Should you buy an Amazon Kindle eBook in 2021?

Should you buy an Amazon Kindle eBook in 2021?

In Russian online stores every now and then flicker

Amazon Kindle readers.They are produced by the American Internet giant Amazon. In the USA, these devices are a kind of standard. Do you want an electronic reader? Buy Amazon Kindle, period! And all would be fine, but only we are not in the States. And the topic of buying a Kindle in Russia is much broader, deeper and more complex than it seems at first glance. Reviews on Amazon readers directly indicate that in Russia they are far from the best option. But we decided to collect all the most important aspects of this topic in one place, and the result is the material that you are reading now. For clarity, we compared Amazon Kindle readers with PocketBook readers. Why with them? It's just that PocketBook is a long-term and uncontested leader of the Russian (as well as the entire European) market of readers with a share of under 70%. Kindle is chosen as an alternative to PocketBook. Let's see if it's worth doing this. Or maybe you should still buy devices from the leader of the Russian market? Well, at the same time we will find out what a good e-book should be able to do in our native Russian realities.

What is more correct to buy in Russia - Kindle or PocketBook?

It would seem that there is no difference:you open a Yandex.Market, choose an Amazon or PocketBook e-book, and buy. Everything seems to be the same. However, in reality, there is a difference, and it is huge.
The fact is that Amazon Kindle's e-booksRussia is not officially supplied. They are supplied only to the USA, a number of countries in Europe and Asia. Russia is not among these countries - and has never been. Therefore, those Kindle that are sold in Russia were brought into the country in fact in suitcases by dealers. What does it mean? A certain Vasya or Kolya brought the Kindle from abroad and resells it at a premium in his online store. As a result, the Kindle buyer in Russia is deprived of the warranty. If the reader breaks down, then the manufacturer - Amazon - will not repair or replace it for free. Simply because the reader was sold to Vasya or Kolya in the USA or, for example, in Germany. Do you want a free repair? Then go to the USA or Germany, but in Russia - I'm sorry! Moreover, paid Kindle repair in our country is also almost impossible. The fact is that in the Russian Federation there are no workshops specializing in Amazon Kindle. It turns out that buying a Kindle is a risk: if the device breaks, then most likely you just have to buy a new reader.

"Delivery to Russia is not possible" - this is what Amazon says when trying to order Kindle in Russia

With PocketBook, everything is easier:Readers of this brand have been officially supplied to Russia for the last 13 years and are sold in dozens of stores and retail chains. PocketBook e-books are provided with a direct manufacturer's warranty for a period of 2 years. And if you buy a reader in a company store on pocketbook.ru, then there will be 3 years of direct company warranty. And this is a record guarantee not only among all readers, but also in the portable consumer electronics market in general. In which case the reader can be repaired in any of dozens of PocketBook service centers throughout Russia. Moreover, there is a Russian-language support service and brand groups on social networks. There you can ask any question about the operation of the PocketBook device in Russian - and almost immediately get a qualified answer.

PocketBook has a website store in Russian with the possibility of free delivery of devices throughout the country

Total:you just need to understand that PocketBook e-books are a product for the Russian market as well. With all the infrastructure relying on in this case: availability in a heap of stores, guarantee, support. But the Kindle is a product for the United States and a number of other foreign countries. For RF, Kindle readers are simply not designed.

And here's another thing.In the US, Amazon Kindle models are cheap - for example, in terms of our money, about 7 thousand rubles ($ 100) for an entry-level model. However, taking into account the markups of dealers, all these low prices ... disappear! And similar in class Kindle and PocketBook models cost about the same money in the Russian Federation. So that!

Which readers are more modern and more convenient - PocketBook or Kindle?

So, we figured out the purchase. But the question arises: maybe Amazon e-books are so good that it is worth taking the risk and buying just such a reader? Perhaps they are very cool technologically? Are they very comfortable?

Unfortunately no.Analysis of the current Kindle lineup shows that these readers are lagging behind the market in terms of technology. For example, since the summer of 2020, the PocketBook line has the world's first color reader with an E Ink Kaleido screen - PocketBook 633 Color. Moreover, in February 2021, a 7.8-inch model with a Kaleido color display also appeared.

PocketBook 740 Color - the first 7.8-inch color e-reader both in Russia and in the world

Meanwhile in Amazon's line of e-booksthere are no color readers at all - only black and white. Meanwhile, black and white e-readers are actually only suitable for reading texts without illustrations. But comics, documents with diagrams, business and technical literature, textbooks, children's books - all this requires a color screen! Moreover, the larger this screen is, the better! The same PocketBook today offers two color models at once, including a large-format one - 7.8-inch. And in the Kindle line, we repeat, there are no color readers at all. Even the most expensive model of the Amazon Kindle Oasis is equipped with only a 7-inch black and white screen.

The only way Kindle can display color illustrations is in black and white.

Or let's take audio playback for example.PocketBook readers are able to play music and any audiobooks, as well as translate text to speech using the voices of the speakers. You open a text book, press a button on the screen, and the reader starts to reproduce this text in a voice - male or female. The sound is output to headphones or an audio speaker (either via Bluetooth, or via a wire - as it is convenient for the user). This is possible in a dozen languages, including Russian. But the Kindle does not play music, does not support text-to-speech translation, and plays audiobooks only in a specific format. These books are only offered for money on Amazon. It turns out that both PocketBook and Amazon Kindle formally work with audio. But in practice, there is a huge difference. And it is in favor of PocketBook.

