# Kindle Voyage vs Kobo HD Glo (just released), both with Carta E-ink Displays



## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

It's nice to see another 6" Carta E-ink display on the market. For the small minority of us who were/are unhappy with the Kindle Voyage lighting but in love with the crisp 300dpi Carta e-ink, having heard that the new Kobo HD Glo 6" came out a few days ago, I had to see it with my own eyes. In videos it looked too shiny and cheap looking. With the previous few models of Kobo, they just weren't up to par hardware wise (let alone the majority of us on kindleboards are happily neck deep in the Amazon ecosystem of azw and mobi files, it's a real tough sell to move. I will post side by side vs pictures but I received it in the mail today and i'm very pleased to say the hardware is not cheap shiny plastic (it's very very similar to the paperwhite texture and color)  and the lighting, shade, texture, shadow in my eyes is finally right. 

My first impressions (a back and forth of awesomeness, if you will): Voyage is more zippy and faster, HD Glo has a better rubber back that feels better in the hands, Voyage has a better highlighting system and dictionary lookup, HD Glo has a better lighting adjustment on the fly system (you just slide the left side up or down), Voyage has a better on/off button which they really nailed IMO, HD Glo has seamless Pocket integration (for those of you who use it on your tablets/mobile phones), Voyage is slimmer with no bezel, HD Glo is shorter with a Paperwhite bezel, Voyage book list looks cleaner, HD Glo's screen appears to collect less dust, The Voyage OEM e-reader cover is much nicer and sleeker, HD Glo has more fonts, font weight, justification choices and line spacing options, Voyage looks more contemporary visually, HD Glo has a better functioning browser (but not many of us care of this), Voyage is overall brighter, HD Glo to me seems like a more unified and even lighting system, Voyage weighs less, HD Glo has more options for sleep timeoff and screensavers/sleepcovers, Voyage has a better book ecosystem/web management, HD Glo has a better price 130.00 (but remember, not having your amazon's ecosystem is a HUGE loss IMO unless you use Calibre with non drm  then no big deal). Both are phenomenal readers I feel. 

I'm really shocked with Rakuten actually competing...I've bought almost every single version of Amazon, Sony (rest in peace), and Kobo e-readers and every gen of the Kobo readers have been a disappointment to me. Finally one that steps it up. I'm happy there are now two really good 6" products with Carta e-ink. The winner when this happens is us, the consumers. Looking forward to the end of the year when Voyage will have an update most likely. Till then, happy reading to everyone!!! Would love to hear anyone with additional thoughts...


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks, northofdivision, very interesting.

I have to say, except for price, none of the things that the Kobo wins on are very important to me:  the back (my Voyage is in a cover), the lighting system (I never touch mine on my Voyage), Pocket integration, being shorter, the look of the book list (I'd love to see a screen shot, but the Kindle book list has always been fine for me), font options (I never play with my fonts), browser (don't care, as you say), options for sleep timer (don't use) and screensavers (don't care).

That being said, I know some of the things like fonts and screensavers are important to some of the members, so as you say, choices are good things!  Thanks again for the overview!

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

For me, the biggest plus with the Kindle is the size of the catalog . . . . and Amazon's routinely excellent customer service.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Thanks for the comparison. I just like seeing the e-ink market still growing and competing. I think that is good for consumers all around. Considering so many are predicting the premature death of single use devices like e-readers. 

The Kobo seems like a nice device. I think though at this point after years, many will want to continue with what they have. I use calibre and I do "liberate" my kindle books, but I don't use those on my Voyage. I love the ease of use of the Amazon system, including the doc cloud. 

For someone just getting their first e-reader, they have some choices still at least. Hard to beat Amazon customer service though overall. 

The light is a plus point on the Voyage for me. I am so glad I don't have to fiddle with the light level anymore. So a slider now would be useless to me. I got so tired constantly fiddling with the light on the paperwhite. I trained my Voyage and I haven't touched the light level in weeks now. Its awesome. 

Some people like the different font fiddling options. I think for me it would just drive me nuts. Because when I can fiddle, I fiddle. Instead of reading. So simple is good for me.  . I seem to keep coming back to the default caecilia fonts  anyway it seems. 

