3 ms·

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 overw

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.

agentdrtran 4y ago
You can get library books on your kindle, you just need to use a phone app
- dihydro 4y ago
  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?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- SXX 4y ago
  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.
  - TheNewsIsHere 4y ago
    Library books also work on Kindle ereaders. I’ve borrowed a few that way.
filmgirlcw 4y ago
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.
- goosedragons 4y ago
  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.
  - filmgirlcw 4y ago
    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.
    - bradwood 4y ago
      > 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...
      - filmgirlcw 4y ago
        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.
    - goosedragons 4y ago
      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.

agentdrtran 4y ago

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

dihydro 4y ago
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?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
SXX 4y ago
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.
- TheNewsIsHere 4y ago
  Library books also work on Kindle ereaders. I’ve borrowed a few that way.

filmgirlcw 4y ago

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.

goosedragons 4y ago
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.
- filmgirlcw 4y ago
  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.
  - bradwood 4y ago
    > 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...
    - filmgirlcw 4y ago
      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.
  - goosedragons 4y ago
    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.