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Old 08-27-2015, 12:09 PM   #1
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Best ereader for epubs

Hi all! I haven't been in the loop for a long time now as I couldn't read when I was pregnant due to nausea and since then haven't had the time (my son is almost 3!). But I am trying to find a bit of time here and there to catch up. Because of my time restrictions I don't have the time to research myself.

I had always had a Nook because I like have mostly epubs and I like that it showed up the covers (for the most part) for books I didn;t buy through B&N. But I was wondering if things have changed in the last few years? I gave away my original nook and sold nook colour and bought a Nexus7, and my last nook broke. I want a non lcd screen reader. Maybe backlit for nighttime reading in bed. Something that shows covers for non drm ebooks. I do have calibre so I guess I could convert some of my non drm books if I had to for a kindle. Also I don't want to spend a lot as I won't get much use out of it. I am in Canada but go to the US frequently and have a US address I can use if need be.

TIA!
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Old 08-27-2015, 12:12 PM   #2
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Oh, also the lighter and thinner the better!
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Old 08-27-2015, 12:28 PM   #3
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Any Kobo ereader should do admirably.

But yes, calibre will make sure you don't have to think about formats, auto-converting as needed for a Kindle (should you so choose to get one) -- and handle covers as well.
You'd have to DeDRM your ebooks -- see: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com
But honestly, I strongly advise you to do that anyway!

Last edited by eschwartz; 08-27-2015 at 12:31 PM.
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Old 08-27-2015, 05:38 PM   #4
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Any Kobo ereader should do admirably.

But yes, calibre will make sure you don't have to think about formats, auto-converting as needed for a Kindle (should you so choose to get one) -- and handle covers as well.
You'd have to DeDRM your ebooks -- see: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com
But honestly, I strongly advise you to do that anyway!
Thank you.

So now there isn't much issue with getting covers to actually show up on all readers? Back in the day it used to be an issue and I had to mess around with some and it was annoying lol.
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Old 08-27-2015, 06:13 PM   #5
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You say you want a non-LCD screen and you want a backlight but for the most part the only backlit screens are LCD screens. Both Kobo and Kindle (and Nook too) make readers that are front lit. That means there's a light inside and a coating over the surface of the screen that distributes the light from above, which is considerably easier on your eyes. It also makes a huge difference in battery life.

Something else you might want to consider if you don't have much time for reading is listening to audiobooks. You can listen on your phone or with an inexpensive MP3 player. This allows you to listen as you drive, mow the lawn, wash the dishes, go for a walk, etc. It's a different experience than reading but it can be pleasant and for very busy people it can mean the difference in reading and not reading.

Also if you have a Kindle for reading you can read on it and then listen to the audiobook on your phone and each will pick up automatically where the other left off. I don't think Kobo can do this. I'm not sure about Nook. It works well on Kindles.

As for covers, I can't help much. I rarely keep more than a few books on my Kindle (or Kobo, I have both) and I prefer not to see covers. But both platforms do allow them.

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Old 08-27-2015, 06:34 PM   #6
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I know you want light and thin, but give a look to the Kobo Aura H2O. The screen is very nice and the extra space is very nice to have. It's a 6.8" screen.

But if you choose not to go with an H2O, the Kobo Glo HD will do very well.
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:22 PM   #7
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You say you want a non-LCD screen and you want a backlight but for the most part the only backlit screens are LCD screens. Both Kobo and Kindle (and Nook too) make readers that are front lit. That means there's a light inside and a coating over the surface of the screen that distributes the light from above, which is considerably easier on your eyes. It also makes a huge difference in battery life.

Something else you might want to consider if you don't have much time for reading is listening to audiobooks. You can listen on your phone or with an inexpensive MP3 player. This allows you to listen as you drive, mow the lawn, wash the dishes, go for a walk, etc. It's a different experience than reading but it can be pleasant and for very busy people it can mean the difference in reading and not reading.

Also if you have a Kindle for reading you can read on it and then listen to the audiobook on your phone and each will pick up automatically where the other left off. I don't think Kobo can do this. I'm not sure about Nook. It works well on Kindles.

As for covers, I can't help much. I rarely keep more than a few books on my Kindle (or Kobo, I have both) and I prefer not to see covers. But both platforms do allow them.

Barry
Thank you Barry. Yes, I guess I didn't mean backlit as I have a tablet. I've just seen the ads for the ones with the light at the front or I thought maybe the sides... I never saw one in person so I am not sure.

I listen to a TON of audiobooks! It is the only way I have survived the past few years lol. But I still miss reading. That is interesting about the kindle syncing with your mp3. Do you have to use a certain app like audible or any music app? Because I prefer to use other apps. what about if you have DRM free stuff? Will it sync then?

