[ad_1]
Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite are among the hottest gadgets this year and probably for months to come. Both cameras feature eInk Pearl technology with a resolution of 1024 × 758 pixels and built-in lighting. However, although the technical characteristics are very similar on paper, the two counterparts differ very clearly, both in terms of hardware and software implementation.
In our review, the two devices with their different concepts could still reach the same test score of 1.4, but what about when you compare the two devices directly against one another? 39; other? You will discover it in the following comparison with the ebook reader. Free space for Kobo Glo vs. Kindle Paperwhite:
Haptic & treatment
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite are very similar not only in the underlying technique, but also in the presentation. Both devices have a touch screen and are controlled exclusively by it. There is no menu or home button and the scroll buttons are also in vain in both drives. Due to the missing keys, the case design in both cases looks like a one-stop shop.
The Kobo Glo is very compact and treated excellently. The black surface of the case absorbs perfectly each incident light, thus avoiding troublesome reflections in reading mode. The speckled surface is, however, annoying. Soft plastic shows almost every touch. This can be easily avoided with a hold on the white Kobo Glo. Although the surface is a little vulnerable in this respect, it attacks very nicely and can be considered a benefit.
Both devices look the same and are treated perfectly
In addition, the Kindle Paperwhite is perfectly treated, but not as compact. Although Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite both have a 6-inch screen, Amazon Reader is a bit wider and larger. To execute this is completely irrelevant. When choosing materials, Amazon also takes a slightly different approach. The Kindle Paperwhite has a smooth, black casing surface that is less likely to touch, so you do not have to leave fingerprints or worry about the greasy touches. However, the ambient light is not as perfect swallowed as the Kobo Glo, but this is noticeable only if you pay attention, because it does not bother during operation.
The bottom line is that both devices have no major weakness, so they can get one point each.
Display and touch screen
| Kobo Glo | 0 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
As already mentioned, both devices use the same ePaper technology: eInk Pearl with a resolution of 1024 × 758 pixels, on a diagonal of 6 inches display. This results in a pixel density of 212 ppi. Thus, the two devices are a bit sharper than previous generations of eBook Reader with a lower screen resolution (800 × 600 pixels), although part of the technical projection is once again swallowed by the light-carrying film.
The sheet that is on top of the screen ensures that the display becomes a bit more blurry than it actually is. Under the microscope, the effect is very clear:
Under the microscope: the contrast of the Kindle Paperwhite (on the right) is much higher than that of the Kobo Glo (on the left)
Although the same eInk technology is used on both devices, the black level differs considerably. At Kobo Glo (left), the contrast is slightly worse than on Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (right). The difference is clearly visible not only under the microscope, but also in direct comparison with the naked eye (see below). According to the measurements, the Kindle Paperwhite has a contrast ratio of 11.5: 1 while we measure the Kobo Glo 10: 1. However, it should be noted that it does not make much difference in pure reading mode because the Kobo Glo is perfectly legible.
Also, when it comes to the touch screen, the Kobo Glo must be narrowly beaten. The Canadian reader uses infrared technology to detect inputs, which does not fundamentally affect usability. However, the Kobo Glo still has some small issues because sometimes the entries are not recognized and you have to tap the screen again. However, infrared technology has the advantage of not producing any reflection on the screen (at least not with the technology of the touch screen).
The Kindle Paperwhite has a capacitive touch screen. All entries on Amazon Reader are detected quickly and reliably. In addition, the Kindle Paperwhite supports multi-key gestures, which allows you to zoom in or out using the pinch gesture to zoom. At very steep viewing angles, you can see that the Paperwhite's display reflects a little more than the Kobo Glo's. In normal playback mode, however, there is virtually no difference.
In the end, the Kindle Paperwhite clearly shows the contrast and the touch screen more reliable.
lighting
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
One of the most important points in the decision to purchase an informed eBook Reader is probably the lighting itself. The lighting technology underlying both devices is the same. In Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite, a light support film on the eInk screen is lit by LEDs on the frame. However, the similarities stop there because, despite similar technology, the result differs very clearly.
