A lot people like complaining about Kindles (and Amazon in general), and there are always people saying you shouldn’t buy Kindles because of some reason or another, but the fact is there aren’t very many good alternatives, and they all have shortcomings too.
All ereader brands have notable flaws, not just Kindles. Some people make it their mission to post negative comments about Kindles whenever the topic comes up, and frankly it’s annoying because most of the other options aren’t really that great either.
So for this post I’m going to list all the main disadvantages for the top ereader brands, including Kindles. Nobody is escaping this post unscathed.
Kindles
Software updates are one of the biggest problems when it comes to Kindles because they are mandatory if you keep your Kindle online. Amazon is always changing stuff around, and removing or breaking features that have worked fine for the past decade or more. They treat Kindle users like beta testers. Frankly, you could make the argument the best Kindles are the models that are no longer getting updates.
Another problem with Kindles is Amazon’s overprotective nature. They are so dead set against piracy they take things too far by locking Kindle ebooks to the Kindle platform and making it very difficult to get ebooks away from Amazon. There’s also a long-standing bug that isn’t really a bug because they would’ve fixed it by now if it wasn’t the intended behaviour that will delete all your USB sideloaded ebooks if you use airplane mode for too long.
Along a similar line, Amazon is always working to keep Kindles locked down to keep people from installing alternative software and apps like KOReader. With other brands you can easily install KOReader without jailbreaking or having to jump through hoops.
Amazon has phased out all the models with page-turn buttons, and they can’t even be bothered to add official support for Bluetooth page turners like Kobo has.
Kobo eReaders
Few choices when it comes to ereaders. They only sell one budget black and white ereader now, along with two color models, and one outdated BW eNote that should’ve been replaced 2 years ago. Plus their basic plastic casings look and feel cheap; every other brand on this list offers nicer hardware options.
Software development has slowed to a glacial pace in recent years, and the few updates that do get released are often plagued with bugs. Last year a bad software update notoriously bricked a bunch of Kobo devices.
Kobo’s ebook store is good but it’s lacking compared to the Kindle ebook store (in large part because of Amazon’s anti-competitive exclusivity requirements).
One of the things you hear people complaining about when moving to Kobo from Kindle is the fact that Kobo doesn’t offer any kind of Send to Kobo service. Some models offer cloud storage to transfer files, but there’s no syncing for sideloaded documents or ebooks.
Onyx Boox
Boox devices take a lot more time to setup and learn than basic ereaders. While the Android OS offers a lot more versatility than standard ereaders like Kindles and Kobos, there are a million different confusing settings, and a lot of things about the interface aren’t intuitive at all.
Android ereaders are more glitch-prone and ghosting is always more of an issue because 99.9% of Android apps aren’t designed for E Ink screens.
The built-in ebook store is a joke; it’s not worth even having onboard taking up space. You have to use other ebook stores through apps, and as mentioned above the apps aren’t designed for E Ink so the experience isn’t going to be as smooth as using a dedicated ereader.
The native app doesn’t support DRM at all so all your purchased ebooks have to be decrypted first, or you have to use apps from the various stores, and the Kindle and Kobo apps are inferior to Kindle and Kobo devices.
Customer support is iffy at best, and Onyx has a notoriously sketchy return policy when buying directly from their website.
Boox devices are more expensive than other brands on this list.
PocketBook
The Linux-based Pocketbook models are the slowest ereaders on this list by a good margin. For some reason the software just isn’t as optimized as other brands, and they’re using older, slower CPUs so that doesn’t help either. They also sell a few rebranded Android models, but I’m not familiar with the performance of those.
The built-in ebook store is completely useless, at least in the US. They recently launched a UK store so things might be better there, but for one of the oldest ereader brands it’s amazing they’ve gone this long without a competent onboard store. They should’ve partnered with Google or some other ebook store a decade ago.
Some common features are missing like boldness adjustment. There’s bold, which is too bold, and regular, which isn’t bold enough, and those are the only two options. Plus there are only a few layout settings, and the software is so sluggish it takes up to 10 seconds to change the settings on larger ebooks.
