Another Kindle or Kobo aura one? Or something else???

TuxGirl · 04-19-2017, 03:07 PM

So far, in the past 10 years, I have stayed consistently in the Kindle camp. I had a k1, k2, kk, kpw1, and currently have a kpw2. I'm looking at a new Kindle in the near future, and am trying to decide whether to go with another Kindle (probably voyage, unless they update something big), stick with what I have, or get a Kobo aura one.

Things pushing me toward the Kindle side:
* I have a large Kindle library currently
* I like having personal documents accessible in the cloud
* It has worked for me so far
* amazon Fanboyism
* I'm familiar with the common annoyances and I've read some things saying that the Kobo sometimes has a lot of lag
* Amazon cs has always been good to me
* I have been happy with the Kindle ecosystem so far

Things pushing me toward the Kobo:
* Software development books would work way better on a larger screen
* I've always liked the Kobo ui, reading life seems pretty cool
* More freedom to make changes I want (I'm a Linux and Android user, so I am used to control over a variety of things on my devices)
* Overdrive integration would be nice, making it easier to get books from the library

I guess I'm nervous about getting the ka1 and hating it, and regretting it. I currently have around 6000 books in my Kindle library, so that is a consideration, but my technical books are not from Kindle, and are drm free, so I wouldn't need to do anything to get those working on the ka1. I do have Calibre, although I haven't moved my Kindle library to it. I am a stickler for the rules, so I've never messed with breaking drm...

Any advice??? Am I missing any important issues with either? Are the kobos as awesome as they sound? If you have both, which do you use more?

ZodWallop · 04-19-2017, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TuxGirl

I do have Calibre, although I haven't moved my Kindle library to it. I am a stickler for the rules, so I've never messed with breaking drm...

Any advice??? Am I missing any important issues with either? Are the kobos as awesome as they sound?

My advise? Take a walk on the wild side. Break that DRM!

I do think that people that like to play around with Linux would love Kobos. They are Linux based after all and can be hacked and fine-tuned. I love my Kobo for that reason.

I don't own an Aura ONE, just a regular Aura. From what I've read, the ONE does have some issues that would make me mad after paying that premium price. They are nice devices, but just be aware that there may be... quirks.

barryem · 04-19-2017, 08:56 PM

I also have an original Aura and a Paperwhite and a Voyage. I like them all and I'm glad I'm not restricted to a single device. I just read a book on my Kobo. I'm probably going to read my next one on my Paperwhite 2. I have all three Paperwhite models. Most often I choose a device because that's the one the book I decide to read is on. I really don't care a lot which one I use.

For features and interface I much prefer the Kindles. I have a small preference for the Voyage among the Kindles because of it's reduced size and weight but that's not really very important to me.

I like the original Kobo Aura because it's even smaller. It's the most comfortable reader in my pocket and in my hand. I find it's interface slightly buggy and less reliable and a bit more clunky than the Kindles but it's not bad at all. It's just not as good. But it's size and feel in my hand makes up for a lot of that.

I wouldn't want a larger ereader. If anything I'd prefer a 5" one if one was available with a light.

All in all, if I could only keep one of my readers it would be the Voyage, but I wouldn't be unhappy if it was any of the others.

Barry

Techno · 04-20-2017, 04:55 AM

Kobo Aura One. I think lag isn't as much of a problem if you do tweaks. Maybe someone else can give more details on that.

meeera · 04-20-2017, 05:00 AM

If you're not in a hurry, you might like to wait till the next Kobo announcement? Some people love their KA1s, but others seem to be wrangling with rev. 1 type issues that will hopefully be worked out with the next device.

(I suspect what is being spoken about with 'lag', though is that epub page turns are slower than kepub. This can be solved by converting your books to kepub.)

haydnfan · 04-20-2017, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

My advise? Take a walk on the wild side. Break that DRM!

I don't think that is possible anymore. Kindle 4 pc uses the new format now which has uncrackable DRM. Anyone tell me if I'm wrong.

If you buy an ebook to collect it and reread, you're stuck unless you want to buy your library again.

If you buy an ebook to read it and move on, then you're not stuck. You just have to make new purchases on the new device and slowly work your way through the backlog on the older device.

ZodWallop · 04-20-2017, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haydnfan

I don't think that is possible anymore. Kindle 4 pc uses the new format now which has uncrackable DRM. Anyone tell me if I'm wrong.

That's only if you are using the current version of Kindle For PC. I am using an older version and it still works (not at home right now, so I can't check version number). I just bought some books from Amazon last and was able to Alf them and convert them to ePub.