By activating the Kobo Glo's lighting, the player enjoys a very uniform and white illumination of the screen. Readability increases both in the dark and very clearly in the light of day. If you look closely, then you will recognize slight irregularities, but are not worth mentioning for the normal reading operation. The black level of the screen slightly worsens when lighting is turned on, but thanks to the almost bleached background, readability is ultimately far better than without light. Overall, the Kobo Glo provides the most uniform illumination of all previously tested light readers. However, it is worth mentioning the shadows at the bottom of the screen and the bright light strip at the top. These are responsible for lighting technology and enter, for example. also on the Bookeen HD Frontlight.
Even with sufficient ambient light, the built-in lighting greatly improves readability
For the Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon has promised uniform illumination of the screen, but can not yet replace it on many devices. As we found in our test on several devices and you can read on Amazon.de and in many discussion forums, the Paperwhite has a problem with so-called color clouds. These are uneven discolorations that move on the screen when lighting is turned on. What is the problem, is not yet clear. It is badumed that this is due to the LEDs used, the light carrier sheet or the non-uniformly applied adhesive. Until now, it is clear that the error can not be corrected by a software update. However, it should be put in perspective, because the problem does not occur in all devices and in no case with the same gravity in the readers concerned. If we break here, the point would go to Kobo Glo.
In the dark, the slight discolouration of the Kindle Paperwhite (right) is easy to recognize; The lighting of the Kobo Glo (left) is much softer, brighter and shows no discoloration, but the contrast is visibly worse
However, you must give the Kindle Paperwhite its excellent positive contrast. Amazon has repeatedly pointed out that the light-carrying film used is a patented technique that allows directing the light directly onto the screen with the help of a special nano embossing and does not worsen so not the black value of the font. The promise can save Amazon because the contrast of Paperwhite with activated lighting is really excellent. The contrast value of the Kobo Glo measured by us with the light on is about 12: 1, while at the Kindle Paperwhite, we measure an incredible 15: 1, which corresponds to the contrast of the two. a good paperback. The readability is really excellent.
In the end, the two cameras mark one point: the Kobo Glo, thanks to its exceptionally uniform white lighting, the Kindle Paperwhite, thanks to its excellent contrast.
Adaptation of the text
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 0 | Kindle Paperwhite |
One of the features for which Kobo eBook Reader has always been performing is character customization. The Kobo Glo does not disappoint either: besides the font and the size of the font, you can also define the distances between lines and margins. At the same time, Kobo is not content with just a few predefined setting options, but allows you to use the sliders to adapt the font almost infinitely and arbitrarily. And even here, it does not stop, because at Kobo Glo, you can even manipulate the thickness and sharpness of the font with such a slider with some preinstalled fonts. In addition, Glo allows you to install your own fonts. In addition, you can change the alignment of text between left justified and justified, hyphenation still being active.
The Kindle Paperwhite also offers good font customization options, but can not compete with the size of a Kobo Glo. Paperwhite can be used to set the font, font size, line and margin distances, but in summary, it can be said that this is not possible to the same extent as Glo. It is not possible to adjust the alignment of the text (justified text) or the thickness of the font, and you can not install your own fonts as easily as on the Kobo Glo . Until now, Paperwhite has not mastered hyphenation.
The font can be better adjusted on the Kobo Glo (left) than on the Kindle Paperwhite (right)
Amazon pointed out at the Kindle Paperwhite press conference that the device fonts had been adapted to the higher screen resolution. This should result in each selected font being particularly sharp. That may be the case, but you do not see a real difference compared to the Kobo Glo. As already mentioned before, every detail adaptation, which benefits the clarity of the writing, must be swallowed by the light carrier film.
In the end, the Kobo Glo understands this point very well. The difference is in no way as big as it was compared to the Sony PRS-T2, but the Glo does not have to be afraid at any time.
Reading: notes, bookmarks, etc.
| Kobo Glo | 0 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
Anyone who has switched from Kobo Touch to Glo will immediately feel at ease, as both devices use almost identical software. Since the release of the Kobo Touch software, the software has changed a lot because Kobo has stopped developing and perfecting its system. In the meantime, the Kobo Touch – and therefore also the Kobo Glo – has a full feature, which includes note-taking, text marking, searching, bookmarking and shelf management. Different dictionaries can also be used.