Nook
B&N has gone to great lengths to make Nooks unappealing to most people. It all started when they decided to lock Nook books to Nook hardware and apps, so it’s virtually impossible to get Nook books away from B&N now.
Software development is pretty much nonexistent at this point. They’ve gone years without improving anything at all. The software is slow and glitchy, and it’s missing common features that are available on other brands, like dark mode (their idea of dark mode is using a warm frontlight).
B&N’s customer support is really spotty when it comes to Nooks, as most B&N employees don’t seem to know much about them, and most stores have minimized or phased out Nook displays.
Nooks only support EPUB and PDF formats, and they aren’t great for sideloading.
They are only sold in the US.
Nice summary, and all too true, alas.
I like my Nook, both ereaders and Lenovo tablet. No problem with customer service. BN has tremendous catalog, free books and daily updates on new selections. Nook gets a bad rap.
I stopped buying anything from Kobo when the update that bricked devices came. I have a Kobo Libra 2, but I haven’t deared to update it. And in order to download books from Kobo, I have to let it update first. So no update and no new books from Kobo.
I don’t have Kobo in my country, I ordered my device from abroad. Does anyone know if it is safe to update now? I mean, it has been 6.5 months now.
Is it possible to get a new device from Kobo if it bricks? Again, no Kobo in my country.
Thank you.
You can download your Kobo books from your account on their website and sideload them to your device, if you want. Personally I use the patch that will ask my consent every time my device discovers there’s an update, so no updates unless I want to.
I had 2 bricked Kobo’s; both within Amazon’s 30-day return, so I didn’t have to go through Kobo BUT I’ve had other (really, really) unpleasant encounters with Kobo tech support for other devices so I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Some countries, though, have (much) better consumer-protection than the U.S. so you might get help from your local agency.
The deadly firmware version was 4.38.23429 and via OTA (wifi) you can no longer update to this version as the newest one is 4.38.23552.
So if you don’t use Instapaper, there’s no need to update from firmware 4.38.23171.
You can use a patch to disable automatic OTA updates, and it won’t pop up, even if you sync.
Where can I find this patch?
In the settings I can only disable automatic sync of updates and books. But to download books to my device it always searches for updates before syncing books.
I tried using Adobe Digital Edition to download my ebooks from Kobo, to transfer to other devices. But I really hated it. So I just plugged my Kobo into my laptop (I use Linux with Calibre).
I also really hate the Kobo app for Android. So if I can only read my books on a Kobo device, I rather use Amazon…. At least they have a good app to read on if all comes to worst scenarios…
TLDR: I’ve owned a LOT of devices and while most have had problems, Kindle, Kobo, & Nook are the brands that I’ll never buy again because of those problems: Boox has been the least problematic and Pocketbook’s Verse Basic — while it is far from perfect — is cheap, has a great UI which is not Android & has sd-card expandable storage. If you’re looking for a problem-free DEDICATED (Linux-based) e-reader, try the PockeBook Verse Basic. If Android is your thing, Palma (any version) and Boox Go 7 are awesome, trouble-free devices.
Slowdowns, for my PB Verse, aren’t a problem: Books under ~ 20 GB load immediately, pages turn immediately and formatting (for me) applies immediately. The ONLY slowness comes from selecting a menu item for the first-time in a reading session, which can take 2-3 seconds. After that, there’s no slowdown for it or any sub-items under it.
Pocketbook is a side-loading dream; it has a LOT of useful sideloading features others do not and it supports EVERY book format so the lack of a U.S. bookstore is a feature (no annoying ads on the homepage.) not a problem. SINCE it (more or less) requires Calibre to do that, its annoying lack of formatting isn’t an issue; I have a template in Calibre which formats every book the same before it gets uploaded to the device. I’ll buy another Pocketbook, gladly, should the Verse (and its identical still-in-the-box backup) die. Great device.
For me, Kobo’s biggest problem is its firmware instability: Bugs are abundant and I’ve even bricked 2 of the newer (Libra & Clara) models while just sideloading books. I won’t buy another.
Kindle’s flaws are way too numerous to mention but their hostility to users — bordering on contempt, especially for sideloading — and continual firmware bugs stand out. Won’t buy another Kindle, either.
