Kindle owners should have a Kobo

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You cannot power off a Kindle. You can reboot or put it to sleep. So what you ae doing it using the power button to put your Kindle to sleep.

Yeah, something that I recently discovered after buying my Kobo. I wanted to turn off my Kindle (something that I'm sure I used to be able to do at one time) to put it in storage, but I cannot. I guess I'll have to put it on a timer so that it'll top off for an hour a week or something like that. I'm not sure which is better -- let it discharge and turn itself off, or keeping it topped off. They say to store lithium at about 40% charge, but that's not an option w/ their design choices.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by joblack

I have a Kobo device in my closet. They didn't allow to zoom in to epub pictures if the epubs aren't specially created. The Kobo support wasn't interested in changing it. A function that works with the Kindle right away.

That's likely because you can do that with Kobo's own format, kepub. You can similarly zoom on Kindle with Amazon's proprietary formats. How well does Kindle handle ePubs?

Additionally there are privacy concerns with Kobo devices. Privacy problems are for Kindles too so I am searching for a reading device without the privacy horror right now.

Originally Posted by twowheels

Any internet connected device has privacy concerns.

I don't know how much data Kobo sends back, but they definitely know what books get synced to your device from the Library and their bookstore.

With Kobo you can register using a phony email address and sideload all of your books without ever connecting to the internet again. I *think* you can do the same with a Nook and possibly with a Kindle.

Now if you want the convenience of synching books, you should expect there to be a tradeoff.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Yeah, something that I recently discovered after buying my Kobo. I wanted to turn off my Kindle (something that I'm sure I used to be able to do at one time) to put it in storage, but I cannot. I guess I'll have to put it on a timer so that it'll top off for an hour a week or something like that. I'm not sure which is better -- let it discharge and turn itself off, or keeping it topped off. They say to store lithium at about 40% charge, but that's not an option w/ their design choices.

Basically, your Kindle is not going to last as long as it should because Amazon doesn't allow you to turn it off. If you could turn it off, then the battery would last a lot long while you were not using it. This is another reason why I don't like Kindles.

Amazon did this for their own gain. You don't read for a while and the battery loses power. Then depending on how long the Kindle sits with a dead battery, you lose battery life. Most people won't replace the battery. They'll maybe buy another Kindle when he battery is not lasting long enough between charges. This to me as a very sleazy move.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That's likely because you can do that with Kobo's own format, kepub. You can similarly zoom on Kindle with Amazon's proprietary formats. How well does Kindle handle ePubs?

Most ePub will convert just fine to KF8.

With Kobo you can register using a phony email address and sideload all of your books without ever connecting to the internet again. I *think* you can do the same with a Nook and possibly with a Kindle.

If you are that paranoid that you feel the need to fake register, don't buy from that company. IMHO, there is no need at all to fake register a Kobo. If you want, create a Hotmail or GMail address to use to create an account at Kobo. That way if you eventually do decide you want to buy something, you have a valid account and if you don't, then you have an empty account that just sits there.

Now if you want the convenience of synching books, you should expect there to be a tradeoff.

Syncing is a big issue with the PW3. If you are not running firmware 5.12.4, you never ever want to turn on WiFi because 5.12.4 is a mess and you don't want it. So if you do sync, you'll get 5.12.4 eventually and there is no 5.12.5 for the PW3. So you cannot get 5.12.5 for the PW3.

[RainKap]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I went back a few years and found this thread: Kindle 4 - sleep or turn off. Basically, it agrees with what I was saying. You were turning off your Kobo and putting your Kindle to sleep and believing that is a fair comparison.

That's odd. My wife & I both have version 4 Kindles (software version 4.1.4). We've found that if we do the "quick sleep" (short poke of the power switch, leaving the screensaver displayed), the battery runs down more quickly than if we hold the power switch in for 5 seconds, leading to a blank screen. We haven't found out the minimum time to press the power switch to do a reboot certainly no more than 30 seconds); however we have found that if the battery gets critically low, the only way to bring the Kindle back to sanity is to charge it up for a couple of hours and then do a reboot.

To respond to the question of why I power down the Kobo rather than simply putting it to sleep, this was because I'd set it to do an automatic power off after 30 minutes of inactivity, with the thought that this would extend the battery life...

Ian

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most ePub will convert just fine to KF8.

Yes, but I was making a point. Comparing a book downloaded in Amazon's proprietary format to an ePub sideloaded on a Kobo and then complaining about feature parity seemed silly to me. Buy a book from Kobo. Buy a book from Amazon. Then compare.

I mean, if you want to bring conversion into it, you could easily send those ePubs to the Kobo as kepub and you'd have all those zoomable images the kids are talking about nowadays.

If you are that paranoid that you feel the need to fake register, don't buy from that company.

I agree. But obviously there's people out there that feel differently. I think trying to show them a work around is better than critiquing their feelings.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RainKap

That's odd. My wife & I both have version 4 Kindles (software version 4.1.4). We've found that if we do the "quick sleep" (short poke of the power switch, leaving the screensaver displayed), the battery runs down more quickly than if we hold the power switch in for 5 seconds, leading to a blank screen. We haven't found out the minimum time to press the power switch to do a reboot certainly no more than 30 seconds); however we have found that if the battery gets critically low, the only way to bring the Kindle back to sanity is to charge it up for a couple of hours and then do a reboot.

