3 Kindle alternatives for e-book lovers
Most people opt for Amazon’s Kindle when they want an e-reader. You don’t necessarily have to, there are some other options as well
When you think about e-readers, the first thing comes to your mind is Kindle. In fact, the word "Kindle" has become so popular that if you ask someone about an e-reader, he or she might hesitate a bit. But if you ask them about Kindle, they will recognise it right away.
Kindle devices are arguably the best e-readers available in the market, but there are other e-readers as well. So, The Business Standard has picked top three Kindle alternatives for you to pick from:
1. Kobo Aura Edition 2
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If you are looking for a non Amazon e-device that serves all the features of Kindle Paperwhite, then the Kobo Aura is a considerable option. The hardware of the device is almost the same as the Paperwhite, and it has a 6-inch Carta E-Ink touchscreen. It also has 4GB of onboard memory that can hold up to 3,000 eBooks.
The Kobo Aura Edition 2 supports 14 different file formats, including EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ and CBR – like the Kindle Paperwhite. In terms of connectivity, the Kobo Aura Edition 2 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and micro USB.
Also, depending on usage, the device can be kept on stand-by mode for a couple of weeks after a full charge.
Price: Approximately Tk12,000.
2. Sony DPT-RP1/ B
The Sony digital paper is more than an e-reader. Apart from reading, this device will also give you options to draw, take notes, etc. The device is also very thin. Sony claims that it is as thin as 30 sheets of paper.
The device is available in two different sizes – a 10-inch and a 13-inch variant. To avoid strain on the reader's eyes, Sony is using a low-glare display and to make writing more natural, it also has a paper-like texture.
The internal storage of 16GB can store 10,000 PDF files in the device. Also, the battery can last upto a week after a full charge. However, the device is quite costly.
Price: Approximately Tk61,000 (13-inch variant).
3. Kobo Forma
If you are looking for an alternative to the Kindle Oasis e-reader, then you might want to take a look at Kobo Forma. It is lightweight, supports both portrait and landscape mode, and comes with an IPX8 certification for water-resistance.
The Kobo Forma is the biggest Kobo e-reader available in the market and has an 8-inch HD Mobius Carta E-Ink screen. Also, with Kobo's OverDrive, the e-reader lets you borrow eBooks from your local library's digital collection, which is an excellent feature for the students studying abroad.
The base variant of the Kobo Forma has 8GB storage, but there is also a 32GB variant.
Price: Approximately Tk22,000.