Nook is just sad; offering all the problems of the other brands combined: Hostility to users, (real bad) slowness in selecting UI items and bugs. They were the best, back in the day; now they aren’t. Won’t buy another.
I’ve not experienced any problems with my Boox Palma & Go 7, except for the whole Android thing, which is annoying for an e-reader: I just wanna read a book and there’s way too much UI in the way of that. Still, the form-factors and the sd-card storage will keep me coming back to them.
For me, Pocketbook Verse is out, because it’s 6″ and I want 7 0r 8″. Pocketbook Era is said to have poor contrast. I don’t need or want an expandable storage, but I do want font weight adjustment and Pocketbooks don’t have that. My favorite font is not particularly thick or dark without some added weight. And I don’t really like KOReader, so that’s out too.
I have had few issues with my Kobos and have never bricked one, even though I sideload everything.
Pocketbook’s antipathy towards anywhere outside mainland Europe has also been frustrating, Yes there’s a new uk bookstore but there’s nothing special about it. Worse, I think it uses the currently unbreakable LCP DRM.
They do provide a great range of form factors but you’re right that they need to use faster SOCs and software. I’m not sure why they don’t. Maybe the war in the Ukraine is limiting their development?
Kobo’s lack of a real dark mode is a flaw for me – their dark mode only applies to the reading screen, not the home or library screens.
And I can’t say it’s a flaw for Kobo, but I do miss Kindle’s full-text search of all items on the device.
Those two things don’t outweigh all the things that are better on Kobo than Kindle, but I do miss them.
Agree on Kindle indexed searches!
Didn’t know about lack of bold on Pocketbook…yikes, a feature I really like.
Sometimes I feel like nothing really changes. My first e-reader was a Palm device; books were plain TXT and easy to install, whereever you sourced them from.
My second ereader was a RocketBook, soon upgraded to the REB1100. Like Kindle, that platform tried to lock you into only reading only their books on only their hardware. It was soon jailbroken, and when I stopped using this device I had a local “media server” running that let me put books from any source onto it.
Then I started getting Kindles. I have a collection of them now, a Kindle 2 (with physical keyboard), a Kindle Paperwhite (2016 version) and a Kindle Oasis (10th Generation), bought last year from woot. I have jailbroken each of them, yet I’m still unable to DeDRM my most recently purchased Kindle books, nor did I ever get KoReader working on the Paperwhite or the Oasis. I intend to try again when I get around to it. Reading native EPUBs with KoReader would be a dream.
I jailbroke my 10th gen Oasis with Winterbreak last January (Thanks to Nathan for bringing it to my attention!). I jailbroke it on software version 5.17.1 and already had ads removed. I use KOReader with no problems! Which software did you attempt to jailbreak your Oasis with?
This post makes me want to give my Oasis a big hug and never let go… 😁
You were rather gentle with Kobo.
Still, at least I’ve had fewer issues with restrictions there than with Amazon (I haven’t bought a new reader from them since the Paperwhite, stopped buying books before that from them). Especially after they refused to sell the Oasis in Canada.
Boox is overpriced anywhere I see them, which isn’t often – the Palma is especially bad for the hardware it includes. Having handled it in person I can only say that it’s not bad, but I also can’t say it’s good or worth the money.
Pocketbook is impossible to get where I live, not unless you want to deal with huge Amazon dropshipper mark-ups. At least Onyx operates a store out of the US Amazon site.
Kobo has been the best for me for ages, since the Kobo WiFi. They can have firmware issues, which means often having to reset to factory settings every few months. But the hardware always worked okay for me. Only the Sage has been a total failure for me, with a bad battery life compared to the Forma that preceded it. The refurb Libra 2 I just got it better than it in almost every way. Hell, the screen is as good as the Clara BW I have despite being previous gen.
As for bricking devices, I’ve yet to see it happen with the dozen or so Kobo readers I’ve owned over all the years. It certainly doesn’t seem to have affected their popularity in Canada and elsewhere to judge by how quickly the Kobo Remote sold out.
“You were rather gentle with Kobo.”