Fortunately for Kobo, Kobo has not only added new features, it has also ensured that they are well integrated into the system. Only the dictionary and the keyboard you have to criticize something. The dictionary feature includes two different reference works for almost all languages. On the one hand, you can search in a dictionary of meaning, on the other hand in a translation dictionary. Unfortunately, it is not possible to set the translation dictionary as standard, which always requires you to call it with two pressures. Unfortunately, the criticism does not stop there, because the dictionary function on Glo is also a bit unreliable. This is due to two things: 1. The scope of the dictionaries is apparently not as great as that of the competition. 2. The dictionary function is very sensitive to different grammatical forms. If a word is not in the basic form, it happens again and again that it is not found and you have to search for the word itself.
Unfortunately, the keyboard must be criticized. The key layout needs to be improved because you can only set the punctuation by pressing the special character key. It's complicated and unnecessarily complicated, especially on the slow eInk screen. This can be particularly annoying when it comes to taking notes, because one should also note the lack of export function here. Although notes can be synchronized and viewed on the PC, there is no easy way to export them.
The Kindle Paperwhite keyboard (below) works better than the Kobo Glo keyboard (above).
The Kindle Paperwhite also has many features. Note taking, text markers, bookmarks, search function and dictionary also belong to the Amazon Reader directory. Even though the range of functions is similar, it quickly and clearly shows that the Kindle Paperwhite masters most of the things mentioned and that they seem more reliable and more evolved. A note made is marked by a current footnote. In a preview of annotations, all notes, marks, and bookmarks created are well-ranked, including position and page number. The list of search results is available in the same clear format. Unfortunately, this does not seem so clear to Kobo Glo, mainly because the annotations are not displayed.
Notes are stored on the Kindle Paperwhite in a separate TXT file and can therefore be exported without much detours and used externally. In addition, you can sync annotations with the "cloud" and manage and complete them via the Kindle PC application or on your own Kindle home page.
With the dictionary function, the good impression continues. Although you can only use one dictionary (which means dictionary or translation dictionary) on Kindle Paperwhite, it works reliably. The Paperwhite manages to hide grammatical forms and to search for the basic form of a word. The disadvantages are two things: 1. There is no way to quickly switch between two dictionaries. 2. Translation dictionaries must be purchased.
Despite these two flaws, it's clear that the Kindle Paperwhite dictionary feature is simply better. Still in terms of keyboard, the Kindle Paperwhite convinces. The layout of the keys is more appealing, but the responsiveness of the keyboard is much better. Even fast entries can be made without the keys being recognized. At Kobo Glo, unfortunately, this looks completely different. If you press the screen too quickly, individual letters are often swallowed. This is particularly annoying because you can not just move the cursor to a tapping, but you have to use the arrow keys on the keyboard. This is time consuming and complicated, if not totally useless, with a touch screen device.
The Paperwhite keyboard also has a dictionary feature. As you type, different words are suggested, which you can select from a single touch. This often avoids you from writing the entire word. In addition, typos can be corrected quickly and easily in this way.
The result is that the Kindle Paperwhite gets this point despite similar features, thanks to much better retail solutions, in the end, with ease.
Read: PDF
| Kobo Glo | 0 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
The PDF function has never been one of the most important features on Amazon and Kobo. The two manufacturers are basically limited to the bare minimum and have not invested too much time in implementing the readability of PDF files. Nevertheless, the Kindle Paperwhite can understand the problem here thanks to a few small benefits. It starts with the option to pinch to zoom. At Paperwhite, you can enlarge and reduce the contents of the PDF file with the familiar gesture of two fingers. So you can enlarge even a small content quickly and accurately.
With improved contrast, PDF files on Kindle Paperwhite (right) are often better read than on Kobo Glo (left).
In addition to simple magnification, the Paperwhite also has a column mode. If you tap twice on the screen, it will be activated. If Paperwhite recognizes different columns of text or image, these are selectively enlarged and can also be moved section by section. It does not always work at 100% reliability, but definitely adds value. In addition, you can increase the contrast of PDF files for more readability.
