Kindle 3 vs Kobo

[dixieknits]

Originally Posted by kingduct

I actually bought a Kobo just a couple of days before the Kindle 3 was announced and I returned the Kobo and pre-ordered the Kindle. I think the Kobo is a good product, but a few things started nagging at me:
1) My right thumb got sore because the button was stiff and there was no way to change pages with the left thumb.
2) While very light, the button was located in the corner of the device, making it hard to actually hold in one hand (I have small hands).
3) Battery life, according to the battery indicator, seemed worse than expected.
4) The screen was fine, but I was able to appreciate how a slightly better screen would be nice in lower light situations. (I never directly compared the screen to a Nook or Kindle, but I did compare to a Sony 300 and felt they were similar in readability. The new Kindle should be better, though how much better is still unknown.)
5) I am a Linux user and it turned out that there is no straightforward way to get library books if you use Linux. This isn't Kobo's fault, but it meant that one of the strengths of the Kobo vs the Kindle was taken away.

I liked the Kobo, but when the new Kindle was announced and was almost as light as the Kobo and had better battery life, as well as hopefully being better on the ergonomics front, I changed my mind. In your case, it sounds like having both makes sense, since you really want to use the library feature a lot.

I should note that my Kobo came from a Borders store and they gave me a hard time about returning it (they said they didn't take electronics returns). The manager was nice and they eventually took it back, but it was stressful for me.

I had to return my Kobo last week, 3 days before it's one month purchase anniversary came up an it was a terrible experience. I was told when I bought it, I had 30 days to return and when I did return, I was treated like I was trying to scam or steal and that electronic items could NOT be returned. As it was not functioning properly at all, I was pretty irate and refused to be stuck with it My Kobo was PAINFULLY slow, slow to turn on, off, load and page turns were 5 seconds and finally the unit started freezing between the turns. The battery would not hold a charge properly and had to be juiced daily if used. I loved it's size, weight, format but felt it would fail entirely if I waited another day to return . With the announcement of the new Kindle 3 and itss smaller size, clear screen and longer battery life, I decided I did NOT want another Kobo, but would do with Kindle. My daughter has one and has had no problems at all in almost 2 years.
I have a Jetbook which I love everything about except it's hard for me to read in evening and purchased the e-ink Kobo for that purpose. Now I"m pretty hopeful that the new Kindle will fill that spot. I'm on a daily countdown for its arrival like a kid.
I owe Noah98 an apology as he was correct about Kobo and Nook and the ability to sideload the Nook like Jetbook and Nook can read DRM books from the county library. Yes, one can never load B & N bookstore software and still drag and drop epubs right to Nook easily. This forum is a huge benefit to us all and yes if we (meaning myself) make a mispost or mistake, we should be corrected by user knowing this so the errors don't perpetuate as fact.

[luqmaninbmore]

5) I am a Linux user and it turned out that there is no straightforward way to get library books if you use Linux. This isn't Kobo's fault, but it meant that one of the strengths of the Kobo vs the Kindle was taken away.

[/QUOTE]

Actually, you can install wine (should be in the software repo of your distro) and then install ADE. It works fine under Ubuntu, at least. You can also use various python scripts to flip on the kindle tag in Mobipocket format library books so that you can read them on the Kindle.

[clintbradford]

>> ... no way to change pages with the left thumb ...

A minute of online research would have shown you that.

>> ... the button was located in the corner of the device ...

A minute of online research would have shown you that.

>> ... Battery life, according to the battery indicator, seemed worse than expected.

About three minutes' worth of research would have told you that (1) maximum battery cycle longevity takes a few complete discharge-charge cycles, and (2) that when the Kobo indicates "50%" it really has a lot more battery life left.

>> ... The screen was fine, but I was able to appreciate how a slightly better screen would be nice in lower light situations.

SInce a lamp of some sort is used by most in low-light situations, this makes no sense to me. Even without direct light hitting my Kobo in the living room, for example, it is very readable.

>> ... The new Kindle should be better, though how much better is still unknown.

