Computers & Electronics

Kobo Horror Stories

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 28th, 2017 2:44 pm
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga

Kobo Horror Stories

So I've been thinking about getting an e-reader with an e-ink display lately because my eyesight is terrible and I don't want to spend a lot of money on a high point tablet that's got a 1440p resolution (the only type of tablets worth reading on for people with crap eyesight) and an OLED screen (LCD lacks those deep blacks). My eyes hurt when I read text on a low-res LCD screen for a long time, as sad as that sounds. Plus tablets are too heavy to use in bed.

Anyway, I was thinking about getting a refurbished Kobo Aura HD for $120ish because it's the only 7-inch e-reader that's somewhat affordable. Plus it comes with a Carta screen, microSD expansion, no DRM like Kindles, and a 1440p screen @ 265 ppi.

But here's the thing... it's refurbished. Comes with a one year warranty so I'm not too worried, but I did some research and apparently people have had so many issues with the Aura HD, on top of bad service from Kobo... I'm kind of afraid to buy one now. Now, taking apart the device and DIY repairing it isn't an issue for me. But mobileread has so many Aura HD horror stories it really makes me wonder about its build quality. Apparently the screen is very delicate and breaks with the slightest bump, the device freezes a lot and bricks itself, and the internal SD card gets corrupted.

The same issues plague other Kobo products, apparently. I was looking at the Aura, but it's just as bad. Is this why Kobo went under and had to discontinue so many products? I don't want to go with Kindle because I hate Amazon's DRM and the lack of storage expandability.

What do you guys think of refurb Kobos? Worth it at $100+ for a product from 2013?
24 replies
Deal Fanatic
Sep 29, 2005
6758 posts
1786 upvotes
Montreal
I have the Aura and the Glow. They have been quite reliable for me. My Glow was a refurb that came as a free replacement from Kobo when my old Kobo died during a firmware update. That old unit was at least 4 years old and they simply replaced it without me asking. I found their service to be very good but I can't say if they've made changes since. I can't comment about the aura hd.
Phils
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
Phils wrote: I have the Aura and the Glow. They have been quite reliable for me. My Glow was a refurb that came as a free replacement from Kobo when my old Kobo died during a firmware update. That old unit was at least 4 years old and they simply replaced it without me asking. I found their service to be very good but I can't say if they've made changes since. I can't comment about the aura hd.
Your Kobo died during a firmware update... and got hard-bricked? How? Was it low on battery during it? Even then, it should have been easy enough to restore, right? See, this is what worries me about Kobo. Their products die from the simplest of things. A firmware update shouldn't kill any device, ever. And even if they do, you should be able to resurrect them yourself. Now I see why they had to discontinue their old products, and why liquidation stores have so many of them in stock.

I'm still trying to decide on the Aura HD. I'm gonna do more research and make a decision on Monday. The fact that Kobo e-readers get bricked so easily worries me.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 15, 2011
2221 posts
1083 upvotes
Saint John
I'd just get a Kingle Paperwhite if I were you. I've been using one for years without any DRM issues. My parents and sisters also have them and they've never given anyone trouble. You just have to use Calibre in conjunction with your reader and you can copy, upload, download, and backup ebooks easily.
FEEDBACK: RFD HWC Heat
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
birthdaymonkey wrote: I'd just get a Kingle Paperwhite if I were you. I've been using one for years without any DRM issues. My parents and sisters also have them and they've never given anyone trouble. You just have to use Calibre in conjunction with your reader and you can copy, upload, download, and backup ebooks easily.
That's what I was originally thinking, but I really, really hate the lack of storage, especially actual available storage, which is usually just 1-2 GB. I hate the idea of spending nearly $100 on a device with barely any storage. Even if book files are fairly small. I want to read comics on my e-reader, which are gonna take up quite a bit of space, and judging by the way the Aura HD handles pdfs, it should do pretty well as a comicbook reader as well.
Deal Addict
Dec 17, 2011
2123 posts
1605 upvotes
Montreal
I mean, if you Google 'kobo aura problems', then yea, you'll find people having problems. People go on forums like mobileread because they're having problems and are seeking help. That doesn't mean all owners of a certain product are having problems.

