Over the course of Biff Bam Pop!‘s, I’ve written somewhat regularly about E-readers. They’ve come in the form of Kobos and Sony E-readers and Kindles, the latter arguably the most well-known of the bunch. I was an early adopter of the iPad as well, and with it reading comics digitally on tablets.
Over the last 8 months, I’ve had the chance to test drive a few of the new E-readers available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Normally, I’d save a column like this for our Holiday Gift Guide, but with the recent release of a new Kindle entry in Canada, I thought I’d write things down while they’re fresh in my mind.
Kindle Colorsoft
This is the newest Kindle to be available in Canada. The Kindle Colorsoft arrived on Amazon’s virtual shelves last year, but came with some hiccups, including a green line appearing on the colour screen. I didn’t see it for myself, mind you, because the Colorsoft wasn’t on sale in the Great White North until earlier this summer. The good news is, whatever kinks were part of the device last year seem to have been fixed, because from my experience, the Kindle Coloursoft is my favourite Kindle on the market.
Form-wise, it’s what we’ve come to expect from a Kindle; the big difference from all the other Kindles that have been is the colour screen. Now covers vividly pop off the screen, and reading books that may include images just look that much better. This is especially valid for folks with a comics collection as part of their Kindle account. Comics just look fabulous on the Kobo Colorsoft, with some notes. The screen is not the same as the one you’ll find on an iPad; instead, what you’re reading is actually closer to real paper than a digital comic. The screen is also 7 inches, so you are seeing things at a smaller scale.
Is the Kindle Colorsoft a must-have if you’re content with your current Kindle and don’t have a desire for comics or covers in colour? No, it’s not. However, if you’re immersed in the Kindle ecosystem or want to get into the space, and want to colour your world, I definitely feel like the Kindle Colorsoft is the Kindle to get.
Learn more about the Kindle Colorsoft here.
Kobo Libra Colour
I spoke about the Kobo Libra Colour last holiday season on The Bilal Vakani Hour on SiriusXM Canada Talks 167 and, much like Kindle Colorsoft, thought that it was Kobo to invest in. This is especially true for Canadians, as Kobo got its start in Canada and has been around for more than 15 years. It’s got an outstanding selection of titles, both for ebooks and audiobooks. Unlike the Kindle Colorsoft, it doesn’t just rely on its touchscreen to scroll through your books, but there are two side buttons for those who prefer a physical approach. I’ve noticed over the years that I seem to prefer the tactile experience of pushing a button to navigate from one page to the next on an E-reader.
One aspect that I can’t say is great is the comic reading experience on the Kobo Libra Colour. My main comic library is found in the Kindle ecosystem, but I do have some comics on the Kobo, including a run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that I picked up in a Humble Bundle sale. While certainly readable, the comics don’t appear nearly as bright and colourful as comics do on the Colorsoft. PDFs and CBZ do work nicely, though.
Learn more about the Kobo Libra Colour here.
Onyx Boox Go Color 7
One thing you likely know is that both Kobo and Kindle have their own ecosystems. That means you can only read one library on one E-reader. Never shall the Kobo or Kindle meet. That is, unless you have an Onyx Boox Go Color 7. It’s Android-based and uses apps; that means, you can have both the Kobo and Kindle apps on one device, letting you take both libraries everywhere. This is definitely a huge selling point, and could be the ideal purchase for people who don’t want to be tied to business.
I can also say that the Boox is hands down the best E-reader for fans of reading Manga; you can set up the device’s buttons so that you’re reading in proper right-to-left fashion. I was extremely impressed reading my Attack on Titan CBZ file. However, North American comics are definitely problematic. There was a ton of ghosting on every comic I tried reading, and no matter how much I worked on optimizing the screen, I couldn’t get things to display in a decent manner. This was definitely a let-down, considering how many comics I have on my Kindle.
This E-reader feels great in your hands, and is light and easy to hold. I’ve been using the Onyx Boox Go Color 7, which is now retired and has been replaced by the Go Color 7 (Gen II). If you’re not a comic reader, but do have ties to both Kobo and Kindle, this device is a great option as a one-stop library.
Learn more about the Onyx Bookx Go Color 7 here.
