Re: Kindle v Kobo : Tue Nov 15, 2011 4:42 pm  

MickeyMo wrote: I've never seen (or even heard of) a Kobo so I can't comment on how it compares to the Kindle - all I can do is say how I find the Kindle. I've had mine for nearly a year now and I'm very happy with it. The fact that the screen is not back-lit is a real bonus and doesn't seem to be a strain on my eyes as much as a tablet or other e-reader. The flickering of the page as it turns is not as big an issue for me as it seems to be for others - in fact it doesn't bother me at all. It's practically instantaneous and doesn't take long to get used to. I got the 3G version but to be honest I wish I'd saved money and just gone for the wi-fi version as I have never had to download a book using 3G and I never use it to browse the internet (which I understand is not a pleasant experience on the Kindle, but I see it purely as a reading device). As has been pointed out, any e-book format can be swiftly converted to be read on the Kindle using a free program. Should you be so inclined, just as with music, there are plenty of places on the internet where you can download books for free - not that I condone such practices I hasten to add. I find that I am reading far more books than I used to do (and I've always been a voracious reader). I always used to have three or four books on the go at once and would pick one up depending on the mood I was in. This is even simpler with a Kindle. I recently read the six Booker Prize nominated books on the Kindle far quicker than I would have done with physical versions. I do still read the 'hard' copies of books though. I'm currently reading a History of Europe that I picked up before I had the Kindle. It's 1300 pages long and is a pain to hold and read in bed - a Kindle version would come in handy! I also don't think that e-readers are for everyone. I keep trying to get my partner to use the Kindle but she just can't take to it. It's a shame as we always used to share books and if she had a Kindle as well it would be simpler but she still prefers the physical version. Thanks for that mate, good review. I'm looking at the Kindle more so than the other makes and models now, they seem to be the best ones on the market and I like the looks of them too, I generally buy my books from Amazon anyway so being tied to them wouldn't bother me all that much. A lot of the books I tend to pick up are hardback and they're a nightmare to lump around to work or on the bus etc which is one of the main reasons I'm looking at getting one plus I like to dip in and out of books, especially the sports ones or biography books, so having one of these seems ideal for that. I've had a look at the Kindle's but not sure what the latest model is, I've been advised to get a keyboard one and I'm not sure I need 3G on it so a keyboard Wi-fi seems to make sense. I take it all Kindle's offer the facility to download magazines and newpapers too? This one seems really good: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wireless ... f_ee_p_t_2

MickeyMo wrote: I've never seen (or even heard of) a Kobo so I can't comment on how it compares to the Kindle - all I can do is say how I find the Kindle. I've had mine for nearly a year now and I'm very happy with it. The fact that the screen is not back-lit is a real bonus and doesn't seem to be a strain on my eyes as much as a tablet or other e-reader. The flickering of the page as it turns is not as big an issue for me as it seems to be for others - in fact it doesn't bother me at all. It's practically instantaneous and doesn't take long to get used to. I got the 3G version but to be honest I wish I'd saved money and just gone for the wi-fi version as I have never had to download a book using 3G and I never use it to browse the internet (which I understand is not a pleasant experience on the Kindle, but I see it purely as a reading device). As has been pointed out, any e-book format can be swiftly converted to be read on the Kindle using a free program. Should you be so inclined, just as with music, there are plenty of places on the internet where you can download books for free - not that I condone such practices I hasten to add. I find that I am reading far more books than I used to do (and I've always been a voracious reader). I always used to have three or four books on the go at once and would pick one up depending on the mood I was in. This is even simpler with a Kindle. I recently read the six Booker Prize nominated books on the Kindle far quicker than I would have done with physical versions. I do still read the 'hard' copies of books though. I'm currently reading a History of Europe that I picked up before I had the Kindle. It's 1300 pages long and is a pain to hold and read in bed - a Kindle version would come in handy! I also don't think that e-readers are for everyone. I keep trying to get my partner to use the Kindle but she just can't take to it. It's a shame as we always used to share books and if she had a Kindle as well it would be simpler but she still prefers the physical version. Thanks for that mate, good review. I'm looking at the Kindle more so than the other makes and models now, they seem to be the best ones on the market and I like the looks of them too, I generally buy my books from Amazon anyway so being tied to them wouldn't bother me all that much. A lot of the books I tend to pick up are hardback and they're a nightmare to lump around to work or on the bus etc which is one of the main reasons I'm looking at getting one plus I like to dip in and out of books, especially the sports ones or biography books, so having one of these seems ideal for that. I've had a look at the Kindle's but not sure what the latest model is, I've been advised to get a keyboard one and I'm not sure I need 3G on it so a keyboard Wi-fi seems to make sense. I take it all Kindle's offer the facility to download magazines and newpapers too? This one seems really good: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wireless ... f_ee_p_t_2

