ALL-NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE VS KOBO FORMA
Lose yourself in a good ebook… After you’ve discovered which of these new ereaders tops the charts
All-new Kindle Paperwhite From $199, amazon.com.au
Now thinner, lighter (182g) and waterproof, the travel-friendly all-new Paperwhite has a 300ppi six-inch Carta E Ink display with an additional LED light, making text look crisper. Those big bezels, though now flush, eat into the screen. The all-new Paperwhite has Audible support, so you can beam audiobooks to your Bluetooth cans. A plethora of Kindle features makes reading easier and boosts your word prowess. Personalised book suggestions are better matched than from Kobo. Page orientation, brightness, font size and type are easy to customise, and you can create unique presets for different reading situations. Improved backlighting lessens eye strain during nighttime reading, but the Forma’s approach is better. Over Wi-Fi, the Paperwhite downloaded our books snappily, but surfing the net was a somewhat sluggish experience. Storage starts from 8GB, and battery life can be up to six weeks depending on how often you use it. VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Smooth-touch display with additional LED light; battery life; Audible support. WE’D IMPROVE Those bezels are well chunky, making the screen feel a bit cramped.
Kobo Forma $415, kobo.o.com
The shape is odd but we like it, and the ‘spine’ is easy to grip. It’s waterproof like the Kindle, yet a smidge heavier (197g). The eight-inch 300ppi E Ink ‘drop-proof’ display rotates so that you can hold it by either side. However, it was a little slow to do so. Although not as innately feature-rich as the Paperwhite, the Forma does have an integrated OverDrive platform, enabling you to borrow ebooks from your local public library. But no audiobook support at this price is bemusing. Navigation is fast, customisation options are plentiful, and housekeeping (ie, creating book collections) is easy. ComfortLight Pro instantly adjusts the colour temperature to the time of day, lessening eye strain. This is a wonderful luxury. Apart from the rotation issue, the Forma is very responsive. Downloads happened quickly, with plenty of room to store them; 8GB is standard and a 32GB option is coming. The 1,200mAh battery should last a whole novel without recharging. WE’RE IMPRESSED ComfortLight Pro rocks; the shape is truly ergonomic; OverDrive for free ebooks. WE’D IMPROVE The rotation sensor lags at times; built-in audiobook support would be welcome.