have a Kobo Aura, a PW1 and a PW2. I love all my devices but must admit the PW2 is the nicest device. It's screen is clearer and sharper than my Kobo Aura. It's more responsive, I find my Aura can freeze on me, although I do only read sideloaded epubs, not kepubs from Kobo so that may be part of the problem. I had to tweak my Kobo to get the text to fill the whole screen but the latest firmware may have solved that problem now with the setting to remove header and footer. I have a few bugs with my Aura, apart from the freezing, when I move to the next chapter I find I have to go forward a page and then back to actually see any text. I also have pin holes. It is a nice device though, small and discrete. The PW is not without it's compromises though, you can't use your own font, something I like on the Kobo, but for a easy to manage reader with a great screen and perfect performance I think the new PW is the best choice out there. Last edited by Josieb1; 05-02-2014 at 11:24 AM.

05-02-2014, 11:23 AM	#8
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,086 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra 2	If your ePub books are DRM free it's easy and painless to convert them into mobi using Calibre, which is free to download, then you can either sideload them to a Kindle via USB, or email them to Amazon to deliver to your Kindle via their server. That way your books are available on the Kindle and any Kindle apps you might have on any phone or tablet. Cloud collections is a pain for sideloaded books as you get annoying pop up messages all the time but for books held in the Amazon Cloud they are fine. I use the Send to Kindle software on my laptop to send books to my Kindle as I rarely buy from Amazon. Last edited by Josieb1; 05-02-2014 at 01:53 PM.

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05-01-2014, 06:33 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	You can also buy books from anywhere and convert them from .epub to .azw3 and sideload onto a Kindle Paperwhite. It is no harder than sideloading a .epub onto the Kobo. Do not discard the PW as an option merely because you don't buy books from Amazon -- if the features and hardware work for you more than the Aura, take it! Just don't get the Nook. Nooks are slow, haven't been updated very much, have been way behind the curve for a while and are dying out. Kobos are good devices with lots of nice customization options that the Kindle lacks. Kindles have guaranteed perfectly stable firmware, and "Just Work" without fuss and with a simple clean GUI. I happen to really like the fact that the Kindle homescreen IS the library list rather than requiring an extra tap. Which one do you prefer, clean and simple or loaded with customization options?

05-02-2014, 09:30 AM	#4
Poppaea Lucifer's Bat Posts: 2,577 Karma: 20638583 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Earth/Berlin Device: Kobo Libra Colour	I just got an Aura and I love it. No problems at all and no pinholes either. The Aura is small and fast and I love the fact I can do most of the things I wanna do just with swiping the screen. This is zooming in on a map, brighten or darken the light, making the font bigger or smaller. There is a menue for all these things, too, but the swipes are so fast and convienent when I read in bed. The software is fine. Also no complaints here. I just found out, I can read the book description when I select something from my library. This is just so great, it really made my day, as I usually have couple hundreds books on my reader and now I dont have to remember what they were about. The reader does have collections, so this was nice to have after having had a Sony reader before. And I am in total awe of the possibility to just tap a word and have a look at wikipedia (I do read history books quite often and this is a nice feature to have, when my memory doesn't serve as it should). The price you can get it for is a steal. I paid 135€ for mine.

05-02-2014, 09:41 AM	#5
Glorfindel Force-Aware Elf Posts: 4,762 Karma: 11557898 Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Valinor Device: Kindle 4 w/SO	I'd get a PW if I were you, but haven't used a kobo, check the kobo forums to see how stable the latest update is. Based on problems that I've read about the desktop software isn't any good, but if you use calibre then that won't be a problem. Read the 1 star reviews on Amazon to see any problems people have had with them.

05-02-2014, 10:53 AM	#6
constroy Member Posts: 23 Karma: 78628 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Washington State Device: PRS-505 Blue, nexus 7, Kindle PW2	Well in regards to eschwartz question probably clean and simply. Options are always great too, but when it comes down to it all I want to do is read and I read a lot as most of you do. I have a few hundred books all in epub format. what I understand as far as it goes with Kindle if you use calibre its easy enough to change to usable format for a kindle so you are not bound to buy directly from amazon if you choose not to do so...I think! If anyone has any insight on that it would be much appreciated. Probably will not buy BN because of what you mentioned about the lack of updates etc. Makes sense to me. I have also read the many threads on MR on Aura vs PW and there seems to be more issues with aura than pw. Gives me a lot to think about. I just wish I could get my hands on a kobo to see what it looks like for myself. Plus PW is on sale right now for ad free device for $120.00.

05-02-2014, 01:06 PM	#9
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	If you are sideloading to the PW convert to .azw3 not .mobi -- it is an updated MOBI that uses a slightly better rendering engine and also supports embedded fonts if you care.

05-03-2014, 11:33 AM	#10
constroy Member Posts: 23 Karma: 78628 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Washington State Device: PRS-505 Blue, nexus 7, Kindle PW2	I have just about made a decision. After downloading Kindle Previewer and trying a couple conversions on calibre of my epubs it pretty much squashed my concerns about epub conversions to a usable kindle file. I dont know why I ever doubted it would work. Calibre is the best and has never failed me! Running into town so I'll do another quick hands on with the PW. Amazon still has a great price on them and I think I'll be a little more comfortable with the stability of the firmware than a Kobo. I appreciate the input from everyone and if all goes right I'll be the proud owner of a new PW soon! Headed over to the Kindle threads to ask a noob question about wall adapters. Thanks again!!

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