I deleted about 10 paragraphs from this article because it was just way too much, so I tried to just stick to the main points.
It’s still gentle compared to Amazon and Boox.
I remember seeing an Onyx store in Hong Kong thirteen years back when they had a retail presence to promote their readers. They weren’t bad, but the software wasn’t great. That’s usually the part that’s bad with most readers, IMO. Kobo is merely one of the least egregious.
Also, they’ve at least had two firmware updates this year, not counting that messed up one. I just got a second on my Libra Colour yesterday when setting up my new Libra 2. I couldn’t pass it up, not with how good the screen looks compared to my old Libra H20 (RIP) or the Forma that replaced the H20. It beats the Sage.
It was certainly easier to get than the Voyage which never released in Canada.
I like my SE Kindle and never have any problems
What about Bigme, I have the B&W hibreak pro and it’s solid as a e-reader and a phone
I own at least 10 different readers. (Yeah, I know…..) Over the years I’ve purchased 3 PocketBooks. They are my favorite for size and weight. And you can sideload very easily. Beyond that, they are terrible. Syncing library and reading position takes full minutes, if it works at all. And here in the US, syncing almost never works on the weekends. Not sure if they do maintenance on the weekend, or their dial-up link goes down and nobody is around to notice? Who knows, but a terrible experience.
Boox has stepped up to be a favorite given the ability to sideload other reading programs. So if you like BookFusion, load it on Boox and you’re golden! Or Kindle, or Play Books, or whatever. The built in reader software is okay, but since it doesn’t have a companion Android app, that’s out for me.
My favorite hardware has always been Nooks. A Nook Glowlight Plus is my current main ereader. Haven’t bought a Nookbook in years even though there was a way to decrypt them last I checked (not recently) by manually installing the Windows app (may be blocked by now). I sideload everything.
My second choice is Kobo and I prefer their software. I buy most of my books there. Also like using Instapaper. No cloud storage or sync, but you can get books on them via Dropbox or Google Drive. And if your library uses Overdrive, that is nice.
The only Kindle I use is a Kindle Touch to download (and DeDRM if needed) the occasional book I want which isn’t available elsewhere.
I’m in a similar situation. Last year I bought a Nook Glowlight 4 Plus as my main reader to replace my Kobo Clara B/W (which itself had replaced a 2nd generation Kindle Oasis). While I never had any issues with the Kobo, I wanted a larger screen and I missed having page turn buttons.
The Nook has been great for me. I love the hardware, and while the software is basic as all get-out, it does what I want it to. It is pretty slow, but when I’m actually reading the book and turning pages, it works fine. Also, I’ve never bought a book from the Barnes & Noble store – everything I have has been purchased from other sources, put through Calibre, and then sideloaded onto the Nook. Had seen some horror stories on how difficult it would be, but I haven’t had a single problem doing this.
I still buy most of my books from Kobo’s online store (since it’s easy enough to download them to my computer), but I haven’t actually used their ereader since getting the Nook. And I also keep the Oasis around for the rare book I want that is an Amazon exclusive, and I’ve been able to pull them from the reader and bring them into Calibre until now so that I can read them elsewhere, although recent reports seem to indicate that may no longer be possible.
I have Kobo, Viwoods, Boox, and Kindles. They all have things I like and dislike. I primarily stay on my Kindles (Colorsoft and Scribe Colorsoft) because to me the colors are better than on the other devices. Plus there are some authors I read who are only on Kindle. As a side note, I do not consider that a anti-competitive behavior simply because it was the authors who signed those deals and in most cases if not for Amazon publishing their work they would not have their books printed. In several cases, going the amazon route was the last resort after hundreds of rejection letters. Besides, I can’t watch the tonight show (NBC) on CBS, not much difference.
I liberate any and all books I buy even those from Kindle (although a little more time consuming). If it gets to where I cannot do that for my kindle books then I will have to switch fully back to Kobo which I consider inferior in many ways but not end of the work. In that case I may buy on Kobo and read on viwoods lol.
