Which e-ink U/I do you prefer?

ZodWallop · 07-03-2015, 11:50 PM

Physically, e-readers are getting to be fairly indistinguishable. The Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo HD and Nook Glowlight are all similar enough, to me anyway (excusing screen resolution).

My question is what do you think of the different e-reader user interfaces?

I like the Nook software. I think it is very well designed. I like the layout of the home page, the library and settings. Most especially I like the little 'back to book' button in the upper left corner. It is there no matter what screen you are on, so that your book is always only a single touch away.

But then, I'm only familiar with the Nook. What are your opinions of the Kindle or Kobo software?

If you've used more than one, what are the plusses and minuses of each?

Geralt · 07-04-2015, 04:58 AM

I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

HarryT · 07-04-2015, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

Firmware matters a great deal to me. The reason I like the Kindle is the fact that it has a global search facility (which no other reader does, to the best of my knowledge) and good facilities for annotation and bookmarking. I also prefer the way its library (home page) works to that of the Kobo.

Geralt · 07-04-2015, 05:45 AM

None of the things you mention matter to me.
I also have a kindle pw2 and the only deciding factor of me having that instead of kobo or a nook was that kindle was the easiest to buy. It's pure convenience that I ended up with kindle.
I don't annotate or bookmark.
I don't remember the last time I used a search. And I don't have a preference about home page.
I open a book, read, turn of the kindle when I'm done, and the next time I open it it's on the same place I closed it.

spindlegirl · 07-04-2015, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

I used to feel that way, and still sometimes do. I'm glad to have anything that can hold "lots of books" and I can just turn on and read.

But over the last four years, I've now owned from Kobo, Sony, and Kindle, (we still have them around the house being used by various children/husband) and the software is recognizably different on each device. I've become quickly spoiled by the Kindle interface (I just bought my new kindle last week).

Ultimately, I would be content with just a "plug in a usb and load it on up from Calibre" device, but there are features on each device I had which had attracted me in the beginning, and which I enjoy.

For the Kindle, currently I like the ease of nabbing freebies from amazon directly onto the device, the instant connection with Goodreads so I have a "diary" of my impression/progress of the book, and just being able to configure the look of the page (fonts, line spacing, margins) and many other things that make the experience a bit more meaningful to me.

HarryT · 07-04-2015, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

None of the things you mention matter to me.
I also have a kindle pw2 and the only deciding factor of me having that instead of kobo or a nook was that kindle was the easiest to buy. It's pure convenience that I ended up with kindle.
I don't annotate or bookmark.
I don't remember the last time I used a search. And I don't have a preference about home page.
I open a book, read, turn of the kindle when I'm done, and the next time I open it it's on the same place I closed it.

I completely appreciate your point of view. There's no "right" or "wrong" here. Whatever works for you is what's important.

fjtorres · 07-04-2015, 07:44 AM

My preferred reading "firmware" is FBReader. With Coolreader close behind.
(Have been, since my days with the Hanlins and Pocketbooks.)
Quite a few third tier devices use them, disguised, but they are also available for phones and tablets and PCs. And android based readers. I use them on my Sony T1.

There's more to ebook "firmware" than the walled gardens.
But, of the walled gardens, I favor Kindle because of the sheer stability of the things. My mother never sees crashes. And she's running her third Kindle generation. (K2, KT,PW2)
No memory partitioning is good, too.

As Harry said, everybody has different needs.
Just don't forget there's plenty of other choices for the informed.

issybird · 07-04-2015, 07:54 AM

I still like the Sony interface, sigh. It plays best with Calibre, sorting books into shelves with no added effort after tagging them, and even back in the day when they had a store, they never tried to shill me or make reading a social experience. I also like the pagination that's consistent across devices.

My beloved 950 is in its death throes, however, so I've bought an H2O and will have to take another stab at making the shelves work with Calibre, which I wasn't able to do with my Glo. I hate Kobo, though. In addition to the drawbacks I've mentioned, I dislike how bloated kepubs are. Downloading directly from Kobo, I ran out of space on the Glo at about 250 books, when my 350s handled the same books with room for the same again.

latepaul · 07-04-2015, 08:09 AM

I'm currently using my Kobo Glo HD most often, but that could just be because it's new

I do like the little bar graph and estimated time you get with kepubs. So I've converted my current reads to kepubs. They're a little bigger than epubs but not much. Is it the Kobo-bought kepubs specifically that are much bigger? Even though I do buy from Kobo I tend to get the ADE epubs for Alf processing rather than kepubs (yes I know it's possible to deDRM kepubs but I use Linux and ADE is easier).

Having said that, I like my PW2 too. And I also use my PC quite a lot using either Calibre or a web based reader.

