Aura h2o or voyage

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by evanft

This is true, but I prefer doing stock-to-stock comparisons. Having to do the conversion every time with my Kobo is extremely annoying. Sure, the Kindle wastes space, but you don't have to go through a process in Calibre to get it to it's "ideal" state.

You do not have to do any sort of Calibre conversion for the H2O. I don't know where you got that, but it's WRONG!

I should have noted this as a positive, but I was really focusing on Kobo's ecosystem vs Amazon's ecosystem. Amazon's store is consistently better in terms of content and prices.

I've noticed that Google Books generally matches prices with Amazon. So you can buy from there as they are ePub and will work on an H2O.

How much of a difference is there?

Check the PW1 vs the PW2 and you'll get a rough idea how much difference there is with the Carta screen. Though I would expect the H2O to maybe have better battery life depending on the usage of the light as with the H2O, the light can be turned off, not so on the PW2 and I'm guessing the Voyage as well.

I'd love to see this video. I've got the upgrade bug.

It's one of the Goodereader videos. I'll have to see if I can find the URL. It is on YouTube. Should be easy enough to find.

It's one of those differences that you won't notice until you have them both, but you'll notice it forever after that.

The videos I've seen on the H2O do not show there to be any issue with the IR touch and from my experience, I see nothing wrong there.

I've spent a decent amount of time with the PW2. I didn't find it dark at all. I think that all these screens, save for maybe the Kobo Aura, are so close in contrast and background color that the discussion is somewhat moot. They're all very good, whether you buy a Kobo or Kindle.

I have seen the PW1 in person and I did find the screen darker (when the light is at minimum) then my T1. I cannot say how the Voyage will fair with the light at minimum.

I have WiFi turned off on my Aura HD. It's still fine, but just not as good as any Kindle I've had.

Did you have the light on all the time when you used the HD or did you have the light off?

[PixelKnight]

Originally Posted by evanft

Screw it, I'll try to offer a run down of the pluses and minuses of the two devices. I have an Aura HD and I've spent enough time with Kindles to get a feel for them.

Kobo Aura H20
+ Big screen
+ More open. Can read EPUB without conversion
+ Water proof
+ More text adjustments available
+ Can sideload your own fonts
+ Expandable storage
+ Light can be turned off completely
+ $20 cheaper than base model Voyage with ads
- Bulkier than Kindle
- Kobo's ecosystem is not as good as Amazon's.
- Infrared touch screen generally doesn't work as well as capacitive
- Battery life in real world is not as good as Kindle
- Slow page turns relative to Kindle
- Large amounts of wasted space without converting books in Calibre and patching the device's firmware
- Screen is recessed, which can create a shadow on the screen
- Kobo software is often buggy

Kindle Voyage
+ Thin and light
+ Screen is flush with bezel
+ Capacitive touch screen
+ Lightning fast page turns
+ Great ecosystem
+ Great customer service
+ Rock-solid firmware
+ Fantastic battery life
- $200 for WiFi ad-supported model
- Limited text customization
- Unknown if hacking will be possible
- Requires conversion in Calibre to read EPUB
- Can't sideload fonts

This is a great run down and should help a lot of people make up their minds!

I think, personally, I am more of an Amazon guy so I would probably go with the Voyage (plus I like Star Trek and it reminds me of Voyager) lol.

[happysnapper22]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

For kindle replacements they normally send out refurbished devices.

I've not had experience of Kindle replacements but I've had refurbished items from other suppliers/manufacturers. Cosmetically I've never been able to distinguish them from new units and in many cases I suspect they are returns or re-box'es. Amazon will get units back from customers who simply didn't like the product/changed their mind and units where the packaging has been damaged. Such units will in effect be new.

Whilst I wouldn't like one of these as a substitute to a new factory fresh unit, unless at a suitable discount as a warranty replacement for a faulty unit I've no problem with the practice. Where I have had such units I've never had a problem with them.

On a different tack my wife's kindle PW1 developed a screen fault at around 10 months old. Fortunately it was purchased from John Lewis, took it back and they said "we don't repair those we just replace. Unfortunately we no longer stock the PW1, will you accept a PW2". "Oh well go on then" I said.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by stethorn

Can any one tell me about kindle unlimited. I have amazon prime to had a look at what books I could read for free. Chose one call the maze runner and it made me sign upto kindle unlimited? Is this not part of prime.?

Also if you have a defective kindle and amazon send out a replacement, do you get a refurbished one or a new boxed one?

