Reddit e-reader analysis: what Kindle, Kobo, BOOX and PocketBook get praised for

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Frogm4n

Did anyone actually try the link and see it working? It's dead for me and the domain doesn't appear to even be registered. The OPs reply also feels like LLM speak. Is this a real person or is someone testing an LLM bot on MobileRead?

No, it didn't work for me either.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Frogm4n

Did anyone actually try the link and see it working? It's dead for me and the domain doesn't appear to even be registered. The OPs reply also feels like LLM speak. Is this a real person or is someone testing an LLM bot on MobileRead?

I never used the link in the OP's message. I did look at https://reddb.ai/category/e-readers but the original URL shows .co not .ai. It could be an AI with a valid email address.

[ableal]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

The problem is that e-readers really aren’t entirely interchangeable between brands (for people who don’t remove DRM as a matter of course) - maybe Kobo and PocketBook to an extent (in the sense that they occupy a more similar niche as file support goes), but not Kobo and Kindle, or Kindle and Boox (or Android devices in general), etc.

In the "Kindle and Boox" case an argument can be made for interchangeability, at least one-way: the Android Kindle app can be run in Boox.

I.e. people with Kindle libraries may take them to Boox hardware.

(I suppose that applies to the Kobo app too, I did not think of it because I have physical Kobos.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

In what way isn't it easy to use?

For someone not familiar with the Kindle UI, it can be a bit confusing.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by ableal

In the “Kindle and Boox” case an argument can be made for interchangeability, at least one-way: the Android Kindle app can be run in Boox.

I.e. people with Kindle libraries may take them to Boox hardware.

(I suppose that applies to the Kobo app too, I did not think of it because I have physical Kobos.)

In that sense, yes, but not in the sense of someone - looking for their first device - actually needing something that can run something specific (their local library app for instance or, like a lot of new users, expecting to run manga apps or webnovel etc) and getting a Kindle because it’s “the best” or whatever the “general sentiment” may be.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

In that sense, yes, but not in the sense of someone - looking for their first device - actually needing something that can run something specific (their local library app for instance or, like a lot of new users, expecting to run manga apps or webnovel etc) and getting a Kindle because it’s “the best” or whatever the “general sentiment” may be.

But as we know, Kindle's are not the best. The firmware is well, meh! And Amazon's locking it down is also not good.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But as we know, Kindle’s are not the best. The firmware is well, meh! And Amazon’s locking it down is also not good.

It’s not my personal opinion that Kindles are best, no.*

But among the people looking for their first e-reader, it’s a common understanding - not surprising as many haven’t even heard of other brands or have maybe just vaguely heard of Kobo but that’s about it.

Hence a more nuanced approach rather than just vague percentage-based sentiments being more useful, IMHO.

*Sometimes they can be the best choice for someone, absolutely - they make good hardware and if someone really likes Amazon, has Prime & wants to use Kindle Unlimited, and is American and their library uses Libby, and they have no desire whatsoever to have more choice or options .. it’s an easy, straightforward choice that for many people, just works. Until Amazon cuts them off, I suppose.