Kobo vs. Kindle - which to choose

[phossler]

Thinking of replacing my Paperwhite with a Kobo Libra 2 or a Kobo Libra H2O (leaning towards the Libra 2 for the audio book capability)

This thread
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=343354
got me thinking about it


I could only find the sales stuff on the Kobo site and

https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019123773

wasn't too helpful

1. Can I side load epubs from PC to Kobo?

2. Can Calibre transfer and create / maintain collections on a Kobo? I get really tired of flipping through screen pages in the library on the Kindle to get to where I want

3. What format are the audio book files? I have lots of MP3s. All the site says are "Kobo Audiobooks" and I'd want them side loaded on the Kobo also

4. How good is the screen display? Is it touch or button oriented?

5. Do I need a Kobo account? Are books and audiobooks stored in 'the cloud' and downloaded on demand to the Kobo?

Any subjective comments, ideas, suggestions, etc.?

Thanks

[Karellen]

I was also deciding between a Kindle and Kobo. Chose the Kobo, and these are my thoughts on the Libra 2...
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...81&postcount=2

1. Yes. Also makes it easy to curate library with series and collections.
2. Yes with the Kobo Utilities plugin
3. Don't know
4. Both touch and button.
5. Yes you need a Kobo account to activate the ereader. Read here... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...56#post4173156

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by phossler

3. What format are the audio book files? I have lots of MP3s. All the site says are "Kobo Audiobooks" and I'd want them side loaded on the Kobo also
5. Do I need a Kobo account? Are books and audiobooks stored in 'the cloud' and downloaded on demand to the Kobo?

To expand on @Karellen's response, your Kobo only stores ebooks/audiobooks purchased from Kobo in their cloud. Other than you choosing to use the Dropbox integration built into some Kobo models, sideloaded books are not stored outside your device.

As for registering, Kobo requires an email address to register but they do not verify the email address so you can invent anything that looks like an email address and use it to register (noneofyourbusiness@erehwon.org as an example).

As for the audio file format, it appears to be mp3 files wrapped in a zip archive (filetype is mp3z). You might want to check a thread Sideloading Audiobooks started by @davidfor.

[phossler]

Originally Posted by Karellen

I was also deciding between a Kindle and Kobo. Chose the Kobo, and these are my thoughts on the Libra 2...

How do you create and manage collections? Via Calibre or the PC or a Kobo feature?

[phossler]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You might want to check a thread Sideloading Audiobooks started by @davidfor.

Thanks, that was useful to show the process (and the youTube video), but ...

- the libra doesn't get the author name from the filename, it uses the whole file name as the title

- when you leave the book the libra will remember the file you were reading (the "chapter") but will read it from the beginning, and unfortunately there's no indication of total duration or read time

I can live with the first, but the second is (almost) a deal breaker to have to scan forward in a chapter file to resume. A number of the PD ABs I pull in have (e.g.) 12 - 15 hours merged into a single MP3 file. I can slice into (e.g.) 30 min chunks with arbitrary splits, but that gets ugly and hard to manage

I currently use a very aging iPod for Audiobooks so I might end up with two devices

[theducks]

Why not install the Kobo Extended edition PI and browse its settings.
You don't need a Kobo to install the PI. If you go the other way , you can just uninstall.

Collections uses a TAG type column
MY favorite Kobo is it supports Series

I think someone posted incorrect info about Kobo using File names.
Kobo uses metadata. Some sideloads need a second connection to Calibre to complete the Extended Metadata (the first disconnect creates the basic Kobo bookshelf entry, the second connect fills in the extras)

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by phossler

How do you create and manage collections? Via Calibre or the PC or a Kobo feature?

Via Calibre. You can also create them manually on the device and AFAIK sync them with Calibre (I haven't tried that).

The display on the Libra 2 is very good. Even, nice-toned frontlight and sharp, black, contrasty text. Certainly much better than the Libra H2O.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

I think someone posted incorrect info about Kobo using File names.
Kobo uses metadata. Some sideloads need a second connection to Calibre to complete the Extended Metadata (the first disconnect creates the basic Kobo bookshelf entry, the second connect fills in the extras)

This was about the audiobooks.

[phossler]

Thanks to all for their time to provide good information

Now it's decision time