Nook vs Kobo purely as reader - Page 3

boswd · 07-25-2010, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clintbradford

>> ... Do they charge via USB or with power adapters?

The Kobo charges via an included USB-to-mini-USB cable. Or, of course, any of your 300-700mAH AC wall warts that accommodate USB cables will also charge your Kobo.

>> ... Will they need protective cases or are they sturdy without them?

The very first time you scratch your eReader - whether because you dropped your keys on it or had something slide against it in your briefcase - whatever - you would have desired a case.

Personally, ALL my electronics screens (GPS, PDAs, phones, cameras, eReaders) have InvisibleShield screen protectors on them. And for my Kobo, I have purchased an inexpensive "authentic imitation leather" case off of eBay. AND also cut myself a DVD case that is REALLY slick (thread on this elsewhere ... I'll post pics later).

>> ... Nook's better screen quality ...

I do not understand the claim that having three billion shades of grey makes READING TEXT any "better" than what my meager Kobo does for me. I cannot imagine "more legible" text than the Kobo's sans serif font that I am using.

Clint Bradford

the nook simple does have a better actually much better contrast than the kobo. The kobo is more grey.

boswd · 07-25-2010, 06:03 PM

but to answer some of the op's questons

The nook can be charge either both usb and/or outlet.

the nook supports epub so you can buy books from anywhere that supports epub

you can download books wirelessly either through the device itself and from your computer.

touch screen navigation, color book art with cover flow.

touch screen finger swiping page turning

IMHO better booskstore platform.

battery life will be better on the Kobo but if used wisely you can get around 8 days on the nooks battery.

InStore Nook only features such as read in store, more instore coupons, Freebies and usually a Star Bucks freebie.

Much better screen contrast.

Replacable battery.

Much more extensive after purchase market products, (covers, skins etc)

If you live in the US I think it's an easy choice. Go with the Nook. It like comparing a BMW to a Honda Accord. Honda Accord is a solid car but it aint no BMW.

If the Kobos was $99 then it would be touch choice. But same price? It's a no brainer. Go with the Nook.

If you live in the US

kingduct · 07-25-2010, 11:30 PM

Well, I ended up spending hours running back and forth from Borders to Barnes and Noble comparing these. It was a very very close call, but I ended up with the Kobo. The Nook's text is slightly better. However, the lower weight of the Kobo really can be felt and that was one of the determining factors. The other major factor was that I found the Kobo much easier to use -- the Nook controls don't effectively harness the touch screen's potential.

All of that said, I think that were I a person who was actually going to buy ebooks (rather than getting them from the library and from the public domain), I would definitely get the Nook, because it would let me buy books with the device itself. Furthermore, the screen is a bit better and it is noticeable, though I am not sure how much of that is actually the sreen and how much of it is a better font.

I actually think the Honda/BMW analogy is apt. The thing is, Honda's generally get better mileage and are more practical for many uses, so it isn't so simple to choose. Yes, for the hardware it includes, the Kobo is slightly overpriced, but the reality is that we're not talking about loads of money, and I am uninterested in the Nook's additional features (which come at a cost of weight and battery life).

Now to see whether I change my mind in the next several days! I really wish the Kobo came with the Nook's screen!

Noah98 · 07-26-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingduct

Well, I ended up spending hours running back and forth from Borders to Barnes and Noble comparing these. It was a very very close call, but I ended up with the Kobo. The Nook's text is slightly better. However, the lower weight of the Kobo really can be felt and that was one of the determining factors. The other major factor was that I found the Kobo much easier to use -- the Nook controls don't effectively harness the touch screen's potential.

All of that said, I think that were I a person who was actually going to buy ebooks (rather than getting them from the library and from the public domain), I would definitely get the Nook, because it would let me buy books with the device itself. Furthermore, the screen is a bit better and it is noticeable, though I am not sure how much of that is actually the sreen and how much of it is a better font.

