Kindle paperwhite 6.8" or kobo libra 2 7"

Irishsea · 01-07-2022, 09:39 AM

OK I want to order one or the other in the next few hours. I am really stuck though! My E-Reader devices have been the following just as a reference: kobo nia, kobo h20 (1st gen was thrown in trash a few hours ago and I'm still sad) kindle fire (hated), Kindle (4th Generation), various pdas and phones. The dell axim saw me though the forgotten realms series and I sometimes miss the little thing lol.

So my main thing is all my books are in epub format but I'm handy enough with calibre to convert. I can sideload fine but am wondering if sideloaded books on the kindle show a cover or is it generic as this would do my head in lol.

Part of me misses marking books on goodreads, I'm too lazy most of the time to go on the website. This is not a deal changer though. I don't borrow library books so this is not a deal changer for me either.

So really I guess what I'm asking is which one has the best screen as I find on the Nia while it's certainly readable, it hurts my eyes after a bit, like it's just not crisp enough. Or maybe I should admit I finally need glasses.

My partner is all for the kindle, I guess I could try it and if I don't like it ask for a refund and send back. But I'd like to get others opinions. BTW not really wanting to spend over £150-175. I've been offered an older kindle voyage from a friend for £45, would that compare at all with the 300ppi?

JSWolf · 01-07-2022, 09:47 AM

The Libra 2's screen does look better then that of the PW5. Whatever amazon did to make the screen of the PW5 flush, makes the black look muddy and the contrast not as good as it should be. Also, when you are viewing images that are someone complex, the Libra 2 will show the images better because Kobo dithers better then Amazon.

Sirtel · 01-07-2022, 10:31 AM

Kindle Voyage also has 300 ppi and is very crisp. It's 6‘‘ and has no warm light, however.

The Libra 2 has an excellent screen. I guess the new PW isn't bad either, but the Libra is crisper.

Pjama · 01-07-2022, 10:35 AM

The Kindle Voyage has 300 dpi and is considered by many on here to have the best screen ever on an ereader - definitely worth considering. The other two are both great options - my husband has the new Paperwhite and it has a lovely screen and is super quick. It sounds from everyone on here, though, that the Libra 2 has the best screen of any new ereader on the market at present.

I love using the warm light function on my ereader - that (and dark mode) is something the Voyage doesn’t have.

The Voyage does, however, have haptic page turn controls on either side of the device, the Libra 2 has buttons, and the Paperwhite relies on tapping or swiping to turn the page.

Pjama · 01-07-2022, 10:36 AM

Ha - overlapped with Sirtel - great minds, and all that.

Irishsea · 01-07-2022, 12:05 PM

Oh after this I may be more stuck than before. I was leaning towards the libra 2, but after what was said about the voyage, I'm tempted to get it and save up for the higher end kobo.

Uggghhhh I hate this lol

issybird · 01-07-2022, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsea

Oh after this I may be more stuck than before. I was leaning towards the libra 2, but after what was said about the voyage, I'm tempted to get it and save up for the higher end kobo.

Uggghhhh I hate this lol

Yeah, I’ve got an opinion, too.

I think that it’s a shame to put £45 toward a device that’s as old as the Voyage and not what you really want. That’s a lot that could go into your Kobo kitty as you save up. Could you make do with your basic Kindle a while longer? Or, as a less-good alternative, I think Amazon UK gives discounts on trade-ins. Trade in the Kindle on the Paperwhite? It would knock the price down quite a bit and you’d have a device that was bigger and much newer than the Voyage. If you can time your trade-in with a sale price, the reader could get quite cheap.

Must say, inquiring minds want to know what went wrong with your H2O. Mine’s still chugging along.

Irishsea · 01-07-2022, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

Yeah, I’ve got an opinion, too.

I think that it’s a shame to put £45 toward a device that’s as old as the Voyage and not what you really want. That’s a lot that could go into your Kobo kitty as you save up. Could you make do with your basic Kindle a while longer? Or, as a less-good alternative, I think Amazon UK gives discounts on trade-ins. Trade in the Kindle on the Paperwhite? It would knock the price down quite a bit and you’d have a device that was bigger and much newer than the Voyage. If you can time your trade-in with a sale price, the reader could get quite cheap.

Must say, inquiring minds want to know what went wrong with your H2O. Mine’s still chugging along.

Hey I have the kobo nia not kindle. As far as the h20 (which I did love) the screen got cracked on it, I had it replaced, then it would have random boot loops. Took it back and the guy broke the screen. So I got the image from here and replaced the screen but it still randomly bootlooped and reset itself.

Still haven't bought anything.

LDB · 01-07-2022, 02:35 PM

Apologies as I can't directly address your question but do have thoughts to share. I am a Texan so I subscribe to the bigger is better theory. I have been a Kindle reader since Oct. 2008, having various models leading to now having the Oasis 3. I also have the new PW5 but it is as a backup and I haven't used it; I lend it to friends.

