Original Kobo users forgotten?

[KoboNo]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

OK, "soon" seems to be dragging on now.... Does anyone have an update on when the new firmware for the original kobo will be coming out? Any chance on seeing it by Christmas? Facebook showed an original kobo with a newspaper on it (16 Nov), but no date for delivery.

I want to buy myself a treat for xmas and it's either going to be a kindle (if kobo doesn't upgrade), or a phone....The kindle is starting to look attractive...

See:

Originally Posted by KoboNo

If 'coming soon' means six months, according to Kobo, then 'very soon' must mean less than three months. So we can expect this particular feature sometime in February 2011.

It is coming very soon.

[digital_steve]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

OK, "soon" seems to be dragging on now.... Does anyone have an update on when the new firmware for the original kobo will be coming out? Any chance on seeing it by Christmas? Facebook showed an original kobo with a newspaper on it (16 Nov), but no date for delivery.

I want to buy myself a treat for xmas and it's either going to be a kindle (if kobo doesn't upgrade), or a phone....The kindle is starting to look attractive...

Bear in mind that you're locked in to amazon with a kindle and the mobi format

[KoboNo]

The reader that I have been looking at to replace my Kobo is Sony Reader Touch Edition: http://www.sonystyle.ca/webapp/wcs/s...52921666257815

I'd recommend you take a look at it as well. As with any device, see the specs and see if it meets your needs.

[digital_steve]

Originally Posted by KoboNo

The reader that I have been looking at to replace my Kobo is Sony Reader Touch Edition: http://www.sonystyle.ca/webapp/wcs/s...52921666257815

I'd recommend you take a look at it as well. As with any device, see the specs and see if it meets your needs.

I got the prs-650 personally and enjoy it... it is expensive though
I wouldn't go for a reader that locks you in to a single format/distributor like the Kindle though, especially in Australia

[zoran]

Originally Posted by digital_steve

Bear in mind that you're locked in to amazon with a kindle and the mobi format

In fact, you could have epubs.

[kiwipippa]

Originally Posted by digital_steve

I got the prs-650 personally and enjoy it... it is expensive though
I wouldn't go for a reader that locks you in to a single format/distributor like the Kindle though, especially in Australia

I played with one of these in Borders last week and really like it - much faster than the kobo. But yes, it is expensive. The new kobo hasn't even reached New Zealand yet.

The kindle appeals because Amazon seems to have a greater range of books for us in NZ - so many epubs are geographically restricted. I don't know how Amazon does it but for some reason I can buy through them but not epub retailers due to geographic restrictions. McCall Smith is a prime example (although he got caught up in the recent agency debate in the UK which didn't help). I cannot buy his books anywhere other than Amazon.

Anyway, I think I'll wait this one out and see what happens. There will be lots of changes in the next six months and I can't keep changing devices to try and keep up!

[digital_steve]

Originally Posted by zoran

In fact, you could have epubs.

I thought the kindle was locked down?

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

I played with one of these in Borders last week and really like it - much faster than the kobo. But yes, it is expensive. The new kobo hasn't even reached New Zealand yet.

The kindle appeals because Amazon seems to have a greater range of books for us in NZ - so many epubs are geographically restricted. I don't know how Amazon does it but for some reason I can buy through them but not epub retailers due to geographic restrictions. McCall Smith is a prime example (although he got caught up in the recent agency debate in the UK which didn't help). I cannot buy his books anywhere other than Amazon.

Anyway, I think I'll wait this one out and see what happens. There will be lots of changes in the next six months and I can't keep changing devices to try and keep up!

Yeah, i'm in Oz and geographic restrictions suck.
If there isn't something that meets all your needs (needs, not wants) on the market at the moment then just wait out and see what pops up.
My reasons for moving to a Sony are completely different, as i wanted different things.
There's nothing wrong with the Kobo at the moment, apart from trying to get information from the company regarding firmware and stuff... but if the reader itself is doing what you need at the moment then you're good to wait out for a new release product

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by zoran

In fact, you could have epubs.

Only if you're willing to learn how to strip the DRM and convert to epub.

[jimr]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Only if you're willing to learn how to strip the DRM and convert to epub.

I avoided stripping DRM as it looked too complicated, illegal, overly cumbersome, etc. But I've become increasingly frustrated by how often the books I want are unavailable through Kobo or other epub sellers. Amazon almost always has them and available to me in Canada. So, after ten minutes of research on the web, I found a perfect, easy to use method of stripping the DRM using unswindle. and converting it into epub using Calibre.