Kobo Glo is a little frugal here. It only has a simple zoom function, controlled by a slider. The Kobo Glo does not have multitouch gestures, which makes it less flexible than Paperwhite. In addition, there is no additional functionality that can improve the readability of PDF files. Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite do not have a PDF redistribution feature.
Operation & Software
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
In terms of operation, both devices can convince despite different concepts. On the Kobo Glo, we are greeted by a minimalist and artistic startup screen. A spiral view displays the five most recently read and added digital books. From there you can also go directly to the library and see all the eBooks on the device. With the own management of the shelves, it is possible to clbadify the electronic books in their own categories and thus improve the overview and control on the device.
Two splash screens presented differently: Kobo Glo (left) vs. Kindle Paperwhite (right)
The minimalist design concept of the startup screen also scours the rest of the operating system. Custom icons are responsible for specific functions in menu bars. The symbols are not labeled, but after a brief familiarization you will find yourself quickly.
The Kindle Paperwhite is also rather minimalist. The home screen also serves as a library and displays the complete inventory of the book on multiple pages. Here you can sort the books directly and arrange them in shelves or collections. Also on Paperwhite, the concept launched on the start screen goes through the entire system – maybe even a little better than on the Kobo Glo.
The Kindle Paperwhite has a main navigation bar, which can be viewed from almost any screen. Thus, Amazon creates a very consistent user experience, which means that there is no problem with the operation. The fact that Amazon attaches great importance to ease of use is also stated in the instructions for initial setup. In a separate article, we have exhaustively described the first release of the Kindle Paperwhite.
With the Kobo Glo (above), navigation is distributed at the top and bottom of the screen, while the Kindle Paperwhite (below) has a main navigation at the top of the screen. ;screen.
The software stability of Kindle Paperwhite is excellent. There are no crashes or other problems here. On the contrary: the device is mature and works well. The Kobo Glo had some problems with the software instabilities, especially with the version with firmware 2.1.5. In the last few days, Kobo has deployed firmware versions 2.3.0 and 2.3.1, which should solve the problems. I could not check it yet, but I have not had a crash since the update.
Finally, both devices can be used after a short installation, wonderfully and without problems, bringing a point.
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
With the additional functions, the two manufacturers again have completely different behaviors. The Kobo Glo offers an additional Internet browser, as well as chess and sudoku games and a notebook. The notebook is quite simple and allows you to draw only with your finger on the screen. There are no setting options, so you can only draw in one line thickness and then save the created image.
Chess and sudoku, on the other hand, prove to be a good hobby, as both games also work on the eInk screen, rather slow, without any problem. The difficulty level can be adjusted to both chess and sudoku, and started games can be saved for later.
Although Kobo Glo's Internet browser is not one of the best on the market, it still remains very useful in terms of results. Thanks to the Kobo Glo's 1 GHz processor, the browser is also running at amazing speed. Unfortunately, you can not download ACSM files with the browser, which are used in many e-book stores or online loan.
The Kindle Paperwhite Internet Browser (right) is a little better than the Kobo Glo (left)
The Kindle Paperwhite does not have pre-installed games. However, there are some to buy in the United States. In Germany, the offer is not yet. However, the preinstalled supplements move to another area. In a book, you can mark an excerpt of text and have it translated online using Microsoft Bing. Although this does not work properly – as usual with automatic translations – it offers a good starting point in case of comprehension problem in foreign language books. It can translate both simple words and whole paragraphs.
In addition, you can search for individual words on Wikipedia, where the explanation is displayed directly in the text, in a small window. So you can make sense without closing the e-book or interrupting the reading flow.
The Kindle Paperwhite also has an internet browser. It works just as well as the Kobo Glo, but with the Zoom Pinch option, it offers a simpler zoom option. The strong point of the browser is the article mode. This recognizes longer text pbadages on a homepage than the articles and masks all content from other web pages, so that the desired text can also be read without annoying environment content. Unfortunately, you can not adjust the text size in article mode.
