Why do you prefer Kobo ereaders to Amazon ereaders

[spacepope]

I picked my newest ereader to be a kobo for multiple reasons - but the biggest ones were price and software.

Price - I got a H2O for USD$200 (they're more expensive overseas than in the US) - to get a kindle with physical buttons I'd have to pay out the nose for an Oasis which runs at around USD $305 without ads.

Software - I like 2 things a lot about the kobo, that convinced me to switch.

1. It shows the cover of the book you're reading when it sleeps, which is just cute. I think kindle does this now, but not sure.
2. PAGE NUMBER. PAGE. NUMBERS. This was the biggest feature for me. I love it so much. Being able to see how many pages I have in a chapter lets me judge if I can plow through another chapter through bed, or before my lunch break ends... etc. It blows my mind that Kindle doesn't have this feature.

There are other minor reasons, like wanting to just switch away from Amazon when I can. But the above are the main two.

Kobo isn't perfect (mostly I have issues with the foreign language dictionaries *cough Japanese*). But it's way better than kindle, at least for me.

[Krios]

I prefer Kobo (and Pocketbook) because of better typography, both use Adobe RMSDK for for epub rendering, i had Kindles in the past but even with "Enhanced Typesetting" it's still not as good.

Customization and community patches are a big plus too.

[Rbneader]

I will say, one thing that bugs the crap out of me is Kobo's custom OS and the internal data. Sure, the larger screen is great for PDFs, the customization is nice, and in regular use it's rock solid. But my Android-based ereader doesn't need to spend time 'updating content' whenever I add a book, can handle having my whole library on it, doesn't fall over and die when faced with bad metadata, and is just generally more useful. I love my Kobo right up until I have to change something, and then I get reminded of why I bought the Onyx ereader in the first place.

The tradeoff is that Android ereaders are a largely DIY experience, which I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with.

[Quoth]

Because maybe the Android readers don't use the metadata. Rubbish library interface that's little more than file browser. You need KOReader and its ability to use Calibre data. Even then a poor library browsing experience compared to Kobo or Kindle.
The Kobo is so good to use BECAUSE it imports data to the database.

Also most Android uses the MS/Zune derived MTP which is slow and breaks easily compared to USB Mass Storage used by Sony PRS series, Kindle & Kobo etc. The advantage of Andriod eink is being able to add apps, for DRMed walled gardens. The disadvantage is abysmal Library views and Android which is a half baked unfinished layer on top of Linux kernel. Android 11 isn't much better than 6. Use of storage, SD card, printing etc varies erratically from version to version. Google's Material Design guidelines ignore 30 years of UX & GUI experience.
I have many Android things and an Android eink. Useful, but to browse library and read ebooks the Kobo is best and Kindles 2nd best (and a long way behind with Calibre)

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Because maybe the Android readers don't use the metadata. Rubbish library interface that's little more than file browser. You need KOReader and its ability to use Calibre data. Even then a poor library browsing experience compared to Kobo or Kindle.
The Kobo is so good to use BECAUSE it imports data to the database.

Also most Android uses the MS/Zune derived MTP which is slow and breaks easily compared to USB Mass Storage used by Sony PRS series, Kindle & Kobo etc. The advantage of Andriod eink is being able to add apps, for DRMed walled gardens. The disadvantage is abysmal Library views and Android which is a half baked unfinished layer on top of Linux kernel. Android 11 isn't much better than 6. Use of storage, SD card, printing etc varies erratically from version to version. Google's Material Design guidelines ignore 30 years of UX & GUI experience.
I have many Android things and an Android eink. Useful, but to browse library and read ebooks the Kobo is best and Kindles 2nd best (and a long way behind with Calibre)

I prefer the android "library" system. It's just system folders, a natural function of The OS. I find messing with collections in calibre a superfluous pain. Much easier to simply use a file explorer to drag the file into the appropriate folder on the reader. Done. I appreciate this doesnt include meta data. What does the average user use metada for, other than author, title, and maybe series?

