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My kindle just came in today and I have to say, the screen is blowing me away. I thought e-ink was e-ink, but it really is much crisper and faster on the refresh than the Kobo (even the new one). The interface is a million times better. That said...I was wondering: Is there a way I can set it so the "screensaver" is the cover of the book I'm reading? Can I navigate my library on the kindle by covers? Or is it just text? If it doesn't, these are minor minor things (that the kobo does) that don't detract from the better screen and interface of the kindle.
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Dec 10, 2010 01:46
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Kerafyrm posted:I got my Kindle 3 today and have already read quite a bit on it; I actually feel a little guilty because I have a regular book I've been reading, but I want to play with my new toy, darn it. Just re-buy the regular book as an ebook you can read on your kindle! That's what I did when I got mine. 
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Dec 26, 2010 01:21
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I'm curious, how often does amazon update the software on the kindle? Not that I'm jonesing for new features, I'm just curious. Also, have there been any rumors of amazon.ca selling ebooks? The whole region thing isn't THAT big of a deal considering my wishlist is now 10+ pages and I can buy all the books in the list. It bugs me, however, that the Kobo, as a Canadian, has a better selection of books (despite the abysmal hardware). EDIT: I'm assuming that if .ca started selling ebooks instead that the regional selection would match that of the kobo book store. I am naive in these matters so my assumption could be completely wrong.
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Dec 29, 2010 01:56
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Can you gift Kindle books across regions? I really want to read City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer, but its not available in Canada on the Kindle. I can, however, find it on Amazon.com which indicates that it is available in some regions. The weird thing is Amazon.com won't even acknowledge the kindle edition exists until I log in, and even then its just to deny me the purchase. Thanks amazon. 
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Jan 8, 2011 04:57
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Strangelet Wave posted:If we're still sharing screensavers, I've converted 248 Gustave Doré engravings to 600x800 and did the best I could with the contrast. I know it was a few pages ago, but I have to thank you for this. I installed the screensaver hack and these Dore engravings just make the kindle so much classier. I cannot fathom why Amazon doesn't let users just change the screensavers with no hack. I mean, it beats Agatha Cristie's dead eye stare.
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Jan 11, 2011 04:10
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Welp, finally got sick of my Kindle's on-again/off-again freezing issue. Today it froze every time I put it to sleep. I was trying to read Infinite Jest and it was getting goddamn annoying when I constantly lost my place. I need the case because I carry the kindle in my book-bag and I don't want to scuff the screen.  1 call to Amazon and less than a minute later, I have a credit for a lit case and its on its way. Holy poo poo, Amazon...amazing stuff.
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Feb 3, 2011 03:18
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Strangelet Wave posted:If you've already installed 3.1, you're boned until someone comes up with a new jailbreaking method. ...and that answers my question. I was wondering why I couldn't randomize my screensavers anymore.
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Feb 13, 2011 19:20
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Rumors are brewing at work about a new Kobo. Apparently, with Futureshop selling them now (the current models), their inventory system also shows a model yet to be released. Larger in size, and touch screen (like the Sony readers, I'd imagine). Retailing 179.99, with the old models sticking around as an entry level device. No word on whether they'll have a pearl e-ink screen, but seeing as all the readers are adding that these days, I would hedge my bets on highly likely. June-July release date.
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Feb 16, 2011 07:46
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Just because I found out last night, Jailbreaking and hacks work again on the Kindle. The updated Jailbreak is here, y'know, the usual place on the mobile read forums. God its nice to have randomizing screensavers again.
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Mar 12, 2011 19:34
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CrashCat posted:Seems like the ongoing demise of Borders is causing Kobos to go for dirt cheap now. Or were they always this low? They seem to be starting around $60 on eBay, which puts that stupid ad-supported Kindle to shame. Granted they're not really equivalent, but the Kobo also does the library DRM stuff that the Kindle won't. It's pretty drat tempting, even if it is kind of the most feature-poor of the e-ink readers. A new Kobo is just around the corner (Fathers Day) so the price is dropping across the board. Borders owns a minority stock in Kobo, Kobo is primarily owned by Chapters Indigo.
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Apr 18, 2011 21:17
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maxnmona posted:Frankly, the footnote/endnote system on the kindle are why at this point I would much much rather read a book with a lot of notes on the kindle than in print. This made reading Infinite Jest an absolute dream. Great book, made better.
