Kobo Aura HD or Kindle Paperwhite 2013?

[ersott]

Originally Posted by missimpossible

Just spotted this post - thanks for letting me know. Those are good points. Screen I think I could go either way on, for some reason I actually find that the smaller amount of text on the screen at one time on a 6" reader helps my reading comprehension so I can see advantages in keeping the smaller screen. The configuration options are a thing I might miss though. Battery life I'm not too bothered about as I'm very rarely away from a computer for long (perhaps sadly!). I didn't know about the book cover thing - what does the Kindle have instead?

Paperwhite 2 is a very good ereader too, his screen is gorgeus...

Both of them are good choice

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by missimpossible

I didn't know about the book cover thing - what does the Kindle have instead?

1. If you have the ad-supported one, ads.
   
2. If you paid the extra $20 (or had Customer service remove them for free -- they do that for non-US customers) then as HarryT said, just random images -- stuff like rolled-up newsprint, typwriters, pencils, those baby blocks with the letters, etc.
   
   Or you can use the Screensavers hack:
   

   What Does It Do?:

   
   This will allow you to customize the screensavers (or sleep screens) used by your Kindle, replacing them either with your choice of images, the cover of the last book you opened or a simple unobtrusive overlay .
   

[HarryT]

The ad-supported Kindle is only sold in the US, though, and the OP is in the UK.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks! I was interested because the printed versions of the Discworld books do have lots of footnotes, and I was somewhat annoyed to find that they were all missing from the ebooks.

The US versions (published by HarperCollins ebooks) have footnotes.

I was similarly dismayed to discover that The Last Dragonslayer (series) by Jasper Fforde doesn't have any footnoted in the US editions. So I know what it feels like.

Perhaps you could get the US editions -- use a VPN and a US account.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The ad-supported Kindle is only sold in the US, though, and the OP is in the UK.

I was thinking in general terms. Also, some people have talked about how they got Amazon to remove them for free since they weren't in the US, so I wasn't sure what is offered where. Better too much information than too little.

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Kindle displays random pictures for a screensaver. But, if you have any sense (which I'm sure you do ) you'll keep your Kindle in a case, and almost all Kindle cases have a magnet which automatically puts the Kindle to sleep when you close the cover, and wakes it up again when you open it, so you almost never see the screensaver.

Ah, that's pretty nifty! I've had a look on Amazon at this kind of case and they seem like they would solve my "light e-reader/heavy case" problem that I had with the leather case I have for my Touch.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I was thinking in general terms. Also, some people have talked about how they got Amazon to remove them for free since they weren't in the US, so I wasn't sure what is offered where. Better too much information than too little.

I did remember there being versions of the Kindles with adverts and I had been wondering what had happened with that this generation, so that's good to know.

How good is the new Goodreads integration, in other people's experience?

[mystika1]

Originally Posted by missimpossible

What font do you tend to use?

Helvetica...(hope I spelled it correctly)

Penny

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by mystika1

Helvetica...(hope I spelled it correctly)

Penny

Excellent I mainly use Georgia on my Kobo so I think I might be drawn to Palatino or Baskerville if I decided on the PW. Going to see if I can have another hands-on try out of them both soon before I make my final decision

[Rizla]

Can't really compare the two. The Aura HD has a larger, higher-def screen than the PW2.

Better to compare the PW2 to the 6" (non hi-def) Aura. I've played with both and the Aura is nicer IMO. Flat-screen super-swish design. Once again, Kobo maintains their market toe-hold by staying one step ahead of Amazon. But they're both nice.

I don't like the inability to reduce the margin on the PW2. I like to use the whole screen. I'm not sure if the Kobo gives better margin options, but they are known for having more custom options.