My experience with Kindle Unlimited is that SCRIBD's subscription deal is better--more books by more major publishers. You really need a tablet to read the books however (Is Glo a tablet or just a reader?) I have a SCRIBD sub and there are plenty of books to choose from. I like everything about it but there is no support for Kindle unless it's a tablet. This is because you have to download and install an app.

For KU, unless you can identify several books ahead of time, just use the free month and read the ones you do find. Three ladies in one of my mystery group joined, but all but one is running out of books they want to read.

While I support indie writers heartily, and that is mainly what is available in KU, living on a steady diet of only indie writers is not for the faint of heart. But I feel this way about trying a diet of only trad writers too. I want both and I want a large selection!!!

Full Disclosure--It occurs to me that I should have said that my books are on SCRIBD and not on KU. That was not taken into account in the post, but I can see how it may appear that I am biased for that reason. I am only biased based on my experience with SCRIBD and actually seeing their selection. That said, I am not big on either plan because with SCRIBD I have to read on my laptop and that hasn't been great. With a subscription, the advantage of KU is that you do get to read the books on your Kindle device.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by PixelKnight

This is a great run down and should help a lot of people make up their minds!

I think, personally, I am more of an Amazon guy so I would probably go with the Voyage (plus I like Star Trek and it reminds me of Voyager) lol.

Read my comments on this list of Pros and cons and you'll see it's not as wonderful as you think.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Read my comments on this list of Pros and cons and you'll see it's not as wonderful as you think.

You mean "it doesn't meet your personal requirements", Jon. You have no idea whether or not it meets other peoples' requirements. Plain, Amazon do meet the requirements of a great many people, given their dominant position in the eBook market.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You mean "it doesn't meet your personal requirements", Jon. You have no idea whether or not it meets other peoples' requirements. Plain, Amazon do meet the requirements of a great many people, given their dominant position in the eBook market.

I did comment on what wasn't quite right and I do think they are valid reasons.

For example, some of the comparisons are based on assumption and not actual facts such as battery life and page turn speed. Also, when saying the ecosystem is not as good on the Kobo, what was left out 100% was Overdrive. Living outside the USA, the Voyage is a poor choice for anyone who wants to read eBook via Overdrive and in the USA, some publishers only do ePub eBooks via Overdrive.

And the large amounts of wasted screen space on the H2O is not an H2O problem. If there is such, it's a problem with how the eBook is formatted. It's nothing to do with any sort of Calibre conversion or patching. On the Voyage, you do get large amounts of wasted screen space even if the CSS and XML of the KF8 eBook is perfect.

Also, saying that IR touch doesn't work well is wrong. I've used a number of IR based eInk devices with no problem at all.

It's things like this that make this comparison not as good as it seems.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, saying that IR touch doesn't work well is wrong. I've used a number of IR based eInk devices with no problem at all.

I fail to see the relevance of IR touchscreens, given that both the Kobo and Amazon devices use capacitive touchscreens. I agree: IR touchscreens (eg the Kindle Touch) work absolutely fine.

[Josieb1]

Considering the Voyage isn't even out yet maybe we should all wait and see how good it is.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Considering the Voyage isn't even out yet maybe we should all wait and see how good it is.

Stop trying to confuse Jon with facts. He's made up his mind!

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Stop trying to confuse Jon with facts. He's made up his mind!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Stop trying to confuse Jon with facts. He's made up his mind!

I'm trying to stop the proliferation of unsubstantiated non-facts that we won't know until the H2O and the Voyage are side-by-side and properly tested.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, saying that IR touch doesn't work well is wrong. I've used a number of IR based eInk devices with no problem at all.

For me, IR touch is very much a con. I much prefer capacitive. So please...stop making statements of opinion and representing them as facts.

Shari

[robko]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I fail to see the relevance of IR touchscreens, given that both the Kobo and Amazon devices use capacitive touchscreens. I agree: IR touchscreens (eg the Kindle Touch) work absolutely fine.

Actually no (I'm assuming from you comment you're talking H2O vs Voyage). The Kobo Aura 6" is the only Kobo with a capacitive screen. The Aura H2O is IR vs the Voyage being capacitive.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by robko

Actually no (I'm assuming from you comment you're talking H2O vs Voyage). The Kobo Aura 6" is the only Kobo with a capacitive screen. The Aura H2O is IR vs the Voyage being capacitive.

Thank you for the correction. I must admit that I'm surprised to hear that!