Before I return my Kobo HD Glo...

[barryem]

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

LOL, you're right! And I certainly wasn't going to ask them about Calibre. The rep I spoke with today said to do a paperclip reset and if that didn't work, I had a defective unit. I did and apparently I do and I'm going to return but probably refund rather than exchange at this point. It's moot, but I am curious why so many seem to prefer Kobo readers as many obviously do (other than the epub format).

I have a couple of Kobos and some Kindles and I prefer the Kindles. I suspect I'm in the majority here. Kindles outsell Kobos by huge margins. I think the Kobo owners, being in the minority, tend to praise their devices more often.

Personally I'd be perfectly happy with either. Both are excellent. The Kindles have better software and a more carefully selected set of features while the Kobos have more features, including some important ones the Kindle doesn't have. The Kobo is less stable. A lot of features work most of the time on most books. With the Kindle everything works on anything you're reading.

So in my opinion the Kobo is excellent with lots of features that make for a good reading experience and the Kindle is even better with fewer features but more carefully thought out and designed.

But the main thing, since they're really both so good, is their stores. Amazon makes buying books cheap and easy as they can. They provide the best customer service in the world. They have the best selection of books.

Kobo's store is a good one, just not as good. I've had to deal with their customer service twice, both times with good results, but it was very difficult to get them on the phone. That was some time ago so maybe they've improved. The last time took over 2 weeks of trying every day.

If I could only have one ereader I'd hope it would be my Voyage but I'd be okay if it was my Aura or Glo. I use them both and they're fine devices.

Barry

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

The 350 is my first and till now only and it is a terrific reader. When you mention the solidity of the Kindle's software, is it your impression that other brands have more issues with software or just that in your experience the Kindle has consistently performed well?

I own a Kobo Glo -- wanted it for the same reasons others mention, lots of customization choices, etc., something NOT Amazon. What I found is that I tended to fiddle around with it constantly and never could get a comfortable "fit." I also don't like the fact that odd things, like the Chess icon, stay on the screen, even though the game is no longer available. And, when you read about issues with devices on the the Kobo forum, it seems each upgrade (and they come often) puts you in danger of either degraded firmware quality or features, or even (in rare cases) a lock up that may even require re-imaging. For me, the Kobo never feels quite "finished."

That said, if I was younger and more of a hacker, I think I would like how open the Kobos are. Adding a new font, etc., is extremely easy. Adding more memory via a bigger microSD is doable. And I think that's probably why those who like Kobo really like them. "Collections" with Calibre are often mentioned, but I've never really cared about that. I guess, for me, the Kobo just seems like too much work. I just like to read.

Kindles -- I've mostly used the older ones, but now I own the "New Touch" (Touch 2) or whatever the semi-official name has become. These just seem to be solid workhorses. No fiddling. I was able to load the Constantia (sp) font on the old Touches I own -- and that's about all the customization I really care about. If I can get that font on the "New Touch" I would be happy. (Not real crazy about the new interface or the touted Bookerly font, but I got this thing for $9 at a pawn shop, so I'm not going to complain too loudly.)

I still like my Nook Simple touch (it doesn't get much use because most of my books come from Amazon, and the Kindle is easier) and my Sony PRS-T2, which can access my Kobo library (not a lot of books). (I actually like the PRS-T2 quite a bit, when I do read on it.) If I was going to get rid of one device in my (too big) collection of old eReaders, the Kobo Glo would probably be the first to go. It's nice -- except for the way it takes fingerprints -- and has a nice screen but I just can't adjust to it. For me, something is just off.

For what it's worth. I enjoy reading about the Kobos and the enthusiasm for them is contagious (which is why I bought one) but -- for me -- they just don't "fit."

[Josieb1]

I have two Kobos, a GLO HD and an Aura H20. I love them both and read mainly on the GLO HD at home, the H20 is mainly used on beach holidays and in the bath.

But, I also have a Kindle Voyage. The Kindle is kept in my handbag and I'll always have a kindle because they have more books than kobo and I honestly think the devices and software and more reliable and stronger. I would never take just a kobo on holiday for example, but I would take just a kindle. Also the store is better and it's easier to locate and download samples and new books.