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May 12, 2011 00:32
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Cardboard Box A posted:Kobo just kicked Amazon and Sony's rear end Y'know, good for Kobo. I've always felt like they were simply chasing after the other readers and playing it safe. For once, they're actually TRYING to be better. I love that they've finally gone Pearl E-ink. At work, we've known about this reader for some time, but seeing it in action in that link, its pretty slick. I'm still not sold on the touch screen (I'll stick to my Kindle + buttons) but people will seriously eat this up. I stand there and watch person after person smear their grimy hands all over the screen and get all frustrated when it doesn't react. I'll stick to my Kindle, but its nice to see some real competition on the Canadian e-reader market for once. EDIT: OH GOD....THEY ADDED ACHIEVEMENTS TO READING. I hate you Kobo...I hate you so much. Snuffman fucked around with this message at 20:27 on May 23, 2011 |
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May 23, 2011 20:23
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Eej posted:So just skimming over things, the best choice in the barren wasteland of Canada is the Kindle, right? Since B&N doesn't officially support any devices north of the border so if it breaks down you gotta send it back which would be expensive as hell. Also, don't dismiss the Kobo! The new touch Kobo is really really nice.
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Jun 12, 2011 18:53
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Sporadic posted:Nice, bring on the class-action lawsuit. If this means that Penguin USA will start selling e-books to Canada again, then I'm all for it. Penguin's for ebooks is ridiculous by the way. Seriously, 30 bucks for an e-book? They're out of their goddamn minds.
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Aug 11, 2011 03:37
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I noticed that Amazon and Penguin appear to have made up. Penguin books are available to Canadians once more! The prices are pretty awful but the selection is much improved. I also noticed a bunch of titles that weren't available in Canada (prior to the Penguin squabble) are now available. Yay.
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Sep 21, 2011 06:27
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smackfu posted:In other news, I finally bought a book that uses the weird hybrid format where they scan the book and then build a custom font for it. Some of it looks a little crappy with not very crisp letters and bad spacing, but the section headers look amazing since they are actually in a different font and small capped and stuff. Topaz? That reminds me, is there an easy way to tell if a book is in Topaz format before buying it? This was my first encounter with the format and I can't say I liked the experience. I'm just particular about my font sizes, and the formatting was particularly awful with that book (I swear its missing a ton of page breaks).
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Sep 23, 2011 05:53
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cremnob posted:Is a Kindle the best choice for someone living in Canada? Do I get to buy all Kindle ebooks or are there weird rules that make some of them not available on Amazon.ca? The whole "not available in your region" thing was a bigger problem a year ago. This year, all Penguin titles disappeared for Canadians for about 4 months but they came back. I haven't run into a "not available in your region" in months. I think Amazon must have renewed their contracts with the publishers for Canada. EDIT: The only thing the Kobo has over the Kindle is a slightly nicer interface and they get Canadian authors before before Amazon does (Giller prize winners, CBC Reads, you know...that sort of stuff). That said, I believe the Kindle is the best choice. The screen is sharper and refreshes faster (Kindle Keyboard vs. Kobo Touch). Apparently there's an Ad-supported Kobo now? 