All I can say is, I've had my Aura (non-HD) for over 3 years now and haven't had any problems. I did find that some firmware updates slowed my Aura down (particularly the database update), so I just downgraded back to an older firmware and stuck with that.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 3, 2002
4865 posts
188 upvotes
GTA
I've had a Glo HD for a year and a bit, no complaints at all.
Rock it.
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
clee290 wrote: I mean, if you Google 'kobo aura problems', then yea, you'll find people having problems. People go on forums like mobileread because they're having problems and are seeking help. That doesn't mean all owners of a certain product are having problems.

All I can say is, I've had my Aura (non-HD) for over 3 years now and haven't had any problems. I did find that some firmware updates slowed my Aura down (particularly the database update), so I just downgraded back to an older firmware and stuck with that.
I don't know, it seems to me that people have more issues with Kobos than Kindles, and warranty and after-market support is also better for Kindles. But I'm not looking to buy a Kindle, so I digress.

Thanks for the input. How much did your Aura slow down? I'm actually considering the 6-inch Aura because it's a lot cheaper, and I found one that's pretty much brand new. Which new firmware caused it to slow down? And which firmware version is yours running, and in what ways did your Aura slow down with the new firmware? Did page turning/page refreshes get slower, and did screen touches get laggier?
Deal Addict
Dec 17, 2011
2123 posts
1605 upvotes
Montreal
sk2003 wrote: I don't know, it seems to me that people have more issues with Kobos than Kindles, and warranty and after-market support is also better for Kindles. But I'm not looking to buy a Kindle, so I digress.

Thanks for the input. How much did your Aura slow down? I'm actually considering the 6-inch Aura because it's a lot cheaper, and I found one that's pretty much brand new. Which new firmware caused it to slow down? And which firmware version is yours running, and in what ways did your Aura slow down with the new firmware? Did page turning/page refreshes get slower, and did screen touches get laggier?
Based on my mobileread account, the last firmware I tried was 3.3.0 which was released in April 2014. I think I've just been on 2.10.0 (the original firmware) since then. I haven't kept up with firmware updates since I've been happy on 2.10.0, so I don't know how things might've improved since 3.3.0. There weren't any slowdowns when actually using it, just when I would add books and the reader had to update the database with the new books. I also felt that waking the device took a bit longer, but I never timed it so it could've just been in my head.
Deal Addict
Oct 12, 2006
2332 posts
710 upvotes
Alberta
Running a Kobo Aura for 2 years. No issues on my end. No issues with the Kobo mini I had before it either.
I keep my library on my laptop, and only a couple books on the device so storage isn't an issue at all for me.
Not sure how well comics will work on the ereader. Not much navigation use on my device beyond page flips and on screen button presses.
Deal Addict
Feb 29, 2012
2654 posts
1461 upvotes
Richmond
I don't think the Kobo screens are particularly fragile. I've never had one break. In any case, they buy the screens as a package from eInk, just as Amazon Kindle does, so there's no brand difference.

The Kobo Aura HD does have a common problem that I've encountered and had to fix, and Kobo customer support are totally clueless about it. The internal memory, including the firmware storage, is actually a 4 Gbyte microSD card inserted into an internal slot on the circuit board (not the external microSD slot, you have to pry the case open to get at this one). But there's nothing but friction holding the card in the slot - it doesn't "click" into place. If you drop the Aura HD or hit it at the wrong angle, the card can pop part-way out of the slot and you start getting an erratic connection. You get strange boot failures, sudden freezing and crashing etc.. Call Kobo support and they will have no idea what's wrong. All you need to do is pry open the case and jam the microSD card firmly back in the internal slot. Stick some tape on it!
Sr. Member
User avatar
Jan 22, 2015
601 posts
671 upvotes
N/A
Faith24 wrote: I don't think the Kobo screens are particularly fragile. I've never had one break. In any case, they buy the screens as a package from eInk, just as Amazon Kindle does, so there's no brand difference.

The Kobo Aura HD does have a common problem that I've encountered and had to fix, and Kobo customer support are totally clueless about it. The internal memory, including the firmware storage, is actually a 4 Gbyte microSD card inserted into an internal slot on the circuit board (not the external microSD slot, you have to pry the case open to get at this one). But there's nothing but friction holding the card in the slot - it doesn't "click" into place. If you drop the Aura HD or hit it at the wrong angle, the card can pop part-way out of the slot and you start getting an erratic connection. You get strange boot failures, sudden freezing and crashing etc.. Call Kobo support and they will have no idea what's wrong. All you need to do is pry open the case and jam the microSD card firmly back in the internal slot. Stick some tape on it!
Oh wow. That's such an excellent thing to know. Thanks so much.