You had a Kobo in your hands ... but gave it up on something no one on the planet has used for review purposes. (grin)

>> ... I am a Linux user ... no straightforward way to get library books if you use Linux. This isn't Kobo's fault ...

Just admit it - you got caught up in the Bezos/Amazon marketing madness. Hey - I did, too - I pre-ordered a Kindle3 even though I have no need for it, already owning a Kindle2 and a Kobo. But even I, the master of rationalization, cannot make sense of any of your six points where you state the Kobo failed you.

And so it goes ...

[Noah98]

Originally Posted by clintbradford

>> ... professional reviewers ... CNet is god ... screen not as nice as others ...
>> ... But don't deny the flaws ...

This is where we're different. I have personally compared - all at the same time, a Nook, a Kindle2, and a Kobo. I doubt that anyone who actually did this for themselves would say that the display quality of either was seriously "flawed" - for reading books.

You are blindly quoting your references when you post " ... the Kobo lacks the clarity and contrast of the current ereaders ... " You would gain more respect - in my mind - if you were to frame such a statement with, "I read a cNet review stating that the Kobo lacks ... " - Otherwise you're misrepresenting yourself as one who has actually compared the units.

Just my opinion, of course. And I have been wrong - twice - here in the past.

I already mentioned that I compared them when I was originally shopping for a device! I am not just blindly quoting, but giving you a source to back up what I noticed when personally comparing the nook and Kobo. I even brought my nook into Borders to reconfirm my initial observation.

I looked at a Kindle at Target (I also have a friend who owns one), a nook at Best Buy, and a Kobo at Borders. I bought the nook because I felt it had the better screen and features. Like I said, I even brought my nook into borders and compared it to the Kobo and the Sony units on display.

I also never said that the Kobo's display was seriously flawed for reading. It is fine, just not as good as the competition. The comparison between the Kobo screen and the nook screen is slight (but noticeable), but I imagine the Kindle 3 will be a more dramatic improvement.

[Noah98]

Originally Posted by dixieknits

I had to return my Kobo last week, 3 days before it's one month purchase anniversary came up an it was a terrible experience. I was told when I bought it, I had 30 days to return and when I did return, I was treated like I was trying to scam or steal and that electronic items could NOT be returned. As it was not functioning properly at all, I was pretty irate and refused to be stuck with it My Kobo was PAINFULLY slow, slow to turn on, off, load and page turns were 5 seconds and finally the unit started freezing between the turns. The battery would not hold a charge properly and had to be juiced daily if used. I loved it's size, weight, format but felt it would fail entirely if I waited another day to return . With the announcement of the new Kindle 3 and itss smaller size, clear screen and longer battery life, I decided I did NOT want another Kobo, but would do with Kindle. My daughter has one and has had no problems at all in almost 2 years.
I have a Jetbook which I love everything about except it's hard for me to read in evening and purchased the e-ink Kobo for that purpose. Now I"m pretty hopeful that the new Kindle will fill that spot. I'm on a daily countdown for its arrival like a kid.
I owe Noah98 an apology as he was correct about Kobo and Nook and the ability to sideload the Nook like Jetbook and Nook can read DRM books from the county library. Yes, one can never load B & N bookstore software and still drag and drop epubs right to Nook easily. This forum is a huge benefit to us all and yes if we (meaning myself) make a mispost or mistake, we should be corrected by user knowing this so the errors don't perpetuate as fact.

No problem, and definitely no hard feelings

None of us are really experts, and it's hard not to brag about our ereaders since I'm sure we are all enjoying them and think that they are the best.

I just want to make sure that we are helping people make the best decision for their money based on information and experiences that are as accurate as possible!

[aleccj1]

Hey Clint Bradford,

I have a black neoprene sleeve that I used for my Kindle but now use it for my Kobo. I noticed this morning when I took the Kobo out of the sleeve that the black coloring rubbed off onto the little nubs on the D-pad. I tried a few cleaning solutions on it, but nothing would take it off. Kinda pisses me off, as I just bought it yesterday! So, I was wondering if you had any problems with any stains or smudges on your Kobo's D-pad. How would you suggest that I take the stains out?