Snuffman fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Nov 19, 2011 |
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Nov 19, 2011 03:52
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Drimble Wedge posted:I'm in Canada too and am really flipflopping over which device I want; I'd originally thought I'd get myself the Kobo Vox. The reviews aren't overwhelmingly great, though some of that might be people's retarded expectations (one guy kvetching over the lack of a camera) and the fact that many seem to be approaching the Vox as a tablet rather than an e-reader. Whatever; the Kobo Touch is still available and my friends who own one all tell me they love it. On the other hand, Amazon Canada seems to be getting its poo poo together; it seems it wasn't that long ago that all you could buy were books and music and now it's starting to turn into the same kind of online department store that the American version is. They're both good (Kobo and Kindle)and not having wifi is not a problem with either device because they both have desktop software you can sync books onto the device with. The other thing to keep in mind is that the Kobo Touch and Kindle Touch aren't totally identical. The Kindle can: - Do the text to speech thing (publisher controlled). I never use this. - Has book lending capability (publisher controlled). You can lend a book to a friend for 2 weeks and the book disappears from your device. - Amazon allows you to preorder. Sounds silly, but I like preordering books, its always a nice treat for that book you forgot about popping up in your to read list on the reader. The Kobo doesn't have book lending but does work with the public library system (in BC at least) though Adobe digital editions. The Kobo can also get books from other ebook retailers as long as the book is sold in epub. The whole format thing isn't THAT big of a deal cause Calibre can convert epub to mobi (what the Kindle reads). The last thing to keep in mind, customer service. With the Kobo, you might get some excellent support from your local Chapters/Indigo (the store local to me seems pretty amazing) but I've heard less than stellar stories about the phone/website support from Kobo. Amazon's customer service is nothing short of stunning. My non-lit case, of all things, caused my Kindle to constantly freeze (this was a known issue). Amazon apologized and sent me a case with a built in light for free. A case that usually costs 60 bucks. I was impressed. This thread is full of stories about how awesome Amazon is. Snuffman fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Nov 20, 2011 |
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Nov 20, 2011 19:26
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but I'd always thought it was more of a US-only device. The Kobo doesn't get much of a mention in this thread but for obvious reasons it's getting pushed a lot in Canada. I guess what I'm looking for are solid pros/cons for either Kindle or Kobo? In return for your thoughts, I will tell you that you can get Air Miles for your online purchases at amazon.ca and Chapters/Indigo (as well as a shitload of other places) by first going through the portal at
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Fart of Presto posted:Which ones are missing? Because all three trilogies are available to me. I'm in Canada, and I can't see "Mona Lisa Overdrive" but Count Zero and Neuromancer are available. "Virtual Light" is missing, but "Idoru" and "Pattern Recognition" are available. Oh yeah...physical editions are definitely available. YggiDee posted:Why the hell can I buy a paperback book from Amazon.com but not an e-book? It's not like they have to work harder to ship an intangible object to Canada. I mean, I see the thread title, I just don't understand why it's this way. It's not a rare book or anything, I saw two or three copies at the local bookstore this morning. Good Omens? Amazon has it for the Kindle right here. I noticed that you have a Kobo, and it is really weird that its missing from the Kobo store (they seem to have everything else by Gaimen). That said, you could buy it from the Kindle store and convert to epub. In my experience though, epub converts better to mobi than vice versa. In the past I've bought books from the Kobo store that were either not available "in my region" or just simply not available ("City of Saints and Madmen and "Infinite Jest") and converted. They're available now, but I did think it was odd that Amazon had the REST of the Ambergris trilogy but not the first book. Come to think of it, Kobo is the opposite: They have City of Saints and Madmen and Shriek but not Finch. I suspect there's some publisher fuckery going on there, seeing as the Kindle version is in the GOD-AWFUL topaz format. EDIT: VVVVV Well, looks like its time to read some Gibson beyond Neuromancer! VVVVVV
Snuffman fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Feb 26, 2012 |
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Feb 26, 2012 20:10
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As someone who sells e-readers as part of his job, the lower price on e-books has always been a selling point. I'd even argue that amazon's pricing model in conjunction with the Kindle is directly responsible for the level of adoption of e-readers we see today. In short: People like e-reading because its cheap and 20 dollars for "Dance With Dragons" is goddamn. ridiculous. For those more in the know, what was e-book pricing like in the late 90's, early 2000's?
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Apr 12, 2012 03:35
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So regarding the whole publishers and Apple price fixing settlement, when can we theoretically expect ebook prices to adjust (besides the comedy answer of never). Mid next year? I'm under the impression Amazon renegotiates pricing and that stuff on a yearly basis.
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Sep 3, 2012 17:34
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My keyboard wifi Kindle feels slower after the update. The screen is certainly crisper but it feels...less responsive. I'm probably crazy, though.