Ultimately there are bells and whistles but as long as you can find a book, maybe adjust the font size and navigate through it page by page then it's doing it's job. And I think they all do that.

barryem · 07-04-2015, 08:22 AM

I have Kindles and Kobos. I don't have a Nook or Sony ereader so I can't compare them. I do have a Nook HD and HD+ that I use for videos and games. I think their interfaces are pretty clumsy but they work and they're decent tablets overall. I have no idea if the Nook ereader is as clumsy.

Comparing Kindles and Kobos there are features in each that I like, although overall I prefer the Kindle interface. I particularly liked it's X-Ray feature at first but they updated it and made it clumsy. Since they did that I've pretty much replaced it with search.

Someone mentioned global search in the Kindle and I can't say that bothers me a lot but it does mean an extra tap to search the book, which is the only searching I can recall doing. Search seems to work more smoothly and give me better information on the Kindle, though.

I use bookmarks on the Kobo a lot more than on the Kindle. That's another feature Kindle ruined by making it more powerful/clumsy. I used to be able to tap and there was a bookmark. Tap again and it was gone. No distraction. Nothing to think about. I can still do that on Kobo but on the Kindle I have to remember each time what to do next.

Getting into and out of a book is trivial on the Kindle. It's always right there on top. I keep cover mode turned off and I just tap the title. On the Kobo I have to try to interpret the various cover images. I usually find it easier to put it into book mode where the covers go away but that's an extra step.

The really important stuff is simply reading the book. All the rest is nit-picking, which I'm happy to do but I know it doesn't really matter much. Reading a book on either device, my eyes scanning the words, is the same. I prefer the Kindle screen but the Kobo screens are just fine. Of course I have new model Kindles and older model Kobos so that isn't a completely fair comparison.

I prefer the Kindle interface and I do most of my reading on the Kindle. If I didn't have a Kindle I'd be perfectly happy with my Kobo. What I really, really want though, is an e-ink ereader with an interface like Moon+ reader so I can gracefully scroll through my books.

Barry

HarryT · 07-04-2015, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

Someone mentioned global search in the Kindle and I can't say that bothers me a lot but it does mean an extra tap to search the book, which is the only searching I can recall doing.

Are you still running the old 5.5.x firmware on your Kindle, Barry? On the more recent 5.6.x firmware, when you do a search from within a book, it only searches within that book, so no extra tap to set the search scope. You now only see the search scope options when you search from the library screen.

ZodWallop · 07-04-2015, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

I do have a Nook HD and HD+ that I use for videos and games. I think their interfaces are pretty clumsy but they work and they're decent tablets overall. I have no idea if the Nook ereader is as clumsy.

I have a Nook Simple Touch w/Glowlight and a Nook HD+ and they are completely different beasts. I love the interface on the Nook Reader, but added a new launcher to the Nook HD+ the day I started using it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

What I really, really want though, is an e-ink ereader with an interface like Moon+ reader so I can gracefully scroll through my books.

You could root an e-ink reader and install Moon+ on it. I know you can do that with the Nook Simple Touch. I'm assuming you can with others.

There are also a couple of off-brand e-ink readers that just run Android. Onyx Boox was one. I've seen a few others on YouTube. Just can't remember their names.

ZodWallop · 07-04-2015, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

That sounds good until you want to adjust the font or turn on the light. Then the software will matter. Some handle things better than others.

tubemonkey · 07-04-2015, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geralt

None of the things you mention matter to me.
I also have a kindle pw2 and the only deciding factor of me having that instead of kobo or a nook was that kindle was the easiest to buy. It's pure convenience that I ended up with kindle.
I don't annotate or bookmark.
I don't remember the last time I used a search. And I don't have a preference about home page.
I open a book, read, turn of the kindle when I'm done, and the next time I open it it's on the same place I closed it.

My sentiments exactly

tubemonkey · 07-04-2015, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That sounds good until you want to adjust the font or turn on the light. Then the software will matter. Some handle things better than others.

I never change fonts and my Kindle 7 doesn't have a light. I turn it on, read, turn it off, repeat.

07-03-2015, 11:50 PM	#1
ZodWallop Gentleman and scholar Posts: 10,994 Karma: 108312789 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Space City, Texas Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3	Which e-ink U/I do you prefer? Physically, e-readers are getting to be fairly indistinguishable. The Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo HD and Nook Glowlight are all similar enough, to me anyway (excusing screen resolution). My question is what do you think of the different e-reader user interfaces? I like the Nook software. I think it is very well designed. I like the layout of the home page, the library and settings. Most especially I like the little 'back to book' button in the upper left corner. It is there no matter what screen you are on, so that your book is always only a single touch away. But then, I'm only familiar with the Nook. What are your opinions of the Kindle or Kobo software? If you've used more than one, what are the plusses and minuses of each?

