Which to get?

[BeccaAnn]

I've only used Sony for ebook readers. I currently have a T3 and just recently have two lines that across the screen that white out the words. I'm trying to decide if I should get another T3 or switch to a new brand. I currently buy from Amazon, but I have books from the Sony/Kobo store before Sony stopped selling books. I use Calibre to upload and sort my books.
I don't need to have wi-fi, I'm fine with connecting to my computer with a USB to upload books. I don't need sound or lighting.
So what is a good basic reader; the Kindle, Kobo, or Nook?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by BeccaAnn

I've only used Sony for ebook readers. I currently have a T3 and just recently have two lines that across the screen that white out the words. I'm trying to decide if I should get another T3 or switch to a new brand. I currently buy from Amazon, but I have books from the Sony/Kobo store before Sony stopped selling books. I use Calibre to upload and sort my books.
I don't need to have wi-fi, I'm fine with connecting to my computer with a USB to upload books. I don't need sound or lighting.
So what is a good basic reader; the Kindle, Kobo, or Nook?

Better not the Nook. Some people have problems with sideloading to their Nooks. The Kindle and the Kobo are both fine. If you want to manage collections on your ereader with Calibre (no idea if you can do that with your Sony), then get the Kobo, as the Kindle collections won't work with Calibre (they must be managed manually on the device).

[rcentros]

You're so wide open with your (lack of) requirements that it's hard to make a suggestion. I don't quite know what you mean when you say your organize with Calibre — does that mean you organize your books in Calibre and just move them over, one by one, to your Sony as needed — or does it mean you more closely integrate Calibre and your eReader?

If you organize in Calibre and just move books to your eReader as single books, not collections (and don't mind a used eReader) I would look into the Tolino Shine 2 HD (300dpi) eReader I've suggested elsewhere. $30 and $7.50 shipping (you could probably make an offer of $25). These are fairly sparse in features but it's a nice quality eReader.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tolino-Shin...ox!83646!US!-1

I use one and like it a lot (but I like Tolino readers in general).

There's also the option of repairing or having your PRS-T3 repaired. There are several sellers (both on eBay and Amazon) who sell replacement T3 screens. The cheapest I've seen on eBay is $22 (without the tool "kit") and upwards to $36 with it. The cheapest on Amazon appears to be $40 with the little screwdrivers, etc., you'll need. There are also YouTube videos that show you how to do this. Lots of little screws but, with patience, it looks like it could be done relatively easy.

Also, since you buy your books from Amazon, the newest Kindle Basic (with front-light now) will probably be on sale for around $65 for Black Friday. It uses a 167dpi screen.

There's also the Kobo Aura Edition 2 at Walmart that sells for $70 (it has has gone on sale for $50 in the past). This one uses a 212dpi screen.

There's lots of choices. Since your required features are so wide open I've just suggested some of the cheaper options.

Good luck.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by BeccaAnn

I've only used Sony for ebook readers. I currently have a T3 and just recently have two lines that across the screen that white out the words. I'm trying to decide if I should get another T3 or switch to a new brand. I currently buy from Amazon, but I have books from the Sony/Kobo store before Sony stopped selling books. I use Calibre to upload and sort my books.
I don't need to have wi-fi, I'm fine with connecting to my computer with a USB to upload books. I don't need sound or lighting.
So what is a good basic reader; the Kindle, Kobo, or Nook?

Many of us who loved their Sonys got quite happy with a Kobo. When the Sony store closed we were transferred to the Kobo store and getting a Kobo was the logic next step. They feel differently because they are made of plastic, but the software is very nice and they do have a similiar liberary management as the Sonys. They do have collections, you can highlight stuff and search the books and your library easily. I really loved the ones I had after my Sony PRS-650 (an Aura and an Aura One).

You should really get a reader with a comfort light. One doesn't think one needs it until one has had one. Then there is no living without it ever again.

The basic reader you might like is the Aura2, the one with the comfort light would be the Clara HD.

If you can get one, I am sure you'd love the PocketBook Touch HD3. PocketBooks are extremely customizable and offer easy library access. They offer a lot, very nice ereaders, really.