Nice comparison and like I said, I think its a good thing for options in e-ink readers to be out there. For many hard core readers those will be preferred over all in one tablets. Nook checked out, didn't they? So its pretty much Kindle and Kobo in the US and many in the US have to order the Kobo's from canadian stores. Good price though. 

But I must have my page buttons. So happy to have those back, I wont' give them up without a fight.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

Haha. Indeed. The page turning buttons on the Voyage with tactile vibration are master class...I still use my baby kindle for that very reason.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Thanks for the comparison.    I have a Kobo I use for epubs.    Love it for that but I prefer the Amazon store.  The store is why I stick with Amazon.


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

I have a Kobo Glo (not the HD) and a Kobo Aura as well as a Voyage (and a couple of Paperwhites).  Frankly I don't care which one I read with.  While reading whichever I have in my hand seems just right.

When I compare features and stores then the picture is entirely different.

The Kindle book store and Amazon's service are great.  The prices are mostly good and the selection is excellent and the book browsing experience is really good.  Kobo's bookstore is generally a lot more expensive, and I do mean a lot more, they have fewer sales.  The store isn't nearly as easy to navigate.  Browsing is more difficult.  They used to keep a lot of soft porn on my screen but they seem to have stopped that. All in all the Kobo shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired.

When I bought my Aura a couple of years ago for some reason the purchase wouldn't go through.  I tried every which way to get someone at Kobo on the phone and finally did, after over 2 weeks of trying every day.  Once I got the guy on the phone he was helpful and eager to fix the problem, which he did.  I bought the Aura and it had a defect and I would have returned it for a replacement but I didn't seem to be able to get through again so I decided to just live with it, which I have.  Last week  tried to call them again to find out how long shipping would take on a Glo HD but after 2 or 3 days of trying I decided I don't really need one and I gave up.

In short, Kobo has good service if you get them to talk to you.

There are things I like about the Kobos.  I use them for books I've bought from Amazon for the most part, after converting them.  I like that the translation is built-in.    My Kindles are 3G so I can use translation anywhere I go and with the Kobo, which has no 3G, I can too.  I prefer the navigation features on the Kobo once I'm in the book.  Getting into the book takes a bit of thought and there the Kindles shine.  The Kobo also has an interesting feature in it's dictionary that I really like and I wish the Kindles had.  If, while looking up a word there's a word I want to look up in the definition, I can tap that and I'm looking at it's definition.  Very handy.

The screens, when they're side by side, are very different.  Even my Paperwhite 1 has a better screen than either of my Kobo's.  The light is more even and the text is darker and bolder and more even.  Sometimes text on both my Kobo's is pretty unevenly dark across the page.  i can back up a page and then page forward to that same page and that'll usually fix it, but not always.  This isn't so bad I notice it when I'm reading but it becomes obvious when comparing them.

All the font fine tuning controls are nice but nothing I do with fonts make them look as good as the Kindles always look.  The Kindles are just better looking.

The Aura is the one that feels best in my hand.  It's very light, far lighter than the Voyage even, and smaller as well.  It just fits my hand and I forget it's there.  I got the Voyage because I want that in an ereader and it's a big improvement over the Paperwhite but still not as good as the Aura.  Even the Glo (not HD) is smaller and more comfortable to hold than the Paperwhites.

But with all of that, I really don't care that much which I use.  When I get ready for a new book I just pick the nearest ereader.

Barry


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## booklover888 (May 20, 2012)

Nice comparison, but I believe the weight of the Glo HD and the Voyage is identical.

I have both, and I prefer the Glo HD. It arrived at my house 2 days after shipping. I prefer the home screen, and the way, using Calibre, I can organize my books on the device.

Yes I buy all my books from Amazon, but I side load all my books to both devices. That way I can use the font I want in my books on the Voyage. I don't like the fonts that come with the Voyage. So I have to download, remove DRM if any, and embed my font while converting, then load over USB. I do the same with book for the Kobo, just don't have to embed the font.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Glo HD, since I do have a Fire HD 6 I could use for any Amazon books that I didn't want to process. I do actually like the Kindle app on the Fire! It is great for a reader. I would choose the Fire over the Voyage for at home applications. (As opposed to out door/travel applications. LCD screen and reduced battery life, you know).

