Aura HD Kobo Aura HD

[Tonycole]

I feel that Kobo have created here what is possibly the best ereader yet for the elderly, infirm and hard of vision. The size of the screen being slightly larger than most others is a real advantage for people who really need to use as large a font size as they can manage, and the ease of holding the thing - obviously the front lighting is a tremendous advantage also.
The fact that it offers no less than 25 font sizes is superb, as to judge by the emails I receive on my blog from elderly readers hunting for an ereader that can not only offer them very large fonts, but also enough screen space to take advantage of those large letters will ensure that in that section of the ereading public at least they are sure of many customers.

[Nil Einne]

Originally Posted by Tonycole

I feel that Kobo have created here what is possibly the best ereader yet for the elderly, infirm and hard of vision. The size of the screen being slightly larger than most others is a real advantage for people who really need to use as large a font size as they can manage, and the ease of holding the thing - obviously the front lighting is a tremendous advantage also.
The fact that it offers no less than 25 font sizes is superb, as to judge by the emails I receive on my blog from elderly readers hunting for an ereader that can not only offer them very large fonts, but also enough screen space to take advantage of those large letters will ensure that in that section of the ereading public at least they are sure of many customers.

Yes the larger screen size would seem a big advantage for those users, something many seem to have missed. I'm not sure if you currently have an Aura, if not perhaps this https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=22 would be helpful to your readers. They'd still need to compare that to 6.8" inches somehow of course.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by TongueTied

I just read a really really negative review on Gizmodo by some waste of space called Eric Limer, that was posted today. I always thought they did fairly professional reviews but this just so blatantly biased and Kobo bashing. This review makes it seem that the device is perhaps the worst technical device ever released. Do they get more ad revenue for posting bad reviews? I've been following this thread with interest and see lots of very happy Aura owners; not what you would expect based on the Gizmodo review. Goodereader.com also did some good reviews of the Aura and I have always thought those guys were very biased. So, I don't think I can trust any review Gizmodo does from now on. ...and, the guy has obviously never ever used any Kobo eReader before.

Would you trust a review written by this? (see pic)
That's the second bad Aura review from Gizmodo counting Gizmodo Australia. Once I could see but twice seems like an official line. Does Gizmodo have some kind of stance they're trying to promote?

[lioslaith]

Originally Posted by lkodk

No Glo owners fallen for the Aura?

Quite a few myself included. I believe there is a thread floating around mobileread where Glo owners talked about just this.

So far I'm loving using the Aura. I can hold and use it one handed. The sculpted back isn't as severe as the pics/videos make out and is very comfortable to hold. Ergonomic I believe it's termed. I see where the slippiness is a concern but so far it's seems that the sculpted back makes it easier to hold the reader and avoid slippage where I believe if it was a smooth back I would experience grip problems with the back of the device.

My shelves from my Glo synched up and turned up on my Aura with it's first synch. The Aura updated itself which was very quick and I sideloaded a lot of books I had ready to transfer. As I sideload most of my reader content via Calibre how it preformed here was essential to me. When I ejected the Aura it refreshed the library very speedily given I had sideloaded over 40 books to it. Very pleased so far.

[TechniSol]

Are you sure he wasn't doubling up and reviewing the herb vaporizer depicted under the review at the same time? Somehow, it seems more likely -maybe it's just the photo and how he looks like his Mom just found his stash... "Honest Mom, I'm just researching for this article I'm writing!"

I think he'd benefit greatly from learning to state facts, and indicating when he's stating opinions, but I'm picky that way. Most of what he said was merely his opinion.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by TongueTied

I just read a really really negative review on Gizmodo by some waste of space called Eric Limer, that was posted today. I always thought they did fairly professional reviews but this just so blatantly biased and Kobo bashing. This review makes it seem that the device is perhaps the worst technical device ever released.

Look to your own biases before complaining about the biases of others.

http://gizmodo.com/kobo-aura-hd-revi...rapped-5995330

He finds it too large to hold comfortably (as do I) and the back's very odd angled design making it even harder to grip (as do I; in addition, I find the slick plastic to be too slippery and I have to grip it a LOT harder than I do devices with quilted backs and matte plastic fronts like my Touch).

