Amazon vs Kobo

[Kiwisaurus]

Which one lasts longer?

Which one is more durable?

Shockproof?

Fast?

Classy?

Which one do YOU prefer, and WHY?

[Kiwisaurus]

We are looking at 2 brands:

One that sells almost everything.

Another that focuses ONLY on eReaders and tablets.

Which one is better?

[Sirtel]

If you mean eink readers, then I believe there is no real difference in quality. Whether one prefers Kindles or Kobos, is a matter of taste, and there are many people who have both.

The majority of readers out there don't use Calibre or remove the DRM. For them it depends on which store they use to buy their books. Amazon customers generally have Kindles, epub buyers prefer devices with epub support.

I'm a Kindle fan, but I buy my books from all over. Amazon, Google Play, Kobo and so on. It's not impossible that I'll get a Kobo reader too one day, in addition to my Kindles.

[Kiwisaurus]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

If you mean eink readers, then I believe there is no real difference in quality. Whether one prefers Kindles or Kobos, is a matter of taste, and there are many people who have both.

The majority of readers out there don't use Calibre or remove the DRM. For them it depends on which store they use to buy their books. Amazon customers generally have Kindles, epub buyers prefer devices with epub support.

I'm a Kindle fan, but I buy my books from all over. Amazon, Google Play, Kobo and so on. It's not impossible that I'll get a Kobo reader too one day, in addition to my Kindles.

for that detailed explanation!

[rashkae]

There is a Huge difference in software quality. Kobo just keeps adding more and more bugs with each release. Until recently, Kobo did have a *Huge* advantage with text rendering customization.... But Amazon finally decided to step up on that plate.

Kobo's are great for people who like to tinker, whereas Amazon is openly hostile to developer community trying to work with Kindle. Also, the paperwhite is great device, but Kobo has upgraded models that are still very affordable, (H20 and Aura One.). The Kindle Oasis is insanely expensive by comparison, and still doesn't have adjustable color temp.

All that being said, Kindles 'just work' with much less hassle, and give users easy access to Kindles large and increasing library of exclusive books.

I've switched between the two often over the years. And they each have given me reason to dislike them.. Recently, I've switched back to Kindle after encountering 3 books in a row that the Kobo Clara HD was not able to render properly without editing to work around Kobo flaws.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Kiwisaurus

Which one lasts longer?

Which one is more durable?

Shockproof?

Fast?

Classy?

Which one do YOU prefer, and WHY?

Which one gives me the easiest access to the books I want to read at an affordable price? I really enjoy reading and do not enjoy playing with Calibre.

[Kiwisaurus]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Which one gives me the easiest access to the books I want to read at an affordable price? I really enjoy reading and do not enjoy playing with Calibre.

Hmm...you can choose a book and compare prices at www.kobo.com and www.amazon.com.

[Futuregrace]

The Kobo Aura One was best ereader I’ve ever owned (oasis 2017, paperwhite, voyage, kindle keyboard), but I switched back to kindle because I like to read on an ereader, it when I’m out and about and end up waiting somewhere, I love being able read a bit of whatever book I’m reading. Since a number of the books I read are from stores outside the system, Amazon’s ability to sync books and docs I upload to their cloud I find kobo not really an option no matter how great their reader is.

[vrf]

Kindle software just seems faster and more stable, although I didn't own a Kobo for very long. Maybe the bugs get worked out, but I can't fully trust it. I just want to read, not tinker.

[Atunah]

I never even seen a Kobo, so I wouldn't be able to compare. But I still have all my kindles going back to 2008 when I got my first one. None of them have ever broken or stopped working. I still charge them each month just because. I have a K1, K3, basic buttons, Oasis1, Voyage, new basic, and Oasis 2.

Since they mostly use the same screen they should all last about the same way. Meaning its how you treat them and if you use a cover or stuff them in a pocket or bag without protection.

I hadn't even known about Kobo until a while back, mostly from reading these forums. So I didn't know they existed. And to me they were always a non american brand. I mean not sold in the US. I am not fond of having to order from foreign sites for various reasons.

I had thought of getting a kobo for a family member a while back, but every time I read the kobo forums all I see is having to fiddle with this and that, having to use calibre to do this and that and software issues, hacking and who knows what else. I was going to get it for the person for direct library borrowing. But all that fiddling apparently having to be done to get this and that turned me off. So instead I got a kindle and just send the books via the account to that persons kindle.

But again, some folks have more than one ebook reader from different makers. Don't see the issue with that. Just whatever one prefers. In the end they are all similar in that they all are for reading books and are easy on the eyes because of the screen. That's about it.

Since I only buy books from amazon, there is not easy way to incorporate another brand at this point. I want to be able to access all my books at all times when I want, when I need and get new books when I want and need. Without having to go to a computer, or fiddle with some conversion program.

I also love the sync for non amazon books. I have a few of those for various reasons. I can also get recipes over that way and no matter what kindle I grab, its all there. Synced and ready.

But I am in the US so my wishes are US centric.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by rashkae

Kobo's are great for people who like to tinker, whereas Amazon is openly hostile to developer community trying to work with Kindle. Also, the paperwhite is great device, but Kobo has upgraded models that are still very affordable, (H20 and Aura One.). The Kindle Oasis is insanely expensive by comparison, and still doesn't have adjustable color temp.

All that being said, Kindles 'just work' with much less hassle, and give users easy access to Kindles large and increasing library of exclusive books.