All e-readers, regardless of brand, have shortcomings when compared to one another. And if we add our own preferences (which also change over time), the result can be a long list of flaws to highlight. Personally, I have managed to focus more on the virtues than the flaws, allowing me to enjoy reading on completely different e-readers. It is rare for me to read for long periods on an e-reader of a single brand, and even rarer for me to dislike one. I can switch from a Kindle to an Onyx Boox effortlessly, from a PocketBook to a Tolino, or from a Kobo to a Bigme. I enjoy all of them because I believe they all have more than enough quality to spend long hours reading. The truth is that you don’t need much to read. Sometimes we are the ones who create difficulties, rather than our e-readers.
I think this is the sanest comment on this website.
I don’t have any issue with my Kindles. (Other than wishing there was a version with buttons.) I like being able to send books purchased elsewhere to my Kindle account. I’m not sure what e-reader I’d purchase if I could only ONE device but since I have three, I like that they can all sync. (And I’m my parents’ tech support, so it helps to have devices on the same ecosystem. Dad is 85 today and Mom turned 80 in January.)
I’ll have to read this later, but I hope you’re going to follow up with all the good things about each brand. I’m seriously thinking of getting something other than Kindle, but that’s all I can afford. I’m hoping to save up for something else!
I did a Best Things About Kindles post awhile back, and I was going to do similar posts for each brand, but it got so many negative comments from the anti-Kindle crowd it soured me on doing follow up posts. Maybe I’ll reconsider…
Hi Nathan, thanks for this post.
Amazon has Your Kindle Notes and Highlights where on the internet you can view and edit your notes and highlights made on a Kindle and synced to Amazon. Does any other company have this?
Which eReaders search the text of all the books on the device?
I think both of those features are only available with Kindles.
Thanks for the info!
Kobo ereaders have far more page formatting options than Kindles. If you like to be able to adjust the “printed” page exactly to your liking (text size and weight, line-height, margin size, etc.) Kobo firmware is far superior. The formatting options available on today’s Kindles are not much improved from Kindles made years ago. I remember having to use work-arounds like FONT_RAMP on my Kindles to get a usable range of text sizes.
I’ve been happy with my Kobo experiences. I’ve had a Libra H2O and now Libra Colour. I’ve been a fan of physical buttons for a long time and now sadly the options are pretty limited. The LC is the best device I’ve owned and I really don’t have many complaints. I don’t have any issue with the color, but don’t really need it, and I don’t care about annotations. So, having paid for features I don’t use, I wish there had been a less expensive version. The build quality of the LC, while still being plastic, is a noticeable improvement over the H2O.
And the software isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. I had a Kindle Oasis before picking up the H2O and preferred Kobo’s UI to Amazon’s. The LC is basically the same, but faster. Yes, there are areas for improvement, but barring a bricking update, I’m pretty happy with my device.
I agree Amazon is anticompetitive and is robbing their authors blind. But as far as the Kindle goes, I think it’s solid. I have a 11th gen Kindle Paperwhite, it has the latest software, I use it for hours every day and I haven’t had any issues with it (knock on wood). I find it easy to use and intuitive. I don’t think it needs software updates very often because it’s only function is to allow you to read books and it does that very well. I don’t find it difficult to use send-to-kindle to load non-Amazon epubs onto my Kindle. To read comic books, I use the Kindle app on my tablet because it has a bigger screen, pinch to zoom and color.
I do have an honest question though, what specific issues do you have with the Kindle? Someone said the problems are too numerous to count or they’re well documented but since I haven’t seen any, I was just curious. I’m not a shill and I don’t work for Amazon, I’m genuinely curious.
I did have a Nook for a few years when they first came out because I didn’t want to support Amazon. But after a while I found that Amazon had more books that I wanted to read than B&N, plus B&N said they were going to phase out the Nook so I switched to Kindle and I’ve been very satisfied. YMMV.
You can find reports of the specific issues that people encounter on the Kindle category of this blog.
Same issues as with all electronic devices, its become the accepted norm to enforce software lock in.
software and hardware needs to become decoupled, firmware should be nothing more that a lightweight layer that exposes hardware features to the user. Fine, if as an oem you want to provide a default implementation, but the owner should not be locked in to that implementation