Kindlemay not have invent the e - reader , but it has beenthename in Es - readers since the devices found their way to a mainstream audience . Helped largely by its versed railroad tie to the Amazon webstore , the Kindle has beenthe salutary e - readerfor millions of people .
Heck , for many hoi polloi , it was the first and only Es - proofreader they ’ve ever have . I start out with a Nook e - reader , but quickly pivoted to anAmazon Kindle Paperwhitewhen Nook pack its grip and fled British shores . And since then , I have n’t face back .
But that daytime is over , I now recognise how good other e - readers are , and it ’s changed how I attend at my Paperwhite . The Kindle is no longer the only game in Ithiel Town , and there are a number of very attractive choice that you should be regard if you ’re suppose of buy another eastward - reader .
Amazon , for all its positive degree , has grown fat and work-shy on its huge profits . The Kindle is no longer the young , athletic machine it once was , and that ’s starting to show . I ’ve stick out too long under the yoke of Amazon , and this exceptional e - reader , theKobo Clara Colour , has set me costless . And if you ’re still using a Kindle , you should look elsewhere too .
Amazon’s control over e-books is getting tighter and tighter
We do n’t really own our e - books . That ’s a necessary immorality I ’ve make out to accept , though I do n’t like it . Due to diligence shenanigans at the dawn of the due east - book ( and confessedly , absolve worries about plagiarism ) , none of us actuallyownthe Kindle Quran we purchase . rather , we buy a license to view that e - book for as long as the vendor is willing or able-bodied to tender it to us . That ’s the same across all e - book platforms , and is largely the case in other area too . Think you own your Steam games?You do n’t , not really .
Does this really matter ? After all , if you’re able to still understand your book whenever you need , what does it weigh ? For a start , it means you ca n’t read your book whenever you want . Because it ’s a license , Amazon can yoink that title of respect back whenever it likes , or alter it to change the text . Nobody ’s breaking into your house to steal your written matter ofMoby Dick , but they can take it from your Kindle library if need . It happened toKindle copies of1984 in 2009 , a hilariously ironical turn of events for that particular Scripture . I take on it ’s rarified that it happens , but it can anddoeshappen .
But this is a vulgar issue across all e - book sellers , so why is it playing into my decision to ditch Amazon after all these years ? Well , Amazon is getting stricter with what it ’ll reserve you to do with Kindle e - playscript .
In this day of swarm storage , Wi - Fi , and Bluetooth , institutionalise file via a cable connection to your east - reader is an archaic approach . But it still exists , and even for e - readers like the Kobo Clara Colour , it ’s a common occurence , specially if you use third - political party store to buy your e - books . So , it make gumption most place will allow you to download your einsteinium - books separately , in vitrine you need to transfer them manually .
That used to be the sheath for Kindle devices . Then , took Amazon take the option away for the newest variant of the Kindle . Now , as of February 27 , 2025 , nobody can download their e - book file from Amazon . rather , you may only download them directly to your Kindle or Kindle app .
I can see Amazon ’s system of logic here — it ’s believably not the most pop room to put titles on a Kindle , and I ca n’t even remember the last time I used it . So it ’s gentle to see why it might be gamey on the listing to chop up . But the larger issue is that it provides a weakpoint in Amazon ’s DRM . Downloaded e - Bible data file can have the DRM removed , and can then be converted into other formats suitable for , say , other vitamin E - readers . for certain , some people may be making a backup of their e - books , since you never have intercourse when a book might disappear , but it ’s likely a large number of people were simply moving their books from one lector to another .
It ’s wanton to make the statement that Amazon is protecting its DRM , and I get it . But if I decided to take all of my paperback book and give them to a neighbor , the store I bought them in ca n’t stop me . Why are einsteinium - books treated otherwise ? Yes , lawfully mass who take their Kindle book of account and hit the DRM are in the damage . But ethically , can you really say they should n’t expect admittance to the product they ’ve bought ?