I use both Kindles and Kobos (and Sonys and Nooks and a Tolino, an EZ Reader, a JetBook and (soon) its cousin an Aluratek Libre) but I agree with what you say. Kobos are great for customization. The problem is, you almost have to tinker, especially if you want to fill up your screen with text. But Kobos also have issues with their touch screens that I don't run into on the Kindles. Not that hard to live with, but sometimes the "double-tap" is a nuisance, especially if I've been using another eReader for awhile.

But there are also other things Amazon does better. They've got Audible integrated into their newer eReaders (for those who like audio books). They've got a better website and bookstore. They've got a better dictionary built-in. They've got X-Ray, for those who like this sort of thing. They've got "Send to Kindle" for websites or, via email, for books. They've got a free lending library. Highlights (for Amazon purchased books only) show up on a website. Syncing between devices "just works." And, apparently, they've got good integration with GoodReads (which is something I don't understand or use). And the devices themselves seem more robust to me.

That said, I'm not running down Kobo. I like to tinker. (I rode a Triumph motorcycle and drove a Sunbeam Alpine Coup in my younger years, which — kind of like the Kobos — also required tinkering.) I like to customize. Until Amazon recently gave Kindles the ability to add custom fonts, that was a huge plus for Kobo. Kobo's bookstore has gotten better — there was a time when my payments kept getting rejected because my credit card company flagged a small purchase from Canada as a possible scam. (I've noticed that now payments go to a Kobo USA address.) With the Walmart alliance I think any of these problems are now gone.

As to the original question ... I think Kindles are popular for the same reason Microsoft Windows is popular. Its widely available, its simple, choices are limited and straightforward. And it basically "does the job." There was a time when Kobos and Nooks and Sonys were available in retail outlets (I think both Target and Best Buy sold all three) but Amazon still won out. Until the Walmart / Kobo alliance, there was no quick and convenient way to buy a Kobo in the U.S. for years (unless you lived near one of the few independent book sellers who sold them). Hopefully Kobos will get a decent chunk of the market — I'm afraid Nooks are probably on their way out.

With Calibre, custom fonts and Apprentice Alf's DeDRM plugin, I really don't have to worry about where I buy my books now. I've made the decision to buy more books from Kobo because I want more than one eBook seller to survive. That doesn't necessarily mean I'll be reading that book on the Kobo. It could be anywhere. I like all my eInk readers an switch off a lot. I'm currently reading a book I purchase from Kobo on my Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro, which is a really nice reader and has an incredible battery charge for something this old. With Calibre I embed the DejaVu Serif E-Reader font, set the margins to taste, and lose nothing to the newer eReaders. (This is one of the readers I'll be keeping.)

(And I'm rambling again. Sorry.)

[mathil]

I'm more of a Kobo user (even though I also own a PW3), and I'm very much of the idea that both companies make great ereaders who suit different tastes and types of usage. Kindles do some things better than Kobos and viceversa, and whatever is important to you as a reader is going to be the dealbreaker. I don't see the point of the whole Amazon vs Kobo argument as if there's a need to decide which is best.

I prefer Kobo ereaders because I buy from different stores and use the library, but also for the superior formatting options and the possibility to patch it. Kindles, and their store, are also definitely not as convenient outside the US as they are inside of it. I did buy a PW3 for the sole purpose of connecting it to my Amazon.co.jp account and reading Japanese books on it: it's a great device and definitely has better dictionary support than Kobo ereaders do in general. However, it has an annoying bug that slows it down the more one uses the dictionary function, to the point where it's so slow that it takes seconds to turn a page, at which point it needs to be rebooted (and that takes a looooong time). It happens two or three times per book to me, at least, and I'd wager most people here haven't noticed because they're only reading in English or are not reading for the purpose of language learning.

By the way, re: patching and tinkering on Kobos, there is definitely no need to do it; I'm not sure where this impression came from, exactly. The Kobo software has no more bugs than any other software, and the vast majority of people (who are not on Mobileread anyway, we shouldn't forget this) use Kobos in their everyday lives with no hassle. My parents are the most technologically unsavvy people I know and even they manage to read on a Kobo without my assistance. Mobileread users should never be taken as an example, IMO.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by mathil

However, it has an annoying bug that slows it down the more one uses the dictionary function, to the point where it's so slow that it takes seconds to turn a page, at which point it needs to be rebooted (and that takes a looooong time). It happens two or three times per book to me, at least, and I'd wager most people here haven't noticed because they're only reading in English or are not reading for the purpose of language learning.

This has never happened to me. True, I've never used a Paperwhite. But it didn't happen even with the old basic Kindles years ago. While I don't use the dictionary extensively, I do look something up occasionally, usually a few times per book. And I've never noticed any slowing down. Very strange.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by mathil

By the way, re: patching and tinkering on Kobos, there is definitely no need to do it; I'm not sure where this impression came from, exactly. ...

I don't like big chunks of white space at the bottom of the screen. Unless I tinker with my Kobos (at the very least enable the Full Screen Mode) I get a lot of open space. Maybe most people don't mind. I don't know. I know it drives me nuts. This is one issue I've never had with my Kindles.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Which one gives me the easiest access to the books I want to read at an affordable price? I really enjoy reading and do not enjoy playing with Calibre.

Outside of the USA, library ebook borrowing can be the dealbreaker feature. There is no Overdrive Kindle borrowing in the vast majority of the world.