[Vengeance]

The only thing I would get the fire for is kids. I have a kindle and love reading on it. Of course I usually read a book on my kindle app on my phone but still love my kindle.

[Abyss]

The read in the dark thing is debatable, but it's the only arguement for me in the tablet vs ereader debate that pushes things towards an ereader especially with apps available that mimic the e-ink aspect. Battery life is a thing, but realistically no more a bother than charging your phone.
The Fire is just a decent surprisingly quality cheap tablet option, even if you opt for the slightly more expensive no ads version. I wouldn't otherwise recommend it over an iPad or Samsung, by example.
For me it comes down to having a single toy that does everything vs two that do the same thing but one does more. I recognize that's not a factor for everyone tho.

[Salt-Man Z]

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

The read in the dark thing is debatable, but it's the only arguement for me in the tablet vs ereader debate that pushes things towards an ereader

Can you read your tablet outside in broad daylight?

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

especially with apps available that mimic the e-ink aspect.

[citation needed]

The closest I've been able find via Google is "put a screen protector on your screen and dim your brightness, and it's kinda like e-ink." You can't make an app that makes an LED screen replicate an e-ink screen. That's not how LEDs work.

[Abyss]

Salt-Man Z, on 06 September 2016 - 03:29 AM, said:

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

The read in the dark thing is debatable, but it's the only arguement for me in the tablet vs ereader debate that pushes things towards an ereader

Can you read your tablet outside in broad daylight?

Yes. With simple adjustments to the font background and brightness. If you're referring to just plain daylight glare, I know that irks some people, but I just tilt the screen.

Quote

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

especially with apps available that mimic the e-ink aspect.

[citation needed]

The closest I've been able find via Google is "put a screen protector on your screen and dim your brightness, and it's kinda like e-ink." You can't make an app that makes an LED screen replicate an e-ink screen. That's not how LEDs work.

Mimic isn't perfect, I agree. But it's close enough for moi. May not work for all.

[Tiste Simeon]

I flipping love my Kindle. That is all.

[QuickTidal]

I'm too much of a bibliophile to love reading on my kindle. I only use it occasionally now (I have a Kindle 3 from a number of years ago) to read books I can't get in dead tree....but I get something tactile from dead tree books that I simply don't from the Kindle ones.

That said, my kindle is still pretty amazing for the books I DO read on it. It was WELL worth the money on that front and functions very well. I usually transfer from my laptop VIA USB. It's great for rare or out of dead-tree print books, and short stories ect. It's old, but still works well.

There is also the bonus of the kindle app on any other devices you may have.

But yeah, Kindle over Kobo from, anyone in my friends or family who have used e-readers.

[amphibian]

Abyss, on 06 September 2016 - 05:07 AM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 06 September 2016 - 03:29 AM, said:

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

The read in the dark thing is debatable, but it's the only arguement for me in the tablet vs ereader debate that pushes things towards an ereader

Can you read your tablet outside in broad daylight?

Yes. With simple adjustments to the font background and brightness. If you're referring to just plain daylight glare, I know that irks some people, but I just tilt the screen.

Not the way you can with an e-ink tablet. It's stunning how one never has to tilt or scooch around to reduce glare at any time when using one of these. But that's more appreciated by those who do outside reading vs those who read almost entirely indoors. YMMV.

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 06 September 2016 - 07:28 PM, said:

Abyss, on 06 September 2016 - 05:07 AM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 06 September 2016 - 03:29 AM, said:

Abyss, on 04 September 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

The read in the dark thing is debatable, but it's the only arguement for me in the tablet vs ereader debate that pushes things towards an ereader

Can you read your tablet outside in broad daylight?

Yes. With simple adjustments to the font background and brightness. If you're referring to just plain daylight glare, I know that irks some people, but I just tilt the screen.

Not the way you can with an e-ink tablet. It's stunning how one never has to tilt or scooch around to reduce glare at any time when using one of these. But that's more appreciated by those who do outside reading vs those who read almost entirely indoors. YMMV.

