I switched from a Kindle ereader to Kobo for per week — this is why I am by no means going again
After a number of years as a Kindle fan, I’ve deserted ship.
Final month, Amazon introduced it was eradicating a function that allowed customers to obtain their Kindle books to their PC, whether or not to backup these books or use a instrument like Calibre to learn them on a non-Kindle system. With this function gone, the solely option to learn Kindle books is now on a Wi-Fi-connected Kindle or the Kindle app.
This announcement sparked frustration for lots of readers, prompting many (myself included) to take a better have a look at the Kindle’s closest rival, Kobo. For those who’re additionally contemplating making the change, you may be skeptical about whether or not or not it is actually price it or whether or not Kobo ereaders can really examine to a Kindle.
I switched to a Kobo ereader for per week to seek out out. My expertise left me completely sure which ereader I will be utilizing any more.
Why I left Kindle (and it is best to, too)
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Amazon’s change to its e-book downloading guidelines won’t sound like a giant deal. In any case, in the event you’re shopping for ebooks on Amazon, you are most likely planning to learn them on a Kindle or within the app anyway. Nevertheless, this transfer cements the truth that whenever you purchase a Kindle e-book, you do not truly personal it as a result of Amazon can change or take away that title out of your library at any level and you may’t learn it exterior Amazon’s ecosystem.
Amazon has already made use of this management up to now. Again in 2009, Amazon eliminated copies of 1984 from Kindle units after discovering an impartial vendor did not have the correct authorization to promote the e-book. After all, the individuals who purchased it had no manner of figuring out that. Amazon and publishers can also (and have) modified the content material and covers of Kindle ebooks with out giving readers any choice to decide on which model of the ebook they need.
Seeing Amazon take away the one function that might permit customers to regulate entry to the ebooks they’ve bought did not sit properly with me. My Kindle was getting a bit outdated and battered across the edges anyway, so I made a decision it was time to make the leap to Kobo.
What Kobo does higher (and worse) than Kindle
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Like Amazon, Rakuten gives a variety of Kobo ereaders, from the essential Clara BW to the feature-packed Libra Color. I desire small, mild ereaders and did not actually need a colour show, so I went with the essential Kobo Clara BW (black and white). It is successfully the Kobo equal of the Kindle Paperwhite.
Probably the most inconvenient a part of making the change was truly getting my Kobo. Due to Prime, you may order a Kindle and probably have it that day. Whereas Kobo ereaders can be found on Amazon, it appeared a bit counterintuitive to purchase one there so I ordered immediately from Rakuten. The delivery took a few week from the time I positioned my order to when my ereader arrived.
The construct high quality of the Kobo Clara BW feels actually stable, noticeably moreso than my Kindle (2022 All-New Kindle). The plastic on the Clara is visibly extra textured, which makes it simpler to carry. It does not look as “minimalistic” as the graceful case on the Kindle, nevertheless it’s rather more sensible. I additionally like that the Kobo has its energy button on the again as a substitute of on the sides just like the Kindle. The location of the ability button on the underside fringe of my Kindle made it simple to press on accident.
Sadly, since Kobo ereaders aren’t as well-liked as Kindles, there are far fewer choices for instances and equipment. I wasn’t in search of something fancy, so I simply received the essential clear plastic Clara case. Nevertheless, in the event you prefer to deck out your ereader with a trendy or distinctive case, you most likely will not have as many to select from.
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The studying expertise on the Kobo is implausible. The interface may be very simple and solely took a couple of minutes for me to get used to. I particularly love that the Residence display on my Clara is not filled with store suggestions like my Residence display on my Kindle. You possibly can entry the Kobo retailer and purchase ebooks from the Clara, however the promoting is not proper in your face, which is a aid.
One factor that originally threw me off that I ended up appreciating is the way in which Kobo counts pages. For example, if I am on “web page 8 out of 16” in a chapter on my Kobo, every “web page” is one swipe of my display. In distinction, Kindle does not regulate web page numbers on your system and show settings so that you may be on “web page 8” for a number of swipes of your display. I desire the way in which my web page quantity is displayed on Kobo as a result of it makes it a lot simpler to gauge how shut I’m to the top of a chapter.
Thus far, I just like the Kobo retailer higher than the Kindle retailer. Even simply in my first week of utilizing my Kobo, I’ve discovered over a dozen titles from my wishlist on sale for $5 or much less. After all, ebooks go on sale on Kindle, as properly, however I’ve observed extra important and frequent reductions on Kobo.
As an added bonus, Rakuten nonetheless permits you to obtain and export your Kobo ebooks to different units, at the least on the time of writing. You additionally need not pay to take away lockscreen advertisements like on the Kindle (that is proper, there are no lockscreen advertisements on Kobo).
Do I remorse switching to Kobo?
I have never picked up my Kindle in over per week, and albeit, I forgot the place it was for just a few days. That is how content material I’m studying on my Kobo.
The battery life and the standard of the E-ink show on my Kobo are simply nearly as good, if not higher than, my Kindle, and Kobo nonetheless helps downloading and exporting your ebooks, so your library is not locked into one ecosystem or system. The Kobo UI is much less cluttered with store suggestions, consists of extra fonts, and has a extra handy page-counting system. Fundamental options like highlighting, including notes, or wanting up definitions for phrases all work simply as easily as they do on Kindle.
After all, making the change won’t be for everybody, particularly when you’ve got a big Kindle library you are now not capable of export. Nevertheless, in case your Kindle is due for an improve, you are seeking to depart the Amazon ecosystem, otherwise you’re purchasing on your first ereader, I extremely advocate giving Kobo a shot. The drawbacks in comparison with Amazon are few and comparatively small and the pricing is just about equivalent.
I’ve had an amazing expertise with my Kobo up to now and may safely say will probably be my ereader of selection for the foreseeable future. So lengthy, Kindle.