But for the beginner, the non-fiddler, the non-picky, then sure, the Voyage would be a fine choice. Me, I like to fiddle.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

booklover888 said:


> Nice comparison, but I believe the weight of the Glo HD and the Voyage is identical.


True. Official specs for both are 180g (if talking about the Voyage WiFi). The Voyage 3G is 188g.

Kobo 
Voyage

Betsy


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## CAR (Aug 1, 2010)

booklover888 said:


> the non-picky, then sure, the Voyage would be a fine choice.


I am not non-picky and I like my Voyage.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

Sorry it's taken me so long to post pics. Here are some side by side comparisons (front, back, screensavers, various brightness levels 25% 50% 75%). Kobo HD Glo on the left, Voyage on the right... The Kobo Glo HD has a better white light and less shading issues to me but the overall hardware of the Voyage is better to me. The back I give to Kobo but the tactile buttons on the Voyage are awesome. Great screensaver options that show what book you're reading on Kindle Glo HD vs Voyage pencils. Overall weight, although they're the same, the Voyage feels better in hand. Text clarity is dead even not surprisingly. Text/display/font options Kobo HD Glo wins hands down but the Voyage has the better store. Screen display Kobo HD Glo display wins for me because there isn't that extra layer to make it capacitative on the Voyage but the Voyage is thinner (and in truth, most of us prefer capacitative touch to IR (but you do sacrifice screen integrity). Kobo HD Glo is about 100.00 cheaper but doesn't feel as premium as the Voyage to me so the money justifies itself. Voyage case to me is much better (and that cheap 10 dollar omoton fitted case for Kindle Voyage is incredible)...All in all review: Both are great.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Having some effective competition for Amazon would be great, I wish the Nook had ever taken off as a competitor! I would like someone threatening, to help keep Amazon honest. Unfortunately, it's going to be hard for anyone to grab enough marketshare to seriously compete with Amazon. The only one I can see seriously threatening them would be Apple, and Apple doesn't seem to be that interested in e-books past being able to say that they offer all media.

Unfortunately, as has been mentioned I don't see this device, no matter how good, as being attractive except to someone who is just starting out with Ebooks for the first time, or perhaps somebody who is really into using Calibre to convert books. A further problem is that tablets are getting good enough and cheap enough that I suspect Eink devices will only be used by really avid readers. We are a small portion of the market, but fortunately we buy a lot of books. So there will continue to be some market. I'm still glad someone besides Amazon is at least trying!


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

Well said, Hooded Claw. 

I sometimes forget how small the market is for us e-ink readers compared to the world of Apple and Android tablets. even moreso for the smaller market for us who use Calibre in a dedicated and thorough manner. But you're right, we're buying books and hopefully this thriving market still provides enough incentive for companies to build better and better products with competition. Kobo has long been the clunky Hyundai of the 90's in my opinion when it comes to e-readers. I'm pleased with their progress and mostly want competition to remain so Amazon has to continue to push themselves and implement ideas to stay way ahead (not unlike the adjustments Apple has had to make because of the great software development teams within the Android ecosystem). 

"Unfortunately, as has been mentioned I don't see this device, no matter how good, as being attractive except to someone who is just starting out with Ebooks for the first time, or perhaps somebody who is really into using Calibre to convert books. A further problem is that tablets are getting good enough and cheap enough that I suspect Eink devices will only be used by really avid readers. We are a small portion of the market, but fortunately we buy a lot of books. So there will continue to be some market. I'm still glad someone besides Amazon is at least trying!"


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Unfortunately, as has been mentioned I don't see this device, no matter how good, as being attractive except to someone who is just starting out with Ebooks for the first time


I think you're right in one sense but Kobo is still there to compete and they seem to be hanging on just fine. Some European companies are also trying to get in the game although they're not doing a very good job of it.

Anyway, I don't think it matters as much that other companies can't really beat out Amazon. The people at Amazon know they're there and as long as they know that they'll keep trying to stay ahead of them. That's what competition is about. Kobo may be just barely doing that but at least they are doing that.

What I'd really like to see is a first rate line of ebook readers from companies who aren't trying to sell us books. I'd like the interface and feature selection on my e-ink ereader to be as good as it is on an app like Moon+ Reader. I'd still buy my books from Amazon but that's the device I would use.

