Mother's Day is Soon. HD Glo or PW3? (Canadian)

[TimeEffect]

Hi friends! Don't post often on this site, but love reading it. Never was a big reader until a few years ago, and then I eventually got a Kobo Glo.

I am now wanting to upgrade and very torn between PW3 and Kobo Glo HD. The Voyage would probably be my go to pick, or even the Oasis, but money is a factor, and Canada's prices on the Voyage and Oasis is mental.

Anyways, I want to compare a few things and hope to get an opinion. I have a few questions throughout, that will be bolded.

Frontlight

-I seem to see two things: the Kobo Glo HD seems to look less natural in some comparisons, yet other times, I am reading that the Glo HD has a better lit screen. Is one significantly less natural looking than the other or what? Does one look particularly white/black while the other looks more yellow or blue?

Software

-I know PW3 is the real winner, but I am unable to take advantage of Amazon's features for two reasons:

1) I am a Canadian, and don't have access to some features like book lending
2) I have a ton of epubs, so sideloading my content onto a Kindle means I don't get X-Ray, or Word Wise. I love both these features, but sadly, it seems like I need to buy Kindle's formatted e-books to use them.

While Kobo doesn't have any extra features, I have the stat tracking features that tell me how many minutes in a chapter, % read, and so on. Does Kindle also have these features for non-native/sideloaded formats?

Formatting/Typography

-I know Kindle got an upgrade with the formatting of their ebooks, but it seems like this is still restricted to Kindle's native ebook format. I know the new Bookerly font helps fix these issues too (issues of massive spacing between words, broken up lines, etc). With my Kobo, it seems like a much easier experience to read things without such odd breaks.

Will I have a lot of trouble with the typography if I use sideloaded books on the Kindle now? Or will I have to specifically buy books that have the new typography support? Is the new typography update restricted to just the bookerly font?

Interface

-One thing I love about Kindle's new update is that the homescreen looks so much better. Having the three last read books, plus a listing, plus recommendations/goodreads integration on the bottom half of the homescreen seems really neat and personalized. I love the idea of using goodreads to find books and have them show up on my Kindle.

I intend to explore new books using goodreads on a PC, but the connectivity on the Kindle seems perfect.

With the Kobo, the homescreen tiles are okay, but just a mashup of ugly looking tiles, and it seems less organized. It's a minor thing, but the new homescreen looks gorgeous on the Kindle, and the whole ecosystem feels so personal.

I also am trying to find information on the turn speed and general snappiness.

Do people experience issues with turning pages not registering until you have to press another 3-4 times? Sometimes on my Glo, the touchscreen feels like it doesn't respond.
Does the Glo HD crash significantly often? Is the software more stable than on the Glo? Is it faster, snappier, more responsive? I know Kindle is supposed to be more stable..

Hardware Quality
-I have never touched a Kindle, but from my impressions, it seems like a few people have taken shots at the Kobo Glo HD not feeling like a "premium" device. Is the PW3 significantly superior or something? I have no problem with my Glo. I am hoping the Glo HD hasn't cut any corners or anything. I dont think I'd have an issue with HD's build quality, are the reviews just exaggerating?


My biggest concerns with switching over to Kindle:

-Formatting/converting. I worry that I wont be able to flawlessly convert epub to AZW or whatever else runs on Kindle. I worry that line breaks, spacing, and other typography issues will come up and make the whole reading experience a headache.

-I worry that features like "Time to Read" and "percent read" wont work on sideloaded books

-No access to the great features like Word Wise and X-Ray since I will be sideloading my books.

-No customization of fonts and reading experience. I like my custom fonts on Kobo. I am sure I can easily get used to what's on the Kindle, but wish Amazon would release more fonts. From what I read, the black and white on Kobo Glo HD is much better than PW3, both due to the screen and the customization of the fonts

My biggest concerns with Kobo:

-Is the PW3 lighting whiter/more natural? Is the Glo HD better/less blue than the Glo? I get the impression that the Glo HD lighting looks more blue or yellow

-Software continues to seem more buggy. What are the outstanding issues that currently exist for Glo HD? How is the general touchscreen responsiveness, speed of turn pages/opening books, and stability?

-No real connectivity to Goodreads or way to explore new books. Kindle's new homescreen just seems better connected and personalized

-No cool features like Word Wise, scrolling through pages through a smaller window, or X-Ray...but it's not like I can access these on a Kindle anyway

-I worry about getting a defective unit or a poor quality unit that breaks when I'm just out of warranty. Amazon support seems like they'd be much more accommodating, and I worry Kobo may be more riskier. My Glo has been rock solid in terms of build quality, however.

Sorry for the long post. Hoping to get some clarification for the bolded issues.

[eschwartz]

I can only speak for the Kindle, but Time Left To Read etc. are available to ALL books.

