Ereader for my needs

fordman · 12-14-2013, 01:11 PM

I have been reading a lot on here about all the pros/cons, like/dislikes about the eink devices. I own the old Kobo wifi and have never had any issues with it BUT I do not side load or do anything but buy books from Kobo. I am always hearing about freeze up and side loading issues but that won't pertain to me. That being said, would like some honest opinions as to what might be the best Kobo Aura/Glo or Amazon PW 2 as strictly an ereader for purchasing ebooks from their respective stores as well as reliability, freezeups, general experiences etc. I already know about the customer services and the actual store buying experience of each, and the features of both so no need to get into that. Thanks in advance

HarryT · 12-15-2013, 10:01 AM

Amazon has the best bookstore by far, and an extremely easy-to-use method of getting books onto the reader. But if you already have a sizeable investment in books bought from Kobo, you might perhaps be better off sticking with them.

fordman · 12-15-2013, 11:18 AM

Would the software of the Kobo be less likely the crash;freeze up if I were not side loading books or using calibre or constantly updating to the newest firmware? Guess it will come down to the less buggy of the two considering I will only be purchasing my books. My wife side loaded books on my old kobo once which caused it to not work so great. I also do not have any preference to the book stores but Amazon does tend to have some cheaper prices only on some of the books I am interested in.

HarryT · 12-15-2013, 12:00 PM

The Kindle's firmware is pretty much rock solid. I've never had a firmware issue with any Kindle I've owned.

fordman · 12-15-2013, 02:34 PM

Have also read about the battery life on the PW2 as not lasting nearly as long as advertised. Wonder if this is an isolated thing/ bad batch of batteries.

HarryT · 12-15-2013, 02:54 PM

It is as long as advertised, but most people don't read the "small print" in the advertisement. They advertise, I believe, 8 weeks battery life, but the small print says "at half an hour's reading a day, with WiFi turned off", so that means 28h usage. I'm a pretty heavy reader (normally around 3h a day), and I charge my PW2 no more than once every couple of weeks, so I certainly get the advertised usage time from it.

Shopaholic · 12-15-2013, 02:55 PM

Sideloading books onto a Kobo didn't cause it to crash. It's a Kobo. It crashes. It's not your wife's fault that the thing is a piece of junk. If you want less buggy a device between your two choices, it's a Kindle. Hands down. Done deal.

None of the batteries last as long as advertised because realistically, nobody uses it the way the manufacturers test for battery longevity. Think of it like gas mileage on a car. In certain, very specific conditions of usage, road conditions, weather etc you'll get XYZ mileage. In real life, not so much.

As for reader batteries though, while you may not get 2 months use off of one charge it will last a long time. Somethings do eat battery usage but again, it varies. I don't need wifi on all the time so I turn it off. Do you anticipate not being near a plug outlet for a long period of time that it's a big concern for you?

EowynCarter · 12-15-2013, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopaholic

Sideloading books onto a Kobo didn't cause it to crash. It's a Kobo. It crashes. It's not your wife's fault that the thing is a piece of junk. If you want less buggy a device between your two choices, it's a Kindle. Hands down. Done deal.

Mmm what the hell is your problem with kobo ?
I own an aura, works ok, zéro problem with it, and i do sidload.

Kindle, never owned one (too lazy to convert all my books), but kindles are said to be solid. I toyed a bit with the paperwite, made a good impression.

As harry said, whatever format your books are in might be a criteria. Sharing books will be easier if both reader use the same format.

For the rest, i don't think you can really be wrong with either.

Shopaholic · 12-15-2013, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Mmm what the hell is your problem with kobo ?

Not much. It's buggy. It crashes. It doesn't work properly. Constant updates to something that should simply just work and not have nonsensical bugs to begin with that require the constant updates. It crashes. It's buggy. Did I mention that it crashes and requires a constant reset?

If that doesn't happen to you - GREAT! It happens to an awful lot of people though. Not great. Frustrating and supremely annoying.

The fact that it crashes way more than the average device means, for me, it's not something I'd ever recommend to anyone. People want to read comfortably and not fuss with a temperamental piece of electronics. OP also asked for something that's stable. That is not a Kobo. I'm sorry if that upsets you.

EowynCarter · 12-15-2013, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopaholic

Not much. It's buggy. It crashes. It doesn't work properly. Constant updates to something that should simply just work and not have nonsensical bugs to begin with that require the constant updates. It crashes. It's buggy. Did I mention that it crashes and requires a constant reset?

If that doesn't happen to you - GREAT! It happens to an awful lot of people though. Not great. Frustrating and supremely annoying.

