Kindle paperwhite 2 or Kobo Glo HD

[orbspinner]

Hey guys it my first time here and i have access to these two devices.
I was wondering which one would be better performance wise, like the ui, but the most important thing for me is the screen quality. Which one do you think i should go for.
Thanks

[Ripplinger]

I have both and the Kobo Glo HD is definitely the better of the two readers. The screen is much better, text is smoother, sharper and darker looking than on the PW2, and screen coloring is very even. But you also have more control over fonts on Kobo readers, you're able to add your own and change the font thickness so it looks darker, and a lot of other customizations to the interface without having to root it. The PW2 only has about 6 fonts on it and the only adjustment you can make is adjust the size, but not the boldness or thickness of the fonts, and there's no easy way to root it.

[soulfuldog]

The PW2 is probably snappier (quicker page turns, menus etc) but that apart the UI really depends on your own personal preferences. In terms of screen quality the Glo HD has better resolution (more comparable to the more expensive Voyage & Kobo Aura H2O), which means the text looks a lot clearer add crisper, so therefore should be the clear winner over the PW2.

Unless you particularly want to use Amazon's infrastructure, for screen quality go for the Glo HD.

[HarryT]

You're not really comparing like with like. The Kindle Voyage is the equivalent of the Glo HD in terms of its screen, not the PW2.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You're not really comparing like with like. The Kindle Voyage is the equivalent of the Glo HD in terms of its screen, not the PW2.

The Glo HD is comparable to the PW2 in terms of price. The Voyage is priced much higher. If he's got a budget in mind, it makes sense to compare models in the same price range.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

The Glo HD is comparable to the PW2 in terms of price. The Voyage is priced much higher. If he's got a budget in mind, it makes sense to compare models in the same price range.

A fair point, certainly. Having had a Kobo H2O, a Voyage, and a PW2, personally I prefer the Kindle devices by far. I had a great deal of trouble with an inaccurate touchscreen on my H2O. Is the touchscreen of the Glo HD any better?

[Ripplinger]

I've never had a problem with the accuracy on any Kobo readers, including the Glo HD. Right now it's a bit sluggish but I'm sure that will be fixed in the next firmware update.

[ronnn]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Right now it's a bit sluggish

So, not so great?

Do you have some experience with how often kobo devices are updated?

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by ronnn

So, not so great?

Do you have some experience with how often kobo devices are updated?

They're updated very often. The page turn is slow only for the initial turn after it's been sitting a bit. If you repeatedly turn pages, it's much quicker then. I just start the page turn before the last few words and it's really not an issue.

Kobo does release firmware very often though like I said, it's the one thing I dislike about Kobo in general. I'd much rather than just did it right the first time and then stop messing with it, like Sony did on the x50 line of readers. I think there were only 2 firmware updates total for that line because it just all worked as it should.

[barryem]

I have a Kobo Glo (not HD) and an Aura (also not HD) as well as a Paperwhite 2 and a Voyage. Frankly they're all so good I'd be happy with any of them as my only device.

However, comparing them, yes the Kobo's allow far more adjustments to fonts and margins, etc. than do the Kindles, but the Kindle screen and text still looks better. No adjustments on the Kobo's can make the text as readable as either of the Kindles.

That isn't to say the Kobo's are bad. They're not. They look really good. The Kindles just look better.

I haven't seen the Glo HD or the Aura HD so I can't really compare them. I'm just giving my impression of the ones I have.

I read with all of them and I find that I really don't much care which I'm using. I prefer the navigation features of the Kobo, but not by much. I prefer the screen of the Kindles, but not by much. And when I'm reading I don't notice any of that. As Jeff Bezos says, these things disappear.

By the way, I like the Voyage more than the Paperwhite because it's smaller and lighter and feels better in my hand. But the higher resolution screen really doesn't have any effect on me. When I put them side by side and compare the Paperwhite looks just a bit better (warmer color) to me than the Voyage. When they're not side by side I can't tell the difference.

Barry

[meeera]

Originally Posted by barryem

I have a Kobo Glo (not HD) and an Aura (also not HD) as well as a Paperwhite 2 and a Voyage. Frankly they're all so good I'd be happy with any of them as my only device.

However, comparing them, yes the Kobo's allow far more adjustments to fonts and margins, etc. than do the Kindles, but the Kindle screen and text still looks better. No adjustments on the Kobo's can make the text as readable as either of the Kindles.

That isn't to say the Kobo's are bad. They're not. They look really good. The Kindles just look better.

I haven't seen the Glo HD or the Aura HD so I can't really compare them. I'm just giving my impression of the ones I have.

You're comparing two last-gen Kobos with two current-gen Kindles. It's not surprising that the displays are not the same. Bit of a waste of time, and not useful for the OP's question.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by meeera

You're comparing two last-gen Kobos with two current-gen Kindles. It's not surprising that the displays are not the same. Bit of a waste of time, and not useful for the OP's question.

I was careful to state in my post that I was comparing with the older Kobo's. I thought it was worth posting because there are other points of interest than just the screens. As I said I can't tell the difference in the various resolutions. I realize that others can but there are many people like me who can't.

In any case I thought there were other points to consider, like text handling and the fact that even though the Kobo gives so many more text options they don't make the text look as good as the Kindles. That goes way beyond screen quality.

Barry

[j777p]

Duplicate message deleted by moderator. Please do not make duplicate posts.

[Ripplinger]

Everything said in my posts above still stands, especially the comparison between the 2 readers since I have them both in Post #2.

The inner bezel can be a problem depending on what light you're reading in. It's more pronounced in direct sunlight of course, but you should be able to tilt the reader in such a way to minimize it. I don't think it bothers most people unless they have eyes very sensitive to bright light (like I do). The idea of putting any high-gloss finish on a reading device to me is just nuts. I posted pics of the glare in normal reading light on Page 57 of the Kobo Glo HD thread in the Kobo section, and in direct sunlight on Page 83.

What I hate most about the Kindle is that you cannot install your own fonts like you can on the Kobo, and the fonts they do have are very limited in adjustments. You can't make them any darker or bolder or thicker, just increase the size and nothing else. And that the Kindle handles collections so badly. You can't have Calibre sort your books automatically into collections on the Kindle. With the Kobo readers, Calibre will sort your sideloaded books directly into the correct collections.

I've had a Kobo Glo for over 2 years now used just about daily and there are no problems with how they hold up or quality of the build, they are very reliable. I'm now using the Glo HD which I love.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by orbspinner

Hey guys it my first time here and i have access to these two devices.
I was wondering which one would be better performance wise, like the ui, but the most important thing for me is the screen quality. Which one do you think i should go for.
Thanks

Well, now that the Paperwhite 3 is about out, the screen is no longer an issue (at least not screen resolution). Personally I think the Kindle's infrastructure is better and -- for me -- all the adjustments on the Kobo gets in the way (I'm always tweaking my Glo -- original one, not the newest). But you still have to consider ePub vs Mobi, the ability to add fonts vs. you get what you get, etc. For how I use an eReader (mostly buy from Amazon) the Kindle PW3 just makes more sense for me. But I fully realize that others have different priorities and usage patterns.