Kobo Clara HD or Pocketbook Touch Lux 4?

[amyk0202]

My Kobo Aura (N514) died 2 days ago. It froze at the end of my book and will not reset with a paperclip or holding down the light button and sliding the power button. So I'm looking for a new reader. I was hoping someone has experience with the Kobo Clara HD and the Pocketbook Touch Lux 4.

My Aura was modified to use the Kobo start menu with Coolreader. They were both very old versions because once I got it working, I turned off wifi and never updated the software. I have a 32 gb micro SD card with my library on it. It is organized in folders, by genre then by authors. I never used Nickel. I tried loading my books on the Aura when I first got it and it froze up forever and never worked with Nickel so I modified it. All my books are non-drm epub files. I was very happy with the setup.

Before the Aura, I had 2 Pocketbook 360's, a Pocketbook 360+, and another Pocketbook version that I dropped and broke after 2 weeks of getting it, so I don't remember what it was--besides not durable. I remember Pocketbooks as being easy to customize and so I wanted to know if that was still the case.

I would like to be able to keep my library organized as it is. I want to be able to page forward by touching either side of the screen, reduce margins to basically nothing, set my light level and leave it, and make the font larger. I also tend to drop things frequently, so it needs to be able to take that as well. My last Pocketbook came with a "fashion" cover and I couldn't find any other, and it wasn't at all protective enough.

I do not ever go online, use the cloud to access my books, or read pdf documents. Which reader would be the best for me? I'm leaning towards the Pocketbook because I don't have to take it apart to use my SD card.

[BookCat]

Personally, I'd go for the Pocketbook. The Clara hd is a bit of a lottery. You might get a very good reader with no problems, or you might get one with lightbleed issues. This is patches of intense light which can be very distracting. I bought one and sent it back. It seems to be the only one of the Kobo readers with this problem. Google: Kobo Clara hd lightbleed.

Many people are very happy with the Clara, but this is a significant risk. You can always return it.

[patrik]

For me one of the advantages with Kobo is the many possibilities of adjustments in the reader program. But if you don't want to use that, you would need to install koreader/coolreader on the Kobo, and then it seems you may as well get a Pocketbook since it's easier to installer it, and you can use folders with the built in reader program as well.

(I would go for the new Touch HD 3 though... )

If you tend to drop things, I would get a larger sleeve to put outside the reader with the cover on. (Not while you're reading...)

[ZodWallop]

I have no experience with Pocketbook, so I can't give advice there.

But this caught my eye:

I have a 32 gb micro SD card with my library on it. It is organized in folders, by genre then by authors.

With Calibre and Nickel on Kobo, you can use tags to make collections. So on my Aura in Nickle I can pull up the collection Fantasy or Horror or whatever and my Aura will show me all books I have tagged in that way. One plus of this approach, if a book straddles genres you can have the same book listed in both.

Also:

I want to be able to page forward by touching either side of the screen, reduce margins to basically nothing, set my light level and leave it, and make the font larger.

The first two things can be done on a Kobo in Nickle with patches. The last two things don't even require patches.

If you get a Kobo, you might try sideloading some books with Calibre and use Nickle for a bit. From what you describe, it seems like it would work very well for you.