To the OP, we have two Kobo devices. Um, sec I'll check which ones... A Kobo Aura H2O and a Kobo One. The Kobo One is pretty nice. Very responsive. There's some weird battery drain issue thing and we're awaiting an imminent firmware update. The H2O has held up reasonably -- I bought the One (my wife is the user of both devices as she only has 20% vision left in one eye and the they're essential for her to read at a reasonable pace) because the screen size is the largest currently available (the Sony monster is crazy expensive) which allows for more text per screen. She used to rail against ereaders and used to swear up and down that she'd never like them. Well, she's always scouring Kobo for the daily deal, lol.

Oh, Kobo bought Overdrive as you probably know. I think it works better then it used to but we haven't really engaged with it yet.

We've found them to be very dependable. Then again, we treat them like they're made of glass and they never leave the house.

We also have two Sony PRS-T3s (I use one of them) and my Sony suits me. There's a really strange thing about the Sonys: One feels more responsive then the other. Odd.
Deal Expert
Jan 17, 2009
24224 posts
43249 upvotes
ONTARIO
I have a bunch of e-readers (think around 6). My favourite has always been the Kindle Paperwhite(and before that, my go to was the Kindle Keyboard). I download all my books from the net and then email them to my Kindle through Calibre. Amazon also freely archives all your books you send to your Kindle as well, so you can always get them from your Amazon account.

I also have a Kobo Aura H20. I will admit I never spent too much time with it, but from using it briefly, I did not find it as pleasant to use as the Paperwhite. Also mine came with a dead pixel, or whatever the e-ink equivalent is. A bright pixel on the display that never goes away. So that also played a factor in the amount of time I actually used it. It just collects dust now.

If your main usage will be for comics, I don't know how well you'll enjoy it on a an e-reader. I can't imagine it would look too great. Probably better off with an actual tablet in that case, but I hate reading anything on tablets for any length of time. On my ereaders I can read a book for hours and hours with no issues.
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
Faith24 wrote: I don't think the Kobo screens are particularly fragile. I've never had one break. In any case, they buy the screens as a package from eInk, just as Amazon Kindle does, so there's no brand difference.

The Kobo Aura HD does have a common problem that I've encountered and had to fix, and Kobo customer support are totally clueless about it. The internal memory, including the firmware storage, is actually a 4 Gbyte microSD card inserted into an internal slot on the circuit board (not the external microSD slot, you have to pry the case open to get at this one). But there's nothing but friction holding the card in the slot - it doesn't "click" into place. If you drop the Aura HD or hit it at the wrong angle, the card can pop part-way out of the slot and you start getting an erratic connection. You get strange boot failures, sudden freezing and crashing etc.. Call Kobo support and they will have no idea what's wrong. All you need to do is pry open the case and jam the microSD card firmly back in the internal slot. Stick some tape on it!
I don't know why, but I have it in my head that e-ink screens are more fragile than phone screens. Probably because no one ever does drop tests for e-readers, and they don't get Gorilla Glass protection (it'd be super nice to have it though). The main problem is that the screen isn't held down by anything, from what I understand. So even the smallest drop can kill it. My source:

I'm guessing the Aura HD's internals are similar to the H2O's is, minus waterproofing, and yeah, I'm aware of the internal microSD situation. It's nice because you can expand it, but flaky because it's not secured tightly enough. Say, is the battery glued to the motherboard like it is on the H2O? I hope not, because that's going to make replacing the battery a pain in a few years' time.

I'm gonna buy a case for it from eBay (an H2O case should fit it) if I buy it. But the only cases I can find are magnet sleep covers, which some people on mobileread claim causes bruising on the screen. So now I'm trying to figure out if I can remove the magnets from the case, or if I'll have to make my own case for the darn thing. Face With Tears Of Joy
Chingyul wrote: Running a Kobo Aura for 2 years. No issues on my end. No issues with the Kobo mini I had before it either.
I keep my library on my laptop, and only a couple books on the device so storage isn't an issue at all for me.
Not sure how well comics will work on the ereader. Not much navigation use on my device beyond page flips and on screen button presses.
Is that so? I heard the Kobo Mini is super slow, plus it's got bad reviews (the ones on Youtube I saw say it's bad). As for comicbooks, something like koreader should do a decent job, plus there are tools out there that let you convert comicbooks in order to view them on Kindles and whatnot properly, so that's not an issue.
ElDealioSupremo wrote: Oh wow. That's such an excellent thing to know. Thanks so much.

