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Old 11-13-2023, 04:56 PM   #1
lomafor
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Pocketbook Versa Pro vs Kobo Clara 2E
I just got both devices new for a few days now - they are very similar from both size and price standpoints, so I want to summarize their pros and cons in my view.

Pocketbook Versa Pro

Pros
- Better ergonomic, slightly more grippy and looks SEXY naked! (But it matters less w. case/clothes on)
- Support auto rotation (More comfortable to read in landscape mode w/wo buttons, not sure how case will affect this)
- Multiple ways to send books (Email, Dropbox)
- Very customizable setting (Backlight, buttons, logos, ...)
- Slightly easier to highlight and move cursor

Cons
- More expensive ($20 more)
- Quite noticeable uneven backlight (Top is brighter)
- Bloated software (Why would I need calendar and game?!)
- Slower awake from sleep
- Open book is slower
- Minor
- No book cover in sleep mode (Only in off mode)
- Can't show percentage in reading mode (Only pages left)
- Slightly heavier

Questionable (For my use cases)
- 4 Physical buttons that are customizable
- TTS (Sounds robotic, not sure if I want/need this)

Kobo Clara 2E

Pros
- Minimalist software (No games, no gimmicky)
- More even backlight (Not perfect but barely noticeable)
- Better official case (Sleep/wake, magnet, look & feel)
- Instant awake from sleep (Feel great in comparison!)
- Sleep with book cover (I love this)
- Mods, hacks and communities

Cons
- Solid quality but not as sexy as Pocketbook (Again, plan to use case so this is okay)
- Need cable to send books (Not going to read 10 books a week so this is acceptable to me)
- No auto-rotation (But can manual rotate via NickelMenu)
- No buttons (But I am ok with screen, it's smooth and accurate)

Questionable (For my use cases)
- Overdrive (Plan to sideload mostly, so unsure how useful)

It's a very tough one. Both devices have things I like and dislikes. I am leaning toward Kobo for the simplicity. Pocketbook is very customizable but I have a feeling that most of the settings do not really matter. (YMMV) Hope this helps those on the fence.
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Old 11-14-2023, 12:48 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lomafor View Post
It's a very tough one. Both devices have things I like and dislikes. I am leaning toward Kobo for the simplicity. Pocketbook is very customizable but I have a feeling that most of the settings do not really matter. (YMMV) Hope this helps those on the fence.
The HD 3 is basically the same (microUSB vs USB-C) and my HD 3 screen is really good. This might be a third choice.

Overdrive is simple on PocketBooks. Just download the .acsm file and email it to your PocketBook. It downloads the book from the .acsm file. I check out the books (sometimes) using the built-in browser on the HD 3 on my library's Overdrive site.

Good luck with your choice.
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Old 11-14-2023, 02:43 AM   #3
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Kobo Clara 2E

Cons
- Need cable to send books
Or you can use Dropbox, or Calibre Content Server. (Or just sync, to load your Overdrive library books.)
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Old 11-14-2023, 07:25 AM   #4
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With the Kobo, I believe you can only listen to audiobooks on it bought through the Kobo store.

On the Pocketbook you can play various audiobook formats and can sideload your own audiobooks etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lomafor View Post
- No book cover in sleep mode (Only in off mode)
Not entirely true. You can manually change the sleep screen/logo, but it wouldn't be automatic. You'd need to change it manually to match each new book.

In general, both good ereader choices however.
Last edited by neil_swann80; 11-14-2023 at 07:48 AM.
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Old 11-14-2023, 01:56 PM   #5
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With the Kobo, I believe you can only listen to audiobooks on it bought through the Kobo store.
Not quite right, Kobo has an primitive player for MP3 audiobooks in a .zip wrapper. I tested it with a couple of audiobooks but audiobooks are so <expletive deleted> slow.
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Old 11-14-2023, 03:35 PM   #6
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Not quite right, Kobo has an primitive player for MP3 audiobooks in a .zip wrapper. I tested it with a couple of audiobooks but audiobooks are so <expletive deleted> slow.

Yes, I tested it when I first got my sage with Il Gattopardo for which I had an mp3, but lost interest when I realiased I couldn't play it and read it at the same time
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Old 11-15-2023, 04:09 AM   #7
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Pocketbook Versa Pro

Pros
- Latest version of RMSDK

Kobo Clara 2E

Pros
- Excellent eBook management with calibre
Last edited by JSWolf; 11-15-2023 at 04:46 AM.
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Old 11-15-2023, 05:00 AM   #8
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Quote:
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Yes, I tested it when I first got my sage with Il Gattopardo for which I had an mp3, but lost interest when I realiased I couldn't play it and read it at the same time
I cannot play music and listen to an audiobook at the same time on my iPhone.
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Old 11-15-2023, 05:10 AM   #9
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I cannot play music and listen to an audiobook at the same time on my iPhone.
No multitasking on iOS?


FYI... you can listen to an audiobook in the background on Pocketbook, should you wish to read along, or play sudoku etc at the same time.
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Old 11-15-2023, 05:14 AM   #10
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No multitasking on iOS?


FYI... you can listen to an audiobook in the background on Pocketbook, should you wish to read, or play sudoku etc at the same time.
My earlier post said that I could play and read it at the same time. I had hoped that it might be possible to play the audiobook while reading the ebook, not at all the same situation described above. Because it was not possible, I ended up playing the mp3 on my PC while reading along on my Sage
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Old 11-15-2023, 05:21 AM   #11
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Just to clarify... my feedback for background audiobook play (so you can read along) was for a Pocketbook ereader rather than a Kobo.
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Old 11-15-2023, 05:30 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neil_swann80 View Post
Just to clarify... my feedback for background audiobook play (so you can read along) was for a Pocketbook ereader rather than a Kobo.
Thanks - that is good to know. Pocketbooks are very expensicve here, much more so than Kobos, but I'll keep that useful ferature in mind when next shopping for a new reader.
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Old 11-15-2023, 08:40 AM   #13
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No multitasking on iOS?


FYI... you can listen to an audiobook in the background on Pocketbook, should you wish to read along, or play sudoku etc at the same time.
I can listen to an audiobook on my iPhone and follow along with a different app to display the eBook.

Would you really want to be able to play an audiobook and music at the same time?
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Old 11-15-2023, 09:25 AM   #14
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I can listen to an audiobook on my iPhone and follow along with a different app to display the eBook.

Would you really want to be able to play an audiobook and music at the same time?
Sudoku is a paper based puzzle, not a rock band. Not actually Asian either. Invented in the UK.
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Old 11-17-2023, 11:44 PM   #15
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Thanks for the tips. I ended up picking Kobo. Mainly because I am looking for a pure ebook/epub only device with least distractions possible.
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