E-reader: Kindle vs Kobo, the challenge is renewed. Voyage and new Paperwhite against … – BBC

Kindle Voyage (left) and Kobo Glo HD. Click on the image to see all the images with the news of Amazon and Kobo

“A book is a book” is the slogan of the campaign that led to the (controversial) reduction of VAT on e-books. And we, as lovers of technology and reading, we can not but agree. But a digital book needs an electronic medium, of course. It can be a smartphone or a tablet or even a PC. We remain convinced, however, that to read an e-book at best, to read it a long time and in any situation, is much better to use a dedicated tool such as e-reader. So we are happy to see that the main players in the sector – Amazon and Kobo – continue to propose new about this kind of products. Compared to tablets they represent a secondary market, but more than the tablet have huge advantages in terms of weight, price and especially battery (2-3 weeks) and readability outdoors .

Among the e-reader the duel seems to shrink to two names: Amazon and Kobo, with the odd man out Tolino (ally Ibs.it). A few weeks ago unveiled its new Kobo Kobo Glo Hd. An e-reader really interesting: the first to bring a high definition display (300 ppi) at an affordable price (129 euro). Here’s our video review, which we shot in the pavilions of Expo 2015:

Now the replica of Amazon . That makes a double move. First: port in Italy e-reader more beautiful and stylish product so far, the Kindle Voyage (released in the fall in the US). By: updates its Paperwhite bringing to 300 ppi (like the Kobo Glo Hd) and strengthening it with new software that still nearer the reading experience in digital and analog.
The challenge then Kobo-Amazon now sees the end of the 130 euro direct comparison between HD and Paperwhite Glo (2015). For regular readers with a taste for the design is the Voyage (190 euro). Kobo has in its list Aura H2O, offering a high-definition screen bigger (6.8 inches, compared to 6 inches of the Kindle and the Glo HD) and plus impermeability.

But what are the New Amazon?
Kindle Voyage , meanwhile. We tested these days and we can say too: it’s an e-reader really nice, so much to look at how to handle. The design of the tablet stands out among the competition: The display is flush with the frame is a gem. He had already taken Kobo for its Aura Hd but here the realization is impeccable, because it associated the back to super slim design ( 7.6 mm , less than 180 grams in weight) derived from the tablet Kindle Fire. The front glass is scratch proof. The e-Ink display card is the best, says Amazon, Kindle ever made for a level of contrast.
Not just aesthetic, however. The Voyage has other strings to its bow. The most important is the return, never quite invoked by users Kindle standing, the physical buttons to turn pages. Voltapagina , as Amazon calls it, it is actually a soft-touch button (one along to browse forward and a small one to go back) located directly under the frame. When the page is changed, it provides tactile feedback to the pressure, thanks to a vibration generator. The operation is very pleasant and limits the streaks of fingers on the touchscreen, allowing you to proceed more shipped in reading. Really comfortable when reading in bed.
Voyage also introduces for the first time on an e-reader auto sensor light . You can still adjust in a personalized level of light emitted by the LEDs incorporated in the frame.
Even Voyage, as the Paperwhite, it is available as a wi-fi or 3G , with free connectivity to buy books from the Kindle Store and go on Wikipedia. Voyage is already available and the price is very high for an e-reader: 189.99 euro for version wi-fi, well 249.99 euro for the 3G. Costs that discourage the majority of users. Amazon Kindle in the excellent catalog of new generation just 60 Euros and you certainly can not say that about Voyage you read “3 or 4 times better” than the brother flight. But if you are passionate about reading in digital and at the same time you like technology objects well-designed, stylish, functional, then the Voyage is a best-buy . It is by far the best Kindle ever produced. But it is said that it is the quality / price ratio. Everyone can make his considerations based on the law of e-book and its availability of shopping for an e-reader.

Then there is the new Paperwhite . The 2015 edition comes with a new display of 300 ppi. The design, however, remains the same as the previous one: screen wire and super-thin body, as well as turn pages and the automatic brightness sensor are the preserve of only Voyage. The main new features include software: Paperwhite this will be the first to benefit, but will then be extended (“in the coming weeks” to Voyage, then the previous Kindle Paperwhite and probably also the base).
Amazon meanwhile has created a new character , named Bookerly is designed specifically for digital reading in order to provide optimal readability in any size. Also improved spelling : Kindle can now wrap the words in the right place, create paragraphs with lines aligned and adjusts the space between words. How about a printed book, consentnedo a more rapid and less fatigue. A typographical level, the new kerning and binding automatically adjust character spacing: the new software examines pairs of neighboring letters in the text and adjust the character spacing to Depending on the word, taking away those empty spaces between the letters (for example, the word “nose”, the “f” and “i” are connected to create a tie). Maybe there are not many cases, but are gimmicks typographical currently used as printed books, but so far ignored by the e-book.
Finally there is a better gestionne of drop caps and characters great . Amazon has created a sample page to better understand these new typographical find it at this link.

There remain obviously all aspects of software already seen on the previous Kindle. Whispersync (which saves and synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations on all your devices and their applications reading devices) in Word Wise (which “it suggests” the translation of words from English), from Page Scroll (to quickly browse through a book) to Enrich Your Vocabulary. Paperwhite edition 2015 preorder now, over June 30: € 129.99 for the wi-fi version, 189.99 for the 3G.

For both brands, Kobo and Kindle’s plan to record a trend that will not appeal to the geeks: more and more e-readers are turning towards experience closed that leads consumers to the store. The possibility of expanding the internal memory with a micro-sd is a distant memory (for Kindle to another was never possible). The idea is obviously discourage producers importing the devices of their libraries e-book (more or less legal, often “less”) by which software Calibre. Remain off-limits even audiobooks: for them are the traditional tablet, which is no coincidence that both Kindle Kobo have a list. No progress also in terms of management of pdf and other formats (.cbr, .cbz). E-readers are still formidable tools for reading novels and essays with a high prevalence text. For everything else they serve the most versatile devices, such as tablets.