To the OP, we have two Kobo devices. Um, sec I'll check which ones... A Kobo Aura H2O and a Kobo One. The Kobo One is pretty nice. Very responsive. There's some weird battery drain issue thing and we're awaiting an imminent firmware update. The H2O has held up reasonably -- I bought the One (my wife is the user of both devices as she only has 20% vision left in one eye and the they're essential for her to read at a reasonable pace) because the screen size is the largest currently available (the Sony monster is crazy expensive) which allows for more text per screen. She used to rail against ereaders and used to swear up and down that she'd never like them. Well, she's always scouring Kobo for the daily deal, lol.

Oh, Kobo bought Overdrive as you probably know. I think it works better then it used to but we haven't really engaged with it yet.

We've found them to be very dependable. Then again, we treat them like they're made of glass and they never leave the house.

We also have two Sony PRS-T3s (I use one of them) and my Sony suits me. There's a really strange thing about the Sonys: One feels more responsive then the other. Odd.
Oh yeah, the newer Kobos are said to be pretty excellent, especially the One. That's the 10 inch one, right? But I'm not such an avid reader that I can justify dropping $200+ (not including tax) on an e-reader. I also want to share any e-reader I buy with my family, but I'm afraid that they'll end up ruining the screen. My dad broke his only Kindle years ago just by dropping it from a short height on a tile surface. My mom and grandma will be using it.

How heavy are your devices, btw? Can you hold them in one hand for hours? My grandma usually lies in bed when she reads, and holds her books one handed whenever she can. The Aura HD weighs pretty much the same as the H2O does.

Do you take ebooks out from your public library using their Overdrive page? I want to do this but I don't know if I can do it directly from the Kobo (this would be ideal) or if I have to download books on a computer and transfer then via USB to the Kobo.

So far, I'm liking the idea of the Aura HD, even if it's refurbished, but I don't like the infrared touch sensors. Wish the screen was capacitive like it is on the Aura. Seems the sensors can get blocked easily by dust or other detritus.
Last edited by sk2003 on Jan 27th, 2017 4:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Deal Addict
Oct 12, 2006
2332 posts
710 upvotes
Alberta
The Kobo Mini wasn't great, but it worked. I don't ask a lot of my readers. As long as it loads books, and turns the page, I'm usually happy.
The mini was small, a little sluggish, but worked fine.
That said, I usually am not trying to flip back and forth in a book.
Nook (original) -> Kobo Mini -> Kobo Aura

I use Overdrive with my Aura, but not directly on the device. I run it through my computers. Great resource though! Calgary has free library membership!
Sr. Member
User avatar
Jan 22, 2015
601 posts
671 upvotes
N/A
sk2003 wrote:
Oh yeah, the newer Kobos are said to be pretty excellent, especially the One. That's the 10 inch one, right? But I'm not such an avid reader that I can justify dropping $200+ (not including tax) on an e-reader. I also want to share any e-reader I buy with my family, but I'm afraid that they'll end up ruining the screen. My dad broke his only Kindle years ago just by dropping it from a short height on a tile surface. My mom and grandma will be using it.

How heavy are your devices, btw? Can you hold them in one hand for hours? My grandma usually lies in bed when she reads, and holds her books one handed whenever she can. The Aura HD weighs pretty much the same as the H2O does.

Do you take ebooks out from your public library using their Overdrive page? I want to do this but I don't know if I can do it directly from the Kobo (this would be ideal) or if I have to download books on a computer and transfer then via USB to the Kobo.

So far, I'm liking the idea of the Aura HD, even if it's refurbished, but I don't like the infrared touch sensors. Wish the screen was capacitive like it is on the Aura. Seems the sensors can get blocked easily by dust or other detritus.
Hmm, you may be overthinking things a little. Let's start at the infrared touch sensor: They're fairly robust in my experience, but then I don't know the environment you have or live in. The sensors getting blocked by dust or detritus? Hmm, not a particular issue and even if it were, I believe there would be another sort of failure to happen much earlier because the environment in that case would be so extreme. Even if they should get blocked? The sensors are covered by plastic and a wetish Q-tip run along would clean well enough. I offer as experience the two Sony PRS-T3s which use that detection method and have had zero issues in that regard.

