Fit a library in your bag
E-READERS HAVE COME A LONG WAY AND THERE IS ONE TO SUIT EVERY POCKET
THEY say the sales of physical books have bounced back after dipping when e-readers first became available. There is no doubt that a sense of nostalgia and a yearning for simpler times (also known as the time before the internet ruined everything) makes paper books an appealing prospect.
And yet, there are so many advantages to using an e-reader that it can only be a blip on an ever-upward trajectory.
For a start you can change the size of the type on an e-reader, which means I can prolong the self-delusion that I do not yet need glasses.
You can pack hundreds of books onto a single device, which helps you stay under the weight limit when packing your bags to go on holiday.
And then there’s the big one – you don’t need paper, or to transport the books on planes or vans to bookshops.
Yes, there’s no doubt e-books are here to stay, and when most people think e-books, they think Kindle. But, while Amazon’s e-readers and book service are certainly the most popular, there are alternatives.
Kobo is probably the way to go if Amazon is not your thing – it has 20% of the market globally, but is nowhere near as well known in the UK as in its native Canada.
Both Kobo and Amazon, obviously, offer their own e-book stores, which are far and away the simplest way to get books onto your devices. Each offers “over a million” books, meaning all the most popular books will be on there, as well as a healthy selection of more niche offerings.
It’s nice to know you have options. Here is a roundup of the different e-readers on the market from Amazon and Kobo.
ENTRY-LEVEL Amazon Kindle
(from £69.99) RECENTLY upgraded, the most basic Kindle is still an excellent device. It now sports a built-in light to go with a basic 6in e-paper screen with a resolution of 167ppi. Its 4GB of storage can hold thousands of books.
Kobo Aura Edition 2
(£99.99) KOBO’S cheapest e-reader is slightly higherspecced than the Kindle, with the same-sized screen offering a higher resolution at 212ppi.
Otherwise it’s on a par with Amazon’s device, with 4GB of storage and a built-in light.
Kobo Clara HD
(£109.99)
CLARA offers highend resolution in its 6in screen – 300ppi offers a print-like experience, and the built-in light is also upgraded to reduce blue tones at night to make reading a more comfortable experience.
There’s also more storage than the Aura – 8GB.
MID-RANGE
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
(from £119.99)
THE next step up from Amazon offers a print-like resolution of 300ppi, better lighting, and 8GB of storage, which you can upgrade to 32GB for £30 more. The stand-out feature on the Paperwhite, though, is the fact that’s it’s waterproof. There is also a version with free-for-life 4G connectivity, so you can download books on the go – this costs £219.99
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2
(£149.99)
ALSO waterproof, the H2O version of the Aura Edition 2 is also an upgrade in size and resolution over its baby brother. It has a 6.8in screen with a resolution of 265ppi.
HIGH-END
Amazon Kindle Oasis
(from £229.99)
THE best and most expensive of the Kindles is an upgrade on the Paperwhite in most aspects. It’s made of metal, not plastic, and has a 7in 300ppi screen.
Made for people who use their Kindle a lot, it’s the most durable – on offer and is also waterproof. The latest version also features a lighting system with adjustable warmth – from white to amber.
For £259.99 you can get one with 32GB of storage, and for £319.99 you can add 4G connectivity, too.
Kobo Forma
(from £239.99) KOBO’S best reader offers the biggest screen, at 8in with a resolution of 300ppi, and can also be used on its side for a wide-screen experience.
The build-quality is also exceptional, and it is durable and waterproof.
There’s 8GB of storage built-in with the option to upgrade that to 32GB for £289.99.