Kobo e-reader

[bigboobedcanuck]

A few months back I asked for advice on buying an e-reader. I checked out the Sony in the store and wasn't totally happy with it, so I decided to wait until the prices of some of the others came down. Then, lo and behold, Indigo (Canadian bookseller conglomerate) introduced the Kobo for only $149 CAD. Well, how could I resist?

I love it. It's

Comments

[havemy_heart]

I've always been resistant to those readers simply because I like to read books the old-fashioned way. But being able to read fic wherever I go? Hell, yeah!

I hope you get tons of enjoyment from your new toy :)

[bigboobedcanuck]

Yeah, the capacity to read fic in bed or on the train or wherever without having to print it out is extremely appealing! And I find that I'm much more willing to spend $6 on a romance or something that I'm taking a chance on than $15 on a paperback that I might not like.

[_jems_]

Yay, eReader! The longer time wears on, the more I love mine - basic and (quite frankly) ugly though it is. Because the point of the eReader isn't having a shiny new gadget that's the coolest thing EVER, it's to gain the same experience as you do reading a book - the rest of the world disappears and it's just the words and you.

I gotta say, not a fan of reading pdfs, though, simply because they're image-based, not text-based. So you can never get it quite right. Have you looked into converting to other formats? Like epub (which I'm guessing is what your device takes)? Try Calibre if you do. I love that thing like mad, it's great for sorting out your ebook collection. And it really interacts well with devices.

[bigboobedcanuck]

I did make mine pretty with a Van Gogh skin, but yeah, it's all about the reading experience. It's really lightweight and easy to hold and so far I'm loving it.

I assume it takes epub. I actually found that once I played with the font size in Word before making the PDF, that it reads beautifully on the Kobo. Just like any other e-book. Initially it was too small and when I magnified, it was no longer justified, but after making the font in Word 22 when making the PDF, it's the right size for the screen. But thanks for the Calibre rec, I'll look into it!

[laminy]

Kobo! That's what I bought. I work at a Coles, so it really wasn't until I started asking my co-workers about it and reading all the work things about it that I was like, I actually want this. And eReaders never previously interested me.

I have heard a lot of negative things about the page-turning speed, which surprises me. Because really, it is the same amount of time it would take to turn an actual page, it doesn't bother me at all. But I know people who have tried to return it on pretty much that basis alone, which I think is ridiculous.

I do seriously love my Kobo. I'm out of room for actual books, so it's pretty awesome. Though, now Kindle has their new version with the same capabilities to support ePub and PDF, so it's getting harder for us to sell them, which is why they've been on sale recently.

[bigboobedcanuck]

That's hilarious that people have complained about the page turns! It's like, "one Mississippi" and it's finished. I just had to get used to the fact that I'm not occupied during that second. You don't notice it when you're physically turning the page yourself. So at first, pressing a button and waiting even a very short time was an adjustment.

Yeah, I saw the Kindle is available much cheaper now. Eh, whatever. I'm very pleased with my Kobo. :)

[sunbrae]

Oooh, a PDF maker. I can use that to make pdfs of my course handouts before I upload them to our class's website. Thanks for the link. :)

Have fun with your new reader!

[bigboobedcanuck]

You're welcome! It's an awesome program. Once it's installed, you just drag a Word doc onto the desktop icon and then presto! It spits out a PDF version. Amazing.

[bodleian]

I've bought an eco-reader which works in the same way. I didn't think that I would love it as much as I do. The eco-reader is also not tied to any bookshop which I think is great. As well, through trial and error, I save my PDFs in Lucinda Grande in size 18 and it opens perfectly. I can't imagine life without it now.
All those books on hand and so many more I can now buy.

[bigboobedcanuck]

Yes, I love the idea of not having to worry about space for books! I don't think I'll stop buying paper entirely, but who knows.