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Comment by filmgirlcw | Hacker News Reader

As others have said, I think the value for the Kindle is pretty damn high.

* Works in lots and lots of countries

* Great iOS and Android apps to supplement reading on Eink

* Well-priced devices, even if you pay to remove ads, that offer years and years of software support and are extremely durable/reliable

* Great hacking community and ability to use things like DeDRM to bring your purchases to other devices

* Insanely robust library that is far more consistent than other services.

* Ability to easily side-load other content via the Send to Kindle feature

* Audible integration/sync/discounts

If you prefer Kobo, that’s fine. But I’ve always seen it as the second-rate alternative owned by the second-rate Amazon (Rakuten). If I’m going to get tied into any ecosystem, I’d prefer for it to be the biggest/most active. But that’s just me.

Edit: formatting

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A point that you're forgetting, which is extremely important for a lot of people, is access to a public library's collection of ebooks. In Canada, Kobo is overwhelmingly capable of connecting with a public library, while Kindle cannot. It is, in my experience, the number one reason why people around me choose a Kobo over a Kindle.

You can get library books on your kindle, you just need to use a phone app

That doesn't seem like a solution, but a work-around. I'm sure it works fine, but why should that extra step be necessary?

Why would you need a phone app? You can just email them to special Amazon email address and they'll be converted and uploaded to Kindle.

PS: Yeah that wouldn't work for books with DRM. So might be its the problem.

Library books also work on Kindle ereaders. I’ve borrowed a few that way.

I don’t live in Canada and so I wasn’t aware of that because Kindle works in US library systems.

My guess is that it doesn’t work in Canada because Kobo was a Canadian company before it was acquired and because Kobo’s owner used to own Overdrive (before it sold it to private equity a few years ago), but I could be wrong.

Obviously, if a device doesn’t work with the services you engage with, it’s probably not the service for you. But since Kindle does work with many, many library systems (and its arrangements with libraries predates Kobo’s existence), I think that’s more regional edge case and not a blanket reason to use one over the other, which is what OP was saying.

Kindles only work with libraries in the U.S. Nowhere else. That's the regional edge case. Overdrive also supported ePubs before Kindle including the original Kobo back in 2010 although you had to go through the whole Adobe Digital Editions rigamarole.

TIL. And yes, that’s definitely a larger edge case but I would still posit that for many users who are buying into an ecosystem, Kindle is going to be the most portable. But that’s an important distinction for anyone who wants to check books out from their local library.

> A larger edge case?

LOL, you think this is an _edge_ case? Feels pretty central from where me and the rest of the world are sitting...

I mean, I’ve been using e-readers since 2006 or so and very rarely get books from the library. Honestly, they usually don’t have the books I want to read or if they do, there is a many week wait. At that point, I just buy the book myself or I’ll find it another way.

I’m not going to pretend that’s the same for everyone, but I’m equally not going to pretend every person who has an e-reader is constantly getting stuff from the public library.

I don't understand how you think Kindle is more portable. Kobo works with ePubs and they support Adobe's DRM which is used in a lot of stores. There's nothing tying you to Kobo's store and almost every ebook store that sells epubs is compatible.

Meanwhile Amazon has been constantly messing with their proprietary format, DRM etc. Any book bought outside their store also almost always needs conversion too.

I'm on a Kobo H20 as well after upgrading from a Kindle many years and several devices ago.

* Also works in lots of countries

* Great iOS and Android apps

* Well-priced devices, and no ads to remove

* Great hacking community (even complete replacement software) and DeDRM support

* Insanely robust library that has never let me down

* Ability to easily side-load content without needing a send-to feature (plug it in and drag/drop, or use Calibre)

* No Audible, but (a) it's an ereader not an audio player (it does actually do mp3s though) and (b) Kobo have an audiobook store

So all in all, the Kobo has worse audiobooks but better hacking and side-loading. Even if you prefer Kindle over Kobo, it is clearly not second-rate. And as for the last comment about being tied into an ecosystem, that's purely an Amazon thing. Kobo don't require that kind of acquiescence.

Yeap, I definitely prefer Kobo. I plug it into my PC to copy over public domain and DRM-free ePubs with ease, or DRMed ePubs via ADE. I am not tied to any ecosystem. As for the development community, I feel far more secure knowing my Kobo is not locked down. There are no cat-and-mouse games being played with encryption or other protection mechanisms. Modifying the software is a matter of creating a tarball or by popping out an internal SD card and inserting it into my PC (or using ssh, once some initial setup is done).

I don't have to say, imply, of even think that Amazon is "second-rate" to make myself feel secure about my decision. If anything I had to choose any word, it would be "monopolistic" or "vendor lock-in". But don't get me wrong: if Kobo changed their practices such that those words did apply, I would happily move elsewhere. (Kindle and Kobo are by no means the only companies out there.)

Hey, if you’re happy with what you’re using, that’s great. I’ve put hacks or modified OSes on various Kindles over the years, used DeDRM for Calibre, and very much had a solid experience.

I also have a Remarkable 2 and a Boox Note Air that are obviously much more hackable.

I’ve reviewed many Kobo devices over the years. I do find them second-rate compared to what you can get from the Kindle line. That's my honest opinion. That isn’t me feeling insecure about my decision (I am an e-reader enthusiast and have reviewed dozens of devices and have the money to buy whatever device I want. I think Sony made the best devices if I’m really being honest, and they shut down their storefront over a decade ago and barely sell any units now), it’s my personal opinion and I said “I’ve always seen it as” — I didn’t declare that as fact. You disagree, which is fine!

I’m glad we have a choice of things. I still stand by my opinion that if I’m going to be tied down into an ecosystem, I’d rather be tied down to the one with the most books. And where I live, that’s Amazon.

Sony. Ah yes, I feel the nostalgia kicking in. The PRS all metal range were superb (in their time of course).

I love my Oasis. Only major issue I have is with leather cover I bought with it.. when cover is open and behind the kindle itself.. you cannot easily grip on it anymore since there's no rised edge anymore. If that's the only thing bothering me, I'm good. The only other is there's no direct O Reilly support, so I have to go through shady motions in order to read a book from my O'Reilly sub on my kindle.

Thing is Kobo doesn't tie you anywhere - I use it in europe - I never ever used their online store even once.

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