Kindle the best???

[pwalker8]

I guess different people just have different needs. I've got both a Kobo and a kindle. I find the reading experience better on the Kobo. I buy from Amazon because I think the store is better and has more content. Of course, I actually do most of my reading on an iPad pro, so perhaps I'm not the best to ask on either. I have very specific use cases for both the Kobo and the Kindle.

[ps67]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I guess different people just have different needs. I've got both a Kobo and a kindle. I find the reading experience better on the Kobo. I buy from Amazon because I think the store is better and has more content. Of course, I actually do most of my reading on an iPad pro, so perhaps I'm not the best to ask on either. I have very specific use cases for both the Kobo and the Kindle.

Well, I think that the store situation is different for each country; here there are very small differences between the various store: all most important publishers sell on all platform so Amazon, Kobo and independent sellers like IBS or BookRepublic sell the same books at the same price (publisher establish price).

Only special offer may vary from one to another. And there are authors that publish directly on Kindle, but now also Kobo has them. So a vast majority of books are in all stores at the same price. But may be I am going

[Uncle Robin]

As someone who switched from Kindles after 6 years to Kobo, I prefer my Kobo, but there's one area that Kindle completely smashes Kobo out of the park - dictionaries. I don't use them much, but I still don't get why Kobo doesn't even offer dictionaries for sale to replace/augment its rather feeble internal offering.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

They don't have them in stock.

I think this thread's been sidetracked (and I contributed my own detour). it's whether or not there's a bias favoring Kindles in reviews. I think there is. I hope the OP won't mind if I restate my interpretation of the question: Are reviews biased, and if so, why?

I think it's a good question, whereas the relative advantages of the devices and personal preferences thereto have been discussed in umpteen threads.

If you look at GoodEReader videos that review Kobo vs Kindle. The configure the Kobo to look awful so the Kindle looks better. They have a lot of bias towards Kindle. If they had the Kobo looking good, then the Kindle would not look as good.

What I don't get with Kindle is why so many people don't care that they read Mobi and lose features because they use the email feature. If it was me, I would want KF8 so I could choose a custom font and be able to set the weight.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I don't get with Kindle is why so many people don't care that they read Mobi and lose features because they use the email feature. If it was me, I would want KF8 so I could choose a custom font and be able to set the weight.

There are an awful lot of people (possibly even the majority of users) who just don't care about such things. Most of them use the default font/margin/line spacing settings and won't be bothered to change them. The MR users, as usual, are a minority.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There are an awful lot of people (possibly even the majority of users) who just don't care about such things. Most of them use the default font/margin/line spacing settings and won't be bothered to change them. The MR users, as usual, are a minority.

Does anyone know what the default settings on Kobo are?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you look at GoodEReader videos that review Kobo vs Kindle. The configure the Kobo to look awful so the Kindle looks better. They have a lot of bias towards Kindle. If they had the Kobo looking good, then the Kindle would not look as good.

Why would anybody trust that site for anything?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Why would anybody trust that site for anything?

Because they don't know them like we do. If they don't know about Kobo, then they think that's how Kobo is even though Kobo is much better then they make it look.

[fjtorres]

"Best" is meaningless without listing what it is best for.

Different people want different things out of their toys.
Both lines are mature and established and use the same core tech.
Neither is awful, neither is perfect.
There are differences but none are game changers. No magic bullets.

Just tally up what matters to you, not some random reviewer online. Especially on a non-ebook site. For all you know it is some summer intern who was given one of rach and told to do a quickie comparo over a weekend. Or somebody with a hidden or not so hidden bias.

The only thing that matters is suitability to task. Your tasks. Your criteria.
Relying on other people's opinions is relying on other people's criteria and there is no guarantee those criteria will be relevant to you.

The one thing that is well-nigh absolute is that if you are going to sign up for Kindle Unlimited you almost certainly want a Kindle. That may or not matter to you but there are people for whom it matters and Kobo has no answer for that. They can't. Amazon got there "firstest with the mostest". And those books are Kindle-exclusive.

