small ereader like the Voyage

Elagost · 12-13-2018, 09:34 AM

We've been looking for a second ereader as my wife has been eying my Kindle Voyage, and I'd like to get something about the same size. I looked at the Kobo H20 2, and that looks almost convincing too, but seems maybe a bit too big. I like how my Voyage can live in my back pocket.
I'm very into having a more 'open' ereader that can deal with more formats - been using Calibre for over 5 years and it's got its fair share of quirks.

Priorities, in order of importance:
Small size
light weight, easy to hold (the Voyage is an ergonomic travesty)
front-light screen
high resolution screen

Nice to haves, in order of importance:
blue-light filter (a la Kobo)
page turn buttons
flush screen (non-recessed, like the new paperwhite and the Voyage)
waterproof

I'm almost convinced to get the new paperwhite, because it's basically what I'm looking for, but having a blue-light filter would be great too. The Kobo H20 2 seems maybe too big. Ideally what I want is a waterproof Voyage with a blue-light filter.

Any thoughts? Thanks for the help in advance!

barryem · 12-13-2018, 11:23 AM

The new Paperwhite is smaller than the old one but not by much. It's still quite a bit larger than the Voyage. I have both and I did compare them.

I also have the original Kobo Aura, which is quite a bit smaller than the Voyage. You can still get those on Ebay for $50 to $70. It's light isn't as even as the Kindle's light and it's contrast isn't as good but I read on mine a lot and it's just fine. It's very small and light and has a 6" screen.

I'm not aware of any other Voyage sized ereaders although there might be some.

Barry

Elagost · 12-13-2018, 03:44 PM

Well, roughly voyage-sized. Paperwhite and Kobo Clara, to name a few that I've researched, are roughly similar size. I'm not too picky about the exact size, but the Voyage is just what I had on hand. My previous ereader, the Kindle 3 (keyboard), was also a good fit before its untimely death.

rcentros · 12-13-2018, 03:44 PM

It sounds like a Tolino Vision 4 HD would work. It doesn't have page turn buttons, but you can tap the back to turn pages (they call it tap2flip) — and it has everything else on you wish list. Light (slightly lighter than the Voyage), small (almost the exact same size as the Voyage, but a bit thicker – 8.1mm instead of 7.6mm), waterproof, flush screen, has the color changing screen. Disadvantage is that it is tied to European bookstores, so you would have to use ADE or Calibre (with plugins) to get your books. (Has no issues downloading from places like Feedbooks, etc.)

https://mytolino.com/tolino-vision-4hd/ebook-reader/

It can purchased from a German store with free shipping to the U.S.

https://www.playthek.com/tolino-visi..._medium=artist

Currently on sale.

Should also mention that it has simple (minimalist) interface. (I like my Tolino i/f, but others may not.) And your dictionary won't match the quality of the Kindle's Oxford dictionary.

Another advantage over many (most) eReaders. You can download borrowed ePub Overdrive books directly to the Tolino (it has ADE built-in).

mobama · 12-13-2018, 04:28 PM

Pocketbook Touch HD 3 looks like a very nice light waterproof ereader. However, it is pretty much unobtainable in the US.

Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_fJL9ouNA

https://www.pocketbook-readers.de/de...x/sArticle/195

amyk0202 · 12-13-2018, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobama

Pocketbook Touch HD 3 looks like a very nice light waterproof ereader. However, it is pretty much unobtainable in the US.

Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_fJL9ouNA

https://www.pocketbook-readers.de/de...x/sArticle/195

It looks like you can get one here: https://goodereader.com/blog/product/pocketbook-touch-3

I haven't purchased from them yet, but I am thinking I may get a Pocketbook Touch Lux 4 from them.

Elagost · 12-13-2018, 08:17 PM

Thank you very much. I appreciate these suggestions! I didn't know of either of them before.

The Tolino Vision 4 HD looks really good. I don't have any Windows or Mac computers in my household, so any sort of desktop syncing software that doesn't run under Linux is out. (Part of this investigation is a desire to be less tied to large corporate ecosystems like Amazon, but the paperwhite is very tempting)

How reputable is the 'playthek' store? I've never bought anything from goodereader, but I have been there quite a bit and they seem trustworthy.

stuartjmz · 12-13-2018, 08:22 PM

You may want to check out the Kobo Aura H2O2 as well. It's similar in size and weight to the Paperwhite 3, is waterproof, has Overdrive integration, and works well with Calibre (which does run on Linux, iirc)

robko · 12-13-2018, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagost

I've never bought anything from goodereader, but I have been there quite a bit and they seem trustworthy.