Kindle's don't turn off. That I think is a very bad idea on the part of Amazon. If you want to put your Kindle away because you aren't using it, you'll have to remember to check it every so often and charge it when it need charging even if you don't use it.

To respond to the question of why I power down the Kobo rather than simply putting it to sleep, this was because I'd set it to do an automatic power off after 30 minutes of inactivity, with the thought that this would extend the battery life...

Actually, that's incorrect. That will drain the battery much more as you have to reboot it all the time to use your Kobo. Sleep is much more battery efficient. You don't have to reboot every time you want to use it. Turn off the power off timer and just use sleep mode.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yes, but I was making a point. Comparing a book downloaded in Amazon's proprietary format to an ePub sideloaded on a Kobo and then complaining about feature parity seemed silly to me. Buy a book from Kobo. Buy a book from Amazon. Then compare.

I mean, if you want to bring conversion into it, you could easily send those ePubs to the Kobo as kepub and you'd have all those zoomable images the kids are talking about nowadays.

If the images are made with high enough resolution and contrast, in most cases, you won't have a need to zoom the images.

I agree. But obviously there's people out there that feel differently. I think trying to show them a work around is better than critiquing their feelings.

My new suggestion is a workable solution that will solve both problems of paranoia and having a real account. Create a new email address at Gmail or Hotmail and use that to register an account at Kobo. Then if you ever want to buy eBooks at Kobo, you can do so. If not, then you don't have to. But in either case, you'll have a real account that can stay unused or eventually be used. And in at least one case, the fake registration has changed so it is unknown if the fake registration used now will always work. My way will always work.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You don't want your co-workers to see that you are reading Tantric Tarts of Titan?

Could you post a review of that one please?

As for Kindles v. Kobo's? I have both and use both, and they each have their advantages and disadvantages. If I had to choose only one, it would be Kindle, simply because Amazon's "ecosystem" and customer service is so much better. One often overlooked fact is the many Amazon exclusive e-books, including KU. In the case of reading a KU book on a Kobo, the author would not be paid. On the other hand, Kobo's are far more open though this is not that important to most readers who simply want to read. If you can afford it, have one of each. After all, every Kobo user should have a Kindle.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Any internet connected device has privacy concerns.

I don't know how much data Kobo sends back, but they definitely know what books get synced to your device from the Library and their bookstore.

Well of course any device connected to the internet has privacy concerns. That isn't what I asked or what @joblack stated. @joblack explicitly stated that there were privacy concerns with the Kobo devices. And explicitly stated they were looking for devices without "the privacy horror right now". That sounds like they are talking about issues beyond the basic "I'm connected, therefore someone must be spying on me".

And as to your examples, well of course Kobo knows that. They knew it when you bought the books from them. Is adding the fact that you actually read the book a "privacy horror"?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by darryl

Could you post a review of that one please?

Sorry but the Library of Lost Book in Devil's Point does not allow reviews of their content.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Admittedly, I tend to wonder about those who do not want their current book cover as the screensaver image. You don't want your co-workers to see that you are reading Tantric Tarts of Titan?

I think you should create this cover and use it as your screensaver

[HLS]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Yeah, something that I recently discovered after buying my Kobo. I wanted to turn off my Kindle (something that I'm sure I used to be able to do at one time) to put it in storage, but I cannot. I guess I'll have to put it on a timer so that it'll top off for an hour a week or something like that. I'm not sure which is better -- let it discharge and turn itself off, or keeping it topped off. They say to store lithium at about 40% charge, but that's not an option w/ their design choices.

If you hold the button long enough the screen shuts off so in a way it is like turning it off.

[bookyboy]

Simple..

I've had all the Kobos and my Voyage has the sharpest and clearest screen of anything I've tried to this point.

Also, I very much enjoy the symmetrical design and page turn buttons. I've learned through trial and error that I have a strong preference for some bezel and space to comfortably grip, on all sides.

I also have found myself using the email to Kindle feature as well as Instapaper daily "send to kindle" to be a wonderful replacement for the one Kobo thing I did miss (initially - not anymore) - Pocket integration. I switched over to Instapaper with a quick Pocket data export and "boom" - solved.

Now I have Calibre also using the email to Kindle feature so I don't even plug in to transfer books anymore (if I don't want to anyhow).

Kindles get a lot of things right, despite being admittedly not as open as Kobo's.

On the next round of Kobo updates, I do plan to give them a try and see how they've progressed. I really would like them to release another symmetrical reader, especially one that is more like 7" again.

I could stand to have a touch more size - but 7.8-8" I've found to be a bit much for my usage habits honestly.

[Sirtel]

Newer Kindles hibernate (both my Oases from 2017 and 2019 do it). In hibernation the battery lasts for several months. So no wearing out the battery with constant charging and no need to constantly check the battery. It will last for 3-4 months in hibernation, at least.

That isn't true for older Kindles, of course. But I think it's an excellent solution for the new models from Amazon actually. Better than the option to turn the device off.