Thanks.

[Leep]

Originally Posted by aleccj1

Thanks for the reply's. Sorry for my post before, I was a bit impatient!

So, I bought my Kobo last night at Borders. I read for an hour before going to bed, and my impressions so far are pretty good. I really like the built in fonts. They are really nice and clear. I prefer the Serif font. Page turns seem a bit slower than my Kindle, but it's not a big deal. Overall, a nice device. I really like the quilted back. Good job Kobo team!

I'm deciding to keep the preordered Kindle 3. I'll use the Kobo for library books primarily.

Thanks for all your help!

Many of us use our Kindles for library books. Of course this requires using the I love cabbages scripts to circumvent the drm so that the epub or pdf formats can be converted to .mobi which Kindle will accept. A little bit of a process, but after one has done it a couple of times, minor inconvenience that is definitely acceptable considering the Kindle's overall readability and battery life if one travels.

cheers

[aleccj1]

Originally Posted by Leep

Many of us use our Kindles for library books. Of course this requires using the I love cabbages scripts to circumvent the drm so that the epub or pdf formats can be converted to .mobi which Kindle will accept. A little bit of a process, but after one has done it a couple of times, minor inconvenience that is definitely acceptable considering the Kindle's overall readability and battery life if one travels.

cheers

Thanks for the helpful PM, Leep. However, I had already found the Python scripts from I Heart Cabbages that remove ADE drm. Overdrive uses ADE, right? I'll keep my Kobo anyway, I really like it .

[kingduct]

Clint,
I am not saying the Kobo is bad. I just found that after several days of use it wasn't for me. Combine that with new information that came out -- the new Kindle -- and I chose to return it. The fact is, for me and other people who have never owned an ebook reader, we are only going to understand these things by using them for a while. We are not early adopters prepared to throw away money -- we've waited years for the technology to develop and hope to get a product that really satisfies us. Barnes and Noble and Amazon realize that and have clear return policies -- precisely so that we will buy and give it a try. Borders doesn't, and so I wouldn't recommend somebody get a Kobo at a Borders store unless they were absolutely sure of their decision.

I think anybody using this forum to help learn about these machines is way ahead of the game in terms of doing research. Insulting me with "a minute of online research" type statements is kind of silly. How could I possibly know that the stiffness of the button would begin to bother me over time? How could I know that I'd end up loving the ability to use Calibre to get newspapers, but that I'd find library books more trouble than they're worth? How could I know that a major competitor would release a competitive product just days later?

None of these gadgets is perfect, and it's a disservice to simply disregard the comments other people make by claiming other people know nothing or were stupid. We are genuinely trying to list the positives and negatives of different products. I still think the Kobo is better for me than the Nook, but I think the Kindle will be better yet. If it isn't better, I'll return it and get the Kobo again. For other people, I think the Nook is best. It is simply a question of honestly sharing information.

[clintbradford]

>> ... smudges on the d-pad ...

I believe that is caused because the d-pad is made of a porous material. SO "surface" cleaners won't penetrate to clean it.

Try a citrus-based cleaner - just put some on your fingertip and rub it around. Of course, do not spray it onto your device.

No alcohol-based cleaners ... UNLESS Kobo reps recommend one.

Have you ever installed an Invisible Shield screen protector? If you have, do you have any of their install fluid left? It will penetrate and possibly "lift" that "stain" out.

Let us know if any of this works. And in the meantime, send a private message to Sameer/Kobo and see if they have any ideas!

Clint

[clintbradford]

Kingduct - I apologize if you were offended. It's just that I remember downloading an instruction manual for the Kobo before I ordered one (either from the FCC site ... or somewhere) and I know the "limited" button layout ahead of time. I envy my wife being able to use either hand to flip pages on her Kindle2 ... (grin)

[Marcels]

I'd be interested in some pros and cons on Kindle vs Kobo. I have a Kobo and love it, my partner has shown an interest in having an eReader and I'm wondering if I should get her a Kindle3 or a Kobo.