The fact that it crashes way more than the average device means, for me, it's not something I'd ever recommend to anyone. People want to read comfortably and not fuss with a temperamental piece of electronics. OP also asked for something that's stable. That is not a Kobo. I'm sorry if that upsets you.

Complainers are always the most vocal.
How many where it just works, for who many having problems ?

Sorry, kobo are just as stable as the other devices. Constant reset ? I didn't had to reset it even once ! It's the only one of my e-reader i never had to reset actually.

Shopaholic · 12-15-2013, 03:49 PM

Like I said, if that doesn't happen to you then that's great. I'm not only referencing people online that complain. I'm thinking about people I know in person. Kobo is the predominant reader in Canada. John Q Public isn't fully aware of their options. They hear reader and the sales person pushes a Kobo on them.

A lot of people I know that have readers have Kobos and have nothing but problems with them.

If yours doesn't I'm genuinely very happy for you and those that don't have problems. I've seen both online & off too many people with problems and would never recommend one because of it. I'm sorry if that upsets you but I stand by what I said and I, just like you, are entitled to my opinion.

EowynCarter · 12-15-2013, 04:07 PM

Not a question of opinion, it more a question of facts, most people won't have problems.

Noting's perfect anyway, you can find people having problem with kindles too, or they would be no need of support from amazon.

fordman · 12-15-2013, 07:37 PM

Awhile back I tried a PW1. Was generally impressed but returned it because it had a blotchy screen. I fully intended to purchase the PW2 when released but never got around to it. Now with the Aura option, it is making my decision just a little bit harder.

fordman · 12-21-2013, 08:51 PM

Throw the Aura HD into the hat of contenders I might consider.

soulfuldog · 12-22-2013, 09:17 AM

I'd choose the latest PW2 over any other reader due to the quality of the light/screen and the general speed & responsiveness of it compared to others (not huge differences to be fair!), added to how stable they seem to be - though to be fair, neither my Kindle nor my Sony have ever frozen up on me more than once each. In terms of battery, I got 3 weeks out of the first charge on my PW, and I think the Kobo's would probably last a similar amount of time.

I took a long time considering the Aura, but while some people have bought it and are happy, looking at video comparisons of it and the PW2, I know I wouldn't be - but again, they are not huge differences, I may just be a bit picky!

However, I didn't consider the Aura HD because I'm not interested in the bigger screen. If I had been, the Aura HD would very much be an option. While you still hear of issues with it in terms of firmware bugs, freezes etc (the Kindle PW is far more stable but it isn't perfect either with the one firmware update released annoying people with collection issues), the screen & light looks better than on the Glo & Aura, it just seems a step above anything else Kobo have on offer.

If you were happy enough with your Kobo, the most obvious upgrade would be to try the Aura HD, but in all honesty, if you mainly buy your books directly from one shop and load them onto your ereader a few books at a time as you buy them, then just read and don't fiddle too much with settings, I'd guess you will have little issue with any of the Kobo's or indeed the latest Paperwhite.

12-14-2013, 01:11 PM	#1
fordman Member Posts: 17 Karma: 12048 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Wifi, PW2	Ereader for my needs I have been reading a lot on here about all the pros/cons, like/dislikes about the eink devices. I own the old Kobo wifi and have never had any issues with it BUT I do not side load or do anything but buy books from Kobo. I am always hearing about freeze up and side loading issues but that won't pertain to me. That being said, would like some honest opinions as to what might be the best Kobo Aura/Glo or Amazon PW 2 as strictly an ereader for purchasing ebooks from their respective stores as well as reliability, freezeups, general experiences etc. I already know about the customer services and the actual store buying experience of each, and the features of both so no need to get into that. Thanks in advance

12-15-2013, 11:18 AM	#3
fordman Member Posts: 17 Karma: 12048 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Wifi, PW2	Would the software of the Kobo be less likely the crash;freeze up if I were not side loading books or using calibre or constantly updating to the newest firmware? Guess it will come down to the less buggy of the two considering I will only be purchasing my books. My wife side loaded books on my old kobo once which caused it to not work so great. I also do not have any preference to the book stores but Amazon does tend to have some cheaper prices only on some of the books I am interested in. Last edited by fordman; 12-15-2013 at 11:22 AM.

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12-15-2013, 10:01 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Amazon has the best bookstore by far, and an extremely easy-to-use method of getting books onto the reader. But if you already have a sizeable investment in books bought from Kobo, you might perhaps be better off sticking with them.