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Sep 13, 2012 03:47
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I noticed amazon.com is encouraging me to switch my account over to .ca now, as it appears .ca now offers ebooks. Anyone know anything about this? Is the book selection going to get worse/better if I switch over my account? EDIT: Hmmmm...interesting. Going through my wishlist*, some books aren't available, but the ones that are available are available for slightly lower prices. I don't think I'll switch just yet, and I assume amazon will force me over eventually. Something for people to keep in mind, I suppose. Ok...it seems its JUST "Into That Darkness" by Stephen Price, which is odd because he's a Canadian author. Must be under a different publishing agreement. Everything else is 1 to 5 dollars cheaper, and also in CAD. Snuffman fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Dec 11, 2012 |
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Dec 11, 2012 00:13
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Red_Fred posted:My sister sent me a Kindle gift voucher from Amazon.co.uk for Christmas. I live in New Zealand and my Kindle is attached to Amazon.com which would mean that I can't actually use the voucher. Is there a way around this? Sadly, no. The same thing happened to me when my sister got me a gift certificate for amazon.ca a few Christmases back. I ended up using it on other things.
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Dec 28, 2012 14:40
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ChetReckless posted:Paperwhite Firmware 3.5.4 is out now. I really can't find any notes on what was changed , other than "general improvements". The most detail I could find was from the Ebook Reader blog: Well I can tell you one thing that was changed: My screensaver hack and all my screensavers are gone. So just a heads up,  the update breaks the screensaver hack . I'm going to guess there's going to be no workaround for some time, considering previously you had to downgrade to install the hack and the upgrade breaks it. I don't mind all that much, I didn't spend all my time staring at screensavers but it was nice to have that extra dash of personalization. Darn. 
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Mar 19, 2013 15:19
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Nihiliste posted:It's actually a little bizarre. For the longest time I assumed the Kobo belonged to Chapters/Indigo, because if you wander into that book chain, it's impossible to miss the Kobo advertising. They used to own Kobo but sold it off to Rakuten, the Japanese equivalent of amazon.com.
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Mar 26, 2013 00:33
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Brighterday posted:So I bought a Kindle recently to get back into reading more, but how do you guys know if a book works well/badly as an ebook? Is their a site that reviews how well a book has been converted to an ebook or does I have to trawl through amazon reviews? In my experience, the Kindle sample can hint at good/poor formatting. I don't think that'd work too well in your situation though, cause I suspect the diagrams would be buried deeper within the book.
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Apr 20, 2013 02:05
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Is there a way I can track ebook prices like I can apps with Appshopper? Basically, I would like an email alert when a book on my amazon wishlist (which is just ebooks anyways) is on sale.
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Aug 13, 2013 15:15
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ChetReckless posted:eReaderIQ can do this. Basically you just set up a public Amazon wishlist and the site will notify you via email when a book reaches a threshold you specify (price drops X% or X dollars, drops below $X price, etc). You can set the thresholds separately per book if you'd like. It associates your list with your email address but you don't have to log in or anything. This is exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks! :-) I tried camelcamelcamel but I don't like how it only seems to track dollar amounts. With ebook pricing being all across the board, tracking percent off makes more sense.
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Aug 13, 2013 16:08
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ChetReckless posted:eReaderIQ can do this. Basically you just set up a public Amazon wishlist and the site will notify you via email when a book reaches a threshold you specify (price drops X% or X dollars, drops below $X price, etc). You can set the thresholds separately per book if you'd like. It associates your list with your email address but you don't have to log in or anything. Had a chance to play with it. It still doesn't work quite right...they seem to be tracking the mass market price, not the kindle price. I was all excited cause Pierre Burton's books were actually reasonably priced. No...not really...ugh. So what's the dealio? I imported my wishlist, but I don't see any option to track the kindle price over the mass market. Do I need to recreate my wishlist? I'm going to email them about it, cause other that the above problem, the site is perfect. EDIT: Yeeeaaah...this is definitely a problem with how Amazon handles the wishlist, not the site. Snuffman fucked around with this message at 00:06 on Aug 14, 2013 |
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Aug 13, 2013 23:57
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Call Me Charlie posted:Good news, looks like we're getting paid in December. I was all excited till I saw "US Billing Address". Makes sense though, seeing as the whole lawsuit was in the US. I did see the mention of pricing restrictions, could this mean the return of cheap ebooks? Time will tell!
