Kindle owners should have a Kobo

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by latepaul

It's just been my experience. I've never had a Kindle with a dead pixel or uneven lighting. I have had Kobos with those problems.

When the PW1 first came out, there were many many complaints of uneven lighting and/or color blotches. It was not good. The Sony Reader PRS-700 was the first Reader with a built in light and it was awful. Dead pixels (as you call it) have been known on Kindles as well. It's not really a dead pixel, but a spot that could be dust under the light layer or a pin hole in the light layer. But whatever it is, it's not unique with Kobo or Kindle.

True but I'd still rather pick up my ereader and know where the menu is that does the thing than have to re-learn that every time.

You do get used to things changing. If you have a computer, some things do change with OS updates.

[quoteAll I can say is those things are not a big deal for me. It's nice to be able to have the cover as a screensaver. It's not worth the hassle of jailbreaking for. It's certainly not a buying decision criterion.[/quote]

But if you had a choice between a Reader that does more of what you want or a Reader that does less of what you want which would you buy?

Most of these things are software. I've always found it fascinating that these devices have regular software updates that can potentially change the usability and features radically. I mean you buy a TV and yes it's got software in there these days of course, but you're not expecting that it will have entirely new features in a year's time because of firmware updates.

From what I've seen of TV firmware, you do get new features sometimes, but the layout is usually the same.

Equally, companies are selling devices based on a collection of features. To me most of these things - are minor. They add up to an experience that is better or worse. Individually they are either papercuts or small pleasures.

So I don't know how you put a value on that. But Kobo and Amazon et al do exactly that when they decide what the budget for development and maintenance of the firmware is. More than that they have to decide which features/bugs to focus on. The line from "better control over margins" for e.g. to X new Kindles or Y new ebooks sold, is unclear. Even with the massive amount of data they have, that's got to be an interesting judgement call.

Kobo values giving users more control then Amazon does. Amazon did originally allow more control to users but found users to be unable to handle that so took it away.

Another thing is Kobo costs less then Kindle (when there are no sales).

[HLS]

Most Americans do not know KOBO exists. Amazon is king in the USA

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Braid

You haven't used Koreader to read pdfs. So, you cannot comment on the pdf reading experience. You can comment that you think it looks better.

I've see PDF with KOReader in a video. So I was able to see how it works. Is that not good enough?

[quote]I have used both the Kindle and Koreader to read pdfs, so I can comment on the pdf reading experience. I found them roughly equal. I read pdf in landscape view, and the Kindle automatically removes the margins. I read challenging books, and so I appreciate using the Oxford English dictionary, which is installed by default. Which is the default dictionary installed on Koreader? None. You have to find and install one. Can you search through your library? It appears not. Can you create collections in Koreader? It appears not. You can browse by folder structure, which is great, but it means if you want the same book in two collections, you have to have two copies of it.

Some people prefer directory organization and some prefer collections. As for the dictionary, there Kindle wins over KOReader. I find the default English dictionary for Kobo to be OK. There is hardly any word I look for that's not found. But I expect Kindle is probably much better for foreign (not English) dictionaries.

As for searching the library, I've never had a need to search in eBooks other then the one I have open. What is it you are looking for in your library? I've never had a failure to add an eBook to the database, but I have read of Kindle eBooks being stuck indexing.

If you are happy to switch fully to Koreader, then Kobos offer adequate pdf experience, perhaps slighly superior to the Kindle. However, I am not happy to switch fully to Koreader.

If I had a need to read PDF on my H2O, I would install KOReader and use it only for PDF. I have no need to switch to KOReader full time as I'm good with the ePub reading experience.

If you do not want to switch fully to Koreader and abandon the native software (Nickel), you have to dual-boot between them. Having to switch between operating systems to browse your library is laughably clunky and inconvenient. For those who prefer the smoother UI and superior library management of the native operating systems, dual booting between Koreader and Nickel is not a serious suggestion. There is simply no need to install an unofficial, limited operating system, vastly complicating your browsing experience just to provide an adequate pdf reading experience, when Kindles can do it right out of the box.

Nickel is not the OS. Linux is the OS. You are just switching the running software. Some who have a jailbroken Kindle install KOReader to read ePub. Is that not clunky?

Bottom line: If you read lots of pdf and you prefer to stick with the native operating system/user interface, like I do, then Kindle is the better option.

Yes, Kindle may natively be better at PDF, but then I don't read PDF on eInk and a lot of people wold not recommend reading PDF on a small eInk screen. 7" is still too small.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Braid

While the superior native pdf support is the main reason my Kindle is my main reader, I also like reading reflowable books in landscape view, which Kindles offer. I believe the Forma and Libra offer this, but my Aura One does not.