I can't recommed Tolinos. The software is so basic, it makes you wonder how it is able to render a readable text at all. Their new models are built on Kobo hardware, but the software is atrocious and not worthy of a Sony afficionado at all. You are better off to get an original Kobo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BeccaAnn

I've only used Sony for ebook readers. I currently have a T3 and just recently have two lines that across the screen that white out the words. I'm trying to decide if I should get another T3 or switch to a new brand. I currently buy from Amazon, but I have books from the Sony/Kobo store before Sony stopped selling books. I use Calibre to upload and sort my books.
I don't need to have wi-fi, I'm fine with connecting to my computer with a USB to upload books. I don't need sound or lighting.
So what is a good basic reader; the Kindle, Kobo, or Nook?

I used to use a T1 and then I moved to Kobo. I highly recommend the Kobo Libra H2O. It has a 7" screen and I think you'll really like it. I have an older Kobo Aura H2O that I've been using it for 5 years. That's longer then any Sony I've had.

Kobo is a good choice when moving from Sony. I think you'll like the firmware on Kobo better then that of Sony.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Many of us who loved their Sonys got quite happy with a Kobo. When the Sony store closed we were transferred to the Kobo store and getting a Kobo was the logic next step. They feel differently because they are made of plastic, but the software is very nice and they do have a similiar liberary management as the Sonys. They do have collections, you can highlight stuff and search the books and your library easily. I really loved the ones I had after my Sony PRS-650 (an Aura and an Aura One).

The T3 is also made of plastic. Sony dropped aluminum for plastic in the T series.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The T3 is also made of plastic. Sony dropped aluminum for plastic in the T series.

Ah, I see. I skipped the whole T-series, so I didn't remember their specifics.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Ah, I see. I skipped the whole T-series, so I didn't remember their specifics.

I had a 650 I was using and when the T1 came out, there was some sort of deal at Sony. So I was able to get the T1 for a discount at the local Sony store. I bought two of them. One for myself and one for my mother. I got one for myself so I could help my mother with her T1 without having to go over to help.

When the H2O first came out, I decided I wanted the Carta screen, the larger screen and the front light. So I got it. The H2O has been the reader to last the longest without being upgraded or breaking. I had one Reader break. It was the 505. The screen controller gave out. It started with a thin line across the screen and then the screen stopped displaying. The screen was not broken.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I would look into the Tolino Shine 2 HD (300dpi) eReader I've suggested elsewhere.

Since you have a Shine HD 2 and a 2015 Glowlight Plus, which do you prefer and why? I know Tolinos can buy from multiple bookstores and do some other things, but do you use those functions?

Your pimping for cheap Tolinos has me curious, but I suspect that it doesn't do anything my Plus doesn't do. Just wanted to check. I have the itch to get one, but suspect I'd have buyer's remorse once I got it

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Since you have a Shine HD 2 and a 2015 Glowlight Plus, which do you prefer and why? I know Tolinos can buy from multiple bookstores and do some other things, but do you use those functions?

Your pimping for cheap Tolinos has me curious, but I suspect that it doesn't do anything my Plus doesn't do. Just wanted to check. I have the itch to get one, but suspect I'd have buyer's remorse once I got it

Check out the first thread in the Tolino forum, the topic is discussed in more detail there.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Since you have a Shine HD 2 and a 2015 Glowlight Plus, which do you prefer and why? I know Tolinos can buy from multiple bookstores and do some other things, but do you use those functions?

Your pimping for cheap Tolinos has me curious, but I suspect that it doesn't do anything my Plus doesn't do. Just wanted to check. I have the itch to get one, but suspect I'd have buyer's remorse once I got it

I like both of the readers, but if I had to choose one, it would be the Shine 2 HD. Mostly because I can use it (directly) on Overdrive and on several bookstores. It has a web browser and built in ADE (wish the Nook would enable a web browser) which allows this. This is important to me because I don't have ADE on my computer and this is how I get DRM ePub books. The other big plus for me is that the Tolino allows me to load custom fonts. (Though you can't choose between, thin, normal and thick, like you can with the Nook.) That's about it, but these are both important for me, though.