I would always like to have both a kobo and a kindle, but I always must have a Kindle.

The thing that bugs me about the Kobos the most, and it relevant to the holidays and taking the kobo out of the house, is the pin hole reset. Nowadays I don't carry a paper clip with me permanently, it's not a natural part of my handbag.

If kobo could change that and use the on/off button for hard resets I wouldn't feel such a need to have a kindle.

[llcj]

I often see barryem compare his Kindle devices with his Kobo devices. Keep in mind that his Kobo devices are four year old tech while his Kindles are new tech so it's not really a fair comparison.

At this point, I think it's more a matter of personal preference rather than substantial hardware superiority of one brand over the other (when comparing like with like.)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by llcj

At this point, I think it's more a matter of personal preference rather than substantial hardware superiority of one brand over the other (when comparing like with like.)

My most important criterion is plays nice with Calibre in regard to managing collections on my device. Next up is a bigger-than-6" screen. Somewhat less important but still a factor is that the bulk of my library is epub; it could be converted, of course, but that wouldn't provide the seamless integration of Kindle devices with a Kindle library. Superior customization isn't important to me, other than more granular adjustments to font size - but generally, I'll get along with whatever the device has.

On the other side, poor Kobo customer service is a concern. And for someone who is new to eink readers, I always advise them to get a Kindle; given how the market has shaken out, it's the obvious choice both for ease of use and for long-term viability.

I loved my Sonys and they still get some use, but transitioning to Kobo when I wanted better resolution was a no-brainer, given what's most important to me.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by issybird

My most important criterion is plays nice with Calibre in regard to managing collections on my device. Next up is a bigger-than-6" screen. Somewhat less important but still a factor is that the bulk of my library is epub; it could be converted, of course, but that wouldn't provide the seamless integration of Kindle devices with a Kindle library. Superior customization isn't important to me, other than more granular adjustments to font size - but generally, I'll get along with whatever the device has.

On the other side, poor Kobo customer service is a concern. And for someone who is new to eink readers, I always advise them to get a Kindle; given how the market has shaken out, it's the obvious choice both for ease of use and for long-term viability.

I loved my Sonys and they still get some use, but transitioning to Kobo when I wanted better resolution was a no-brainer, given what's most important to me.

Regarding the portion of your quote that I bolded above, having to convert the books doesn't mean that the integration of device/library is any less seamless than having books that are already in kindle format. If I buy a book in epub format, I import it to Calibre, then just email it to my Kindle Cloud from Calibre. The book is automatically converted before it is sent, and is then available to all Kindles that are associated with my account, just like a book that is purchased from Amazon.

(I'm not trying to change your mind--I really don't care what device you use. Just clearing up a common misconception about Kindles)

Shari

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

The thing that bugs me about the Kobos the most, and it relevant to the holidays and taking the kobo out of the house, is the pin hole reset. Nowadays I don't carry a paper clip with me permanently, it's not a natural part of my handbag.

If kobo could change that and use the on/off button for hard resets I wouldn't feel such a need to have a kindle.

You do realize if it freezes on the Glo HD you can hold the power button down to restart it? I've done this but my Kobo has only frozen twice since I've gotten and it's usually when I'm playing with fonts.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by issybird

I loved my Sonys and they still get some use, but transitioning to Kobo when I wanted better resolution was a no-brainer, given what's most important to me.

I transitioned from Kindle after being disappointed with the K4 and PW1. I gave up on eInk and went to reading on tablets. I decided to give eInk another try after reading about Kobo font controls and I am so glad I did. The Glo HD is in screen quality everything I've wanted in a Kindle. I still have to run the epubs through Calibre so I can remove font styles so I can use them. I need that extra weight on fonts so I don't get eyestrain.

The best thing is I can read several sizes smaller than I could ever on Kindles or tablets because the font weight controls.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Blossom

You do realize if it freezes on the Glo HD you can hold the power button down to restart it? I've done this but my Kobo has only frozen twice since I've gotten and it's usually when I'm playing with fonts.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

No Blossom I didn't know that, thank you . I've had a few freezes and I had one last year in Portugal, I didn't have a paperclip and managed to do the pin hole reset with a needle but it was difficult and frustrating and took ages for me to get it to work.