You can either patch or add a line or two to the config file and then ou can easily switch to landscape or portrait. I do think this should be part of the system for the older Kobos.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I really don't understand why Kobo hasn't put in the elbow grease to polish kepub layout. It really is pretty bad. Once Amazon introduced their new layout engine and KFX, I wish Kobo would have taken on the challenge and done something.

If you read ePub, you get very good typesetting. That's why I read ePub because it works much better then KePub for typesetting.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

There's no need to deprive yourself of landscape on your AuraOne. If you want it you can enable the hidden unofficial option by adding a couple of lines to your config file .kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf using a good text editor:

[DeveloperSettings]
ForceAllowLandscape=true

You only need the second line if the first is already present. It's a one-off task and should survive firmware updates. I'm not going to say it's a slick implementation - it is unofficial, after all - but it is a harmless additional option to try.

For Windows, a very good text editor is notepad++. It respects Linux line endings.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yeah. I would happily switch to kepubs then, because reading epubs on a Kobo is far from perfect (no image zooming, searching is much slower, etc.)

Yes, no image zoom. But I don't find the searching to too slow.

[Pjama]

I tried moving to kobo in early 2017 when I purchased the Aura One, back when it was quite new. I loved the way my books looked on it, I also loved seeing the book covers as the screensaver.

But I missed amazon too much. For several reasons. One, I like to have newspaper subscriptions - amazon is the only retailer that still offers these for ereaders. And, yes, I tried the Calibre workaround, but it wasn’t enough for me.
Two, I love the vocabulary cards feature as it helps me remember words in various languages and I can test myself on them.
Three, I love the translation feature for similar reasons.

What else? The fact I can open a book in any of my languages and when I press on a word for a definition, amazon will download the appropriate dictionary and set it up for me.

And the undeniable ease of having everything in the cloud, including my personal documents, that I can email to my device, and they are also stored automatically in the cloud.

That’s why.

I would love the reading progress bar at the bottom of the page, the book cover as screensaver, and a white kindle body on the Oasis. I have been extremely tempted by the Libra, but have held out as I already have the best Oasis in gold, so I really can't justify it.

As for the borrowing of books on overdrive, it is almost as easy for me with the kindle, just an extra step of sending it from my amazon account, but as my iPad is usually with me, it’s really no trouble.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you read ePub, you get very good typesetting. That's why I read ePub because it works much better then KePub for typesetting.

Yes, but kepub is Kobo's own format. They should make it look better. I appreciate the features kepub adds, so I'll stick with it.

But Kobo really ought to get their layout sorted.

[Pjama]

Here’s another reason - stunning customer service versus poor or non-existent customer service.

ETA:

And another one! I can search through my entire library for a word or phrase! I use this surprisingly often. A direct result of all the indexing everyone complains about - worth it, in my opinion.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Pjama

I have been extremely tempted by the Libra, but have held out as I already have the best Oasis in gold, so I really can't justify it.

So do I, but I didn't let such an insignificant detail stop me. If money's not the issue, do treat yourself to a Libra. You should have a back-up reader in any case, something can always happen to your daily driver.

(I can think of a few arguments more, if you like...)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Braid

While the superior native pdf support is the main reason my Kindle is my main reader, I also like reading reflowable books in landscape view, which Kindles offer. I believe the Forma and Libra offer this, but my Aura One does not.

How is reading PDF on a Kindle better then KOReader?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yes, but kepub is Kobo's own format. They should make it look better. I appreciate the features kepub adds, so I'll stick with it.

But Kobo really ought to get their layout sorted.

I would only read KePub if I needed something RMSDK doesn't do. And the only thing is image zoom. So unless I need image zoom, I'll stick with ePub.

[Pjama]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

So do I, but I didn't let such an insignificant detail stop me. If money's not the issue, do treat yourself to a Libra. You should have a back-up reader in any case, something can always happen to your daily driver.

(I can think of a few arguments more, if you like...)

Ha ha, I already have a back up reader, the basic 2019. But that is not waterproof, maybe I NEED a waterproof back up!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pjama

As for the borrowing of books on overdrive, it is almost as easy for me with the kindle, just an extra step of sending it from my amazon account, but as my iPad is usually with me, it’s really no trouble.

When I go on vacation, I take my Microsoft Surface Pro 2. That way, I have a full fledged computer with me. I can do everything I would need to do with it including running Calibre.