I actually think the Honda/BMW analogy is apt. The thing is, Honda's generally get better mileage and are more practical for many uses, so it isn't so simple to choose. Yes, for the hardware it includes, the Kobo is slightly overpriced, but the reality is that we're not talking about loads of money, and I am uninterested in the Nook's additional features (which come at a cost of weight and battery life).

Now to see whether I change my mind in the next several days! I really wish the Kobo came with the Nook's screen!

I'm glad you were able to test both out and make a decision that is right for you. Did Borders give you a free $20 gift card? That helps with the cost difference some.

I've found that with the nook, the touchscreen is the most polarizing feature. Some love it, some hate it. I think in time it becomes second nature, but it is still a different experience when compared with the Kindle's joystick and the Kobo's dpad. I hope the demo unit at Barnes and Noble had the latest firmware (I'm sure it did, but most Best Buy store units don't) because it makes the touchscreen a bit more responsive and intuitive.

Anyway, enjoy your device and happy reading! Reading on an eink device is an amazing experience.

kingduct · 07-26-2010, 04:02 PM

Yes, I got the 20 dollar gift card. As I said above, if I expected to buy e-books, I definitely would have gone with the Nook (even though I found the touch-screen unwieldy). However, it became clear that I had no use for the touch screen features, and the web browser was not good enough for me to use the wifi for that purpose. As such, two of the big selling points of the Nook weren't for me.

I really appreciate the help that Nook and Kobo users gave me. The fact that both seem very happy with their devices was very reassuring.

Care · 07-26-2010, 11:01 PM

I have a question. When you add your own ebooks to the Kobo, do the covers show up? I know that on the Nook, if you add your own ebooks not bought at B&N, they don't show up on the cover flow (unless you soft root it), so I was wondering if the Kobo was the same?

Thanks

clintbradford · 07-27-2010, 02:31 AM

KingDuct - Are you also a Borders Rewards Club member? Kobo purchasers get double Rewards points right now. It's really cool walking up to a cashier with a book I want tp purchase, and having them ask if I want to use my Borders bucks and leave my wallet in my pocket ... (grin)

Noah98 · 07-27-2010, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Care

I have a question. When you add your own ebooks to the Kobo, do the covers show up? I know that on the Nook, if you add your own ebooks not bought at B&N, they don't show up on the cover flow (unless you soft root it), so I was wondering if the Kobo was the same?

Thanks

Kobo doesn't have cover flow. That is a touchscreen feature where you can scroll through ebooks like on an ipod. I imagine that on the Kobo, any book that you add that has an embedded cover should show up just fine on the device.

All of my covers show up on the nook, but the ebooks that I add manually to the device are in a separte folder called "My Library." My Library doesn't do cover flow yet, but all of my covers still show up in color (on the touchscreen) when you select them.

Care · 07-27-2010, 10:51 AM

Thanks Noah. I know that the Kobo doesn't have cover flow, but it does show your library with the covers. I have friends with Nooks and when they add their own ebooks the covers don't show up until they open the book.

I wouldn't be buying books directly from one source. I already own enough ebooks for me to read for a couple years, but when I do buy a new ebook I buy from all different places. I also might be downloading from libraries. I just want all of my books (mainly epubs) to look the same, showing the covers, and want to know if the Kobo allows that?

kingduct · 07-27-2010, 11:41 AM

Well, I don't totally understand the covers question (since it isn't something that for me is very important), but I can tell you a couple of things.

1) When in the list of all books you have (I only have the books it came with so far, which will take me a while to read), you see a miniature black and white cover next to each title and it shows 5 titles on the screen at a time.

2) When you go to the book, as it loads you see a full page cover.

Now, I don't know if books that come from other sources (purchased, Gutenberg, etc) also have covers or if there is some specific type of cover file format.

Care · 07-28-2010, 11:52 AM

Thanks! I will start a new thread to ask other questions.