The reason Word Wise, X-Ray, Authorinfo and other ancillary book data is only available for purchased books is not a software retriction (the Kindle doesn't differentiate between purchased/sideloaded books) but rather because that data needs to be generated for each book.
Speaking of which, there is a Windows program "X-Ray Builder" which does exactly what the name suggests.
There is also a brand-new calibre plugin which is a partial port and does the same thing (but is still being worked on).

On the typography front, you can embed fonts in the AZW3, or use the font hack if you are jailbroken.
Granted, the Kobo has font management without requiring a jailbreak.

There is an experimental KFX Output plugin for calibre, which gnerates the new, super-cool Kindle format with added typography. Not caring about typography myself, I am happy with plain old AZW3...

[TimeEffect]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I can only speak for the Kindle, but Time Left To Read etc. are available to ALL books.

The reason Word Wise, X-Ray, Authorinfo and other ancillary book data is only available for purchased books is not a software retriction (the Kindle doesn't differentiate between purchased/sideloaded books) but rather because that data needs to be generated for each book.
Speaking of which, there is a Windows program "X-Ray Builder" which does exactly what the name suggests.
There is also a brand-new calibre plugin which is a partial port and does the same thing (but is still being worked on).

On the typography front, you can embed fonts in the AZW3, or use the font hack if you are jailbroken.
Granted, the Kobo has font management without requiring a jailbreak.

There is an experimental KFX Output plugin for calibre, which gnerates the new, super-cool Kindle format with added typography. Not caring about typography myself, I am happy with plain old AZW3...

Thanks-- the X Ray software seems like it will be too unreliable and not so easy, but I guess Ill live without it.

I am glad that Time To Read is available to all books. Same with Vocab Builder, right?

As for typography, what do you mean by embedding fonts? Adding more you mean? Is this through Calibre? I dont want to mess with jailbreaking since it would void warranty and since it seems like it conflicts with firmware updates Amazon pushes out.

I ultimately dont mind the limited fonts and sizes of Kindle. I just want to ensure that the errors (big spaces between words, odd line breaks, some words stuck together likethis) are completely non-existent when converting my existing epubs.

[eschwartz]

Vocab Builder should be available (but I don't care about it plus my Kindle Touch doesn't support it, so I can't say from experience). And X-Ray Builder seems fairly reliable if you invest a bit of time in it.

re: typography, EPUB and AZW3 support fonts embedded inside the ebook file, just like DOCX and PDF do. calibre has a Polish Book tool which can auto-embed fonts for you.
As for spacing etc., some people complain about kerning and (lack of) hyphenation, but no words will run together, and bad line breaks are an artifact of a badly coded ebook file (so complain to the publisher for not proofing it). Supposedly the lack of hyphenation results in occasional badly-spaced words on justified text, not that I have noticed, but I have seen that complaint once or twice...

Do not worry about jailbreaking, Amazon doesn't typically check for signs of a jailbreak on warranty returns. It would cost too much. And the jailbreak stays out of the way of firmware updates.

[barryem]

I think the Kindles have more and better features to assist while you read and the Kobo has more ways to customize your reading. I have both and I like both but I usually read with the Kindle, mostly because I prefer Amazon's store to Kobo's store.

Also the Kindle has fewer bugs. So many things work well MOST of the time in the Kobo but sometimes don't work. And a lot of the features only work with books bought from Kobo, such as the font controls. Line spacing, boldness, etc. are adjustable sometimes with sideloaded books but mostly they aren't.

I don't use most of the Kindle's extra features. I don't use X-Ray anymore, since they "improved" it and made it less useful as a character list. Now I do that with text search on both the Kindle and the Kobo. Word Wise doesn't really interest me.

The screen on the Kindle is better but my Kobo's are a bit older. However, the screen on my Paperwhite 1 is better than the screen on my Kobo Glo or my Kobo Aura. Still, the Kobo screens are very good, good enough that these differences don't matter while reading, just while comparing.

I think Kindle is a big winner in the store. For the device itself it just depends on your tastes. They're both excellent.

Barry

[TimeEffect]

Thank you Barry-- Kobo Glo HD seems whiter/blacker going by some reviews and comparison shots. I am more curious about the lighting. Both seem great, and I guess I am being picky when trying to compare the frontlights. I am just hoping one isn't particularly yellowish or blueish in tint, and that they just look natural.

I am hoping Glo HD isn't TOO buggy. Most of my software issues with Kobo Glo came from things like errors with updating firmware and having the device freeze when I was reading with the USB plugged in.

One time, the screen froze and I had to wait until the battery drained to get access again. Curious if the Glo HD is particularly more stable

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by TimeEffect

I am hoping Glo HD isn't TOO buggy. Most of my software issues with Kobo Glo came from things like errors with updating firmware and having the device freeze when I was reading with the USB plugged in.

One time, the screen froze and I had to wait until the battery drained to get access again. Curious if the Glo HD is particularly more stable

Kobo uses the same software on all their recent devices. The only differences in the firmware upgrade packages between what is on the Glo and the Glo HD is a only a few files for drivers. Overall, both devices are stable, though I don't use my Glo as much now.

