Looking For The Optimal Reader

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

I don't really consider Amazon to be any more "closed" than Kobo.

I strongly disagree with that opinion. The Kobo can be customized and accepts epubs. The Kindle cannot be customized and is becoming increasingly locked down. As it stands, the new obfuscated kfx kindle file format cannot even be converted. This is deliberate Amazon policy and we can expect the Kindle to become even more closed in the future.

[Rizla]

Old Kobo Glos can be found cheap on ebay. It is possible to install Android on them. Im not sure how well it works but its a cheap way of running wiki offline.

[meeera]

With the criteria you've given, I don't think there's anything in it. Either company will take a registration with a throwaway email address, in my experience.

You have more storage with a Kobo if you choose one of the ones with a microSD card, which might allow you to put some of Wikipedia (how big is it now?) onto a card. However either device will access Wikipedia with wifi, and if you choose a Kindle with 3G you can access Wikipedia that way as well. . Kobo has both Wikipedia and Google search options with a long press on a word within a book; not sure how Kindle handles this.

You are welcome to buy from any shop on your computer (except iBooks), strip DRM and convert format if necessary, and sideload onto either device.

The smallest ereader in the Kobo/Kindle stables is the Kobo Mini, but I don't think that one has a microSD card.

Do you have any other criteria? Reading experience? Customisation of display/typography or of firmware? Ecosystem?

[HarryT]

If online Wikipedia access is the primary consideration, personally I wouldn't buy any eInk device. They are not optimal devices for web browsing. An LCD tablet would be a lot better for this.

[cybmole]

There maybe a need to somehow buy the device anonymously, without revealing a card number ship- to location, to comply with previously expressed paranoia. I am surprised the OP is willing to even risk posting here

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sonist

So, you are calling me a liar, because I have had a different experience than you?

When I searched for "substrate" in the Kindle sub-forum, in addition to the one second-hand description of inexplicably broken substrate, I found two posts since early 2014, both stating that they dropped their Kindles.

In the Kobo forum, there are a whole bunch of posts just this year, from users claiming that they have substrate cracks, but have not dropped, or otherwise damaged, their Kobos. Below are the posts about likely broken substrate, since about April 2015:

I'm not calling you a liar. I'm calling you misguided because there is no way you could not have broken all of those Readers without having caused the problem in some way.

Sometimes all it takes is a bump or something heavy put on top. You might might see a problem right away and then it happens. So why you did not knowingly drop or bash your Reader, you did do something that caused the screen break. Leaving it in a very hot car can cause the problem.

So really, just because these people said that have no idea how it happened does not mean that didn't do it.

[Care]

I was between Kindle and kobo myself not long ago. I also wanted a smaller and lighter device. If you have a mobile phone that can make a hot spot (most do these days) you don't need the 3G to access Wikipedia. Just connect to your mobile hotspot and you can do anything pretty much.

For me these were what sold me on the Kobo Aura (not the HD version I love the screen on the regular one):

1. epub format so I can buy other places and borrow from the library. I am not sure about the libraries there but around here they mostly have epub. I don't want to have to worry about stripping drm before loading a book.

2. I really just loved the feel and look of the Aura. I prefer the all flat screen as opposed to a raised bezel.

3. The size of the aura was perfect for me.

You might also be interested in Pocket. Kobo has it already on their readers and you can save any webpage or article to pocket account (yes you need an account but they hardy ask you anything) and access it on your kobo. Goodreads now has some free books you can read on their site and I have saved them to pocket and read them on my kobo. I love that.

I did have an issue with my screen doing weird things like the font going crazy large or small and having to restart to fix it and freezing. I returned it and have a new one that works perfect so far. I think with any technology you can have a bad or good one. Even though it was past the return window they exchanged it no problem within a couple minutes I was out the door.

Good luck with your search. I hope you get something you love.