[jandrew]

Originally Posted by missimpossible

Going to see if I can have another hands-on try out of them both soon before I make my final decision

When you do your hands on, don’t just look at screens of text -- take the time to read many pages on each device. Barring any dealbreaker features (and you seem to have ruled those out by now), it’s the reading experience that really counts. Of the past 300 hours of device usage, I’ve spent less than 1% not-reading (syncing/loading books/articles, firmware updates, adjusting margins/fonts, sideloading a couple fonts then deleting them again because I prefer one of the built-ins, etc).

[crossi]

Why don't you simply buy the paperwhite and try it at home for a couple weeks. If you don't like it you can return it and buy the Kobo. You can't really get a feel for something just looking at the demo model in a store. Amazon, at least in the US, gives a full refund for returned kindles.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Can't really compare the two. The Aura HD has a larger, higher-def screen than the PW2.

I have an Onyx T68, which has the same screen as the Aura HD, and for me personally, the extra resolution isn't really noticeable.

Better to compare the PW2 to the 6" (non hi-def) Aura. I've played with both and the Aura is nicer IMO. Flat-screen super-swish design. Once again, Kobo maintains their market toe-hold by staying one step ahead of Amazon. But they're both nice.

I don't like the flush screen of the Aura HD. It means there's no tactile feedback about where the screen edge is, and that's a nuisance for turning the page.

[jandrew]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't like the flush screen of the Aura HD. It means there's no tactile feedback about where the screen edge is, and that's a nuisance for turning the page.

Aura == flush screen
Aura HD == recessed screen

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Can't really compare the two. The Aura HD has a larger, higher-def screen than the PW2.

Better to compare the PW2 to the 6" (non hi-def) Aura. I've played with both and the Aura is nicer IMO. Flat-screen super-swish design. Once again, Kobo maintains their market toe-hold by staying one step ahead of Amazon. But they're both nice.

I don't like the inability to reduce the margin on the PW2. I like to use the whole screen. I'm not sure if the Kobo gives better margin options, but they are known for having more custom options.

The only reason I am comparing these two instead of the 6" Aura and the Kindle is because of the lack of a recessed screen on the 6" Aura. I REALLY don't like that, so I've dismissed it entirely. I don't like the way it feels in my hand. I don't really know if the margins thing would bother me - to my knowledge, I've never changed that setting on my current Kobo Touch.

Originally Posted by jandrew

When you do your hands on, don’t just look at screens of text -- take the time to read many pages on each device. Barring any dealbreaker features (and you seem to have ruled those out by now), it’s the reading experience that really counts. Of the past 300 hours of device usage, I’ve spent less than 1% not-reading (syncing/loading books/articles, firmware updates, adjusting margins/fonts, sideloading a couple fonts then deleting them again because I prefer one of the built-ins, etc).

Thanks for the advice, I'll bear that in mind it's a bit difficult to get a true "reading" experience in a brightly lit shop, but I'll give it my best shot. I'm hoping to get a go at them both tomorrow, so I'll report back with my opinions/findings. One thing I did notice one of the last times I looked was that Waterstones still had the original Paperwhite on display (had "Kindle" instead of "Amazon" embossed on the back) so I'll need to check to see if they've updated their display models.

Originally Posted by crossi

Why don't you simply buy the paperwhite and try it at home for a couple weeks. If you don't like it you can return it and buy the Kobo. You can't really get a feel for something just looking at the demo model in a store. Amazon, at least in the US, gives a full refund for returned kindles.

Honestly? I kind of can't be bothered with the hassle of sending one back I mean, if I genuinely can't decide that's what I'll do, I was just looking for some dialogue from some other users first. I've been interested in what people from both/neither side have to say. I know it might come down to having a longer trial period - but from talking it out I go in with the knowledge that it seems like, at least at the moment, the PW2 is better suited to my needs.

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't like the flush screen of the Aura HD. It means there's no tactile feedback about where the screen edge is, and that's a nuisance for turning the page.

Yeah, this is how I feel. It's fine on a phone or a tablet, but I don't like it on an e-reader.