For your problem with the Glo, did you use the pinhole reset button? Or try holding the power switch in the off position for 20 seconds and then turning on?

[ottdmk]

For general use, I don't think you can really go wrong either way. However, you mentioned you're Canadian. If you go with Kobo, you can use Adobe Digital Editions & Overdrive to borrow library books electronically. You can't do that with Kindle. With the amount of books I read, the convenience of electronic library lending has saved me a fortune over the past couple of years. Enough to pay for my e-readers twice over at least.

[TimeEffect]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

For general use, I don't think you can really go wrong either way. However, you mentioned you're Canadian. If you go with Kobo, you can use Adobe Digital Editions & Overdrive to borrow library books electronically. You can't do that with Kindle. With the amount of books I read, the convenience of electronic library lending has saved me a fortune over the past couple of years. Enough to pay for my e-readers twice over at least.

Thank you. I guess my only big worry with Kobo is the build quality/company, and ecosystem (goodread integration). It'd be nice to have a big company like Amazon since they are pretty trusted, and it'd be nice to have page press buttons like Voyage, but everything seems to tell me to go with Kobo

[simplyparticular]

Are you planning on getting rid of your Glo, or is it having issues? You could keep it for your backlog of epubs, and have new stuff move to the Kindle.

I do something similar - I use my Sony T2 for my TBR epubs I purchased previously, and the Kindle is new stuff.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by TimeEffect

Thank you. I guess my only big worry with Kobo is the build quality/company, and ecosystem (goodread integration). It'd be nice to have a big company like Amazon since they are pretty trusted, and it'd be nice to have page press buttons like Voyage, but everything seems to tell me to go with Kobo

For build quality, the Glo HD is at least as good as your Glo, so don't worry about it. You made a comment in your first post reviews stating the Glo HD doesn't feel like a "premium" product. It isn't. It's Kobo mid-level device. Just like the PW3.

But, buy a Kindle. It's obvious from your posts that that is what you really want to do. You don't think the Kobo ecosystem is any good (if you just want to by books there isn't much difference). And it doesn't have Goodreads integration, which, based on your mentions, is important to you. You don't think Kobo's build quality is any good even though you've had a Glo for a number of while. And everything else you have said makes me think you want to buy a Kindle and are looking for the justification to do so. And stretch your budget to the Voyage as that is what you really want.

[TimeEffect]

Originally Posted by davidfor

For build quality, the Glo HD is at least as good as your Glo, so don't worry about it. You made a comment in your first post reviews stating the Glo HD doesn't feel like a "premium" product. It isn't. It's Kobo mid-level device. Just like the PW3.

But, buy a Kindle. It's obvious from your posts that that is what you really want to do. You don't think the Kobo ecosystem is any good (if you just want to by books there isn't much difference). And it doesn't have Goodreads integration, which, based on your mentions, is important to you. You don't think Kobo's build quality is any good even though you've had a Glo for a number of while. And everything else you have said makes me think you want to buy a Kindle and are looking for the justification to do so. And stretch your budget to the Voyage as that is what you really want.

I think you're right, but I just dont have the money.

I can get a Kobo for much cheaper too, since a friend of mine can get a discount for me.

I would love to stretch to a voyage, but they are much pricier here in Canada. The Voyage would be my dream.

I suppose you're right about me wanting a Paperwhite... when it's all said and done, I can live with the fewer font options and "Time to Read" is the only real stat I'd care about anyway.


Is it crazy to say that I am in LOVE with the new Kindle homescreen? It just looks so perfect, and the integration of goodreads to display my Goodreads collections looks so cool.

I have a bigger question about sideloading:

I want to sideload all my epubs after I convert them through calibre.

But I'm really afraid of kerning issues, and other typography problems that I've been hearing about. I know there was an update, but what about sideloaded books? Is there a guarantee that they will be presented properly when converted?

And what about text justification? Is it only flawless on certain DRM books/Bookerly font only?

Thank you, and sorry for all the trouble

[svenlind]

Originally Posted by barryem

Also the Kindle has fewer bugs. So many things work well MOST of the time in the Kobo but sometimes don't work. And a lot of the features only work with books bought from Kobo, such as the font controls. Line spacing, boldness, etc. are adjustable sometimes with sideloaded books but mostly they aren't.


Barry

I was considering a Kobo because of its font controls especially the adjustment of font heaviness. Is this really only working for Kobo books? If so, then the reader is certainly not for me.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by svenlind

I was considering a Kobo because of its font controls especially the adjustment of font heaviness. Is this really only working for Kobo books? If so, then the reader is certainly not for me.

No, this works for sideloaded books also. And if you add the patch - which is easy - it even works for sideloaded fonts also.

[TimeEffect]

Originally Posted by svenlind

I was considering a Kobo because of its font controls especially the adjustment of font heaviness. Is this really only working for Kobo books? If so, then the reader is certainly not for me.

From my experience, it works fine for non-Kobo books.

You can also convert epubs to Kepubs (Kobo ebooks) through calibre, and get the fonts and advanced features that way