Best 5" Ebook Reader?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Richwood

If you mostly side load book files then I would say the Kobo Mini or Sony PRS-350 are about equal. The major advantage of the Mini is the wi-fi. The Sony has the advantage of the hardware buttons for several functions including page turns. So to me a bit of a wash to choose the :best" between the two.

I think you need to add the proviso, "if you use Calibre" they're about equal. I don't have a Kobo Mini (not yet, I won one on Shop Goodwill – so I should soon) but I think the software is pretty much like the software on the Kobo Touch, which means you have several fonts to choose from, line space adjustments, margin adjustments, etc. I'm comfortable setting up my books for my Sonys in Calibre (using Constantia and setting my margins and line spacing there) but many people probably wouldn't be.

For build quality and font clarity and contrast, I think the Sony is more than equal to Kobos (the ones I've seen anyhow, the Glo and Touch). But the Kobo has many more features (at least than a stock Sony, I'm not sure what PRS+ would add to the mix).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The software on the Mini is better than the software on the 350. The biggest problem I had with Sony Readers is the way it rescans the books every time you reboot or unplug from USB. WIth Kobo, it on;y scans new books and once done. it's done. Plus, the version of RMSDK on the Mini supports more features, better fonts, and hyphenation. So IMHO, the reading experience of the Mini is better than that of the 350. I have a 650 and I know the reading experience of the Kobo software is better. And the processor is faster and it handles hi-res images much better.

I don't have a Kobo Mini (yet) but I do have a Kobo Touch and a Sony PRS-650. In my opinion the Sony is built better, has a clearer darker fonts with more screen contrast – and has much better touchscreen response. (And it also has buttons, which I – personally – like better, but that's subjective.) It also has a better dictionary. What it lacks (a choice of fonts and layout settings) I can get via Calibre (but I'm probably in the minority there, except for those on Mobile Read). I realize that the Kobo Touch is now "old" by Kobo standards, but it was built after the 650 (same goes for the Mini and the 350). I'm looking forward to comparing the Kobo Mini to the 350 when the Mini arrives – I'm guessing I'll like (and dislike) the same things I like and dislike in the 650 vs the Kobo Touch. But I am looking forward to a "tiny" reader.

[Mr.Shortstop]

Sony PRS-350 has no Card slot for extra storage, and you only got 2 GB.

With Kobo Mini you could simply upgrade it -with effort, of course-, mine has 64 GB now.

I take it why it's rare to find used Kobo Mini? especially a good one...