Kobo e-book reader｜A year later

An opportunity to buy an e-book?

When I was in Taiwan, I always had the habit of buying books on a blog. When I decided to settle down in Australia, I missed Chinese books so much! ! ! At that time, I posted on instagram and asked my friends if anyone knew of any cheaper channels that would allow me to read Chinese books again. Find redemption in eBooks from now on. 😄

How to choose an e-book supplier?

This point is very important! I'm a very clean e-book person, I don't like to buy e-books on different platforms, I like my books all in one place. So I did my homework first when choosing. Currently, the more popular platforms are Amazon's Kindle, Rakuten's Kobo, and Taiwan's Readmoo. Last year, I was introduced by a friend, and I chose between Kindle and Kobo (reading ink is a late meeting...), and finally I chose Kobo because he has a large collection of Chinese books, which is very simple and boring.

If you are reading on an iPad, it doesn't matter which platform you use, you can download apps for all platforms to read on the same iPad. If you are thinking of buying an e-book reader, it is recommended to compare books on major platforms, search for the types of books you often read, see which platform offers more books you like, and then decide which e-book platform you want to be the leader of. Mom and Dad 😂.

 I am using the "Rakuten's Kobo" e-book reader, and the following will share my experience from the perspective of using the Kobo reader:

I have a tablet, do I have to buy an e-book reader?

Not necessarily, but I highly recommend buying it for friends who read for a long time.

After buying my first ebook, I started reading it on my phone. The phone screen is small and my eyes are very tired after an hour or two, so I decided to buy a tablet or a reader . In the end, I decided to use the reader because when reading, I just want to read only, and I don’t need the multiple functions of the tablet. With the e-ink technology of the reader, it is less harmful to the eyes than the tablet, and the reading experience is also the same as that of paper. This book is similar. The following table shares the differences between the tablet and the reader: (This is my subjective experience, and does not represent everyone's feelings.)

＊ Special attention here is that if you buy an e-book on Amazon, you can only choose a kindle reader. The e-book platforms and readers of different manufacturers are almost incompatible, and others can share it on the Internet. I don't like the hassle, so I haven't tried it, and I can't provide advice in this regard. 😄

⬇️⬇️⬇️ The photo below is the effect I took in the sun, you can carefully see that the brightness of the reader at the top is 0%.

My reader is Kobo's H20 7-inch 8G model, IPX8 waterproof rating, can be submerged at 2 meters for 60 minutes. Of course, this is the data provided by the official, I really can't bear to take it to soak in water, the reader is not cheap~😂. However, if you go to the beach or stream for vacation, you don't have to worry about accidental immersion in water that will damage the reader.

Original purchase price (2020/4/25)

I bought it from the Kobo website in Australia, the host is $250 Australian dollars, plus the protective case $45 Australian dollars, a total of $295 Australian dollars. (The exchange rate to Taiwan dollar is about 1:20)

The original protective case is not cheap and nothing special, that is, it will automatically sleep when it is closed, and the quality is also average. There are also non-original protective shells on the shrimp skins to choose from.

But ~ the gray shell with the white reader is really beautiful!
I read at least 2 to 3 hours a day, and the frequency of use is high. After using the protective case for a year, the leather on the edges and corners of the protective case is a bit peeling, which is within a reasonable range. It is recommended to add a protective case, the screen of the reader is relatively fragile.

 After a year of use, the advantages and disadvantages found:

advantage

1. Very power saving! Only charge it once every one to two weeks.
2. Super light! The weight is only 192 grams.
3. You can take more than one book out at a time, 100 is not a problem.
4. The reading experience is very similar to a paper book. (this is awesome)
5. Reading for a long time, I did not feel eye discomfort. (As long as you use your eyes too much, you will feel uncomfortable reading a paper book. This is a relative feeling, not an absolute.)
6. E-books are cheaper than paper books, and Kobo often offers promotions to get the same knowledge for less money.
7. No geographical restrictions. If you suddenly want to read a book, you can read it immediately after purchasing it on the website, which is very suitable for overseas travelers.
8. Environmentally friendly and does not take up space. (Suddenly there is no bookcase?)

shortcoming

1. Like a paper book, you can't turn to any page you want to turn to, you have to make notes and marks on the reader, so that you can return to the paragraph you want to read again through the tabs.
2. The page numbers of the e-book are out of sync with the physical book. If you are reading the same book with a friend and he wants to ask you to turn to page 165 of the physical book, well... not the same page, hope Kobo can improve this part. (I heard that this part of Kindle is synchronized, because I haven't used it, so I won't repeat it. Friends who have used it can share it 😊.)
3. Handwritten notes cannot be written directly on the book. I've never liked "painting books", so this part didn't affect me much. For me, the book must be white ~ the notes are written in an extra notebook. (Except for reference books of course)
4. You cannot send or sell books. E-books coexist with the purchase account and cannot be gifted or resold books that are no longer read, but because they do not take up physical space, I can still accept them.
5. The reaction is slow compared to the plate. If you use a reader, you should put aside the experience of using a tablet, and the development techniques used by the two are different. When drawing important points, it is normal to have afterimages, as long as it is refreshed, it can be used to it, just like when we use a smartphone for the first time.
6. Currently only black and white. If the book itself has colored images, the reader will render the images in black and white. I usually read general books, and I don’t have requirements for graphics files. Friends who like to read magazines and color comics may not be suitable.

Summarize

I'm actually a paper book lover, and I like the feeling of flipping through books. When I returned to Australia from Taiwan, I also carried a lot of books and came back together~ But I still have a day to read it...😢

After a long time abroad, I began to contact e-books. Generally speaking, I like e-books very much, especially the fact that I can buy books all the time, and it is really great to receive them with one bid. When I was in Taiwan, I liked to read books by back on the train. Sometimes there was only one paragraph left, so I had to carry two books on my back to go out. It is very difficult to hold the book and turn the pages. Once you have a reader, just press a button!

I still love paper books, but I will buy books that are not available on the e-book platform. Both the paper and electronic methods are used, and the choice is made according to the situation. It's a treat to be able to flip through a paper book while staying at home with a cup of coffee. When you go out for a short time, bring a reader with you. It is not only convenient, but also you don’t have to be afraid of bringing a book you don’t like, and you can’t change it temporarily.

The above sharing is purely personal experience, as long as you find a way of reading that you like and enjoy, it will be fine 😊