You might want to do a search on goodereader’s indiegogo campaigns if you think they are trustworthy. Or do a search on here for the number of times they have lifted posts verbatim and claimed it as there own reporting (with no attribution).

rcentros · 12-13-2018, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagost

The Tolino Vision 4 HD looks really good. I don't have any Windows or Mac computers in my household, so any sort of desktop syncing software that doesn't run under Linux is out. (Part of this investigation is a desire to be less tied to large corporate ecosystems like Amazon, but the paperwhite is very tempting)

I use Linux as well. Connecting to my Tolinos is not an issue using Linux (I use Calibre for transferring books) but (so far) I haven't tried running ADE under Wine (which you should be able to do). All my ePub books, at this point, come from Kobo or are non-DRM books from various sites (like Feedbooks). The Kobo books are run through the Calibre Obok plugin and the Amazon books are run through the deDRM plugin in Calibre (and converted to ePub), so no problem getting those to the Tolinos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagost

How reputable is the 'playthek' store? I've never bought anything from goodereader, but I have been there quite a bit and they seem trustworthy.

I can't personally vouch for Grooves Land (Playthek) since I've never bought anything from them. I think they've been around for close to 30 years in Germany, but I don't know if their reputation is good for oversea's sales. Delivery to the U.S. is supposed to take 4-11 workdays and they do accept PayPal, so there should be some protection there.

I'm not sure how anxious I would be to buy from GoodEReader, but I hope their Pocketbook "store" works out well, as it would be nice to have Pocketbook Readers easily available in the U.S. The Pocketbook Touch HD 3 at $149 seems like a good deal. Has everything you want on your list, except for a flush screen (and then some).

Elagost · 12-14-2018, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

You may want to check out the Kobo Aura H2O2 as well.

I really like that one, but I think it might be just a bit too big.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robko

You might want to do a search on goodereader’s indiegogo campaigns if you think they are trustworthy. Or do a search on here for the number of times they have lifted posts verbatim and claimed it as there own reporting (with no attribution).

That seems troublesome. I've never looked to deeply into it, so thanks for the warning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

Connecting to my Tolinos is not an issue using Linux (I use Calibre for transferring books) but (so far) I haven't tried running ADE under Wine (which you should be able to do).

The less interaction I have with Adobe, the better, but I might have to try that out. I've just gotten into the whole library lending thing on my Kindle, and it's quite nice, but a little bit of a cumbersome process.

It looks like the Tolino Vision 4 HD is my best bet. I'll look more into that and probably buy it a little after my next paycheck. Thank you for all the help, everyone!

ZodWallop · 12-14-2018, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

I also have the original Kobo Aura, which is quite a bit smaller than the Voyage. You can still get those on Ebay for $50 to $70. It's light isn't as even as the Kindle's light and it's contrast isn't as good but I read on mine a lot and it's just fine. It's very small and light and has a 6" screen.

I'd like to second Barry's suggestion of the original Kobo Aura. It is a very nice, compact reader with a standard 6" screen. It is noticeably smaller than its successors, the Aura Edition 2 or the Clara.

From your lists, it fulfills these:

Priorities, in order of importance:
Small size
Light weight, easy to hold
Front-light screen
High resolution screen

Nice to haves, in order of importance:
Blue-light filter
Page turn buttons
Flush screen
Waterproof

The original Aura has an SD card slot, so you can add expandable storage as well.

Kobo is good at supporting their older hardware, so the Aura still gets updates to the firmware (I just got an update last night). And Kobo plays very well with Calibre.

Depending on what you're expecting from a reader, the Aura may be too out of date for you as far as the screen goes. It's a few generations old now, so it's not high resolution and uses an older generation screen. Think of the screen from the original Paperwhite. Otherwise, I still very much like mine.

If Kobo would reissue the Aura with a Carta 300 DPI screen (and make it waterproof), I'd be a very happy camper.

Elagost · 12-14-2018, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'd like to second Barry's suggestion of the original Kobo Aura. It is a very nice, compact reader with a standard 6" screen. It is noticeably smaller than its successors, the Aura Edition 2 or the Clara.

