Benefit of H2O over regular Aura

starfly · 01-08-2018, 03:43 PM

I'm currently the owner of a Kobo Glo, purchased about 4 years ago.

I'm running into a few issues lately:

Battery is not holding it's charge as well anymore (will charge to 100%, and when I unplug quickly drops down to 50% and from there starts to drain relatively fast). Did order a replacement battery for $10 on Ebay, will see if that can extend the life a bit.
Micro-USB port on the Kobo will still charge the battery, but it's no longer being regonized in Windows (tried a couple different computers and different ports)
Many times when I power on the device (from sleep), it will first show a black screen. I then have to put it back to sleep again, and then turn it back on again before it'll show the book I'm currently reading

So these issues are becoming increasingly annoying and it's probably a sign that my Kobo is nearing end of life. So I'm considering a replacement, and will probably go with Kobo again as it's otherwise a pretty decent device.

So, I'm looking at either the Kobo Aura v2, or the Kobo Aura H2O v2.

Besides the H2O having a larger screen, more storage space, waterproof, and having different backlight colors (so white + orange), are there any other benefits to getting an H2O v2 over the regular 6" Aura v2? Not sure all these benefits are worth the extra money to me.

Thanks.

ZodWallop · 01-08-2018, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starfly

Besides the H2O having a larger screen, more storage space, waterproof, and having different backlight colors (so white + orange), are there any other benefits to getting an H2O v2 over the regular 6" Aura v2?.

The only other one I'm aware of is the higher resolution screen of the H202 vs. Aura 2.

If I were in the market for a new Kobo, I'd likely get another Aura (v1) or an H20 (v1) off of eBay. For me, the 2nd edition of each model doesn't offer much new I care about. On the H20, I'd prefer an SD card slot to an orange light and the original Aura is just nicer than the 2nd edition in almost every way. But that's just me.

rashkae · 01-08-2018, 04:52 PM

You got the main points, but for me, the resolution is also a very iportant difference. The aliassing artifacts and jagged font edges are very visible to me on the Aura with the naked eye at regular reading distance.. (I'm nearsighted, so my regular reading distance is closer to the face than most.)

300 dpi devices are nice, and sharper, but the difference between, say, Kindle Oasis and Aura H20 is really very subtle and could only be spotted holding them side by side. If I were buying a new device, my current choice, sorted by cost point....

Amazon Paperwhite 3, Kobo H20 2nd Ed, and depending on need for text selection, Kobo Aura One or Kindle Oasis 2

The cheap Aura is jut not worth it by any measure.

ZodWallop · 01-08-2018, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rashkae

You got the main points, but for me, the resolution is also a very iportant difference. The aliassing artifacts and jagged font edges are very visible to me on the Aura with the naked eye at regular reading distance.. (I'm nearsighted, so my regular reading distance is closer to the face than most.)

300 dpi devices are nice, and sharper, but the difference between, say, Kindle Oasis and Aura H20 is really very subtle and could only be spotted holding them side by side. If I were buying a new device, my current choice, sorted by cost point....

Amazon Paperwhite 3, Kobo H20 2nd Ed, and depending on need for text selection, Kobo Aura One or Kindle Oasis 2

The cheap Aura is jut not worth it by any measure.

I have an Aura and a Glowlight 3 with the 300DPI screen. I can tell the difference between the two The Glowlight screen is beautiful. But it's not as major a change on e-ink as it would be on a tablet. The difference hasn't pushed me to feel like I need to upgrade from my Aura.

koboy · 01-08-2018, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The only other one I'm aware of is the higher resolution screen of the H202 vs. Aura 2.

If I were in the market for a new Kobo, I'd likely get another Aura (v1) or an H20 (v1) off of eBay. For me, the 2nd edition of each model doesn't offer much new I care about. On the H20, I'd prefer an SD card slot to an orange light and the original Aura is just nicer than the 2nd edition in almost every way. But that's just me.

obviously i completely agree.

best wishes koboy

J_K · 01-09-2018, 08:44 AM

I have both and would say that the night light is surprisingly effective and useful. Not just for bedtime reading, but also for reading under artificial light in the evening. It does actually allow you to make the screen appear whiter and cleaner under artificial light, especially on a low light setting, whereas the plain light on the Aura Edition 2 has that cement grey colour in comparison.

Plus moving the slider further into the salmon pink-ish and then orange-ish light is very pleasant under artificial light.

That and the screen size is the main benefit.

For the rest, you only really notice things by comparing them side by side and they are relatively minor differences. The H2O Edition 2 has the better quality text, looking close up, and it keeps text looking better between full page refreshes, but the Aura Edition 2 screen has a slightly lighter background with the light turned off under natural light and the text can go bolder, making it appear darker. The H2O seems a tad quicker, but it is close.

If I had to pick one, I'd pick the H2O unless I specifically wanted the Aura for its smaller size.

stats · 01-09-2018, 08:53 PM

Is he H2Ov2 supported by KOReader yet? That was important to me. And, that's why I bought the H2Ov1.

Cheers,
Rich

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

JSWolf · 01-10-2018, 06:37 AM

The H2O2 does not currently work with KOReader.

vostro · 01-10-2018, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stats

And, that's why I bought the H2Ov1

i feel H2Ov1's screen has best contrast ratio over aura one, kindle oasis 2, pw3 etc.

rashkae · 01-10-2018, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vostro

i feel H2Ov1's screen has best contrast ratio over aura one, kindle oasis 2, pw3 etc.