About Overdrive? You know, I don't know. I think it depends on the device...The One got a firmware update that incorporated that functionality so I offer a guarded yes regards to the ability to download through the device itself. Now, having said that I have used the PRS-T3 to download directly to the device as well but the mechanism was clumsy in the extreme and somewhat unpleasant to do. One needed to sign into a special Overdrive account and where that account was hosted had questionable uptime and stability. Um, with the Sony, I/we had to register an Adobe ID account in order to gain access to DRM'd ebooks. I don't believe that one automatically has to do that with more recent Kobo devices but if one wanted to access Overdrive one may or may not have to. Sorry that answer isn't very good. As I said, the functionality exist but we haven't really availed ourselves of it as it's my job to figure out how to do this and so far my wife hasn't expressed a particular interest in it.

The One is a delightful device in terms of size and weight. It is, or feels, lighter than the H2O, especially considering the size differential. The One is also thinner than the H2O which makes it feel lighter too since the weight is spread out over a larger area. The One has a 7.5" screen and is the largest currently readily available. The page size looks correct for a decent paperback size.

As an aside, I don't recommend these devices for comics. I'm fussy this way and think a tablet is better suited for the medium. I would only use an ereader for text.
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
@ElDealioSupremo Thanks for the in-depth answer! I was worried about the IR sensors because on mobileread, someone's Aura HD stopped responding to touch. And my house is pretty dusty, so there's that. As for Overdrive, I'm fine with just using the application on a computer. I was just wondering if it'd be easier for my mom and grandma to use the Kobo itself to take out books, but now that I think about it, scrolling through lists and searching for stuff an e-ink display can be an exercise in frustration.

I want to stay away from DRM as much as I can, but the library is one exception.

The One looks like it's great to read on; wish it was a bit more affordable. But if I ever did get it I'd be super worried about my clumsy family members dropping it on their face or something and breaking the substrate, since I doubt the screen has any locking mechanisms apart from the frame.

You're right about comics, yeah. I feel kind of silly about my insistence on it now, but then again, Amazon did release a Kindle specifically for manga in Japan. As for tablets, I hate reading on them because they're oftentimes too slippery or too heavy with a case on for me to hold comfortably. I prefer 10 inch plus screens.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Jan 22, 2015
601 posts
671 upvotes
N/A
sk2003 wrote: @ElDealioSupremo Thanks for the in-depth answer! I was worried about the IR sensors because on mobileread, someone's Aura HD stopped responding to touch. And my house is pretty dusty, so there's that. As for Overdrive, I'm fine with just using the application on a computer. I was just wondering if it'd be easier for my mom and grandma to use the Kobo itself to take out books, but now that I think about it, scrolling through lists and searching for stuff an e-ink display can be an exercise in frustration.

I want to stay away from DRM as much as I can, but the library is one exception.

The One looks like it's great to read on; wish it was a bit more affordable. But if I ever did get it I'd be super worried about my clumsy family members dropping it on their face or something and breaking the substrate, since I doubt the screen has any locking mechanisms apart from the frame.

You're right about comics, yeah. I feel kind of silly about my insistence on it now, but then again, Amazon did release a Kindle specifically for manga in Japan. As for tablets, I hate reading on them because they're oftentimes too slippery or too heavy with a case on for me to hold comfortably. I prefer 10 inch plus screens.
Oh, a pleasure. Yes with the IR sensors...meh, I would really worry about that if it happened. With shopping AND Overdrive the best method it to use the respective websites on a computer so one can use a proper browser. With Kobe the easiest thing to do is buy on the website and then download to your device afterwards. I seem to remember Overdrive was much the same way; reserve online and then follow through with the device later on. The erearders are good to read on but are questionable for anything else, in my opinon of course.

To be forthright here, and I don't know your economic station, but I would skip everything and buy the One. It really is head and shoulders above anything else. The screen size itself is just so much better to use, then couple that with the responsiveness, and the blue light thingy (a bit gimmicky in my opinion but interesting) it starts adding up to a pretty good value proposition. You're right though, the One adds up to over $250 once the cover is included. Now, seeing that; I don't think it's really much of a risk to buy the refurbished Aura HD -- I would just be prepared to lose that money if it breaks down and view it as an experiment to see whether these things are good for your use scenario. I will say, my wife couldn't live without them anymore. They have kept the door to the world of books open for her and she has over some 300 books on the device as it stands -- the vast majority of the titles purchased from scanning the daily deal on the Kobo site.