Barry


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think Kobo has a much bigger market share, relatively, speaking in countries that are NOT the US. So, yeah. . . the Zon knows they're there.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

barryem said:


> What I'd really like to see is a first rate line of ebook readers from companies who aren't trying to sell us books. I'd like the interface and feature selection on my e-ink ereader to be as good as it is on an app like Moon+ Reader. I'd still buy my books from Amazon but that's the device I would use. Barry


Agree completely, Barry. Moon Reader + features on an e-reader would be incredible (especially with the great hardware build and superstore Kindle has). In particular that autoscroll feature would be pretty amazing on a future Voyage. On e-ink it would be a tricky proposition but I do like the idea of dedicated companies (a la kickstarter or something) creating open source e-readers that could use mobi, epub, cbz, and/or pdf seamlessly. This would afford people who like 7" or even 9" e-ink readers a chance to find such a product in the market. That whole sweet spot of old tech and new tech existing together reminds me of that whole mini community of writers who use Alphasmart Neo word processors from a decade ago because of the 700hr battery life. E-ink is here to stay for a very long time I hope. My grandma swears by that old 9.7" Kindle from years ago and says nothing compares to that one this day and age. I'm hoping she gets an update in the upcoming years, if not from Amazon, from some other company.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The idea of continual scrolling doesn't appeal to me at all. . . . I like having to turn the page . . . . possibly just 'cause it's what I'm used to, but I think it also helps me remember to blink and such.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> The idea of continual scrolling doesn't appeal to me at all. . . . I like having to turn the page . . . . possibly just 'cause it's what I'm used to, but I think it also helps me remember to blink and such.


Autoscroll definitely isn't for everyone, only for the very very lazy in bed or those smushed on a subway while standing with one hand.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

northofdivision said:


> Autoscroll definitely isn't for everyone, only for the very very lazy in bed or those smushed on a subway while standing with one hand.


I have heard of people using it while walking on a treadmill. I think it is a bad idea for posture and safety, but apparently it is popular for some.


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

The feature I like most in Moon+ is the scrolling but I don't like it turn on auto-scroll.  I much prefer to just use my finger to adjust it.  I'm not sure why I like this so much more than page turning but it gives me a sense of both freedom and control that I really enjoy.

Maybe what bothers me about page turning is when I get near the bottom of the page my finger is up and ready to swipe when I reach the end and I have to divert a bit of attention to keep myself from doing it too soon.  Premature pagination! 

Barry


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

A few weeks in and i'm using the Kobo HD Glo now as my primary pitch dark reader as the light is best in class  (the Voyage in coffeehouses, the baby kindle on subways. I know, it sounds like a giant hassle but it's not) Small feature though i've figured out that I don't like on the Kobo Glo HD when reading Pocket articles. I tend to highlight a lot of great passages, lines or quotes and it doesn't allow you to highlight on Pocket articles. That stinks. This has me grabbing my old baby kindle and sending articles to it and not using Pocket all the much. The flat bezel of the Voyage and the added layer i'm not a fan of but boy did they get that haptic touch pages on the sides right on the nail. 

Barryem, I like the idea of future Kindles giving the user the choice to read text with scroll down rather than page turn. Great idea.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks for sharing your comparisons on this! I currently have a Nook (generation 1), but I am considering getting another dedicated ereader for epubs, the Kobo Glo caught my attention because of the similarities to the Voyage, which I like. I'm going to keep researching the Kobo Glo before I make any decisions. Thanks for posting comparison pics, too. Those were really helpful.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

course. np, Marie Long...good to have an epub reader as a luxury. hd glo is the darkest/clearest font of the lot. screen is a little more white than the voyage sepia (which I prefer) but it's smaller and the only true reader outside of Amazon that's remotely comparable. the one thing Voyage has on it as a true ace card in my opinion are those haptic buttons. 130.00 for the former is a great price point though. puts that flat bezel aura to shame screen wise (though aura is the only other reader that has a flat bezel like the Voyage) but it's just not dark enough fontwise for me.