Quote:
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I know you want light and thin, but give a look to the Kobo Aura H2O. The screen is very nice and the extra space is very nice to have. It's a 6.8" screen.

But if you choose not to go with an H2O, the Kobo Glo HD will do very well.
Hi JS! Good to see you. I was just checking those two out! The H2O sounds cool, but I will have to go and see them in person to make sure it isn't too big. I have a bad wrist and I prefer light, but we'll see.
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:25 PM   #8
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The Kindle syncing with your audiobooks only applies through WhisperSync, which is to say, that you must use the ebook and audiobook you purchased from Amazon, inside the respective apps or devices.


Amazon has to add all kinds of secret sauce to the ebook/audiobook in order to connect your current location.
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Old 08-28-2015, 06:46 AM   #9
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If you stick with an epub reader then the Kobo Glo HD is probably the best option. The screen of the H2O looks nicer, but only if you actually want the bigger screen as it is obviously bigger and heavier than the standard 6" screen ereaders. As much as a great screen is important to me, I prefer lighter/smaller every time.

If you haven't used Kobo's before you may find the firmware updates and tinkering to get it looking exactly how you want a little off-putting, but they do offer better font/text customisation options than the Kindle and you don't need to tinker with it if you don't want to.
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Old 08-28-2015, 07:00 AM   #10
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Hi JS! Good to see you. I was just checking those two out! The H2O sounds cool, but I will have to go and see them in person to make sure it isn't too big. I have a bad wrist and I prefer light, but we'll see.
Nice to have you back. Hope you stay.

My H2O (with cover) weighs only 12.5oz (.78lbs). It's not heavy at less than one pound. The extra size of the H2O is very nice. The extra space means that if you want a larger font size, you get get it more comfortably than with a 6" screen.
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Old 08-28-2015, 07:23 AM   #11
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Somebody I know is selling a kobo mini. I'm thinking of getting it until I do some more research into the new readers out there. Anybody know anything on them? Glitches or spazzy stuff?
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Old 08-28-2015, 07:59 AM   #12
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I was also looking at the kobo aura because they are on sale right now. But I read a review that the battery life isn't good.
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:21 AM   #13
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You'd be better posting for feedback on the Kobo Mini in the Kobo forum. I was tempted to buy it to replace my Sony 350 when it was first released, but didn't bother in the end as although it was nice enough, the screen hadn't been improved any (pearl 800x600) and a couple of weeks battery life and fairly average speed meant it wasn't really any improvement on my old 350. Worth getting second hand to give you an idea of how you would get on with a Kobo though, and handy to have a back-up or portable ereader once you've chosen a new model.

The Kobo Aura I would avoid. It's far from rubbish, and it's nice and small, but its probably been the least successful of the Kobo readers, let down mostly by a poor screen. Kobo's one and only attempt at a capacitive touch screen ereader.
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Old 08-28-2015, 11:02 PM   #14
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I listen to a TON of audiobooks! It is the only way I have survived the past few years lol. But I still miss reading. That is interesting about the kindle syncing with your mp3. Do you have to use a certain app like audible or any music app? Because I prefer to use other apps. what about if you have DRM free stuff? Will it sync then?
If you listen to the Audible book on your phone you can choose to either use the Audible app or the Kindle app for listening. Either one can do it. Either one can sync your position with your e-ink Kindle. Other apps, while they might be better in other ways, won't sync.

I also went through a few years where reading was difficult. I had already listened to quite a few audiobooks before that so it was a natural to just dive all the way into them. I listened almost exclusively for nearly a decade.

As soon as I could read again I got my Kindle and I haven't heard an audiobook since. That was about 6 years ago. I still buy one from time to time by a favorite narrator and I suspect I'll eventually listen a bit again, but so far I haven't.

None of this syncing or even listening on apps was available when I was doing it. I listened with MP3 players. Now I'd use my phone, probably with the Audible app. I have played a bit with the Android Audible app and I think I'll like it. It has just the right features and they work well. The interface is kind of a nightmare but I can live with that.

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Old 08-28-2015, 11:06 PM   #15
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Somebody I know is selling a kobo mini. I'm thinking of getting it until I do some more research into the new readers out there. Anybody know anything on them? Glitches or spazzy stuff?
I had a couple of Kobo Minis way back when and I liked them. As soon as I got a Paperwhite I stopped using them. I just sold them to a couple of neighbors a few weeks ago and they're loving them.

I found a couple more on Amazon for just $30, factory refurbished, and bought them. I've sold one to another neighbor and expect to sell the other soon. I live in a retirement home in a rural area so even though these people love to read they're slow to adopt technology. I try to act as a pusher.

Both of the Mini's I bought recently were perfect. I got their last ones but I'm sure more will show up.

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