The other poster who mentioned that they found no issues with the screen fragility is pretty on the money. Don't let a few outlier cases frighten you; they're pretty robust for day to day use. I just wouldn't throw them willy nilly into a backpack (safe enough in the tablet pocket a lot of them have now) or try and stuff one into a cargo pant pocket.

Hmm, yes, I really think that drawn media is much better viewed on a screen tech other than e-ink. I don't know what it is, it just seems to lose something for me. You're right though, a larger tablet is heavy to hold, but I'm with you when you say the 10" size is best for comics. I would go further and add mainstream magazines as well. Magazines just lose something when viewed on something smaller than 10 inches.
Member
Aug 15, 2012
357 posts
82 upvotes
Mississauga
ElDealioSupremo wrote: To be forthright here, and I don't know your economic station, but I would skip everything and buy the One. It really is head and shoulders above anything else. The screen size itself is just so much better to use, then couple that with the responsiveness, and the blue light thingy (a bit gimmicky in my opinion but interesting) it starts adding up to a pretty good value proposition. You're right though, the One adds up to over $250 once the cover is included. Now, seeing that; I don't think it's really much of a risk to buy the refurbished Aura HD -- I would just be prepared to lose that money if it breaks down and view it as an experiment to see whether these things are good for your use scenario. I will say, my wife couldn't live without them anymore. They have kept the door to the world of books open for her and she has over some 300 books on the device as it stands -- the vast majority of the titles purchased from scanning the daily deal on the Kobo site.

The other poster who mentioned that they found no issues with the screen fragility is pretty on the money. Don't let a few outlier cases frighten you; they're pretty robust for day to day use. I just wouldn't throw them willy nilly into a backpack (safe enough in the tablet pocket a lot of them have now) or try and stuff one into a cargo pant pocket.

Hmm, yes, I really think that drawn media is much better viewed on a screen tech other than e-ink. I don't know what it is, it just seems to lose something for me. You're right though, a larger tablet is heavy to hold, but I'm with you when you say the 10" size is best for comics. I would go further and add mainstream magazines as well. Magazines just lose something when viewed on something smaller than 10 inches.
I wouldn't need to justify the Aura One's high price if I was familiar with e-book reading and enjoyed doing it. Since it's my first foray into the e-reader world, I figured I'd get something that's got decent specs but is still priced decently, not too high. But yeah, the Aura HD breaking down is what scares me. The screen is what I'm incredibly worried about. It's not protected inside the frame very well. And yeah, I do plan on treating it as an experiment if I do get it! I'm gonna be as careful as possible with it, and I'm gonna keep it away from my dad, who I fear will destroy it like he did his Kindle.

I really want to get my mom and grandma into e-book reading because it's simpler and more efficient. My mom more so, because she's always reading at night, so a backlit e-reader would help her a lot. She also have vision problems -- her vision becomes hazy if she looks at an LCD screen for too long, so e-ink would be ideal for her, I think.

As for traveling with e-readers... it's a shame the screens are so fragile compared to tablets and smartphones. If I buy the Aura HD and need to take it with me somewhere, it's gonna be in a case first of all, and it's gonna be stored in a zip-up bag or thick pouch.

No one in my family reads magazines, so that isn't an issue for me. Smiling Face With Open Mouth I don't read many comics... honestly, I like skimming over the pages more than anything; I don't know why. lol So now that I think about it, comics aren't such a big deal to me after all, and neither is a microSD slot (but it is for my dad, whose Gutenberg collection is huge).

Which is why I am now also considering the 8th generation Kindle basic e-reader (2016) for $90 with taxes. I hate that it doesn't have a backlight, though.
Deal Addict
Oct 12, 2006
2332 posts
710 upvotes
Alberta
I would spring for one with a light. It's quite the game changer.
Since it's your first, I'd stay in the cheaper range, or find a used one.

And I also wouldn't worry too much about durability. I've dropped my readers a couple times on to hard surfaces with no serious issues (cracked a clip on a case, but that's about it).

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)