DBOY · 08-04-2010, 03:39 AM

what im interested about the nook is how the embedded dictionary performs? Can you select individual words off the page and search them up? or do you have to some how type the word into a search page? I love how the sony dictionary is a double click on the word and the definition pops up on the bottom, hopefully the nook dictionary is as simple and efficient as the sony dictionary. In terms of ereader i bought a sony to try out and found the screen horrible to read on comparing it to the the kobo that my sister has. Which is why i'm deciding on whether to buy a kobo or a nook wifi for myself. My intentions are just reading books only on the ereader nothing else. But I LOVE the embedded dictionary in the sony and i'm looking at the nook because of the fact that it has a dictionary, its cheap, and it apparently has a better looking contrast than the sony, its unfortunate the screen on the sony is horrible or else i would take the sony any day because im a huge fan of that touch dictionary!

Care · 08-04-2010, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBOY

what im interested about the nook is how the embedded dictionary performs? Can you select individual words off the page and search them up? or do you have to some how type the word into a search page? I love how the sony dictionary is a double click on the word and the definition pops up on the bottom, hopefully the nook dictionary is as simple and efficient as the sony dictionary. In terms of ereader i bought a sony to try out and found the screen horrible to read on comparing it to the the kobo that my sister has. Which is why i'm deciding on whether to buy a kobo or a nook wifi for myself. My intentions are just reading books only on the ereader nothing else. But I LOVE the embedded dictionary in the sony and i'm looking at the nook because of the fact that it has a dictionary, its cheap, and it apparently has a better looking contrast than the sony, its unfortunate the screen on the sony is horrible or else i would take the sony any day because im a huge fan of that touch dictionary!

You can do it either way. When reading on the Nook, the lcd screen has a menu where you can find, go to pages or chapters, bookmarks, change font, highlight or takes notes, or look up a word. When you look up, it allows you to either select the word off the page or type it in. I actually prefer to type it in.

bearymore · 08-04-2010, 04:16 PM

As for Linux support, I have a Nook and use Linux. Linux recognizes the Nook and mounts it as an external drive with no problem. There is a Linux version of Calibre and the B&N Reader program and ADE both run well under Wine.

DBOY · 08-04-2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Care

You can do it either way. When reading on the Nook, the lcd screen has a menu where you can find, go to pages or chapters, bookmarks, change font, highlight or takes notes, or look up a word. When you look up, it allows you to either select the word off the page or type it in. I actually prefer to type it in.

that settles it then, im buying a nook!

07-25-2010, 06:03 PM	#32
boswd Banned Posts: 2,391 Karma: 1001781 Join Date: May 2010 Device: The Nook, Nook color and Droid X	but to answer some of the op's questons The nook can be charge either both usb and/or outlet. the nook supports epub so you can buy books from anywhere that supports epub you can download books wirelessly either through the device itself and from your computer. touch screen navigation, color book art with cover flow. touch screen finger swiping page turning IMHO better booskstore platform. battery life will be better on the Kobo but if used wisely you can get around 8 days on the nooks battery. InStore Nook only features such as read in store, more instore coupons, Freebies and usually a Star Bucks freebie. Much better screen contrast. Replacable battery. Much more extensive after purchase market products, (covers, skins etc) If you live in the US I think it's an easy choice. Go with the Nook. It like comparing a BMW to a Honda Accord. Honda Accord is a solid car but it aint no BMW. If the Kobos was $99 then it would be touch choice. But same price? It's a no brainer. Go with the Nook. If you live in the US Last edited by boswd; 07-26-2010 at 10:48 AM.

07-27-2010, 11:41 AM	#40
kingduct Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 220 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	covers Well, I don't totally understand the covers question (since it isn't something that for me is very important), but I can tell you a couple of things. 1) When in the list of all books you have (I only have the books it came with so far, which will take me a while to read), you see a miniature black and white cover next to each title and it shows 5 titles on the screen at a time. 2) When you go to the book, as it loads you see a full page cover. Now, I don't know if books that come from other sources (purchased, Gutenberg, etc) also have covers or if there is some specific type of cover file format.