I like the idea of the Wifi, dictionary lookups and text to speech, the quieter buttons when changing a page would be great, (we already discovered the Kobo clicks were too loud when reading in bed) and the placement of the page turn buttons look better (I've been getting a cramp in my thumb). Not to mention that you be more features for less with the Kindle3.

On the Kobo plus side the SD card is great for transferring books, it’s a simple to use device and it feels good to the touch.

I've also built up a collection of ePubs and PDFs and I don't want to start again. The openness of these file formats and the range of free books is great.

I'd like to ask the Kindle users about converting ePubs and PDF use on the Kindle. Can any ePub book be transferred or do I have to mess around with DRM, do I have to upload PDFs via an email service?

Clint Bradford, how would you compare the use of PDFs on Kindle and Kobo? I ready a lot of technical documents and I have to admit, comics, and I find the Kobo slow on the page refresh and PDF reading much less enjoyable the ePubs. Does the Kindle do a better job with PDFs?

[clintbradford]

>> ... PDFs on Kindle versus Kobo ...

I have not read any .pdf files on my wife's Kindle2. On my Kobo, I have loaded a bunch of ham radio owners manuals - which, when printed out, are "half-sheet" sized (5.5 x 8.5"). So they look fine on the Kobo. But navigating "traditional-sized" docs is a little cumbersome, as each page becomes two pages. Some Kindle owners will let us know how .pdf files are handled on their devices.

Do your "technical docs" include diagrams and photographs?

[Marcels]

Yes, there are a lot of images.

I’ve been reading Microsoft press training books from my works library. They’re hard cover books, around 1000 pages and weight a bit. We get PDF versions with the training packs and it means I don’t have to wait in line for a new book, also the Kobo weight a lot less than the physical book.

I found that if I put the PDF on landscape it was easier to read but the slow scroll time was frustrating. Also the ‘arrow’ guides for page scanning covered some detail. This was more noticeable with comics as some speech bubbles were completely covered.

[SensualPoet]

I've had a Kindle 2 since Nov 20 and a Kobo since May 1. In some cases, I have read the same book on each reading, swapping between chapters. They are a different experience but -- just for reading -- they are very similar. The quilted back of the Kobo and its lighter weight is a pleasure. Yes, it is slower to boot up and turn pages but my life is not so hectic that this is a "problem". The screens appear pretty much as crisp to me as one another -- although I prefer the Kindle 2 font.

But there is the value thing. When Kindle 2 (in Canada) was $259 + shipping and the Kobo was $149 and walk out of the store ... call it half price -- the Kobo really shone for someone wanting a very basic, elegant reader that handles DRMed ePubs. The Kobostore isn't bad for choice and fills in gaps that Amazon misses. Plus, you do get library books without any transformation.

Kindle 3 changes everything. At $139 + shipping it's pretty much the same hunk of the wallet as the Kobo and delivers far more. Allegedly better screen, dictionary (I love that feature), Kindle formatted books and the Kindle store, the Amazon user community and Amazon's amazing customer service. And with WiFi I will start to play with the social network sharing and enjoy direct access to Calibre at home without plugging in; and so on. Plus, the form factor has been reduced making it "handle" similarly to Kobo AND maintain page turn buttons on both sides of the device.

Kobo has dropped to $128 this weekend in Canada; and Borders has been selling it at $149 with a $20 gift card all along. Sony appears to have dropped the PRS300 5" model to $99 on its online store (it's $149 plus a free case plus a $25 gift card); Best Buy has it at $128 ... I suspect the $99 Kobo is literally around the corner.

So what then? Kindle 3 with lifetime 3G at $189 or WiFi only at $139 or Kobo stripped down with library access at $99? At that point my advice is buy both: at $228 its cheaper than the Kindle 2 was and you get the library access and a backup reader. Or skip the Kobo is the library thing (and the somewhat different e-book selection at Kobo) isn't important.