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Sep 1, 2013 16:59
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Okay, I've got an ebook pricing mystery I'm trying to solve and this seems like the best place for it. I downloaded the amazon app on my iPhone so I can be one of those awful people that go into Chapters, browse the books, then scan the upc and buy the ebook instead (  ). I was quite surprised when I went into my wishlist on the app and noticed how cheap all the ebooks were all of a sudden (with the noted caveat that amazon won't actually let you BUY any ebooks through the app, thanks Apple). I had assumed that since the whole lawsuit against Apple had gone through, the pricing had suddenly dropped. But when I go to Amazon.com or .ca, the pricing remains the same as it ever was. Here's a book in the app:  Amazon.com:  Amazon.ca  Am I just being dense here? I'd love to get the app pricing on ebooks. The above example may not seem like much but there are other books in my wishlist where the app says they're 8 bucks as opposed to 24 bucks (!?) on the site. Do they just price stuff in the app cheaper so I'll buy physical books over the competitor like in my previous example where I'm showroom shopping?
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Oct 26, 2013 21:33
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smackfu posted:This page shows it for $8.89 on Amazon.com in Safari on my iphone: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008VK1HP8/ref=redir_mdp_mobile Interesting...following that link in Firefox on my PC shows it as 12.99. 12.53 in Safari on my iPhone. Must be a regional pricing thing? I am in Canada, but the app must be pulling the price for some other region. Bizarre.
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Oct 26, 2013 22:44
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Doppelganger posted:I have a Kindle Paperwhite, any recommendations for the best way to disinfect the screen without damaging it? I bought a ScreenDr kit today, and it says it has an antibacterial cloth, but no idea what that actually means. Nope. I use my screen cleaner on my Kindle all the time.
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Nov 8, 2013 15:05
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Nihiliste posted:At least Kobos are worth a drat these days! Man, have you seen the new Kobo Aura? The thing is like a tiny ipad with an eink screen. Capacitive touch screen completely flush with the bezel and it still has the glow feature. Light as a feather too. I was impressed, I assume amazon will be playing catchup next year. Strange times we live in where Kobo is making more advanced ereaders than amazon. It was only a few years ago that Kobo was constantly playing catchup.
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Nov 15, 2013 00:51
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the littlest prince posted:Nope! What is it and why are they bad? The original kobo. Ugh. See that huge button? That's how you turn pages. It's really stiff and clicky and just generally awkward. The whole thing was awkward to use. It's the OG kobo's awfulness that drove me to get a kindle instead.
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Nov 15, 2013 02:58
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The new "origami" covers are...odd... I get that they don't want to go with a shell design like the paperwhite and add mass (for the record I love my official paperwhite cover). They also cant do something like the old hooks with the kindle keyboard cover, but man...what an odd looking cover. I don't like it and I haven't even seen it in person.  I also want a Voyager but they're probably not going to even start shipping to Canada until the new year. 
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Sep 19, 2014 03:35
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Crack posted:What's the noticeable difference upgrading to 300 ppi screen for a normal, non picture book? When I open my paperwhite I can't see pixels on the text or anything. It seems like the biggest + most expensive upgrade though (at least to me, I'm not too fussed about page turn buttons or light sensors) so there must be some advantage? The fonts appear way crisper. I could see the difference when I was looking at an Kobo Aura HD vs. my Paperwhite. That said, its not that big of a deal. If you're cool with your current ppi, its nothing to throw your reader out for.
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Sep 22, 2014 15:06
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Unoriginal posted:I just bought a Paperwhite 2 and am looking for a good case. I'm coming from my Kindle Keyboard with the official Amazon leather lighted case which felt awesome, so maybe I'm a bit spoiled. I considered the official case for this one, but saw some complaints that the case isn't that comfortable to hold with sharp edges and rougher lining fabric. It's sort of a lot to spend on a case if it's not going to feel like quality, so what do you guys think of it? I also considered the Fintie snap on case, but I'm worried it'll feel too cheap and make my hands sweaty, being plastic. Had a kindle keyboard with official cover, now own a paperwhite with official cover. I love the feel of the official paperwhite cover, just as much as the old keyboard cover. Doesn't feel plasticy, and if you hold it like a normal person you'll be making contact with the nice fabric on the inside of the cover. My only complaint would be the additional bulk it adds but drat if it doesn't feel like it could take a good drop. I throw it in my bag with no worries.
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Oct 19, 2014 01:14
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Huh. Looks like Kindle Unlimited is available in Canada now. Maybe this is old news? Can any US users comment on whether its worth it?
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Feb 13, 2015 00:13
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