Why do you prefer Kobo ereaders to Amazon ereaders

[7hir7een]

- Kindle shutting down jailbreaking, thus eliminating ability to use koreader on newest devices / inability to downgrade firmware when it upgrades itself
- Honestly, it's nice not to have to convert all those epubs to kindle format
- Similar devices run cheaper, which made it easier for me to justify trying the switch to Kobo... and I don't think I'll look back.

However, I could see if you were not a person to care about customization at all, never sideload books, or expect to need technical support, you might choose Kindle for a simpler experience.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by theducks

My biggest gripe with Amazon devices is their continuous 'adding another brick to their walled garden wall'
The main reason I go back to a business is they offer what I want, at a fair price (no necessarily the cheapest) and not because I am locked into their store. Ads before/after a book, OK (I paid for Ad free). Commercials While Reading (This is what has gone wrong with US TV, Cable and even YouTube. MINUTES of commercials, multiple times a show)

I've never seen a "commercial while reading" on any of my Kindles, whether or not they were "ad supported". When did you see that?

Shari

[cfrizz]

I have never had a Kindle since I prefer the epub format. However, I do all my book buying on Amazon, and convert over to epubs. I got a Libra H20 last year since my Sony T1 ran out of room.

I still do most of my reading on my pc or on my cellphone when out commuting to & from work.

I don't care or am not finicky about fiddling with fonts or whatever else you can do with Kobo's. So long as I can convert my books over to epubs, and read them I'm happy.

[Apache]

I don't use either kobos or kindles but I prefer epubs. I buy from Amazon US & UK and Baen.
Apache

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Pjama

Another reason, particularly relevant since the latest kindle firmware update: one touch bookmarking! I don’t even have to think about it, just tap the top right corner and a pretty dog-ear appears. Whereas the kindle now has an extra, extra step, bringing it up to a grand total of three taps to set a bookmark.

Yes, I've read that Amazon ereader software has not been updated in a long time. If so, this is odd. Maybe they feel most people are satisfied with it, and they don't want to confuse people. But they used to add stuff, like x-ray, and the ability to browse thumbnail pages. Have they slowed UI development?

[Pjama]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Yes, I've read that Amazon ereader software has not been updated in a long time. If so, this is odd. Maybe they feel most people are satisfied with it, and they don't want to confuse people. But they used to add stuff, like x-ray, and the ability to browse thumbnail pages. Have they slowed UI development?

They recently updated the UI to make it more Android like. Meaning that when I go to adjust the light on my Oasis, a huge pull down panel appears, obliterating most of the screen, then I make my adjustment and the panel retracts after I press the up arrow.

It’s way over the top, and not designed to be suitable for ereaders. This also means the bookmarking step is now three steps, and, often, just not worth the bother any more.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Pjama

Another reason, particularly relevant since the latest kindle firmware update: one touch bookmarking! I don’t even have to think about it, just tap the top right corner and a pretty dog-ear appears. Whereas the kindle now has an extra, extra step, bringing it up to a grand total of three taps to set a bookmark.

It has been that way for quite awhile, and I like it (for some reason most of the bookmarks I create are accidental). And it only takes 2 taps to create.

[Hemmi]

I dislike Amazon in general. I do have a Kindle but only because I won it in a contest. I rarely use it. My first reader was a Sony and Kobo readers are very similar to me. Love my Libra so much I'm considering selling off most of my Sony collection.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Even down to being unable to bold a font on a side loaded mobi file, even when sent using Send to Kindle. Amazon make it awkward to read and manage side loaded ebooks.

Seriously? That would torpedo my interest in the new Paperwhite completely. No sideloaded books can be bolded on a kindle? Is it just the mobi format for which it isn't possible to bold?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Seriously? That would torpedo my interest in the new Paperwhite completely. No sideloaded books can be bolded on a kindle? Is it just the mobi format for which it isn't possible to bold?

You can bold the fonts in sideloaded books in the azw3 format.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You can bold the fonts in sideloaded books in the azw3 format.

thx

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Pjama

Another reason, particularly relevant since the latest kindle firmware update: one touch bookmarking! I don’t even have to think about it, just tap the top right corner and a pretty dog-ear appears. Whereas the kindle now has an extra, extra step, bringing it up to a grand total of three taps to set a bookmark.

Originally Posted by tomsem

It has been that way for quite awhile, and I like it (for some reason most of the bookmarks I create are accidental). And it only takes 2 taps to create.

Pjama's point is that it has gone from 2 to 3.

I hate gratuitous extra taps, but I'm with you that 2 makes it harder to accidentally bookmark. Going from 1 to 2 also made it faster and easier to go to existing bookmarks.

I'm skeptical that going to 3 is anything but bad.

Regarding the poll title and available response choices, it strikes me as analogous to the question "when are you going to stop beating your wife?".

[Pjama]

I only touch the top right corner if I am purposely going to set a bookmark, so I really appreciate the one-touch method. It definitely would be impossible to accidentally set a bookmark on the new Kindle firmware.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

thx

Be aware you can’t send AZW3 via Send to Kindle, it’s sideloading only. I used Send to Kindle for mobi (no bold option) because I read on two kindle and wanted to sync locations. So I can bold sideloaded AZW3 but can’t sync. Plus I had issues with sideloaded AZW3’s not turning up, even though Calibre said they were on my device. And not going into collections. It drove me nuts trying to sort things out so much so I eventually gave up on sideloaded AZW3s completely. I now read non Amazon books on a Kobo.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Pjama's point is that it has gone from 2 to 3.

I hate gratuitous extra taps, but I'm with you that 2 makes it harder to accidentally bookmark. Going from 1 to 2 also made it faster and easier to go to existing bookmarks.

I'm skeptical that going to 3 is anything but bad.

Regarding the poll title and available response choices, it strikes me as analogous to the question "when are you going to stop beating your wife?".

I’m running the latest firmware and it is only 2 taps to create one, not 3 (tap in upper right corner, tap on + icon). One tap brings up list of all of the existing bookmarks (with page/location and chapter annotation), which you navigate to by tapping on one of them and then on the page preview (3 taps). Removing takes 3 taps. I don’t think any of this has changed recently (since Page Flip feature).

But I even 2 taps is one too many, not to mention 3 to remove.

Of course, it should be upper right corner 1 tap create, 1 tap delete (as it was in days of old). I would then add long tap gesture to upper right corner as a shortcut to bring up the list of bookmarks (as well as current tap to bring up options, tap bookmarks icon to bring up list).

Despite the inefficiency in creating and removing, I prefer what the current Kindle does because at least it is easier to get to a list of bookmarks and then navigate to them. They aren’t mixed in with the notes and highlights as with the Kindle apps and pre-Page Flip Kindles, which makes them almost useless as navigation aids.

No doubt Kobo eReaders are better at this, but I don’t use bookmarks very much.