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Tue Nov 15, 2011 7:59 pm  

Kindle users, any issues reading .pdf files?

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:42 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

Kindle users, any issues reading .pdf files?

.pdf files (books) never format properly on the Sony, I've not had one yet that hasn't broken a page three quarters the way down or left blank pages in random places, so I don't think its an exclusive Kindle thing.

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:59 pm  

With not using the 3G or browsing the internet I'd be tempted to go for the keyboard-less Kindle if I was buying now but it all depends on how you plan to use it.

BG - not had a great deal of experience with pdf files on the Kindle but I did download a couple of magazines in that format and I don't think they looked great - I think probably because it's b&w and photos don't look great on it.

Just picked up Chris Joynt's autobiography for under a fiver on the Kindle if anyone's interested

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:23 am  

MickeyMo wrote:

With not using the 3G or browsing the internet I'd be tempted to go for the keyboard-less Kindle if I was buying now but it all depends on how you plan to use it.

BG - not had a great deal of experience with pdf files on the Kindle but I did download a couple of magazines in that format and I don't think they looked great - I think probably because it's b&w and photos don't look great on it.

Just picked up Chris Joynt's autobiography for under a fiver on the Kindle if anyone's interested

The keyboard one was recommended because it's easier to search, having read a few reviews some people have commented it's worth the extra size and weight but I'd like to see/hold one first.

Is it not very good to read magazines/newspapers on then?

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:59 pm  

A good thorough review on the Kindle here and from someone who's used the Sony version too http://www.ereader-reviews.co.uk/amazon ... -3-review/

A good thorough review on the Kindle here and from someone who's used the Sony version too http://www.ereader-reviews.co.uk/amazon ... -3-review/

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:42 am  

Just a postscript to this and only slightly diverting the thread - audio books.

Leeds City Libraries set up their excellent eBooks loan service a couple of years ago and the fact that its growing in size is an indicator of its popularity, and why shouldn't it be, you get to pick from thousands of eBooks and read them for free on your (most) eReader device for three weeks.

Now they have added an audio book service, download from a choice of audio books with permission to copy to an MP3 player (in WMA format) or burn to CD.

'tis good news if you are a Leeds citizen - or is it ?

Earlier this year they announced their plans for their "traditional" library services which included a "consolidation programme", ie they closed some small local branches and concentrated their resources into the larger ones, I have to say that I didn't notice any effect at all being that my local one is also one of their largest, but if the eBook and audio book download service increases in popularity as it seems to be doing then where will that leave the traditional library?

I admit with some embarrassment that I haven't visited my local library for some times now, am I part of a future problem ?

[Nat (Rugby_Aholic)]

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:39 am  

I have a Kindle. Anything you cant get on Amazon's Kindle book store you can get from elsewhere and simply email it to your unique kindle email address. The service converts it to Kindle format and sends it to your device. I have done this with ePub numerous times, although according to Amazon's guide it shouldn't work.

[Nat (Rugby_Aholic)]

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:40 am  

I have a Kindle. Anything you cant get on Amazon's Kindle book store you can get from elsewhere and simply email it to your unique kindle email address. The service converts it to Kindle format and sends it to your device. I have done this with ePub numerous times, although according to Amazon's guide it shouldn't work.

Re: Kindle v Kobo : Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:04 pm  

Nat (Rugby_Aholic) wrote:

I have a Kindle. Anything you cant get on Amazon's Kindle book store you can get from elsewhere and simply email it to your unique kindle email address. The service converts it to Kindle format and sends it to your device. I have done this with ePub numerous times, although according to Amazon's guide it shouldn't work.

Is it with or without a keyboard? which ever way it is would you recommend that style? I'm not sure which one I'll be getting at the moment.