Kindle? Kobo? Boox?

[MikeFromMesa]

Sorry for the length of this post.

I have seen a lot of comparisons on YouTube between the e-ink color and B&W eReaders, most especially the Kindle and Kobo devices. While I found those interesting it seems to me that device comparisons are relatively meaningless because the real comparisons have to be between the two book stores. If you buy a Kindle you choose Amazon, and if you buy a Kobo you choose Kobo.

Like others who have been using the Kindle I have become concerned about Amazon's ability to remove or revise content that I have paid for, but I also assume Kobo can and does do the same, but I don't really know. Given that I wanted to ask some questions of those who use Kobo devices.

1) Does Kobo also keep the right to remove or alter content that has been purchased? Perhaps this is part of DRM and all eBook vendors do this. I just don't know.

2) Kindle sends me daily mail with sale offerings for some of their books. Most of them are not books I would be interested in, but sometimes they offer great sale prices for older, but still interesting books. Does Kobo also do this?

3) Kobo, like Kindle, offers both eBooks and audio books. Amazon offers discounts for some audio books if the buyer has already bought the eBook version and then offers the ability to be able to pick up in either the eBook or audio book from wherever the reader left off in the alternate version. Does Kobo offer the same discounts and functionality?

4) When I have priced Kobo eBooks against Kindle eBooks I have often found that the Kindle versions are generally less expensive, sometimes by a lot. I assume this is because I am so new to Kobo that I don't know how to shop for sales and/or discounts. Are the Kobo prices really competitive with Kindle?

Lastly I have also looked at Boox, BigMe, ReMarkable and other e-ink tablets, but am only interested in eReaders in the 7-8 inch screen size that can be handled with one hand. Can anyone recommend a general e-ink tablet that can read Kindle, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and other eBooks. Perhaps that is the best solution to this problem.

Thank you for any help.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MikeFromMesa

While I found those interesting it seems to me that device comparisons are relatively meaningless because the real comparisons have to be between the two book stores. If you buy a Kindle you choose Amazon, and if you buy a Kobo you choose Kobo.

Not at all. I buy my books from many places, including Amazon and Kobo, but not only them. And I read them all on my Kobo eink readers.

Even if you don't want to mess with removing the DRM, you can read most ebooks in the epub format on your Kobo, no matter where you bought them. They must be either DRM-free or use Adobe DRM, which Kobo readers support.

As to your questions:
1) Frankly, no idea. Anyway, that's what calibre and the deDRM plugin are for. I have all my purchased ebooks backed up in several different places. So I don't much care what the stores I bought them from might do.

2-3) Sorry, again no idea. I don't subscribe to ads/recommendations and I don't listen to audiobooks

4) Kobo has a thing called price matching. If you let Kobo know the book you're interested in is sold cheaper elsewhere, they'll match the price.

[downeaster59]

I don't have much experience with Kobo, though I do have a Libra 2. I do have more experience with Boox. I suggest looking into a Leaf 2 or Page. These are 7 inch Android eInk ereaders. You can install all the needed apps (Kobo, Kindle, B&N, etc.). There is also the 7.8 inch Tab Mini C, which is a color Android eInk ereader. (NB: this forum is quite divided on the merits - or lack thereof - of color eInk!) The Mini C is a bit more expensive, though Boox now has it on sale.

You can also find used Boox Nova eReaders in good shape at reasonable prices. They are also 7.8 inch.

[MikeFromMesa]

Thank you for your reply.

> Even if you don't want to mess with removing the DRM

I have not tried that as I am not sure that it is legal, even for books that have been legally purchased. I have seen comments on the web on both sides of the question.

> Kobo has a thing called price matching.

That I did not know. Thank you for mentioning it as it does can make a big difference. For some reason I have seen enormous price differences between books on Amazon and Kobo.

[MikeFromMesa]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

I don't have much experience with Kobo, though I do have a Libra 2. I do have more experience with Boox. I suggest looking into a Leaf 2 or Page. These are 7 inch Android eInk ereaders. You can install all the needed apps (Kobo, Kindle, B&N, etc.). There is also the 7.8 inch Tab Mini C, which is a color Android eInk ereader. (NB: this forum is quite divided on the merits - or lack thereof - of color eInk!) The Mini C is a bit more expensive, though Boox now has it on sale.

You can also find used Boox Nova eReaders in good shape at reasonable prices. They are also 7.8 inch.