No doubt about that... the only clearer e-ink screen ever sold here (in Cannuck land) was Kobo's own, short production of AuraHD.

Edit: Err, I'm pretty sure I was thinking of the "Kobo Glo HD", not the Aura HD... Kobo really needs to remvamp product line naming.

vostro · 01-10-2018, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rashkae

not the Aura HD... Kobo really needs to remvamp product line naming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjmldTfD7o

JSWolf · 01-11-2018, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vostro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjmldTfD7o

I don;t know what camera was being used, but that's an awful video. It was very poorly shot.

brianca · 01-11-2018, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The only other one I'm aware of is the higher resolution screen of the H202 vs. Aura 2.

If I were in the market for a new Kobo, I'd likely get another Aura (v1) or an H20 (v1) off of eBay. For me, the 2nd edition of each model doesn't offer much new I care about. On the H20, I'd prefer an SD card slot to an orange light and the original Aura is just nicer than the 2nd edition in almost every way. But that's just me.

Thanks for this, btw -- after seeing your and others' recs for the Aura v1 around this forum I ordered one from that eBay seller, and am really very happy with it. It's a great deal for the price.

ZodWallop · 01-11-2018, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianca

Thanks for this, btw -- after seeing your and others' recs for the Aura v1 around this forum I ordered one from that eBay seller, and am really very happy with it. It's a great deal for the price.

Nice to hear.

I really don't understand the Aura Edition 2. It seems like Kobo would have been better off keeping the original Aura on the market

koboy · 01-11-2018, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianca

Thanks for this, btw -- after seeing your and others' recs for the Aura v1 around this forum I ordered one from that eBay seller, and am really very happy with it. It's a great deal for the price.

good choice.

best wishes koboy

01-08-2018, 03:43 PM	#1
starfly Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2018 Device: Kobo Glo	Benefit of H2O over regular Aura I'm currently the owner of a Kobo Glo, purchased about 4 years ago. I'm running into a few issues lately: Battery is not holding it's charge as well anymore (will charge to 100%, and when I unplug quickly drops down to 50% and from there starts to drain relatively fast). Did order a replacement battery for $10 on Ebay, will see if that can extend the life a bit. Micro-USB port on the Kobo will still charge the battery, but it's no longer being regonized in Windows (tried a couple different computers and different ports) Many times when I power on the device (from sleep), it will first show a black screen. I then have to put it back to sleep again, and then turn it back on again before it'll show the book I'm currently reading So these issues are becoming increasingly annoying and it's probably a sign that my Kobo is nearing end of life. So I'm considering a replacement, and will probably go with Kobo again as it's otherwise a pretty decent device. So, I'm looking at either the Kobo Aura v2, or the Kobo Aura H2O v2. Besides the H2O having a larger screen, more storage space, waterproof, and having different backlight colors (so white + orange), are there any other benefits to getting an H2O v2 over the regular 6" Aura v2? Not sure all these benefits are worth the extra money to me. Thanks.

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01-08-2018, 04:52 PM	#3
rashkae Wizard Posts: 1,274 Karma: 5935030 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Aura HD	You got the main points, but for me, the resolution is also a very iportant difference. The aliassing artifacts and jagged font edges are very visible to me on the Aura with the naked eye at regular reading distance.. (I'm nearsighted, so my regular reading distance is closer to the face than most.) 300 dpi devices are nice, and sharper, but the difference between, say, Kindle Oasis and Aura H20 is really very subtle and could only be spotted holding them side by side. If I were buying a new device, my current choice, sorted by cost point.... Amazon Paperwhite 3, Kobo H20 2nd Ed, and depending on need for text selection, Kobo Aura One or Kindle Oasis 2 The cheap Aura is jut not worth it by any measure.

01-09-2018, 08:44 AM	#6
J_K Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 26706 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: London, UK Device: H2O 2, Aura 2, Clara HD, Touch	I have both and would say that the night light is surprisingly effective and useful. Not just for bedtime reading, but also for reading under artificial light in the evening. It does actually allow you to make the screen appear whiter and cleaner under artificial light, especially on a low light setting, whereas the plain light on the Aura Edition 2 has that cement grey colour in comparison. Plus moving the slider further into the salmon pink-ish and then orange-ish light is very pleasant under artificial light. That and the screen size is the main benefit. For the rest, you only really notice things by comparing them side by side and they are relatively minor differences. The H2O Edition 2 has the better quality text, looking close up, and it keeps text looking better between full page refreshes, but the Aura Edition 2 screen has a slightly lighter background with the light turned off under natural light and the text can go bolder, making it appear darker. The H2O seems a tad quicker, but it is close. If I had to pick one, I'd pick the H2O unless I specifically wanted the Aura for its smaller size.

01-09-2018, 08:53 PM	#7
stats Member Posts: 17 Karma: 574 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: sony pr505	Is he H2Ov2 supported by KOReader yet? That was important to me. And, that's why I bought the H2Ov1. Cheers, Rich Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

01-10-2018, 06:37 AM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The H2O2 does not currently work with KOReader.

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