Ebook readers - who's got what?

scrumhalf

My Nook ebook reader has expired and is on its way to silicon heaven. I need to replace it. I'm torn between a Kobo and a Kindle. There's £10 between them at John Lewis for the Kobo Aura and Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kobo seems to work with a greater number of formats, a longer battery life but the Kindle has a greater PPI count.

I want a backlight but I'm not bothered about the device being sandproof/waterproof or being 3G. Sadly neither takes an SD/micro SD card.

Who's using what, and waht's your opinion?

randella

Kindle Paperwhite here, pretty solid.  The backlight is actually a 'front' light and very effective.

Go to JL and try one, I like mine.  I've had it for well over four years and it's been on the beach, thrown in a bag, all over really.

TTony

Kindle app on an iPad?

BRISTOL86

Kindle paperwhite here too and can’t think of anything I’d want it to do that it doesnt. Not flashy, but bombproof and great battery life. Does what it’s meant to do and does it well

crunchman

Personally I'd go for a Kobo or something else that supports Epub.

The problem with a Kindle is that it downloads Amazon's own format, which won't open on other readers, so you end up locked into Amazon forever.  Sometimes you can convert the file, but Amazon do put protection on the files.  There are probably ways around this, but it's hassle.

Worst case something like this happens with Amazon:
https://www.nbcnews.com/technology/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-1C6626211

You also potentially run into issues like this:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2547536/Leaving-digital-music-children-Sorry-dies-you.html

With Epub being an open format, I don't know what the legal position would be, but if you give your kids your device, or your hard drive, then they do have copies.

If you get a Kindle, you can buy the books in Epub, and keep them as master files, and convert to the Amazon format in something like Calibre to read it.

Personally I've still got a Nook that I picked up for £30.  I just sideload Epub files onto it.

duotone

BRISTOL86 said:

Kindle paperwhite here too and can’t think of anything I’d want it to do that it doesnt. Not flashy, but bombproof and great battery life. Does what it’s meant to do and does it well

My mum has knocked hers on the floor loads of times & it's still working fine, with no screen damage at all.

scrumhalf

crunchman said:

Personally I'd go for a Kobo or something else that supports Epub.

The problem with a Kindle is that it downloads Amazon's own format, which won't open on other readers, so you end up locked into Amazon forever.  Sometimes you can convert the file, but Amazon do put protection on the files.  There are probably ways around this, but it's hassle.

Worst case something like this happens with Amazon:
https://www.nbcnews.com/technology/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-1C6626211

You also potentially run into issues like this:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2547536/Leaving-digital-music-children-Sorry-dies-you.html

With Epub being an open format, I don't know what the legal position would be, but if you give your kids your device, or your hard drive, then they do have copies.

If you get a Kindle, you can buy the books in Epub, and keep them as master files, and convert to the Amazon format in something like Calibre to read it.

Personally I've still got a Nook that I picked up for £30.  I just sideload Epub files onto it.

If I could get another Nook Simple Touch I'd go for it, but whilst it handles epub files with few problems it's horrible for pdfs.

randella

duotone said:

BRISTOL86 said:

Kindle paperwhite here too and can’t think of anything I’d want it to do that it doesnt. Not flashy, but bombproof and great battery life. Does what it’s meant to do and does it well

My mum has knocked hers on the floor loads of times & it's still working fine, with no screen damage at all.

They do break if the screen is pressed with a pointed object.  At least between us we think that's what happened to Mrs. R's in her bag.  She has a case now.

Also, if they're left on an American Airlines flight, they don't magically return themselves.  Which was probably more likely than American Airlines doing anything about it.

@TTony - the iPad app works well, but what I find nice about the Kindle screen is the lighting.  The iPad keeps me awake, whereas the Kindle is more like actually reading a book.  I dunno, people are different with these things.

TTony

True point re the lighting @randela.

BRISTOL86

duotone said:

BRISTOL86 said:

Kindle paperwhite here too and can’t think of anything I’d want it to do that it doesnt. Not flashy, but bombproof and great battery life. Does what it’s meant to do and does it well

My mum has knocked hers on the floor loads of times & it's still working fine, with no screen damage at all.

Yeah I’ve dropped mine, chucked it in and out of countless cars, bags, drawers etc, got it covered in sun cream, booze and more and it still looks and works like it did on day one! 

Snap

randella said:

Kindle Paperwhite here, pretty solid.  The backlight is actually a 'front' light and very effective.

Go to JL and try one, I like mine.  I've had it for well over four years and it's been on the beach, thrown in a bag, all over really.

Same. Hard to fault, and like you say, tough. I'll happily get another when it packs up.

Jalapeno

Kindle Paperwhite here. Love it.

Exorcist

Kindle Paperwhite - the light is fantastic, I can read in bed without annoying the wife, battery lasts ages, and I often pick decent 99p books on the daily/monthly deals. I wouldn't bother going with anything else personally. Oh - and its nice and easy on my eyes.

jonnyburgo

I have an old kindle, still great and I just convert stuff to Mobi if it isn't already.

Paul_C

I'm still using an old Kindle 4 - there are plenty of sites where you can convert epub etc. to mobi, even text files.

I'd probably get a Paperwhite if mine died, but it seems ok so far.

Philly_Q

Kindle Paperwhite for me too.  No idea how it compares with anything else, I didn't do much research.  I've got the Amazon leather case for it too, which was pricey but it's really sturdy and well made.

I've got the Kindle app on my Samsung tablet as well, which is pretty good but the functionality's different and I find the shiny screen a bit annoying.

Floof

Kindle Voyage and the Amazon Origami Leather case for it. It's well protected enough that it gets used as the coaster for my bedside mug of tea lol 

dogload

There's a programme called Calibre that is an ebook librarian and converter, It's free from https://calibre-ebook.com/

It's actually pretty good.jonnyburgo said:

I have an old kindle, still great and I just convert stuff to Mobi if it isn't already.

Same here

HAL9000

Kindle Paperwhite here, plus a hard cover. Very pleased with it.

fob

I have a Paperwhite too and, as someone who reads 1-2 hours a day (not including work stuff) it was a revelation. Can't really complain about it but I would like a bigger screen and, although converting books to Mobi through Calibre isn't much of a faff, it would be nice not having to do it.

If I can manage to get a few minutes to myself today I'm going to pop into WH Smith to look at the Kobo Aura One. Like you I'm not that fussed about waterproofing etc. but the whole package might just make it worth the £190 they're asking. A lot of money for what it is but, again, something that gets a lot of use.

Floof

fob said:

 although converting books to Mobi through Calibre isn't much of a faff, it would be nice not having to do it.

Have you considered paying for them?