Do I want a Kobo?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Can you convince me or talk me out of it?

I've so far resisted getting an ereader as I like print books, but everyone that has one tells me they're converts and I do have a space issue - I can't fit any more physical books on my shelves and there are a couple of crates more in the attic that I can't quite bring myself to take to the charity shop. So ebooks are looking more practical.

And WH Smith has reduced the kobo touch to £30 again.

But on the other hand, I live the look, feel and smell of real books. And I tend to buy secondhand rather than new books.

I'm dithering. Help me decide?

I love books. I used to work as an historian so accumulated literally hundreds. I can still spend many a happy hour in second hand bookshops.

BUT I also love my kindle. I love that it's portable and that I can download classics for free. I like being able totake all my favourite books on holiday with me without investing in an additional wheelie suitcase!

Loving books and owning an e reader are not mutually exclusive IMO.

It sounds like a great deal on the Kobo. I'd go for it.

No you don't. They are awful. The selection of books is dire - there's a reason they're cheap! Get a kindle or stick with paper books. I use a kindle app on my phone.

Good point Bertie. Having owned both a Nook and a Kindle, I much prefer the Kindle even though the technology on the Nook is arguably better. Other e readers just don't have the same selection of books.

I have a kindle and a Kobo. I buy books on my Kindle, but mostly use the Kobo for borrowing ebooks from the library. It's good for that. Never buy books from Kobo website - they are usually way more expensive than Amazon. The Sainsbury ebooks site is compatible with the Kobo, and their prices usually match Amazon.

Not sure why people are saying you can't get as many books, I've never had an issue and the Kobo website has always been competitive for me. Plus you're not tied to one retailer. The library books thing was the clincher for me, but my library has a disappointing selection so far - lots of rubbish that I could download for free anyway, but I have discovered some new authors as a result.

Thanks everyone, I will check out the selection of ebooks before deciding whether to go for the Kobo deal or hold out till my birthday for a Kindle. I kind of like the idea of not being tied into Amazon, but there isn't much point if I can't get the titles I want.

Bought the £30 Kobo today. The main attraction was that the battery life is so good. I find on holiday my tablet battery drains so quickly and we are always queuing to charge things from the car. I do prefer books though and love the feel of a book.

True, but the kindle battery life is excellent too.

Are they better than a Kobo Bertie. I didn't really compare e-readers - I didn't really want one as I prefer a paper book, but just bought this as it was £30 with some Christmas money and it seems ideal for holidays and travel.

We just bought one as children are all fighting for my kindle. They still read paper books but really handy for travelling. Also downloaded a book from the library which we otherwise would have had to pay for on amazon.
£30 was just too cheap to not buy it...

I was reading this thread aloud and my DS came in and told me not to bother with Kobo. I bought him one last birthday and he promptly traded it in for a kindle. It was a Kobo mini at the time it was £50. So if you have any luck with it please share as I'll go and treat myself to one. I don't know what makes it inferior to a kindle it sounds like it's just as good.

Duchessofmalfi...my DS has just been given a kobo, and it is all a bit new to me. I didn't know you could borrow from the library! Could you or anyone else let me now how this works?

Thanks!

I go to the library's website, and look at the audio and ebook section there. You borrow/download onto Overdrive (there should be instructions on how to do this on the website) and then connect the Kobo to your pc and transfer the book onto it. Works in the same way as if you were buying a book from, say, Sainsbury's ebooks.

I'm in Dorset, so I go to the Dorsetforyou.com website, then select libraries, and then audio/ebooks, if you wanted to take a look at that website to see how I do it. i'm hopeless at technology, and get into a muddle with anything too complex, but this is quite straightforward I found.

I use Kobo books on my Playbook but kids all have Kindle each which seems better and has a better range of books at cheaper prices and searching for something different to read seems easier. Kindle hasn't changed any ones love of real books - new or secondhand - but gives us a better option when on holiday, or desperate to all read the same latest release immediately as can be downloaded to all 3 kids at once. Cheaper than a new book case and easier to dust! Also makes finding a particular book when you need it in a hurry easy!

Hmmm. I've so far thought I don't need or want an e-reader but at £30 and with birthday money to spend I'm wondering if there's anything to lose by trying it out?!

I love paper books but I also have a Kindle Paperwhite & a Kindle Fire. I live overseas now so collecting books is no longer an option for me - I found it really hard 'getting rid' of books when we moved overseas and there are quite a few boxes in storage... Anyway, I love my Kindle paperwhite - battery life is amazing and you really can read anywhere due to the lack of glare on the screen - so reading on the beach for example is a delight! I also love my Kindle Fire - it is fantastic for children's books as it has all the colour, but you can play games on it too which keeps (me) my children well entertained on long journeys. However, having previously bought books in charity shops and supermarkets, I am always disappointed with the prices of books on Amazon. This does have it's upside though as I am trying out new books all the time as I go for the Daily Deals or 99p etc options. Do be aware too that you won't be able to get every book that you want electronically. I HATE that Julia Donaldson is not available in this format - bringing all our board books was not possible & I would LOVE to buy them for the Kindle... So I guess it all boils down to what you want an ereader for...
(PS not owned a KOBO so genuinely cannot comment on that one!)

Both the Kindle and the Kobo can have files dragged and dropped onto them via a computer and the cable included. A great book sorting program called Calibre can convert file types to fit on whichever book reader you have. This way I can buy my ebooks from wherever I want and read them on either device.

I love my Kobo mini, the touch screen means I can knit and read at the same time, which I never managed with the Kindle. I also like the book reading stats on it.

I have a Nook which I am totally in love with but I also read*actual books. I'm considering getting a Kobo as well as well as my nook because I've noticed that kobo seem to have a better selection of books and are a bit cheaper.