For the record, I'm a die-hard Kobo fan. I always look there first for every book I want..that's who I prefer to give my money to cuz they're good at what they do. However, I've been amazed at how often they sell only one or two of a three book series though...obvously because of outdated geographical publishing restrictions. Imagine though, how frustrating it is to start a series only to discover that you can't get the final book, or the middle book! That's what finally prompted me to research DRM stripping, not so I can give it away to others, but so I can simply read the darn thing. It's kind of ironic that the publisher's attempts to keep their publishing rights geographically, and digitally protected leads an otherwise legal-minded individual to finally do something considered illegal in order to read the book that we can't buy through proper channels. The picture of publishers that exists in my mind is something like the Three Stooges trying to complete some simple task such as baking a cake. Get the picture? When will these stooopid publishing stooges ever catch on to what the real world is all about? Geeeesh!

[hpjrt]

I bought a Kobo in the summer ... and it was fine ... not great but fine.

Then I bought my DH a PRS-650 ... and was amazed at how much cleaner and sharper the type was ... and when Walmart had them on sale, I purchased a PRS-650 for myself. I haven't regretted it.

That said, Kobo is a great entry level device ... but I do like the dictionary function of the Sony ... I also like the note taking function and the ability to listen to mp3 books on it while I'm in the car.

When the subject of Xmas presents for my step-daughters ... we decided on the PRS-650 for them as well.

Where is my Kobo now? I gave it to my son and daughter-in-law for cookbooks ... since their kitchen is too small to permit actual cookbooks on the counter as well as the paraphernalia associated with cooking. Kobo isn't the best for that function ... but it's not bad.

Why didn't I go for the Kobo WiFi? Because where I live there are no "hot spots" ... and from the reviews their dictionary sounded proprietorial ... which disturbed me. I wouldn't get the Kindle because of being "locked in" to its format etc.

Just my two cents.

Mary

[baronrus]

Originally Posted by hpjrt

I bought a Kobo in the summer ... and it was fine ... not great but fine.

Then I bought my DH a PRS-650 ... and was amazed at how much cleaner and sharper the type was ... and when Walmart had them on sale, I purchased a PRS-650 for myself. I haven't regretted it.

That said, Kobo is a great entry level device ... but I do like the dictionary function of the Sony ... I also like the note taking function and the ability to listen to mp3 books on it while I'm in the car.

When the subject of Xmas presents for my step-daughters ... we decided on the PRS-650 for them as well.

Where is my Kobo now? I gave it to my son and daughter-in-law for cookbooks ... since their kitchen is too small to permit actual cookbooks on the counter as well as the paraphernalia associated with cooking. Kobo isn't the best for that function ... but it's not bad.

Why didn't I go for the Kobo WiFi? Because where I live there are no "hot spots" ... and from the reviews their dictionary sounded proprietorial ... which disturbed me. I wouldn't get the Kindle because of being "locked in" to its format etc.

Just my two cents.

Mary

Wrong forum you must of gotten lost looking for the sony forum

[JPenguin]

There's nothing wrong with Mary's post, if she's happier with the Sony then that's great. I'd like a PRS-650 but even with the better pricing I'm still probably going to buy a Wifi Kobo instead (largely because I'll be passing my original Kobo to my mom).

[KoboNo]

Good to hear that people are enjoying their Sony devices. From what I have seen in my brief time using it and from what I've heard, it does seem like a solid device. It is a bit more expensive, but as is the case with Kobo, I guess you get what you pay for. It will be my Kobo replacement in the future and from my experiences with Kobo (as an original user), I will be recommending it over the other devices.

[zoran]

Originally Posted by digital_steve

I thought the <insert> was locked down?

I could post a link, but it would be removed by moderator.
It is third part software and has 2 instances. The link to
the subsection is on the top of the page. If you don't find,
give me a note.

[sabredog]

I will be recommending it over the other devices.

I like My PRS-300, but I will not recommend a Sony ereader to any person who asked me what ereader to buy. The Sony falls down on cost.

At nearly $200 more than a Ko1 or over $120 more than the K3, it is not a first choice ereader simply due to the cost alone. That is enough to scare a first time ebook reader off buying any form of ereader.

The price is a throwback to the bad old days before the K2 and Kobo were made available to the average Aussie reader.