Some time back I bought a Nook Glowlight Plus and a Kobo Aura One. I bought them to take advantage of free books offered on those platforms, once in a great while there being one not available also on Kindle. For a long time I rarely read the A1 and almost never the Nook.

Recently, a few months now, I've been reading the A1 and like it better than my Kindle. The fonts are more adjustable and I can find a more satisfactory overall setting. The screen is very clear and readable.

For general pleasure reading I'd rather read on the Kobo than anything else. That said, I proofread and copy edit for various authors. When I'm reading something as prospecting material for potentially finding a new client I read on the Kindle solely because I can highlight and make notes and later export them to my email. Then I can share them with the author I hope to sign. If the Kobo offered that ability I'd read on it.

So, I can't speak directly to the two models you are debating but I can say that between my Kindle Oasis and Kobo Aura One I would prefer the Kobo provided there aren't circumstances that push me to the Kindle.

I hope my ramblings have been of some small value. Good luck with your decision.

ETA The Kobo is MUCH faster to wake up and begin reading, almost instantaneous, whereas the Oasis takes a few seconds.

2ETA The Kindle has the option of a Fintie easel case, the best case ever created for an ereader. They do not offer cases for Kobo or Nook unfortunately.

3ETA I MUCH prefer the "normal" shape of the A1 et al to the awkward and inappropriate square shape of many of the new models.

issybird · 01-07-2022, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsea

Hey I have the kobo nia not kindle.

I read your first post as having a basic Kindle (4th gen), also. If not, no trade, but I’d still vote for getting along with the Nia and saving the money on the (used, old) Voyage and putting it toward the device you’d like.

JSWolf · 01-07-2022, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

Yeah, I’ve got an opinion, too.

I think that it’s a shame to put £45 toward a device that’s as old as the Voyage and not what you really want. That’s a lot that could go into your Kobo kitty as you save up. Could you make do with your basic Kindle a while longer? Or, as a less-good alternative, I think Amazon UK gives discounts on trade-ins. Trade in the Kindle on the Paperwhite? It would knock the price down quite a bit and you’d have a device that was bigger and much newer than the Voyage. If you can time your trade-in with a sale price, the reader could get quite cheap.

Must say, inquiring minds want to know what went wrong with your H2O. Mine’s still chugging along.

Another thing with the Voyage, you won't know how good the battery is or not until you get one. With devices that old that are no longer made, you won't know the state of the battery. The battery is going to be old.

JSWolf · 01-07-2022, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsea

Hey I have the kobo nia not kindle. As far as the h20 (which I did love) the screen got cracked on it, I had it replaced, then it would have random boot loops. Took it back and the guy broke the screen. So I got the image from here and replaced the screen but it still randomly bootlooped and reset itself.

Still haven't bought anything.

If you are thinking of going for the Kobo Sage, you may want to think twice. The battery performance is very poor from what I've read. Now the Libra 2 has quite good battery life. I bought the Libra 2 because of the poor battery with the Sage. I don't want to have to have a battery cover or carry an external battery with the Sage.

rcentros · 01-07-2022, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsea

My partner is all for the kindle, I guess I could try it and if I don't like it ask for a refund and send back. But I'd like to get others opinions. BTW not really wanting to spend over £150-175. I've been offered an older kindle voyage from a friend for £45, would that compare at all with the 300ppi?

The Kindle Voyage is very nice, good contrast and crisp text and the price seems reasonable. But if you mostly have ePubs and don't want to mess with converting them in Calibre, it probably wouldn't be your best choice.

davidfor · 01-07-2022, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsea

Part of me misses marking books on goodreads, I'm too lazy most of the time to go on the website. This is not a deal changer though. I don't borrow library books so this is not a deal changer for me either.

If that is important, you can do it with a Kobo device, but not directly from the device. In calibre, my Kobo Utilities plugin can fetch the reading status of books on the device when it is connected to calibre. Then it can call the Goodreads Sync plugin to update the reading status of the books. You don't have to do either step automatically. And Goodreads Sync can fetch the status from GR to update calibre.

ZodWallop · 01-07-2022, 10:36 PM

I'd go for the Libra. No need to convert your ePubs And you mentioned covers. Kobo doesn't mess with the covers of sideloaded books, but I believe the Kindle does.

Could you use the Voyage for a few days before paying anything? The Voyage is very nice. But it is old, has a smaller screen than either the current Paperwhite or the Libra 2. It also is not waterproof, does not have the warm lightning and has the smallest storage of any of the readers in the running.

