Canadian eReader

My Kindle Paperwhite second generation arrived today so I decided to take a moment to share my thoughts.  My initial reaction is that this second generation of Amazon’s popular eInk eReader is more evolutionary than revolutionary.  The improvements to the screen and processor, while noticeable, are not overwhelmingly so.  I, personally, was not particularly bothered by some light shading at the bottom of the screen, but I know that many people are sensitive to this.  That is improved considerably on the second generation of Paperwhite. Here are some screenshots: The new Kindle is on the right.  The new version does seem to have a warmer sense about it. and with the new Kobo Aura The new combined Dictionary/X-Ray/Wikipedia screen seems really useful: (Note – the shading at the top of that screenshot is not a faulty screen – it’s decorative shading on the book itself) Probably the most useful is the new page scrolling function – you can now move about easily within a book with a new navigation tool.   The feature that I am most excited about, GoodReads integration, isn’t yet here – it is “coming soon” via software update.  This takes me back a few years when…

Kobo is currently offering a special price on the Kobo Arc, so today I picked one up and have been playing around with it these last few hours.  Here are my first impressions. The device seems solid and well made although it took a while to start up, because it had no battery left.  Once I charged it up, it worked well.  The setup was easy – I entered my Kobo username and password and my Google Play username and password to access the apps I’d previously bought.  My Kindle, Kobo, Audible and GoodReads apps all downloaded easily and installed with no fuss. The Arc is a major step up from the Kobo Vox, which was underpowered, underdeveloped and underwhelming.  The newer device is based on Android Jelly Bean with a Kobo skin.  The skin is far more subtle than that on the Kindle Fire, which is unrecognisable as Android.  With the Kobo Arc you have access to Google Now, Google Playstore and all the features of Android Jelly Bean.  For me it seems a really great hybrid of ereader and fully fledged tablet.  I can see real advantages to having all the features of Android available on an ereading…

Ereading still causes a lot of confusion.  I thought it might be useful to put together a post of some common questions regarding ereading and to do my best to answer them. What is eReading?Simply put, ereading is reading a book, comic, magazine or other similar content on an electronic device rather than in hard copy. Why should I give up my paperback and switch to ereading?Like many things, ereading is not an either/or activity.  There is no reason why you cannot read books in both hard copy and ebook formats.  It is very much a personal choice. Having said that, there are pros and cons to ereading.  I have listed some here to help you decide if ereading is right for you. Pros:Convenience.  With ereading you can carry your entire library around with you on your eReader, smartphone or tablet.   Can you imagine carrying around all 14 hardback books in the Wheel of Time series?  With ereading that is no issue. Likewise, if you’re living in a small space, an ereader takes up much less room than forty shelves of books. Accessibility.  Most ereaders and ereading applications allow you to adjust the font size to suit your eyesight.  This…

The Kobo Aura is the new premium ereader from Kobo. It is marketed as follows: The eReader, Re-Imagined. Kobo Aura HD is the only premium eReader, offering an unprecedented immersive reading experience for the book lover. Unlike other eReaders, Kobo Aura HD elevates the reading experience by combining the most advanced, highest resolution, extra-large screen with a book-inspired design that feels natural and comfortable to hold. The Aura is an eInk reader with a 6.8 HD backlit screen. Comparing its specs with those of the Kobo Glo and the Kindle Paperwhite we see the following: Kobo Aura 6.8″ Custom WXGA+ Pearl E Ink Screen ClarityScreen+: 265 dpi, 1440 x 1080 resolution 240 g (8.4658 oz) 1 GHz; 20% faster processor than other leading eReaders 4GB internal storage Kobo Glo 6″ XGA Pearl E Ink touchscreen; 1024×758 resolution; 16-level grey scale 185 g (6.5 oz) 1 GHz 2GB internal storage Kindle Paperwhite 212 ppi, optimized font technology, 16-level gray scale 7.5 ounces (213 grams) 2GB internal storage So, the main improvements you get for an extra $40 is the larger screen – 6.8 inches compared to 6 inches and higher resolution. Kobo has also made a change to the standard padded…