[faithbw]

Good point about libraries. If that's a concern, then stay away from the Kindle as only US libraries loan e-Books in the Kindle format.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by faithbw

Good point about libraries. If that's a concern, then stay away from the Kindle as only US libraries loan e-Books in the Kindle format.

but as detailed elsewhere you can use USA libraries from overseas - I do that, for an annual fee. the borrow a book and read it on Kindle process works fine.
The book just becomes unreadable once the loan expires, it does not seem to auto delete.

unless you have a free local library which has a large epub library- you may want to go the USA library route for greater choice, whatever reader you choose.
see #14 in the audiobooks thread here, for ebook numbers:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...obooks+library

[meeera]

Originally Posted by cybmole

but as detailed elsewhere you can use USA libraries from overseas - I do that, for an annual fee. the borrow a book and read it on Kindle process works fine.
The book just becomes unreadable once the loan expires, it does not seem to auto delete.

unless you have a free local library which has a large epub library- you may want to go the USA library route for greater choice, whatever reader you choose.
see #14 in the audiobooks thread here, for ebook numbers:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...obooks+library

How many of these US libraries stock a lot of ebooks from overseas - Australia, UK, etc?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by meeera

How many of these US libraries stock a lot of ebooks from overseas - Australia, UK, etc?

Or in a non-English language?

----

As this one is mostly about difference between Kindle and Kobo, do you really need to add an account to the Kobo, even if you never want to use the reader to buy books and only side-load books?

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by meeera

How many of these US libraries stock a lot of ebooks from overseas - Australia, UK, etc?

you should be able to search their catalogues without actually joining.

there is no obvious way to search by country, ,as they will have the USA published versions anyway **, so make a list of your favourite authors /title and search to see how many they have. that is how I evaluated, before signing up.

** e.g. for the Ian Rankin Inspector rebus novels, some book titles are different in USA compared with UK editions but story text is the same

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ripred190

This was a spammer, and he has now been banned - MODERATOR

A tablet does not strain the eyes.







(if you can say what strains my eyes, I can say what doesn't strain yours...)

I was hoping to find a universal e-book reader. I bought a Lenovo tablet to download e-books because I didn't want to be limited to one retailer, it's also great for magazines. Prices are starting to get a bit competitive by a dollar or two in some instances so I'm glad I made that decision. Also, some books will come out on Kindle but not on Nook. A tablet is a solution but I'd really like to have a device with e-ink that can read Amazon and Barnes and Noble formats.

Some people say that a LCD screen strains their eyes, some can read hours on them. I'm in the latter category. In fact, I can read longer on my tablet than on my e-ink reader. Simply because the backlight cannot be tuned down far enough for comfortable night reading, while my tablet hardly emits any light at night. Only the battery at times stops me from reading too far into the morning...

But the Onyx 6.8 is a very nice device to read all formats (there's only the problem I have with the backlight at night).

[soulfuldog]

ripred190, just make yourself familiar with Calibre and learn to use Apprentice Alf's tools so you can buy books from wherever you want and convert them to read on your device of choice.

Every ereader restricts your choice to some extent (although you can buy android devices that you can install apps on but they have other drawbacks like less battery life, availability etc), but there are tools available to give you back some of that choice if you stick with the likes of Kobo, Kindle etc.

MODERATOR INSERT: That person referenced was a spammer, and he has now been banned.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Sonist

In the Kobo forum, there are a whole bunch of posts just this year, from users claiming that they have substrate cracks, but have not dropped, or otherwise damaged, their Kobos. Below are the posts about likely broken substrate, since about April 2015:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=substrate

These do not include posts stating that there was a drop, even if the poster claimed that there was minimal impact.

this is, belatedly, a little bit hilarious. On a quick look, one was a device put in a bag in no case/cover, two were left in hot cars, one wasn't a broken substrate at all, one was from 2011, one is you, one was a child's device jammed forcibly into a packed bag ...

Give. It. Up. seriously. Ereaders get broken. Like wine glasses, and spectacles, and other things made of glass. Some people manage to keep them intact for years and years, and others are just klutzier. (I go through wine glasses like nobody's business, personally.)