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Kobo? Kindle? 

I'm so torn!

 

I want it to be able to read pdfs as well as novels. I'm a very petite person and consequently weight is a factor.

 

Suggestions? Comments?

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Are you looking for a dedicated e-reader or a tablet such as the Kindle Fire?

 

I checked and the ordinary Kindle reads PDF's as well as Kindle books. In the US there is a sale on Kindles right now (Mother's Day Sale).

Edited by jt07
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Definitely Kindle if you're going for an e-reader. I have the app on my phone, the selection in the store is better than the Kobo, I find the prices on Amazon better, they have better sales, and the file sizes are smaller.

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Sorry to keep posting in this thread, but I love such topics!

 

I generally don't like tablets either, but one reason to get a tablet is because you can get an app for all the different formats. That way, you're not tied to any one platform. But if I had to choose a dedicated e-reader, I would choose a Kindle simply because there are so many books in Kindle format.

 

Barnes and Noble also make an e-reader (the Nook), but I don't know much about it.

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Eh, you can keep coming back to it as often as you'd like. I didn't even think about factoring mothers' day sales into the equation. I need to get cracking!

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The downside of a tablet that I didn't really consider until after I got one is that I can't use it outside. I wish I had a device I could read outside on.

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The downside of a tablet that I didn't really consider until after I got one is that I can't use it outside. I wish I had a device I could read outside on.

 

i've always wondered about that. i know people who take their tablets on vacation... but how do they read when they're outside? wouldn't the glare be a huge problem?

 

one of my family members has a kobo. it's very pretty and lasts a long time without dying but i don't see much selection in the kobo store. i get most ebooks off the internet for her and convert them to epub so she can read for free/at a discounted price.

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You can get a kindle that surfs?? Huh. I have an old old Kindle 2. I love love it. Of course I only use it to read novels not pdfs but the ability to read it anywhere is kind of awesome. My Ipad is worthless in the sun. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had the original kindle, kindle paper white, nook color, and finally the kindle hdx (which is what I have now). I'm embarrassed that I tried so many. It's impulsive of me!

But if you want a more tablet I'd say the kindle fire hdx, but if you want strictly a reader I'd go with the paper white. I had the original kindle and had to get an awkward book light for it. With the paper white you don't need that as it lights up itself.

Oh and I prefer kindle over nook any day of the week. At least for me, I find kindle has more choices and better selection, etc. Cheaper books too from what I've found.

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I have the Kindle with the paper-like surface, no backlighting. That's a problem with the Fire (my husband has one). DH is always stealing mine when he wants to actually read a book. He gave it to me, and he got me the 8X11 for me, because it was new, and he has to buy the newest thing. To be honest, I would like a smaller one, but I don't want to hurt his feelings.

 

I love my Kindle, I can make the print really large. It annoys me that they sucked us all in with really cheap books, and nowadays, the Kindle version might be more than the print version! You can get good deals when they have specials. I haven't heard of the paper white, and should possibly look into that one, because needing a night light is annoying. Still, I just downloaded Dubliners yesterday, because it was James Joyce's 100th birthday. It is old enough of a book that there are free versions. I think Dubliners is one of my favorite books, and I have 3 print versions plus the ebook. Short stories can be better on paper, but I can actually read the print on the kindle.

 

I sometimes use it's voice, which I like, but it seems like not all e-books can be read by the kindle? It isn't offered in the menu for some books. Also, since I read a lot of history, it reads footnote numbers, so it will be like "Queen Elizabeth went to Tilsbury 17, where she gave a famous speech 18 while wearing a bronze stomacher 19." Which is surprisingly distracting.

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  • 2 months later...

I've looked at e-readers before and I think overall the best choice would be the Kindle.  Seems to have a great selection of it's own library made for the device and also supports other e-reader formats such as pdf.  From what I've read it has very good clarity with it's Paper White technology.

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If you really want to read pdf's, you should make sure whatever you get is big enough. Crack open some pdf files and see how they would fit on the size screen you are looking at. PDF's don't "flow." They act a lot more like a picture of the page you're looking at. So if a page is 8" wide originally, you're going to have to shrink that 8" down to whatever the width of your screen is, and that might make it unreadably tiny. Just because a format is supported doesn't mean it's readable. (I'm open to correction on this, but converting PDF's to epubs makes me doubt how readable it be on a small screen). If you're very serious about pdf's, you might have to go with a full-size tablet. 

 

As far as compatibility of formats go, I'm using a Barnes & Noble Nook (e-ink). I use a program to translate kindle books to a more generic format. But it's a hassle and probably illegal. 

 

I spend enough time on my actual, full-size, full-color, all-dancing, all-knowing computer, so I like having a dedicated e-ink reader that does nothing but read books ... The battery life on e-ink readers is much, much better, too. 

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