Where is the Glowlight better? Flush screen. Brighter light. Waterproof. Better dictionary. Even though the Glowlight was priced closer to the Shine 2 HD, it has more in common with the Tolino Vision 3 HD. (The Vision 3 is waterproof and has a flush screen, and brighter lighting.)

Both the Nook and Tolino have "clean" reading screens, though I like that the Tolinos don't have headers. Just the page numbers at the bottom.

[4691mls]

Addressing the OP and Zodwallop in one combined post:

TOLINO:

I did buy one of the cheap used Tolino Shine 2 ereaders that Rcentros suggested. I bought it primarily because of the direct Overdrive library capability - no worries whether Kobo has the exact matching book. (It doesn't sound like this is a priority for the OP.) I also like that it still uses the ADE page numbers.

The Tolino doesn't have as much adjustability in terms of font size, line spacing, etc. as the Kobo. Also, since my Tolino is an older model it doesn't have the comfort light or the latest screen technology. However, it's still quite readable. I use it if I am going to be away from my home computer and want library access. Also, since I didn't pay much for it it will be my travel reader.


KOBO:

I bought my Kobo Clara a few months ago.

Likes:
Comfort light for reading in bed. It also has a lot of adjustability for font size, spacing, and weight.

Don't care one way or the other:
I don't have any interest in the reading statistics or estimated time left.

Dislikes:
Kobo store and Overdrive have to have the exact same edition in order for library checkouts on the device to work. It's OK if you're using the Kobo to search for and obtain a book, but if you had used another device to place a book on hold or check out a book, occasionally you can't get these books by syncing the Kobo if the Kobo store doesn't have the exact same book.

Also, I dislike that in the last firmware update the page numbers were changed from the Adobe numbers (what the OP is used to from Sony) to screen numbers, so if you change the font size or spacing the number of "pages" changes. (there is a loooong thread about the pros and cons of this in the Kobo forum if anybody wants to get into it further. Just mentioning it here in case it matters to the OP.)


SONY:

I still occasionally use my Sony PRS-T3 if I am reading a book that has a lot of unfamiliar words. As the OP will know, the Sony has the Oxford English and American dictionaries which are better than the dictionaries on either the Kobo or Tolino. So far my T3 has not developed the problem the OP is having.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Also, I dislike that in the last firmware update the page numbers were changed from the Adobe numbers (what the OP is used to from Sony) to screen numbers, so if you change the font size or spacing the number of "pages" changes. (there is a loooong thread about the pros and cons of this in the Kobo forum if anybody wants to get into it further. Just mentioning it here in case it matters to the OP.)

Sorry, but that's wrong. Adobe page number still exist when reading ePub. It's the KePub page numbers that changed. They were never Adobe page numbers. They were similar but not the same.

I fully understand the dislike of the change in how KePub page numbers are now done. Personally, I've never cared for the 1 screen = 1 page type of page numbers.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Sorry, but that's wrong. Adobe page number still exist when reading ePub. It's the KePub page numbers that changed. They were never Adobe page numbers. They were similar but not the same.

That's true, but if you're using your Kobo to directly download Overdrive books (or for buying books from Kobo) you're going to have the KePub page numbers. You can "fix" this by removing DRM and converting to ePub but I don't like the idea of doing that with library books.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I fully understand the dislike of the change in how KePub page numbers are now done. Personally, I've never cared for the 1 screen = 1 page type of page numbers.

I honestly don't "get" why it would be done this way. If page numbers are arbitrary (depending on font face or size (or line or margin settings) or screen size) then just use percentages and forget the page numbers. It may be a carryover, but page numbers mean something to me — even if they vary over different formats.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by rcentros

page numbers mean something to me — even if they vary over different formats.

Serious, non-trolling question here: If you accept that page numbers vary by format, exactly what is the "something" they mean to you? If being at page 50 out of 100 on format A = being at page 75 out of 150 on format B, what is the advantage of these arbitrary progress markers over percentages, which would be format-agnostic?