Amazon also offers an excellent shipping service on Kindle. This makes it possible to send articles or Internet documents from the PC directly to the Kindle. The content is – if possible – converted from Amazon, so you can read them without problem on the Kindle Paperwhite.
Again, Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite can get a point.
EBook Purchase and Loan
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 0 | Kindle Paperwhite |
Amazon and Kobo both equipped the two flagship players with an integrated e-book store. Both stores are operated directly by the manufacturer. The features of the device do not differ much from each other: one opens the e-book shop over its own menu item and one can then, with the help of research or vorobeegten categories , find, buy and download directly the desired eBook.
The Kindle Paperwhite presents here the advantage that the device is linked to the delivery directly to the Amazon customer account with which the drive was ordered. This eliminates the separate entry of customer data, which allows you to start immediately immediately. Even an Adobe ID is not necessary because Amazon uses its own DRM method.
EBooks can be purchased directly from readers. Kobo Glo (left) and Kindle Paperwhite (right) with lighting activated in direct sunlight
We are already at the worst negative point of Paperwhite: Amazon is relying on its own e-book format, which is not compatible with the ePub format, which has since become standard. Therefore, digital books can only be obtained by Amazon and e-book rental services. online loan can not be used with the Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon has recently launched its own rental service, where you can borrow an e-book a month for 29 euros a year. Unfortunately, the offer is limited to many self-published titles, with no real bestseller (except for Harry Potter).
The Kobo Glo looks different. Although the initial setup is a few steps longer due to the lack of a customer account relationship, you are not bound to Kobo if you want to buy its ebooks. Kobo Glo also supports clbadic ePub files. So you can buy eBooks in other stores and read them without converting them. Also, onleihe can be used with Glo.
In the end, the Glo can argue its point of view because of the limitation of the Kindle Paperwhite format.
Battery life
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 0 | Kindle Paperwhite |
In terms of battery life, e-book readers were not so different in the past. Most devices often last the same time with a single charge of the same technology. Although the differences sometimes reach a few days, this is usually not due to the deadlines of several weeks. On the other hand, things are a bit different with illuminated eBook readers.
LEDs located in the frame to illuminate the screen need a lot more power than eInk readers. If you belong to the Vielleser variety and spend hours and hours with a good book while turning on the lights, both Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite must be turned on at least once a week.
However, there are slight differences. The Kindle Paperwhite comes with a battery charge despite a lower brightness than Kobo Glo. In the meantime, several weeks of testing were done: the Kindle Paperwhite's accumulator was often empty or faster than that of the Kobo Glo.
This also coincides with the information of the manufacturer. Kobo indicates a running time of up to 70 hours with activated lighting and Amazon up to 28 hours with a lighting level of 10. Thus, the Kobo Glo includes the point.
value for money
| Kobo Glo | 1 | : | 1 | Kindle Paperwhite |
The price-line ratio of the two devices, there is little to suspend. For 129 euros, you get from both manufacturers an excellent e-book reader with many features. A year ago, you had to pay a lot more for a lot less. In the end, in this respect, both devices convince: tie.
conclusion
| Kobo Glo | 8 | : | 8 | Kindle Paperwhite |
As in the previous point, the result at the conclusion of the comparison test is: Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite both scored 1.4 in our test series and rank among the best on the market. In direct comparison, this image is finally confirmed. Kobo Glo and Kindle Paperwhite both have strengths and weaknesses, which makes them overall equal.
Choosing the right device ultimately determines the tastes and requirements of each. If you want to buy eBooks as simple as possible, enjoy the best possible contrast and need a dictionary and note function more frequently in reading mode, the Kindle Paperwhite is the right choice.
Despite different concepts, the Kobo Glo (left) and the Kindle Paperwhite (right) are convincing
However, if you do not want to be linked to an eBook seller, if you're looking for possible lighting, extensive font settings, and compact device requirements, you'll have better access to Kobo Glo.
In the end, both devices, as in the individual test, convince even in direct comparison and reveal, along with some minor weaknesses, many strengths. Peu importe lequel des deux lecteurs que vous choisissez, vous ne pouvez pas trop vous tromper.
Une image encore meilleure des deux appareils peut être réalisée dans les deux tests individuels:
Source link