PocketBook readers, without unnecessary tweaks, are suitable for both music and audiobooks

Or, just for example, take a look at the front-endconnectors. PocketBook already uses a modern and convenient USB Type-C in its readers with might and main: the corresponding plug can be inserted either this way or that way, without first selecting a position. For example, here is the USB Type-C port on the case of the PocketBook X.

Meanwhile, in all current Kindle is the ancient MicroUSB. Even in the same model Amazon Kindle Oasis, which seems to be the flagship solution - see the photo below.

There are many such examples.It is clear that the Kindle developers are not trying to make their devices modern, saturate them with functions. Why is an open question. PocketBook, in turn, uses all the most modern technological innovations in its readers - just remember the same E Ink color screens.

What formats of e-books do PocketBook and Kindle readers open and where can I get these books?

Kindle readers are sharpened for books from brandedonline store Amazon. The logic is this: you buy a book from Amazon - and you read it on the Kindle. Step to the left, step to the right - and Amazon is already wagging its finger at you. Well, if it's no joke, then Kindle readers work with only 6 e-book formats. And in this short list there are neither FB2, nor EBUP, nor DOC - formats that are traditionally widespread in Russia. Why is that? And again we repeat: the owner of the reader, according to Amazon's plan, should buy books from the Amazon online store. Dot. At the same time, the Amazon store is not intended for Russia: the books there are mainly in English, German, French, etc. There are Russian-language editions, but not enough. Feedback from Amazon Kindle users confirms this: Russians often complain about the meager assortment of this store.

PocketBooks are much more loyal to their ownersreaders. Models of this brand support two dozen (20!) Formats of e-books and documents, including the most popular in Russia FB2, EPUB, DOC. In other words: whatever book you find on the Internet, it will open on the PocketBook reader without problems, converters and other dances with a tambourine. Well, the PocketBook store is much more relevant specifically for the Russian reader. It offers several hundred thousand books in Russian (both text and audio). Descriptions are also in Russian. There are plenty of options for payment methods that are relevant for Russia, even MIR cards are supported. Access to the store is possible both from a reader and from a computer through a browser - at books.pocketbook.ru. You can buy books on the site, and then they instantly appear in the reader.

PocketBook readers open two dozen book formats - and this is a record for the market!

At the same time, we repeat, PocketBook does notrestrict the user to their store. This is just one of the options for replenishing the library. Books can be borrowed anywhere and in any way, and they can be in any format. "Amazon Kindle" does not provide such freedom: everything there is tailored for a branded American store, irrelevant for the Russian Federation.

What sizes are Amazon Kindle and PocketBook e-books?

Amazon offers 6 and 7 diagonal readersinches. Take Amazon's current 2020 lineup (the brand hasn't had any new models in 2021). The Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite have 6-inch screens, while the Kindle Oasis have 7-inch screens. That being said, the 7-inch display does not feel much different from the 6-inch display. It turns out that Amazon has all e-books of the same format.

Kindle offers virtually only one uncontested screen size

In the current PocketBook line, for comparison,more than 10 models. There are devices with a diagonal of 6 inches. There are 7.8-inches (7.8-inches in practice is much larger than 7, and the difference with 6-inches is already felt very well). There is even a 10.3-inch PocketBook X - a giant reader for newspapers, notes and other similar content.

PocketBook Readers: 10.3 ", 7.8", 6 "

Another difference.All Amazon readers have a touchscreen, PocketBooks have both touchscreen and push-button ones. Push-button models, as practice shows, are more convenient for older people who are accustomed to push-button technology. And sometimes it is more correct for children to buy a button reader - it will be perceived precisely as a reading device. Sensory models, on the other hand, are often perceived by children as something like a tablet, and they immediately begin attempts to go online, go to social networks, and so on. A push-button reader will not allow you to do anything of this. Finally, it is worth repeating that PocketBook already has two color models, and in the Kindle line all readers are exclusively black and white.

This subsection can be summarized as follows:PocketBook offers many more reader options. In fact, anyone can find a reader to suit their needs. But Amazon has a very narrow and uncomplicated lineup. If you want bigger - break off, if you want a color reader - it won't work ... In reviews on Amazon models, this, by the way, regularly pops up. The people want variety, but only get typical standard models. Moreover, and only black or white, other colors are rare on the Kindle. Meanwhile, PocketBook models can be, for example, bronze, red, silver ... And this, of course, in addition to the classic black and white colors.

Instead of output

It's hard to say - what's the point in buyinge-books Amazon Kindle in Russia: they open few formats; they are not so cheap; they don't offer any interesting technical features; they are actually available with only one diagonal option; they cannot be repaired under warranty in Russia.
In general, it is not clear how you can buy a modelAmazon in our reality. It's like with a car for the domestic market of Japan: you can bring it to Russia, but the on-board computer will display information in the form of hieroglyphs, the steering wheel will be on the right, and the headlights will not shine as needed because of our left-hand traffic. And in the event of a breakdown, you will be tortured with the search for spare parts and will be very upset when you find out their price. At the same time, Japanese cars have fans who, foaming at the mouth, will prove that such a purebred "Japanese woman" can easily do, for example, any "German" or "Frenchman" intended specifically for the Russian market. What can I say - fans!
This is no longer a matter of reason or practicality, it isthe question of religion. So it is with Amazon e-books: for Russia they do not fit from the word "absolutely", but they have fans. There are few of these fans, but sometimes you can see rave reviews on the open spaces of the network. Is it worth believing such reviews after reading this material - decide for yourself. (Spoiler alert: not worth it.)
PocketBook readers, on the other hand, maximizesharpened for Russian realities. They do not provide any problems with either purchase, operation or possible repairs. And be healthy with PocketBook technologies: for example, this company was the first in the world to release E Ink Kaleido readers with color screens.