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07-04-2015, 04:58 AM	#2
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	I don't care. Can I read comfortably on it? Yes? Well I couldn't care less about the software. If I can read a book on it they are the same to me.

07-04-2015, 05:45 AM	#4
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	None of the things you mention matter to me. I also have a kindle pw2 and the only deciding factor of me having that instead of kobo or a nook was that kindle was the easiest to buy. It's pure convenience that I ended up with kindle. I don't annotate or bookmark. I don't remember the last time I used a search. And I don't have a preference about home page. I open a book, read, turn of the kindle when I'm done, and the next time I open it it's on the same place I closed it.

07-04-2015, 07:44 AM	#7
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	My preferred reading "firmware" is FBReader. With Coolreader close behind. (Have been, since my days with the Hanlins and Pocketbooks.) Quite a few third tier devices use them, disguised, but they are also available for phones and tablets and PCs. And android based readers. I use them on my Sony T1. There's more to ebook "firmware" than the walled gardens. But, of the walled gardens, I favor Kindle because of the sheer stability of the things. My mother never sees crashes. And she's running her third Kindle generation. (K2, KT,PW2) No memory partitioning is good, too. As Harry said, everybody has different needs. Just don't forget there's plenty of other choices for the informed.

07-04-2015, 07:54 AM	#8
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,229 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	I still like the Sony interface, sigh. It plays best with Calibre, sorting books into shelves with no added effort after tagging them, and even back in the day when they had a store, they never tried to shill me or make reading a social experience. I also like the pagination that's consistent across devices. My beloved 950 is in its death throes, however, so I've bought an H2O and will have to take another stab at making the shelves work with Calibre, which I wasn't able to do with my Glo. I hate Kobo, though. In addition to the drawbacks I've mentioned, I dislike how bloated kepubs are. Downloading directly from Kobo, I ran out of space on the Glo at about 250 books, when my 350s handled the same books with room for the same again.

07-04-2015, 08:09 AM	#9
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,264 Karma: 10203040 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	I'm currently using my Kobo Glo HD most often, but that could just be because it's new I do like the little bar graph and estimated time you get with kepubs. So I've converted my current reads to kepubs. They're a little bigger than epubs but not much. Is it the Kobo-bought kepubs specifically that are much bigger? Even though I do buy from Kobo I tend to get the ADE epubs for Alf processing rather than kepubs (yes I know it's possible to deDRM kepubs but I use Linux and ADE is easier). Having said that, I like my PW2 too. And I also use my PC quite a lot using either Calibre or a web based reader. Ultimately there are bells and whistles but as long as you can find a book, maybe adjust the font size and navigate through it page by page then it's doing it's job. And I think they all do that.

07-04-2015, 08:22 AM	#10
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I have Kindles and Kobos. I don't have a Nook or Sony ereader so I can't compare them. I do have a Nook HD and HD+ that I use for videos and games. I think their interfaces are pretty clumsy but they work and they're decent tablets overall. I have no idea if the Nook ereader is as clumsy. Comparing Kindles and Kobos there are features in each that I like, although overall I prefer the Kindle interface. I particularly liked it's X-Ray feature at first but they updated it and made it clumsy. Since they did that I've pretty much replaced it with search. Someone mentioned global search in the Kindle and I can't say that bothers me a lot but it does mean an extra tap to search the book, which is the only searching I can recall doing. Search seems to work more smoothly and give me better information on the Kindle, though. I use bookmarks on the Kobo a lot more than on the Kindle. That's another feature Kindle ruined by making it more powerful/clumsy. I used to be able to tap and there was a bookmark. Tap again and it was gone. No distraction. Nothing to think about. I can still do that on Kobo but on the Kindle I have to remember each time what to do next. Getting into and out of a book is trivial on the Kindle. It's always right there on top. I keep cover mode turned off and I just tap the title. On the Kobo I have to try to interpret the various cover images. I usually find it easier to put it into book mode where the covers go away but that's an extra step. The really important stuff is simply reading the book. All the rest is nit-picking, which I'm happy to do but I know it doesn't really matter much. Reading a book on either device, my eyes scanning the words, is the same. I prefer the Kindle screen but the Kobo screens are just fine. Of course I have new model Kindles and older model Kobos so that isn't a completely fair comparison. I prefer the Kindle interface and I do most of my reading on the Kindle. If I didn't have a Kindle I'd be perfectly happy with my Kobo. What I really, really want though, is an e-ink ereader with an interface like Moon+ reader so I can gracefully scroll through my books. Barry

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