ZodWallop · 04-20-2017, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

(I suspect what is being spoken about with 'lag', though is that epub page turns are slower than kepub. This can be solved by converting your books to kepub.)

If you read through some of the Aura ONE threads there are still issues with battery discharging, sleep cover still not working properly, screen not accurately reading touches (having to touch to the left of what you are selecting) and green splotches on the screen. It's more than page turn lag on ePub, though that's still there too. The issues have been improving and there are many happy ONE owners, but still...

I will say that shouldn't scare you away from Kobo. My Aura is pretty solid. The only issue I've had was with a wifi update not working properly.

Perhaps Kobo in general is not as stable as a Kindle, but like Android and iOS, greater customization means a little less stability.

John F · 04-20-2017, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haydnfan

I don't think that is possible anymore. Kindle 4 pc uses the new format now which has uncrackable DRM. Anyone tell me if I'm wrong.

...

I believe there is a work around with the latest version: rename an exe (on Windows).

mbovenka · 04-21-2017, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

I believe there is a work around with the latest version: rename an exe (on Windows).

Yeah, there is (Method 2). It still downloads into subdirectories, though, which is mildly annoying. I reinstalled K4PC 1.17, which still works for now.

xvan · 04-24-2017, 11:52 AM

I was originally an open source, epub fundamentalist, but after buying a paperwhite (actually 2, forgot one on my back-pocket and sat on it while drinking on a bar).
I've only purchased 3 ebooks from Amazon.

These are my conclusions.

-Pdf's suck on eink, unless it's a 10 or 13 inches device. Those devices have luxury prices

Regarding openess:
-On small screens, it's not "comfortable" to read anything else than reflowable books (epub, mobi ) or, maybe, power point presentations.

-Comic books formats on papwerwhite screen size is "doable" but a hassle, and not worth the decision. If you want read comic books, buy a tablet or an ebook with bigger screen.

Never had an issue converting mobi <->epub besides extreme file size / conversion time. Never noticed an issue on the results.

#########################

For me the deciding factor is Amazon cloud.

If you go kindle, you have the "send document via mail" service. So you need to use calibre to convert to mobi, then send a mail (either via calibre or via your mail/webmail ).

For me the bother of file conversion, is equal to the bother of non-wireless file transfer.

BUT, if you send your ebooks files via mail, you can sync you read pages with Amazon Kindle android/iphone app. Lot's of times you have time to read and not you ebook at hand.

I don't know if One Drive is easier to use than sending attachments via mail. That'll depend if the ebook can be set to automatically sync the files or if you need to manually download it from the cloud.

##########################
PROs:

1) Amazon has the cheapest prices for devices.
2) Amazon Cloud has a huge value.

CONs
1) Lack of comic book support.
2) Need to convert epub to mobi and office files to pdfs

TuxGirl · 04-24-2017, 08:39 PM

Thanks everyone for the opinions. I ended up ordering the Kobo aura one. I thought a bit about my reading, and realized that recently most of my reading has been technical books that I have in both mobi and epub from the publisher. Reading them on a 6 inch screen has bee pretty painful. Outside of that, I tend to read a good bit of public domain, and some books I've gotten for free from Amazon, baen, etc., and occasionally some library books (overdrive). My local library has way more options for epub, so overall, I think the Kobo makes sense for now. I will probably keep my Kindle around at least until my daughter breaks hers, and will read some kids books there and some of my current library.

Again, thanks a ton for the thoughts. Lots to consider, but I'm super excited! The technical books were really the biggest factor for me, because I have always loved my Kindles, but I don't see Amazon introducing a larger screen Kindle at a reasonable price any time soon.

04-19-2017, 03:07 PM	#1
TuxGirl Groupie Posts: 179 Karma: 141378 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: kindle	Another Kindle or Kobo aura one? Or something else??? So far, in the past 10 years, I have stayed consistently in the Kindle camp. I had a k1, k2, kk, kpw1, and currently have a kpw2. I'm looking at a new Kindle in the near future, and am trying to decide whether to go with another Kindle (probably voyage, unless they update something big), stick with what I have, or get a Kobo aura one. Things pushing me toward the Kindle side: * I have a large Kindle library currently * I like having personal documents accessible in the cloud * It has worked for me so far * amazon Fanboyism * I'm familiar with the common annoyances and I've read some things saying that the Kobo sometimes has a lot of lag * Amazon cs has always been good to me * I have been happy with the Kindle ecosystem so far Things pushing me toward the Kobo: * Software development books would work way better on a larger screen * I've always liked the Kobo ui, reading life seems pretty cool * More freedom to make changes I want (I'm a Linux and Android user, so I am used to control over a variety of things on my devices) * Overdrive integration would be nice, making it easier to get books from the library I guess I'm nervous about getting the ka1 and hating it, and regretting it. I currently have around 6000 books in my Kindle library, so that is a consideration, but my technical books are not from Kindle, and are drm free, so I wouldn't need to do anything to get those working on the ka1. I do have Calibre, although I haven't moved my Kindle library to it. I am a stickler for the rules, so I've never messed with breaking drm... Any advice??? Am I missing any important issues with either? Are the kobos as awesome as they sound? If you have both, which do you use more?