[Lynx-lynx]

After I've cleaned my ebooks on calibre and sent them to my kobo forma I read them mainly untouched. That is, sometimes I'll use the Kobo in-book format options, eg font size or margins, but that's it.

I know there are many things I can do to 'enhance' my reading experience, or whatever, but all I want to do is to read, so I ignore all else. Each to their own, because I know others can enjoyably combine ebook mastery and reading.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

I will say, one thing that bugs the crap out of me is Kobo's custom OS and the internal data. Sure, the larger screen is great for PDFs, the customization is nice, and in regular use it's rock solid. But my Android-based ereader doesn't need to spend time 'updating content' whenever I add a book, can handle having my whole library on it, doesn't fall over and die when faced with bad metadata, and is just generally more useful. I love my Kobo right up until I have to change something, and then I get reminded of why I bought the Onyx ereader in the first place.

The tradeoff is that Android ereaders are a largely DIY experience, which I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with.

I don't see the point in a dB for a personal ereader. I guess if you have 1000+ books, but the OS again is perfectly suited to handle those sort of numbers. Indeed, the Linux OS is more capable of sorting large numbers of files than Kobos internal DB. I suppose a DB will offer extra functional, but I'm not sure what? Doing a cross book text search? I feel that most users will never use it. But enlighten me. DB on an ereader. What's the
advantage over folders?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I don't see the point in a dB for a personal ereader. I guess if you have 1000+ books, but the OS again is perfectly suited to handle those sort of numbers. Indeed, the Linux OS is more capable of sorting large numbers of files than Kobos internal DB. I suppose a DB will offer extra functional, but I'm not sure what? Doing a cross book text search? I feel that most users will never use it. But enlighten me. DB on an ereader. What's the
advantage over folders?

Well, I don't have to do anything to organize books on my Kobo, including creating folders and pondering which books go to which folders when sending them to the device. I just connect my Kobo to Calibre, send a bunch of books over (even several hundred at once) and that's it. The Kobo sorts them into collections automatically, taking the data from Calibre.

[Pajamaman]

That's assuming the metadata is intact for the books. Does it never need massaging? Don't you organize them into collections, or alter metadata? What criteria does kobo organize books by?

And AIU adding a book causes the dB to rebuild. Ive read that on a kindle it can take a while.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

That's assuming the metadata is intact for the books. Does it never need massaging? Don't you organize them into collections, or alter metadata? What criteria does kobo organize books by?

And AIU adding a book causes the dB to rebuild. Ive read that on a kindle it can take a while.

I clean the metadata when I add the books to my Calibre library. And if I change something later, I won't even have to send the book again. I just connect the Kobo to Calibre and it automatically updates the metadata. It does this very quickly.

A Kindle has to index its books, so yes, loading books to a Kindle takes longer and of course you cannot manage Kindle collections/metadata automatically with Calibre. I've given up on Kindle collections altogether and just create a calibre catalog for browsing the books on my Oasis.

The books are sorted in Calibre in various ways. Kobo takes its collections from the designated column in the driver settings. You can create a column just for this, or use any existing column for Kobo collections.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I prefer the android "library" system. It's just system folders, a natural function of The OS. I find messing with collections in calibre a superfluous pain. Much easier to simply use a file explorer to drag the file into the appropriate folder on the reader. Done. I appreciate this doesnt include meta data. What does the average user use metada for, other than author, title, and maybe series?

Except that "library" system has nothing to do with Android. It is purely the app developer deciding to use the directories and file names rather than handle the metadata as such. Which is better is very personal. I do not like directory system as it isn't flexible in the way I want it to be flexible.

As you mention collections, if I use directories, then I cannot have books in more than one collection without having multiple copies. The Kobo interface gives me multiple views of the books. These are based on the metadata in the books. The average user just sees this without thinking of it.

And the so-called average user, doesn't really use directories for anything. All the apps people are using, use metadata. Music players do. Video players. Then if we point at any streaming service, these are all built around the metadata of the media being streamed. Your average user has no idea where or how this is stored.