[Blossom]

I didn't even know about the paperclip and hole in the back. I figured it worked like any tablet to hard reset so when it froze that's what I held down the power button and it eventually restarted.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[GoodCompany]

First off, thanks for sharing all your experiences, much appreciated. There is a new wrinkle. I fiddled last night with a different USB port and a different cable and finally got my Kobo to sync properly and that changed everything. The cover and search functions now work properly and I was able to download (sideload?) from Calibre as well as transfer a library book from Adobe onto my device. I also looked again at a Kindle Voyager in a store yesterday and saw similar ghosting that I've noticed on the Kobo so I see this is in the range of normal.

I agree with preferring the Kobo home screen (thanks for the screen shots booklover6) and I also agree with the camp who would probably be happier with fewer but solid choices as in the Kindle. And Amazon's customer service is something I'm missing right now. I need to make a decision tonight (because my 30 days is coming to an end) and am now thinking of just keeping it and enjoying it. Ironically, part of the decision is based on the fact that Kobo does not have the same kind of customer friendly policies that Amazon does and it looks to me I would be incurring shipping and restocking costs to return it (even if it was because the unit was defective as the customer service rep and I had determined before I fiddled).

I do have one (maybe) final concern. There is some give when you press on the back of the unit and a very light sound (like a faint squeak) which makes it seem rather fragile -- is this normal? I'm coming from the Sony PRS-350 which is not plastic, so I don't have any fair basis of comparison. If I keep it, I will of course get a cover before taking it out of the home.

On a much smaller issue, is there a way to get ride of the little square that says "sleeping" so the sleep mode would just be the full cover? Thanks again for all your input, this is a great forum!

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

On a much smaller issue, is there a way to get ride of the little square that says "sleeping" so the sleep mode would just be the full cover? Thanks again for all your input, this is a great forum!

Yes. Settings - Sleep and Power - uncheck 'Show info panel on full screen covers'

[robko]

Originally Posted by GoodCompany

I do have one (maybe) final concern. There is some give when you press on the back of the unit and a very light sound (like a faint squeak) which makes it seem rather fragile -- is this normal? I'm coming from the Sony PRS-350 which is not plastic, so I don't have any fair basis of comparison. If I keep it, I will of course get a cover before taking it out of the home.

I would say that's not atypical. I've seen it reported before. Thin plastic covers are always going to have some flex.

[MGlitch]

Why I like Kobo over Kindle and Nook (even though Nook wasn't asked about )

1) Font control. Kobo offers -far- more control than either Nook or Kindle, you can change the size, weight, line spacing, margins, etc. all with more options than either of the other brands. And you can load your own font on the device without any fuss.

2) Bigger screen, I got the H2O because of the 6.8" screen. With tweaks and patches the readable page gets close to, if not actually more than, what is on most mass market pages.

3) Calibre, Kobo just ties in so nicely with third party software. It's like the execs thought 'Hey, we can save money by not trying to exclude third party software from interacting with this device, and then we don't need to worry about making a feature rich desktop app, if we leave this open. So yes the Kobo desktop app may not be the best thing in the market, but I'd rather they spend the money/time improving the reader software rather than the desktop software.

4) Less ties to a single company. I understand you can get ebooks purchased from other places on a Kindle, but from what I have heard it's a more involved process than either using Calibre or drag/droping the files onto the device. The eink nooks are easy to load things on to, but given the direction BN has taken with their tablet line, where side loaded content is treated as a third class citizen, I just don't want to be caught if/when BN moves in this direction with eink. Their Glowlight Plus actually does make things a bit more difficult to load.

5) User customization, Kobo hasn't locked down their devices unlike both BN and Amazon. And while you can root the Kindle and Nook, it's just so much easier not to have to deal with it.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I didn't even know about the paperclip and hole in the back. I figured it worked like any tablet to hard reset so when it froze that's what I held down the power button and it eventually restarted.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I tried that yesterday with both my GLO HD and the H20 and it worked perfectly. for the tip.