I have looked mainly at Boox, but I specifically wanted an eReader larger than 7" as I do have the Kindle Oasis, which is 7". And because I often read laying down using only one hand I did not want one of the full size 10+" devices, so 7.8" seems like a perfect size for me. I looked at ReMarkable and the Air 4C, but they just seem too large for me.

I am uncertain about color as most of my books are strictly B&W, although I do have a couple of photo editing books where color would be helpful. I have used an iPad for those books but the glare tends to strain my eyes and an e-ink reader would be much better. I will look into the devices you mentioned, so thank you for the information.

[danicca]

Yes, kobo will send emails with bargains or have discounts. You should also check Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion thread. I don't believe they discount audiobooks if you buy ebooks. The prices depend on where you are: for me, Kobo is cheaper or the same as Amazon, but you can travel.
I have Meebook 7, which can install different apps.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MikeFromMesa

I have not tried that as I am not sure that it is legal, even for books that have been legally purchased. I have seen comments on the web on both sides of the question.

That depends on where you live. AFAIK it might be legal in the US, if you do it strictly for personal use. It's definitely not legal in the EU. But if you don't go sharing your deDRMed books with the world (meaning, uploading them to public websites or emailing them to others), no one will know or invade your home to check on your illegal DRM removal. Kobo or Amazon won't care where you got the books on your device.

[DNSB]

As a recent example of price matching, I purchased an ebook at Kobo CA that was $23.99 while at Amazon CA, it was $19.99. As soon as I completed the purchase, I requested a price match which is the difference between the prices plus 10% of the competitors price so $4 + $2 which means the book ended up costing me $17.99. It took less than a hour from when I received the email receipt to when my refund was finalized.

[mod2n]

Take a look at the Onyx Boox Page. It will be a one-stop solution for multiple stores, book apps or dictionaries, any file formats without being tied to any ecosystem, you can use almost any cloud storage. Most likely a new version with Carta 1300 screen will be released this year already.

[Quoth]

Kobo shop or ereader isn't tied to any ecosystem.

It's only the Kindle sales at Amazon and the Kindle Scribe PDF annotation that are tied to Amazon. The actual Kindle ereader isn't.

It's always better to buy via a browser on Mac/Windows/Linux than on any portable device, hence my Kindle doesn't leave the house and the Kobos are all in sideloaded mode that needs a user and password to activate store connection.

My Android tablets, outdoor phone and eink Andriod don't have any accounts that allow purchasing.

Stupid Amazon doesn't allow disable of so called "One Click" from the Kindle.

[MikeFromMesa]

> Kobo shop or ereader isn't tied to any ecosystem.

The Kindle and Kobo devices aren't tied to any ecosystem, but the purchased books are, and that is what I meant. You can not read a Kindle book (with DRM) on a Kobo device, and vice versa and that is what I meant when I said that buying the books ties you to a device if that device is a dedicated eReader device.

Of course if you buy books from Kindle or Kobo or B&N (or other commercial ebook suppliers) you can always buy a 3rd party device and download the corresponding eReader app, and I think that is what I am going to do. Get an e-ink browser and download the Kindle and Kobo apps to read the books.

> It's always better to buy via a browser on Mac/Windows/Linux than on any portable device,

I assume you mean that it is safer because purchase information, logins and the like are not stored on the device if you purchase using a different device. That is good security as loss of the device does not leave you open to further fraud.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MikeFromMesa

> Kobo shop or ereader isn't tied to any ecosystem.

The Kindle and Kobo devices aren't tied to any ecosystem, but the purchased books are, and that is what I meant. You can not read a Kindle book (with DRM) on a Kobo device, and vice versa and that is what I meant when I said that buying the books ties you to a device if that device is a dedicated eReader device.

That is true only with Amazon and B&N, who use proprietary DRM on their books. You can read Kobo books on any ereader that supports Adobe DRM, for example Pocketbooks.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

4) Kobo has a thing called price matching. If you let Kobo know the book you're interested in is sold cheaper elsewhere, they'll match the price.

To be more precise. You buy the book at the price Kobo lists. Then you fill in a price-match form on the Kobo web site, detailing your order number, and the URL where the better price is to be found, and Kobo check it, and refund you the difference PLUS 10% of the cheaper price.

e.g. a book for £9.99 at Kobo, but £5 at Amazon.
Buy at Kobo for £9.99
Fill in the form for a price-match
Kobo refund £4.99 + £0.50
Net price from buying at Kobo: £4.50