Where you fall on this is an entirely personal choice , and I wo n’t lie , ithasweighed to a great extent on my selection to in the end leave the Kindle behind . But it helps it ’s make out at a time where the Kindle is one of the least interesting e - proofreader you’re able to buy .
Kindles are no longer must-buy devices
I ’ll get this out of the way now : Kindles are still excellent . But they ’re no longer the standout devices in the quad , and they ’re definitely lose their twinkle .
Amazon has n’t slack up off in allow raw devices . TheOasis , Scribe , andKindle Colorsoftwere all introduced in the last decade . But they ’re not really the most exciting equipment around . The Colorsoft , while bully , is fundamentally the Paperwhite Signature Edition with a color screen and a hefty $ 80 bump in price . The Scribe is a coolheaded alteration in guidance , but a orotund e - ink lozenge is hardly breaking new ground . And the Oasis ? It mark off all the boxes : it was dissimilar , utilitarian , and attractive — but after a few updates it was ignored and give up to slowly give way .
All - in - all , while Amazon is still produce gravid einsteinium - reader , the edge is gone . The Kindle has been caught up by , and in some cases , outstrip by other maker . My current fop , the Kobo Clara Colour , is an east - lector with a 6 - inch color showing , an IP68 - evaluation for junk and water - resistance , and a 300ppi resolution . Add to this a repairable build , and you ’ve got a solid competitor for the Kindle Colorsoft .
So that cost about the same as the Colorsoft , right ? Nope . While the Colorsoft start up from $ 280 , the Clara Colour cost $ 160 . You ’re get an experience on par with the Colorsoft for the same Mary Leontyne Price as the Paperwhite , an incredible value proffer .
It ’s not a flawless triumph , though . When compared to the Colorsoft , the Clara Colour has a smaller display , lacks wireless charging , and has half the storage at 16 GB — but the price dispute of $ 120 ( a 75 % gain in price ) makes this a no contest for me . I ’ve also used theKobo Clara BW , which is fundamentally the same equipment as the Clara Colour , but with a black and white show and $ 20 tacky . So if you ’re not keen on a color exhibit , there ’s a more traditional choice for you .
I ’m very much in the Paperwhite place where an tocopherol - reader is concerned , but if you ’re looking for areallycheap vitamin E - reader then I admit you ’re in all probability good off sticking with the downhearted priced Kindle . Kobodoesoffer refurbished Nia e - reader for $ 80 — $ 30 less than the service line Kindle — but it has a lower resolution and less storage , so I would opine double about that . If your budget can stretch any further , the Clara BW is a great upgrade for the theme Kindle , but until Kobo releases a Modern Nia , you do n’t have many great options .
I’ve made the switch, and so should you
It ’s time to move aside from the Amazon Kindle . The dependable news is in computer hardware , package , and just pure ability to keep hold of the stuff you buy , the Kindle is match and beaten by Kobo . The bad news is , it still is n’t painless .
I have a fairly large Kindle program library . Legally , I could never take that with me , but it still really fret that I ’m now physically barred from doing so . That ’s an intact library of books I wo n’t have on my Modern e - reader .
But I reject to let the sunk monetary value fallacy hold me back . A fresh start is valuable , and it allows me to blow out the dust and essay something new . Plus , I can keep my Kindle in case Idowant to re - read an quondam favorite .
What about the Amazon Kindle store ? While I doubt Kobo has the same figure of thick pot as Amazon does , what itdoeshave is a solid price guarantee . Kobo will repay you the difference plus 10 % if you find an atomic number 99 - book crummy than on their store . That ’s a great guarantee , though I admit it ’s going to be a annoyance to defer the form every metre I notice an atomic number 99 - book I desire is on sales agreement on Amazon .
I wo n’t lie down , the Kindle Paperwhite has been a stalwart companion , and I ’m emphatically too attached to it to just cast it asunder . But , I am looking fore to a fresh start . The Kobo Clara Colour has give me the excuse I needed to ditch Amazon and all of its luggage , and move to something newfangled . I get laid I wo n’t regret my decision .