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07-25-2010, 11:30 PM	#33
kingduct Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 220 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Well, I ended up spending hours running back and forth from Borders to Barnes and Noble comparing these. It was a very very close call, but I ended up with the Kobo. The Nook's text is slightly better. However, the lower weight of the Kobo really can be felt and that was one of the determining factors. The other major factor was that I found the Kobo much easier to use -- the Nook controls don't effectively harness the touch screen's potential. All of that said, I think that were I a person who was actually going to buy ebooks (rather than getting them from the library and from the public domain), I would definitely get the Nook, because it would let me buy books with the device itself. Furthermore, the screen is a bit better and it is noticeable, though I am not sure how much of that is actually the sreen and how much of it is a better font. I actually think the Honda/BMW analogy is apt. The thing is, Honda's generally get better mileage and are more practical for many uses, so it isn't so simple to choose. Yes, for the hardware it includes, the Kobo is slightly overpriced, but the reality is that we're not talking about loads of money, and I am uninterested in the Nook's additional features (which come at a cost of weight and battery life). Now to see whether I change my mind in the next several days! I really wish the Kobo came with the Nook's screen!

07-26-2010, 04:02 PM	#35
kingduct Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 220 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Yes, I got the 20 dollar gift card. As I said above, if I expected to buy e-books, I definitely would have gone with the Nook (even though I found the touch-screen unwieldy). However, it became clear that I had no use for the touch screen features, and the web browser was not good enough for me to use the wifi for that purpose. As such, two of the big selling points of the Nook weren't for me. I really appreciate the help that Nook and Kobo users gave me. The fact that both seem very happy with their devices was very reassuring.

07-26-2010, 11:01 PM	#36
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	I have a question. When you add your own ebooks to the Kobo, do the covers show up? I know that on the Nook, if you add your own ebooks not bought at B&N, they don't show up on the cover flow (unless you soft root it), so I was wondering if the Kobo was the same? Thanks

07-27-2010, 02:31 AM	#37
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	KingDuct - Are you also a Borders Rewards Club member? Kobo purchasers get double Rewards points right now. It's really cool walking up to a cashier with a book I want tp purchase, and having them ask if I want to use my Borders bucks and leave my wallet in my pocket ... (grin)

07-27-2010, 10:51 AM	#39
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	Thanks Noah. I know that the Kobo doesn't have cover flow, but it does show your library with the covers. I have friends with Nooks and when they add their own ebooks the covers don't show up until they open the book. I wouldn't be buying books directly from one source. I already own enough ebooks for me to read for a couple years, but when I do buy a new ebook I buy from all different places. I also might be downloading from libraries. I just want all of my books (mainly epubs) to look the same, showing the covers, and want to know if the Kobo allows that?

07-28-2010, 11:52 AM	#41
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	Thanks! I will start a new thread to ask other questions.

08-04-2010, 03:39 AM	#42
DBOY Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: nook or kobo or sony	what im interested about the nook is how the embedded dictionary performs? Can you select individual words off the page and search them up? or do you have to some how type the word into a search page? I love how the sony dictionary is a double click on the word and the definition pops up on the bottom, hopefully the nook dictionary is as simple and efficient as the sony dictionary. In terms of ereader i bought a sony to try out and found the screen horrible to read on comparing it to the the kobo that my sister has. Which is why i'm deciding on whether to buy a kobo or a nook wifi for myself. My intentions are just reading books only on the ereader nothing else. But I LOVE the embedded dictionary in the sony and i'm looking at the nook because of the fact that it has a dictionary, its cheap, and it apparently has a better looking contrast than the sony, its unfortunate the screen on the sony is horrible or else i would take the sony any day because im a huge fan of that touch dictionary!

08-04-2010, 04:16 PM	#44
bearymore Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 39270 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo Aura One	As for Linux support, I have a Nook and use Linux. Linux recognizes the Nook and mounts it as an external drive with no problem. There is a Linux version of Calibre and the B&N Reader program and ADE both run well under Wine.

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