He says the extra screen real estate isn't worth the larger body (an opinion, and reviewers are allowed to have those, by the way, I happen to agree with).

He finds Reading Life to be "cute but superfluous" (that's giving Reading Life too much credit, IMHO, as it's just there to try and convince people that their data collection is for the users' benefit).

He finds the infrared screen to be a performance limiter (as do I).

He dislikes the use of sliders on an IR device (ditto - they're extremely imprecise) and that the buttons you can use as alternatives are small and easy to miss (probably a result of the higher resolution).

He loves the screen itself (I'm meh on the issue), but doesn't feel it makes up for the Aura's design faults (of which there are many).

He says you don't need a screen like that to read (that's pretty much the only point where the review misses the mark - he seems to have not tested the marginal case uses, technical PDFs, comic books, and other reading material that's heavy on graphics and thus benefits from the higher resolution).

Frankly, I see nothing wrong (except maybe the last item) or biased or inflammatory about the review.

Goodereader.com also did some good reviews of the Aura and I have always thought those guys were very biased.

They are - towards Kobo. They haven't met a Kobo app or device they didn't fawn over.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

You forgot the part where he hadn't even used the reader enough to know how to change the font sizes. You're right though-everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if it's ignorant.

[taming]

I wrote a comment 24 hours ago, which is still not approved or displaying on the page.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Now I know why Gizmodo isn't on my list of tech blogs:
Gizmodo shows bias

Combining a witty, personal style of writing with high journalistic standards, Gizmodo was one of Gawker Media’s very successful news blogs...Unfortunately, the recent months have seen a drastic drop of standards. Gone was their objective, journalistic writing. Instead, their writing is increasingly pretentious, mean-spirited and biased.

It’s a sad day when a respectable news source goes on a downward spiral.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that most of their contributors seem to be barely out of high school?

[Breid]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

Are you sure he wasn't doubling up and reviewing the herb vaporizer depicted under the review at the same time? Somehow, it seems more likely -maybe it's just the photo and how he looks like his Mom just found his stash... "Honest Mom, I'm just researching for this article I'm writing!"

I think he'd benefit greatly from learning to state facts, and indicating when he's stating opinions, but I'm picky that way. Most of what he said was merely his opinion.

[Fourl29]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Would you trust a review written by this? (see pic)

Give it a rest with the ad hominems, the guy's making some valid points. And the most contestable of his comments, are at least debatable. Nothing he said is blatantly inaccurate or an extreme exaggeration. All you are doing is showing your class, or lack thereof, by trying to offend the reviewer while ignoring the review.

edit: A much better response than mine above.

[icallaci]

Has anyone heard if Kobo considers the Aura HD a success in terms of sales? From this forum, it seems to be wildly popular, but I haven't seen anything that indicates if it is selling slower or faster than they expected.

[Katsunami]

It cannot be determined yet. It's been out for just 5 days, and then only in Canada, the US, and the UK. It needs to be released in more countries and be on sale for a somewhat longer time.

[Pierre Menard]

Physically, the Aura is just slightly too wide to be comfortable for one-handed use.

This is the part of the gizmodo review that really confuses me. The main thing he keeps comparing it to is his own Nook Simple Touch, which he obviously likes. But the stats say the Nook is 5.0" (127 mm) wide, and the Aura 5.05" (128.3 mm).

I ordered but haven't received an Aura, so I can't compare for myself, but are those numbers not accurate or what?

His complaints about the back seemed weird too, since one of the things that sold me on that were that it seemed (on the sides, anyway) similar to the sculpted back of the Nook, which I find very comfortable to hold. Too skinny is not a good thing.

Losing the great rubbery-feeling back, now, that IS something that I'm nervous about.

[geormes]

Originally Posted by Fourl29

edit: A much better response than mine above.

Based on devices listed the "response above" appears to be formed by personal experience.