As someone eho has had to tilt the phone at a ridiculous angle to keep off the morning sun on the train it sounds like e-ink is exactly what I need

[Mentalist]

Resurrecting this thread. I am feeling ready to take the plunge myself.

So, question, directed at fellow Canadians primarily: what's better- Kobo or Kindle?

I buy loads at chapters and I know how a Kobo works, b/c I got one for my mom on her birthday a few years back.

On the other hand, Amazon appears to have a bigger selection (I virtually stopped using it for dead tree though, b/c I can get no shipping cost dead-tree through either Chapters or book depository)

Also, I know that I can import stuff into a Kobo (there's a bunch of Russian SFF I have in e-format that I would want to read) but I'm not sure how "locked" a Kindle is.

The other important factors are sturdiness (I tend to drop precious electronics a lot), battery life (it'll be mostly a commute thing), and lighting quality (same reason-eveneing commutes in the winter when it gets dark early).

Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Abyss]

In general i give amazon the edge over chapters/indigo/ratuken for content and availability sooner. Also, if amazon.ca doesn't have something it's easy enough to get it from .com or .uk. If kobo doesn't have it you're screwed.

Both platforms allow you to import from other vendors, subject to drm issues. Last i checked, kindle is gloriously simple, you just email the ebook to your @kindle.com account and it appears in your library. I think kobo is slightly more complicated, but only slightly.

The actual readers are very similar. Go to a BestBuy/Source, try both, do the online research re battery and durability but i suspect it will just come down to 'feel'.

I happily use an ipad for my ereading, but if i had to jump one way or the other, the content/timing point would nudge me towards a kindle.

[Cause]

Kindle is very easy to use. Its primary formats are MOBI and now AZW. It cant read the most common book format which is EPUB. Amazons collection is however the largest and you can probably find any book you want. If you cant there is plenty of free software like caliber that can convert any book format into any other book format. Id say this is a non issue.

Ereaders publish their battery stats in weird ways. They like to say a month. They mean a month of battery at 30 mins a day. Which is about 15 hours. They are the only electronic that I know of which advertises battery life in this weird way. So a full day of reading will drain the battery. However they are not wrong, ereaders really only need to use power to refresh the page. If you charge it and forget it and come back a year later it will still be charged. So for commuting any ereader should have the battery life to satisfy.

In regards to lighting most ereaders should satisfy as well. They almost all come with built in lights these days. Kobo and Kindle definitely do. You can have anything from 4 to 15 backlights, they all get the job done. However the more backlights the more uniform the lighting will be. Some people complain of inconsistent brightness on the screen. Its also seems to be the case that given the way the lights work using capilliries in the screen and internal refraction that no two ereaders have the excact same lighting ven when the same model.

Almost every ereader also has the same resolution. 300 pixels for inch.

So which should you get? The real differentiators are do you want 3g? (I wouldn't bother) screen size? Waterproofing? audio book support? buttons? (I prefer having at least one actual button for page turning compared to just touchscreen)

Edit - I would say ereaders tend to be pretty robust but as with all electronics splurging an extra 10 dollars for osme kind of case will pay of in the long run. If your very clumsy watch out for those ereaders like the new kindle oasis that have proper glass screens.

This post has been edited by Cause: 12 December 2017 - 01:18 PM

[amphibian]

Almost every tablet will be fine in the dark. That's what electronics are these days. But if you are in the bright light often, an e-ink reader is best for that.

I don't have one of those, but I am considering it. I've been bought a Kindle by an ex who didn't realize that I didn't want one and thankfully, I was gracious enough to completely hide this from her, so she'll never know about my dislike of her gift

I view Kindle tablets as "not open" because it's hard to side load apps on it manually and Amazon hates letting other big companies put their apps on the Amazon machinery. So years later, I bought a regular Samsung tablet and put the Kindle app on that, which allows me to read just fine.