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## typo (Jul 30, 2010)

You might keep this in mind:
My newly arrived Kobo Glo HD locked up after about three hours of use. That was almost 48 hours ago. I've jumped through Kobo's hoops, including providing proof of purchase and contact information in duplicate and been told an exchange is in order. And that's the last I have heard. That was a day and a half ago.
My Kindle Keyboard that I bought new is still working fine, and the Nook Simple Touch that I was replacing for reading epub books is looking better and better.
It makes me wonder if I made a bad choice in ereaders.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

typo said:


> You might keep this in mind:
> My newly arrived Kobo Glo HD locked up after about three hours of use. That was almost 48 hours ago. I've jumped through Kobo's hoops, including providing proof of purchase and contact information in duplicate and been told an exchange is in order. And that's the last I have heard. That was a day and a half ago.
> My Kindle Keyboard that I bought new is still working fine, and the Nook Simple Touch that I was replacing for reading epub books is looking better and better.
> It makes me wonder if I made a bad choice in ereaders.


Any device can go bad . . . there have been a lot of reports of kindles that either didn't work on arrival or failed within a day or two.

The real difference is that when that happens with Kindle, you call Kindle CS, and they send you a new one -- next day delivery -- and a label you can print to send the bad one back at no charge.


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## booklover888 (May 20, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Any device can go bad . . . there have been a lot of reports of kindles that either didn't work on arrival or failed within a day or two.
> 
> The real difference is that when that happens with Kindle, you call Kindle CS, and they send you a new one -- next day delivery -- and a label you can print to send the bad one back at no charge.


That is so true, and a huge plus for the Kindle. I haven't had ANY problems with my Kobo Glo HD, but if I did, I figure I'd be on my own (unless it was a catastrophic situation). With a Kindle, I can take comfort that my warranty issues (if any) will be handled promptly.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

booklover888 said:


> That is so true, and a huge plus for the Kindle. I haven't had ANY problems with my Kobo Glo HD, but if I did, I figure I'd be on my own (unless it was a catastrophic situation). With a Kindle, I can take comfort that my warranty issues (if any) will be handled promptly.


Agreed . . . . of course, at this point I'm pretty much wed to the Amazon ecosystem  . . . but when I was first researching kindles, the return policy was one of the things that gave it a big leg up on the competition. The original one was $400 . . . I got it when it had been marked down to $359. That's a LOT of money for a new sort of device that I wasn't sure I'd even like.

At the time, the only other real option was a Sony reader -- they were more expensive and when I'd asked in the shop about returns, I got kind of a blank look.  Had the distinct impression their attitude was: hey, you bought it, it's yours, don't bring it back if you don't like it.

There were also fewer books available for it AND you had to plug it into a computer and download them from the Sony site. The kindle's wireless delivery was another big plus.


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

I bought a Kobo Aura a little over 2 years ago.  Buying it was a real hassle.  The web page wouldn't take my order even though I did have an account because I had bought a Mini a year or so before that.  It took a little over 2 weeks of daily trying to get through to Kobo help.  Once I did get through they were great and I got my Aura.

The Aura has a defect.  If I hold it near the bottom and hold it just a bit tight it starts turning pages like mad.  I have to turn it off and back on and then find my place again to continue.  But after all that frustration getting through to their help I decided I could live with the problem.  I simply don't hold it by the bottom.  I can't.

That's a pretty minor issue, really, and it's never gotten worse, but if it was a Kindle I'd have had a replacement with almost no effort.

Barry


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

wow, sorry to hear. that is no good at all. i've read on the kobo glo hd for 5plus hours at a time and have read over 30 books on it so far. no hiccups whatsoever. but Ann is right. Amazon service is very very receptive. Kobos is good too but not as fast in my opinion. Have them swap it up for you. I had a pinhole pop up on both my kindle 4 and my kobo aura and both companies sent me new replacements within the week.


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## booklover888 (May 20, 2012)

I'm having my 5 month old Kindle Voyage replaced. I could ignore the obvious (and multiple less obvious) light pin hole, and the frequently unresponsive-to-touch lower right side of the screen. But the battery life shouldn't be so bad. So bad, in fact, that when going on long trips, I often choose the Kobo Glo HD because the battery life is much better. After factory reset made no difference to the battery, and chatting with CS, they are sending me a replacement Voyage.

I didn't want to do it, but really, three defects in such an expensive device is more than I should have to put up with. So here's hoping the new one will not have any of these problems.


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