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04-19-2017, 08:56 PM	#3
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I also have an original Aura and a Paperwhite and a Voyage. I like them all and I'm glad I'm not restricted to a single device. I just read a book on my Kobo. I'm probably going to read my next one on my Paperwhite 2. I have all three Paperwhite models. Most often I choose a device because that's the one the book I decide to read is on. I really don't care a lot which one I use. For features and interface I much prefer the Kindles. I have a small preference for the Voyage among the Kindles because of it's reduced size and weight but that's not really very important to me. I like the original Kobo Aura because it's even smaller. It's the most comfortable reader in my pocket and in my hand. I find it's interface slightly buggy and less reliable and a bit more clunky than the Kindles but it's not bad at all. It's just not as good. But it's size and feel in my hand makes up for a lot of that. I wouldn't want a larger ereader. If anything I'd prefer a 5" one if one was available with a light. All in all, if I could only keep one of my readers it would be the Voyage, but I wouldn't be unhappy if it was any of the others. Barry

04-20-2017, 04:55 AM	#4
Techno Enthusiast Posts: 49 Karma: 2072588 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Aura H2O, PC/Tablet	Kobo Aura One. I think lag isn't as much of a problem if you do tweaks. Maybe someone else can give more details on that.

04-20-2017, 05:00 AM	#5
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,659 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	If you're not in a hurry, you might like to wait till the next Kobo announcement? Some people love their KA1s, but others seem to be wrangling with rev. 1 type issues that will hopefully be worked out with the next device. (I suspect what is being spoken about with 'lag', though is that epub page turns are slower than kepub. This can be solved by converting your books to kepub.)

04-24-2017, 11:52 AM	#11
xvan Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: Papwerwhite	I was originally an open source, epub fundamentalist, but after buying a paperwhite (actually 2, forgot one on my back-pocket and sat on it while drinking on a bar). I've only purchased 3 ebooks from Amazon. These are my conclusions. -Pdf's suck on eink, unless it's a 10 or 13 inches device. Those devices have luxury prices Regarding openess: -On small screens, it's not "comfortable" to read anything else than reflowable books (epub, mobi ) or, maybe, power point presentations. -Comic books formats on papwerwhite screen size is "doable" but a hassle, and not worth the decision. If you want read comic books, buy a tablet or an ebook with bigger screen. Never had an issue converting mobi <->epub besides extreme file size / conversion time. Never noticed an issue on the results. ######################### For me the deciding factor is Amazon cloud. If you go kindle, you have the "send document via mail" service. So you need to use calibre to convert to mobi, then send a mail (either via calibre or via your mail/webmail ). For me the bother of file conversion, is equal to the bother of non-wireless file transfer. BUT, if you send your ebooks files via mail, you can sync you read pages with Amazon Kindle android/iphone app. Lot's of times you have time to read and not you ebook at hand. I don't know if One Drive is easier to use than sending attachments via mail. That'll depend if the ebook can be set to automatically sync the files or if you need to manually download it from the cloud. ########################## PROs: 1) Amazon has the cheapest prices for devices. 2) Amazon Cloud has a huge value. CONs 1) Lack of comic book support. 2) Need to convert epub to mobi and office files to pdfs

04-24-2017, 08:39 PM	#12
TuxGirl Groupie Posts: 179 Karma: 141378 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: kindle	Thanks everyone for the opinions. I ended up ordering the Kobo aura one. I thought a bit about my reading, and realized that recently most of my reading has been technical books that I have in both mobi and epub from the publisher. Reading them on a 6 inch screen has bee pretty painful. Outside of that, I tend to read a good bit of public domain, and some books I've gotten for free from Amazon, baen, etc., and occasionally some library books (overdrive). My local library has way more options for epub, so overall, I think the Kobo makes sense for now. I will probably keep my Kindle around at least until my daughter breaks hers, and will read some kids books there and some of my current library. Again, thanks a ton for the thoughts. Lots to consider, but I'm super excited! The technical books were really the biggest factor for me, because I have always loved my Kindles, but I don't see Amazon introducing a larger screen Kindle at a reasonable price any time soon.

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