12-15-2013, 12:00 PM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The Kindle's firmware is pretty much rock solid. I've never had a firmware issue with any Kindle I've owned.

12-15-2013, 02:34 PM	#5
fordman Member Posts: 17 Karma: 12048 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Wifi, PW2	Have also read about the battery life on the PW2 as not lasting nearly as long as advertised. Wonder if this is an isolated thing/ bad batch of batteries.

12-15-2013, 02:54 PM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It is as long as advertised, but most people don't read the "small print" in the advertisement. They advertise, I believe, 8 weeks battery life, but the small print says "at half an hour's reading a day, with WiFi turned off", so that means 28h usage. I'm a pretty heavy reader (normally around 3h a day), and I charge my PW2 no more than once every couple of weeks, so I certainly get the advertised usage time from it.

12-15-2013, 02:55 PM	#7
Shopaholic Cockatoo Mom! Posts: 1,509 Karma: 1841741 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: PW4, Kobo: A1, Clara, Libra 2, iPad Pro 11, iPad Mini	Sideloading books onto a Kobo didn't cause it to crash. It's a Kobo. It crashes. It's not your wife's fault that the thing is a piece of junk. If you want less buggy a device between your two choices, it's a Kindle. Hands down. Done deal. None of the batteries last as long as advertised because realistically, nobody uses it the way the manufacturers test for battery longevity. Think of it like gas mileage on a car. In certain, very specific conditions of usage, road conditions, weather etc you'll get XYZ mileage. In real life, not so much. As for reader batteries though, while you may not get 2 months use off of one charge it will last a long time. Somethings do eat battery usage but again, it varies. I don't need wifi on all the time so I turn it off. Do you anticipate not being near a plug outlet for a long period of time that it's a big concern for you?

12-15-2013, 03:49 PM	#11
Shopaholic Cockatoo Mom! Posts: 1,509 Karma: 1841741 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: PW4, Kobo: A1, Clara, Libra 2, iPad Pro 11, iPad Mini	Like I said, if that doesn't happen to you then that's great. I'm not only referencing people online that complain. I'm thinking about people I know in person. Kobo is the predominant reader in Canada. John Q Public isn't fully aware of their options. They hear reader and the sales person pushes a Kobo on them. A lot of people I know that have readers have Kobos and have nothing but problems with them. If yours doesn't I'm genuinely very happy for you and those that don't have problems. I've seen both online & off too many people with problems and would never recommend one because of it. I'm sorry if that upsets you but I stand by what I said and I, just like you, are entitled to my opinion.

12-15-2013, 04:07 PM	#12
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,337 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	Not a question of opinion, it more a question of facts, most people won't have problems. Noting's perfect anyway, you can find people having problem with kindles too, or they would be no need of support from amazon.

12-15-2013, 07:37 PM	#13
fordman Member Posts: 17 Karma: 12048 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Wifi, PW2	Awhile back I tried a PW1. Was generally impressed but returned it because it had a blotchy screen. I fully intended to purchase the PW2 when released but never got around to it. Now with the Aura option, it is making my decision just a little bit harder.

12-21-2013, 08:51 PM	#14
fordman Member Posts: 17 Karma: 12048 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo Wifi, PW2	Throw the Aura HD into the hat of contenders I might consider.

12-22-2013, 09:17 AM	#15
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	I'd choose the latest PW2 over any other reader due to the quality of the light/screen and the general speed & responsiveness of it compared to others (not huge differences to be fair!), added to how stable they seem to be - though to be fair, neither my Kindle nor my Sony have ever frozen up on me more than once each. In terms of battery, I got 3 weeks out of the first charge on my PW, and I think the Kobo's would probably last a similar amount of time. I took a long time considering the Aura, but while some people have bought it and are happy, looking at video comparisons of it and the PW2, I know I wouldn't be - but again, they are not huge differences, I may just be a bit picky! However, I didn't consider the Aura HD because I'm not interested in the bigger screen. If I had been, the Aura HD would very much be an option. While you still hear of issues with it in terms of firmware bugs, freezes etc (the Kindle PW is far more stable but it isn't perfect either with the one firmware update released annoying people with collection issues), the screen & light looks better than on the Glo & Aura, it just seems a step above anything else Kobo have on offer. If you were happy enough with your Kobo, the most obvious upgrade would be to try the Aura HD, but in all honesty, if you mainly buy your books directly from one shop and load them onto your ereader a few books at a time as you buy them, then just read and don't fiddle too much with settings, I'd guess you will have little issue with any of the Kobo's or indeed the latest Paperwhite.