...

If Kobo would reissue the Aura with a Carta 300 DPI screen (and make it waterproof), I'd be a very happy camper.

How big of a deal is the flush screen to you? I really disliked that my first Kindle (the Kindle 3) had a recessed screen, and the dust getting in the edges really bothered me. The Voyage, when it came out, was an insta-buy for me because of the page turn buttons and flush screen.

I'd not contemplated the used market, but if the original aura is that good, then that might be a good option too. I think I would miss the clarity and contrast from the Voyage too much though. Do you have a more modern alternative to compare it to?

ZodWallop · 12-14-2018, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagost

How big of a deal is the flush screen to you? I really disliked that my first Kindle (the Kindle 3) had a recessed screen, and the dust getting in the edges really bothered me. The Voyage, when it came out, was an insta-buy for me because of the page turn buttons and flush screen.

The flush screen is nice. Like you, I did get annoyed with dust on my old Nook ST.

But the flush screen does reduce the contrast a little. I have a Nook Glowlight Plus (flush screen) and a Nook Glowlight 3 (recessed screen). Both models use the same exact screen and the screen is clearer on the Glowlight 3. The difference isn't enormous, but it is there.

Quote:

I'd not contemplated the used market, but if the original aura is that good, then that might be a good option too. I think I would miss the clarity and contrast from the Voyage too much though. Do you have a more modern alternative to compare it to?

On the used market, I don't have any suggestions that would beat the Voyage (though I'm only familiar with Kobo, Nook and Kindle). I just bought a Glowlight Plus and I really like it. But the software is awful when compared to either Kindle or Kobo. And I don't think B&N is likely to improve it much. They have too many other problems to worry about.

The Aura I recommend because it is a very nicely designed and compact reader, so it stands out from the competition, even years later. If the Aura had a more modern screen and was waterproof, it would be a better reader than the Paperwhite 4. But if wishes were fishes...

Having said all that nice stuff about the Aura, if you're used to the Voyage, the screen will be a noticeable step down.

rcentros · 12-14-2018, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagost

I'd not contemplated the used market, but if the original aura is that good, then that might be a good option too. I think I would miss the clarity and contrast from the Voyage too much though. Do you have a more modern alternative to compare it to?

The original Tolino Vision is basically the same, hardware-wise, as the original Kobo Aura, but with a home button (so slightly longer). But it has the E-Carta screen (212ppi, not the 300ppi that the Voyage has, still pretty good). Software-wise there is a good bit of difference between the original Kobo Aura and the original Tolino Vision, but the devices themselves were both made by Netronix.

Here's a comparison.

https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...-the-kobo-aura

Note the Tolino Vision is almost exactly the same size (length and width) as the Voyage — that means the Kobo Aura is really small.

Kobo Aura specs ...
150 x 114 x 8.1 mm — 173 grams

Tolino Vision specs ...
163 x 114 x 8.1 mm — 178 grams

Kindle Voyage specs ...
162 x 115 x 7.6 mm — 180 grams

Tolino Visions (since there's been four of them) come up used on eBay fairly regularly. A quick summary of the differences — all have the same dimensions and basically the same build, the 1 had a bronze back color (all with flush screens). All used the E-Carta screen (1 & 2 had the 212 ppi, 3 & 4 had/have 300ppi "hd" screens). Up until the Vision 3 HD, they all had 4 GBs of memory (the 3 HD & 4 HD has/have 8 GBs). The original Vision was the only one with an SD card slot. It was also the only one that didn't have the "tap2flip" feature and it wasn't waterproof. The 2 added tap2flip and waterproofing, lost the SD card slot. The 3 HD went up to a 300 ppi screen and higher memory. The 4 HD added the color-changing feature (for night reading), otherwise the same as the 3 HD. (The 2, 3 & 4 are very slightly lighter than the 1, probably because they lost the SD card slot.)

It might not be a bad idea to try out a used Tolino Vision even if you eventually want to get the Vision 4 HD. If you don't like the Tolino firmware then you could re-sell the Vision on eBay.

Vision 1 for $30 plus postage (you could probably offer $25). This is a good seller, I've bought stuff from them before.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tolino-Visi...ox!76131!US!-1

Vision 3 HD for $80 (including shipping). I don't know anything about this seller, but he appears to have a good reputation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tolino-Visi...YAAOSwZ4Rb7wMq

Until recently there were more Tolino Visions on eBay. A couple of Vision 2s recently sold (I bought one).