I prefer that avenue, as it lets me put more apps on, have a better tablet, and not have to deal mostly with Amazon's mostly closed ecosystem.

My mother has several Kindle tablets because she swiped mine and has two of her own. She keeps dropping them and cracking the screen. What we've learned is that the case matters more than what tablet you have. If you're a dropping fiend, get a very strong case. There's dozens of models available online.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 07 December 2017 - 08:25 PM, said:

In general i give amazon the edge over chapters/indigo/ratuken for content and availability sooner. Also, if amazon.ca doesn't have something it's easy enough to get it from .com or .uk. If kobo doesn't have it you're screwed.

Both platforms allow you to import from other vendors, subject to drm issues. Last i checked, kindle is gloriously simple, you just email the ebook to your @kindle.com account and it appears in your library. I think kobo is slightly more complicated, but only slightly.

The actual readers are very similar. Go to a BestBuy/Source, try both, do the online research re battery and durability but i suspect it will just come down to 'feel'.

I happily use an ipad for my ereading, but if i had to jump one way or the other, the content/timing point would nudge me towards a kindle.

As a fellow Canadian, I concur with Abyss's comments above.

I went for the Kindle for the same reasons. And I LURVE my Kindle Paperwhite. And with their daily "deals" section (and our own cheap ebooks thread here) I've gotten more ebooks on amazon for$2-3 than anywhere else.

As for the device, I find the Kobo is slightly "flimsier" feeling compared to my Kindle...but that may just be me adding favouritism to the one I've got.

Bottom line for me is the selection and ease of use nudges the Kindle over the Kobo.

[Dadding]

I've got one of the original Kobo Auras. I like the size, it fits in all my jacket pockets perfectly, but I'm not a fan of their customer service. My Kobo bricked itself and wouldn't re-set or respond to anything. They offered to replace it free of charge since it was still under warranty. It took about 3 weeks of back-and-forth with all sorts of forms before they even shipped the replacement, and then they sent it to the wrong address. I had to contact Canada Post, they couldn't do anything, but told me the address it was shipped to, which didn't have the Apt #, and had the wrong street name and Postal Code.

I sent them a message to correct that, they confirmed my address, and then they shipped it to the (same) wrong address again. Third try worked, but the whole process took about 2 months and 3 shipments for me to finally get it.

[Mentalist]

Kindles apparently aren't sold in stores anymore, only online.

I'm still leaning that way, because of price point. Want to try playing around with the app on my phone to see how that works (I'd like a bookmark feature to flip back to maps, character lists, etc).

Of course, now it turns out, I may have some issues recovering my Amazon account... sigh.

Edit: figured out the amazon thing.
bought a book for the Kindle ("New Amsterdam" by Elizabeth Bear.. for 3 bucks! ). and.... my phone screen is 7 x 12 cm (almost 6 inches in diameter). I'm not sure any e-reader would be significantly better than that.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 17 December 2017 - 02:29 AM

[Cause]

Mentalist, on 16 December 2017 - 09:50 PM, said:

I'm still leaning that way, because of price point. Want to try playing around with the app on my phone to see how that works (I'd like a bookmark feature to flip back to maps, character lists, etc).
hat.

They did eventually program a a tool specifically for this.

[Hammerhead88]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for Kindle cases?

[QuickTidal]

Hammerhead88, on 07 February 2018 - 01:40 PM, said:

Does anyone have any good recommendations for Kindle cases?

I found Kindle cases just got in the way. I had one for my old Kindle....but I go caseless with my Paperwhite.

[Hammerhead88]

Thanks. Think I will try that first then!

[QuickTidal]

Hammerhead88, on 07 February 2018 - 01:51 PM, said:

Thanks. Think I will try that first then!

Note: If you're going to be tossing it about, and it's not residing in a safe place in your bag (I have a pocket that is felt lined designed for tablets and e-readers in my backpack, so my screen is always safe), then grab a case just to keep it in good shape.

The Leather paper white case will do you fine for that.