Kindle vs Kobo – and a book blogger’s dilemma
The E-reader.
Does it signal the end of the paperback? Is it the sign of things to come?
In my opinion, as an avid book reader, I have to admit that I have changed my mind about the e-reader of late.
Far from being a horrible gadget, I actually think it’s a fantastic addition to the bookworm’s armoury…
Allow me to explain….
A few weeks ago, the PR guys at WH Smith asked if I would be interested in trying their Kobo e-reader.
“I know you say you’re not into e-books, but we’d love you to try it out…” they said.
So, apprehensively I said “OK, sure, why not?”.
A few days later I received the Kobo, complete with leather case and I tweeted WHSmith saying thanks, embarking upon a week of reading some e-books. In 50 hours I finished six and shared a few “reading awards” on Facebook.
However, my love for the Kobo was undone when the guys at Amazon picked up that I was loving my Kobo.
They sent me a message asking if I’d like to try out the new Kindle Fire.
“We see you’re enjoying the Kobo, but the Kindle Fire is so much better – would you like to try it out?”
Now, not one to turn down a freebie, I thought I’d check it out – just to compare, like…!
Anyway, I have to say, in all honesty, that the Kindle Fire wins, hands down.
It’s the equivalent of putting Mike Tyson up against a fat Ricky Hatton. The Kindle Fire is an e-reader which I can’t believe I’ve been so anti. I have consigned my Kobo to the dustbin (Sorry!)
I know, I know. You’re probably shouting at your screen right now – “You said you like physical books too much! You’re a sell-out, Book Boy!”
Yes, yes, I know, but let me convince you?
I love the Kindle Fire because:
1) You can download free books from Amazon from unknown authors (You can’t do this on Kobo). I am a big champion of helping out unpublished authors without a publishing house, as my reviews show. Being able to read their books on my Fire removes me having to read PDFs on my laptop. For this reason alone, being able to download .epub files straight to my e-reader will help out my website no end. Sorry – but you can’t do that on the Kobo. I am a fan of the amateur author.
2) You can “lend” books for free if you are an Amazon “premium” member (£50 a year – unlimited lends – is a bargain) Think of it as an electronic library!
3) You can subscribe to blogs for free from the newsstand (You can’t do this on Kobo) And you can subscribe to popular blogs for 50p a month!
4) Books are much cheaper to download on the Kindle – 70p for a Mike Gayle book vs £1.99 on one comparison (The To-Do-List)
5) The Kindle Fire is like a tablet – you can check your email, log into Facebook, Twitter and even watch BBC iPlayer
6) You can upload mp3s and podcasts to the Kindle Fire (I can go running in the gym without having to take an mp3 player – all in one!)
7) You can play full-colour games – e.g Angry Birds
8) You can watch movies
9) The web browser is very quick, efficient and easy to use
10) Unlike the Kobo I was sent, the Fire is full colour, full screen which (when you tilt), tilts to meet your needs…
The only downside of the Kindle Fire vs the Kobo is that you can’t sort books into shelves. Plus I love the Kobo’s awards for reading…
Anyway, enough gushing about them. If you want an e-reader – then I have to say that you should go for the Kindle Fire. At £130 I think it’s amazing
(But I still like paperbacks and I will never, ever give them up….!)
What do you think? Am I a sell-out?
Do you have an opinion of Kobo or Kindle?
Leave me a comment!!!
Chosing any eReader is a difficult choice for book lovers, so much of a book is down to the look, feel and smell of the pages. But you can’t stay with a medium just because of those aspects, convenience plays such a huge part of the experience too. And as long as the words and imagery are the same you cans till get lost in a story whether you’re reading it on paper or a screen.
As an author, and one who is going to see how the Amazon self-publishing experience helps or hinders a writer, I have to embrace the eReader whether it’s a Kindle a Kobo or any number of other tablets with the right app on them…
I don’t think you are comparing like for like there. The Kindle Fire is a tablet which runs the Kindle app, and from my brief experience doesn’t rate vs a tablet like the Nexus 7.
A true comparison for the Kobo would be the traditional Kindle. I have an ‘old school’ Kindle (I don’t need a keyboard or touchscreen to read a book) and I love it. I have the Kindle app on my Nexus 7 and yes it looks great and all, but the battery life isn’t anything compared to an e-book reader (I charge my Kindle every month or two).
Only downside is not being able to read in the dark (you know, the same downside as a real book) but then maybe I should think of upgrading to the Paperwhite!
I was exactly the same! I never thought I would enjoy a book so much if I wasn’t physically turning the pages, but I’m a bit of a gadget lover so I bought a Kindle about a year ago to see what the fuss was about. And I must confess, I love it.
When I go on holiday my suitcase isn’t weighed down by books. If I finish a book on the bus I have the next one all ready to read. And it’s been a great excuse to read some of the classics as many are available free from Amazon.
I will never give up buying paperbacks. There’s something very comforting about browsing a second hand bookshop and I love to see my books in my bookcase. But my Kindle means I can enjoy more books wherever I am, so I have to give that the thumbs up.
So, no. I don’t think you’re a sell out. You’ve just found another way to enjoy reading – and that can never be a bad thing.
In my view anything that enables people to read more and access books easily is a good thing, and this is coming from a Librarian! ‘Real’ books are still vital for many users, but for quick fiction fixes e-readers are fantastic tools. Only problem with Kindle is that Amazon don’t allow loanable library items to be downloaded onto them. Having said that, I love the Kindle I won in a raffle!
Interesting post! I was very much in the anti e-reader camp as I love everything about the physical book experience (there’s nothing like the smell of a new book!). However, as most of my reading gets done during my commute the e-reader was an obvious option to stop the dull practical problem of my bag being so heavy. I must say, I love it. I find I whizz through books a lot faster (not sure why!) and it’s great to be able to just start a new book immediately after I’ve finished another. It just makes the reading experience a lot smoother when you’re on the go.
I don’t really have much to say on the Kobo or the Fire (I have the basic Kindle), I’m definitely in the pro-camp now, although my physical book buying days aren’t behind me – browsing Amazon will never have the same appeal as lost lunchtimes in the bookshops near my office…
I have to agree with Chris here, you’re comparing an eReader with a tablet. Amazon really should have sent you the Kindle Paperwhite for comparison. I think that was a little sneaky of them, but then that’s one of the reasons why they’re so successful and this blog entry proves it.
Do you do any eBook reading on your computer or smartphone? I have the Kindle for PC app but tend to read more on the Kindle for Windows Phone app.