(Sorry to ramble.)

12-13-2018, 09:34 AM	#1
Elagost Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 6626 Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Washington, US Device: Kindle Voyage	small ereader like the Voyage We've been looking for a second ereader as my wife has been eying my Kindle Voyage, and I'd like to get something about the same size. I looked at the Kobo H20 2, and that looks almost convincing too, but seems maybe a bit too big. I like how my Voyage can live in my back pocket. I'm very into having a more 'open' ereader that can deal with more formats - been using Calibre for over 5 years and it's got its fair share of quirks. Priorities, in order of importance: Small size light weight, easy to hold (the Voyage is an ergonomic travesty) front-light screen high resolution screen Nice to haves, in order of importance: blue-light filter (a la Kobo) page turn buttons flush screen (non-recessed, like the new paperwhite and the Voyage) waterproof I'm almost convinced to get the new paperwhite, because it's basically what I'm looking for, but having a blue-light filter would be great too. The Kobo H20 2 seems maybe too big. Ideally what I want is a waterproof Voyage with a blue-light filter. Any thoughts? Thanks for the help in advance!

12-13-2018, 03:44 PM	#4
rcentros eReader Wrangler Posts: 7,443 Karma: 48453105 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Boise, ID Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD	It sounds like a Tolino Vision 4 HD would work. It doesn't have page turn buttons, but you can tap the back to turn pages (they call it tap2flip) — and it has everything else on you wish list. Light (slightly lighter than the Voyage), small (almost the exact same size as the Voyage, but a bit thicker – 8.1mm instead of 7.6mm), waterproof, flush screen, has the color changing screen. Disadvantage is that it is tied to European bookstores, so you would have to use ADE or Calibre (with plugins) to get your books. (Has no issues downloading from places like Feedbooks, etc.) https://mytolino.com/tolino-vision-4hd/ebook-reader/ It can purchased from a German store with free shipping to the U.S. https://www.playthek.com/tolino-visi..._medium=artist Currently on sale. Should also mention that it has simple (minimalist) interface. (I like my Tolino i/f, but others may not.) And your dictionary won't match the quality of the Kindle's Oxford dictionary. Another advantage over many (most) eReaders. You can download borrowed ePub Overdrive books directly to the Tolino (it has ADE built-in). Last edited by rcentros; 12-13-2018 at 04:36 PM.

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12-13-2018, 11:23 AM	#2
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	The new Paperwhite is smaller than the old one but not by much. It's still quite a bit larger than the Voyage. I have both and I did compare them. I also have the original Kobo Aura, which is quite a bit smaller than the Voyage. You can still get those on Ebay for $50 to $70. It's light isn't as even as the Kindle's light and it's contrast isn't as good but I read on mine a lot and it's just fine. It's very small and light and has a 6" screen. I'm not aware of any other Voyage sized ereaders although there might be some. Barry

12-13-2018, 04:28 PM	#5
mobama Evangelist Posts: 432 Karma: 2303460 Join Date: Aug 2017 Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 3, Onyx T76ML, Kobo H2O Edition 1, Kobo Mini	Pocketbook Touch HD 3 looks like a very nice light waterproof ereader. However, it is pretty much unobtainable in the US. Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_fJL9ouNA https://www.pocketbook-readers.de/de...x/sArticle/195

12-13-2018, 08:17 PM	#7
Elagost Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 6626 Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Washington, US Device: Kindle Voyage	Thank you very much. I appreciate these suggestions! I didn't know of either of them before. The Tolino Vision 4 HD looks really good. I don't have any Windows or Mac computers in my household, so any sort of desktop syncing software that doesn't run under Linux is out. (Part of this investigation is a desire to be less tied to large corporate ecosystems like Amazon, but the paperwhite is very tempting) How reputable is the 'playthek' store? I've never bought anything from goodereader, but I have been there quite a bit and they seem trustworthy.

12-13-2018, 08:22 PM	#8
stuartjmz Nameless Being	You may want to check out the Kobo Aura H2O2 as well. It's similar in size and weight to the Paperwhite 3, is waterproof, has Overdrive integration, and works well with Calibre (which does run on Linux, iirc)