01-07-2022, 09:39 AM	#1
Irishsea Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: None	Kindle paperwhite 6.8" or kobo libra 2 7" OK I want to order one or the other in the next few hours. I am really stuck though! My E-Reader devices have been the following just as a reference: kobo nia, kobo h20 (1st gen was thrown in trash a few hours ago and I'm still sad) kindle fire (hated), Kindle (4th Generation), various pdas and phones. The dell axim saw me though the forgotten realms series and I sometimes miss the little thing lol. So my main thing is all my books are in epub format but I'm handy enough with calibre to convert. I can sideload fine but am wondering if sideloaded books on the kindle show a cover or is it generic as this would do my head in lol. Part of me misses marking books on goodreads, I'm too lazy most of the time to go on the website. This is not a deal changer though. I don't borrow library books so this is not a deal changer for me either. So really I guess what I'm asking is which one has the best screen as I find on the Nia while it's certainly readable, it hurts my eyes after a bit, like it's just not crisp enough. Or maybe I should admit I finally need glasses. My partner is all for the kindle, I guess I could try it and if I don't like it ask for a refund and send back. But I'd like to get others opinions. BTW not really wanting to spend over £150-175. I've been offered an older kindle voyage from a friend for £45, would that compare at all with the 300ppi?

01-07-2022, 02:35 PM	#9
LDB Baker Street Irregular Posts: 441 Karma: 9920853 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Houston suburb Device: Oasis 3, PaperWhite 5, Aura One, Glowlight Plus, Scribe, Sage	Apologies as I can't directly address your question but do have thoughts to share. I am a Texan so I subscribe to the bigger is better theory. I have been a Kindle reader since Oct. 2008, having various models leading to now having the Oasis 3. I also have the new PW5 but it is as a backup and I haven't used it; I lend it to friends. Some time back I bought a Nook Glowlight Plus and a Kobo Aura One. I bought them to take advantage of free books offered on those platforms, once in a great while there being one not available also on Kindle. For a long time I rarely read the A1 and almost never the Nook. Recently, a few months now, I've been reading the A1 and like it better than my Kindle. The fonts are more adjustable and I can find a more satisfactory overall setting. The screen is very clear and readable. For general pleasure reading I'd rather read on the Kobo than anything else. That said, I proofread and copy edit for various authors. When I'm reading something as prospecting material for potentially finding a new client I read on the Kindle solely because I can highlight and make notes and later export them to my email. Then I can share them with the author I hope to sign. If the Kobo offered that ability I'd read on it. So, I can't speak directly to the two models you are debating but I can say that between my Kindle Oasis and Kobo Aura One I would prefer the Kobo provided there aren't circumstances that push me to the Kindle. I hope my ramblings have been of some small value. Good luck with your decision. ETA The Kobo is MUCH faster to wake up and begin reading, almost instantaneous, whereas the Oasis takes a few seconds. 2ETA The Kindle has the option of a Fintie easel case, the best case ever created for an ereader. They do not offer cases for Kobo or Nook unfortunately. 3ETA I MUCH prefer the "normal" shape of the A1 et al to the awkward and inappropriate square shape of many of the new models. Last edited by LDB; 01-08-2022 at 10:36 AM.

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01-07-2022, 09:47 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,987 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The Libra 2's screen does look better then that of the PW5. Whatever amazon did to make the screen of the PW5 flush, makes the black look muddy and the contrast not as good as it should be. Also, when you are viewing images that are someone complex, the Libra 2 will show the images better because Kobo dithers better then Amazon.

01-07-2022, 10:31 AM	#3
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,141 Karma: 224760044 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Kindle Voyage also has 300 ppi and is very crisp. It's 6‘‘ and has no warm light, however. The Libra 2 has an excellent screen. I guess the new PW isn't bad either, but the Libra is crisper.

01-07-2022, 10:35 AM	#4
Pjama Guru Posts: 667 Karma: 2345678 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: USA Device: ✍️🏝️♎️ Kobo Clara 2E	The Kindle Voyage has 300 dpi and is considered by many on here to have the best screen ever on an ereader - definitely worth considering. The other two are both great options - my husband has the new Paperwhite and it has a lovely screen and is super quick. It sounds from everyone on here, though, that the Libra 2 has the best screen of any new ereader on the market at present. I love using the warm light function on my ereader - that (and dark mode) is something the Voyage doesn’t have. The Voyage does, however, have haptic page turn controls on either side of the device, the Libra 2 has buttons, and the Paperwhite relies on tapping or swiping to turn the page.

01-07-2022, 10:36 AM	#5
Pjama Guru Posts: 667 Karma: 2345678 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: USA Device: ✍️🏝️♎️ Kobo Clara 2E	Ha - overlapped with Sirtel - great minds, and all that.

01-07-2022, 12:05 PM	#6
Irishsea Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: None	Oh after this I may be more stuck than before. I was leaning towards the libra 2, but after what was said about the voyage, I'm tempted to get it and save up for the higher end kobo. Uggghhhh I hate this lol

01-07-2022, 10:36 PM	#15
ZodWallop Gentleman and scholar Posts: 10,992 Karma: 108312789 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Space City, Texas Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3	I'd go for the Libra. No need to convert your ePubs And you mentioned covers. Kobo doesn't mess with the covers of sideloaded books, but I believe the Kindle does. Could you use the Voyage for a few days before paying anything? The Voyage is very nice. But it is old, has a smaller screen than either the current Paperwhite or the Libra 2. It also is not waterproof, does not have the warm lightning and has the smallest storage of any of the readers in the running.

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