But, as I said, it is a personal thing. I can't be bother manually organising something that I can automatically organise. And then take advantage of the data that is used for that organisation.

And for the record, you can't be bothered to use calibre to create collections, but, you can be bothered to manually organise the files into a complex subdirectory system. I'm not sure what the difference is.


Edit:

The "average user" uses the Kindle app or the Kobo app or some other store specific app. All of these work on the metadata supplied by the store. None of these expose the file system to see where the books are.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

That's assuming the metadata is intact for the books. Does it never need massaging? Don't you organize them into collections, or alter metadata? What criteria does kobo organize books by?

And AIU adding a book causes the dB to rebuild. Ive read that on a kindle it can take a while.

No matter what method of organising the books, either in directories or pure metadata based system, you have to update the metadata. The fact that the metadata in a directory system is in the directory and files names is no different than editing the metadata in the books. The differences are in the tools used and the amount of metadata that can be easily be represented in either method.

As to how Kobo organises books, the metadata it stores for books includes:

• Title
• Author
• Series
• Book format
• Book size
• Some dates
• Reading status
• How the book got on the device (including purchased, sideloaded, library)

Every single one of those is used in some way to organise the books. Some are for separate lists (Authors, Series). Some are for filtering. Some are for sorting. And some are used for searching. And then there are collections.

[chickpea]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Lastly with Amazon, there's the ads. Those really turn me off.

I am glad Amazon keeps making e-ink devices. I think they help keep the company solvent.

Ads are optional. Just get a device without them.

Amazon could actually stop selling anything and remain solvent - their biggest revenue stream now is from digital services (AWS etc).

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I prefer the android "library" system. It's just system folders, a natural function of The OS. I find messing with collections in calibre a superfluous pain. Much easier to simply use a file explorer to drag the file into the appropriate folder on the reader. Done. I appreciate this doesnt include meta data. What does the average user use metada for, other than author, title, and maybe series?

I had to burst your bubble but in every test I've done using search has beaten a file explorer approach to locating a file hands down. As for metadata, author, title, series are important to me and my Kobos can search on them.

As the usual horrible example, here's a book my wife recently picked up:

Call of Magic: A LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION OF FANTASY, URBAN FANTASY, AND PARANORMAL ROMANCES by Becca Blake & Margo Bond Collins & Tia Didmon & Harper Wylde & Morgan Jane Mitchell & L. W. Moonstone & Naomi Panthera & Angela Kulig & Krystal Pena & Maya Riley & Karine Saint Jacques & Laurel Night & Cara A. Edwards & Claire Marta & Elizabeth Dunlap & Ashley Amy & Nikki Kimberly & Bex Taylor & Zelda Knight & Angela Sanders & Leigh Kelsey & Joe Quackenboss & K. N. Banet & Ariel Dawn & Faedra Rose & Stacey Jaine McIntosh & Kelsey Gamble & Suki Williams & R. C. Barnes & Jennifer M. Miller & Marissa Ann & Silvana G. Sánchez & Nikki Landis & Poppy Flynn & Faera Fenix & Dora Blume

Call of Magic is stored as the title, A LIMITED etc. is stored as the subtitle and all the author names are carried in the author metadata. Yes, I do use a plugboard that uses the first author name as the author for creating the file name and deciding which author subdirectory to store it in to keep filename and path lengths from becoming a nightmare.

Care to let me know what directory structure would let you look for books by Angela Sanders and have this book pop up in the search results? Now with the ease of using calibre and a Kobo ereader together?

As one of my co-workers phrases it, complex directory structures are so last century.

[Almamida]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I clean the metadata when I add the books to my Calibre library. And if I change something later, I won't even have to send the book again. I just connect the Kobo to Calibre and it automatically updates the metadata. It does this very quickly.

How do you do that? I updated the author name on few books in calibre but it didn't change it in the Kobo the next sync I did.