Absent that it comes down to *your* biases.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Because they don't know them like we do. If they don't know about Kobo, then they think that's how Kobo is even though Kobo is much better then they make it look.

And what's your excuse for knowing they do that?
Research?

You're hardly an inexperienced newbie.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

And what's your excuse for knowing they do that?
Research?

You're hardly an inexperienced newbie.

I know GoodEReader are not good because I see a lot of what they steal and call their own. I see the misinformation they post. I know what Kobo can do and see how bad the review videos comparing Kobo to Kind are.

But If I was not paying attention and not keeping up with Readers (some, not all), then I would not know how bad they are. I do think a lot of people who buy a Kindle and don't look into other brands are the ones who don't know.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There are an awful lot of people (possibly even the majority of users) who just don't care about such things. Most of them use the default font/margin/line spacing settings and won't be bothered to change them. The MR users, as usual, are a minority.

I don't care about such things. I can get something that works just fine for me just using default settings in Kindle. Why would I want to spend time with EACH book to update the CSS or convert it to some other format? I just haven't ever seen the need for that.

I think that's why so many people like Kindles. It is "good enough" for almost everyone right out of the box. It is also the easiest device for most people to find and try, has the largest book store, and doesn't require any third party software or tweaking (calibre, etc.) for the vast majority of books.

Yes, if you want to get things from the library you have to use a secondary device but as soon as you click "Read on Kindle" at Overdrive then "borrow library book" it is seamless and shows up on your Kindle. Calibre and other software not required.

Would I like Kobo devices as well as or better than my Kindle? Maybe. I haven't ever had a chance to play with one in a store to find out though. I know I prefer Kindle to some Nooks because I have played with them. (It's been a while.)

We are self-selected group of ereader aficionados and should not expect that we have anywhere near the same usage or expectations that an average user would have.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I think that's why so many people like Kindles. It is "good enough" for almost everyone right out of the box. It is also the easiest device for most people to find and try, has the largest book store, and doesn't require any third party software or tweaking (calibre, etc.) for the vast majority of books.

Kobos don't require any tweaking or 3rd-party software either, and can be used out of the box with the same ease as a Kindle. The Kindle library IS bigger, but in the 18 months since I've switched (after 6+yrs on Kindle), I've had fewer than 10 books I couldn't source from Kobo but could on Kindle.

[HDestruct]

Thanks all!

What about the lighting? That's a really really major factor for me. If the light is turned down low, maybe at 10%, which of the two looks whiter? Even lighting is very important.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Yes, if you want to get things from the library you have to use a secondary device but as soon as you click "Read on Kindle" at Overdrive then "borrow library book" it is seamless and shows up on your Kindle. Calibre and other software not required.

Oddly, I am unable find a single library in my area that offers Kindle format ebooks. If you are not in the USA, Kindle library borrowing is not an option. As for library borrowing on a Kobo? (*) Bring up Search on your Kobo, select Overdrive on the dropdwon and search your local library on your Kobo, check out available books, place holds, etc. The only issue is that with Overdrive dropping auto-checkout when a hold comes available, I do have to hit the library to borrow the book before it will sync to my Kobo.

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Would I like Kobo devices as well as or better than my Kindle? Maybe. I haven't ever had a chance to play with one in a store to find out though. I know I prefer Kindle to some Nooks because I have played with them. (It's been a while.)

For me, the big difference between Amazon and Kobo is that Kobo's ereaders are open. Compare the ease of patching a Kobo with the "you can't do that on new Kindles because you can't jailbreak them". Managing collections and series information (thanks Kovid Goyal and DavidFor) on a Kobo compared to a Kindle? Adding third party renderers? Heck, re-purposing your ereader as a navigation tool.

Originally Posted by Dazrin

We are self-selected group of ereader aficionados and should not expect that we have anywhere near the same usage or expectations that an average user would have.

Personally, I find it humourous when a Kindle ereader owner proudly proclaims that he would never touch an Apple device. Gotta avoid those walled gardens, ya know.

*: At least for those in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.