Aura HD – depth between bezel and screen

[gers1978]

Can someone tell me how "recessed" the HD screen is, in comparison to a Paperwhite?

Also, does the Aura HD show the cover of the current book when in standby?

Thanks

The recess is about 2 mm deep, and the bezel is about 1 cm wide.

The Aura displays the cover of the current book in sleep/powered-down mode by default, but you can disable the display of the cover in the settings.

[gers1978]

Thanks. I guess I'll need to hold one in the flesh to judge - I returned a Kindle Touch and went back to a Kindle 4 due to the huge recess between bezel and screen - it really really annoyed me! I've got a Paperwhite now and the depth of the screen from bezel is right on the limit of my tolerance! I'd like an Aura HD for ePub support, more even lighting and better screen, but if the depth of screen from bezel is bigger than the Paperwhite, it's a deal breaker for me! OCD, I know!

Originally Posted by gers1978

Thanks. I guess I'll need to hold one in the flesh to judge - I returned a Kindle Touch and went back to a Kindle 4 due to the huge recess between bezel and screen - it really really annoyed me! I've got a Paperwhite now and the depth of the screen from bezel is right on the limit of my tolerance! I'd like an Aura HD for ePub support, more even lighting and better screen, but if the depth of screen from bezel is bigger than the Paperwhite, it's a deal breaker for me! OCD, I know!

You will probably find the bezel annoying if you use narrow margins since your digits will ultimately bump into the bezel while selecting text. If you're just reading a text, it's not really an issue since the bezel is narrow enough to reach over.

I think that this is a limitation of the IR touch screen, since about half of the recess is due to the emitters/sensors. I suspect that this is why you had an issue with the Kindle Touch as well.

[Ken Maltby]

Some hard learned information:

The bezel is composed of two pieces of plastic. The outer piece is ordinary plastic
colored for styling. The inner piece is a special IR Transparent/transmissive black
plastic. It is the thickness of this black inner plastic piece that forms the gap. Now
the black plastic serves a special function, it guides the IR beams from the IR
emitters to be transmitted across the surface of the screen and to IR detectors on
the opposite side of the screen. It is the interruption of a horizontal and a vertical
beam that allows the touchscreen circuits to determine where you poke your finger.
So, that gap that concerns you serves a very important function.

Luck;
Ken

[Ripplinger]

@gers1978 - If possible, I'd suggest finding a local store that has a Kobo Glo on display. Since they both use infrared, I'm going to assume that the edges of the screen and any gap will be the same between both devices, and you can see for yourself if it's ok for you or not before you order something you can't return.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Some hard learned information:

There have been a couple of comments about you taking apart the Aura. Do you have any advice on how to disassemble the unit? (In particular, I'd like to know if it's held together with clips or glue.)

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

There have been a couple of comments about you taking apart the Aura. Do you have any advice on how to disassemble the unit? (In particular, I'd like to know if it's held together with clips or glue.)

I have had the first one apart many times. It is all just clip like protrusions
and holes/slots that the bezel snaps into. There is one piece of tape that
seems to be there to seal the inside edge of the bezel to the surface of
the screen outside the viewing area. The tape separated easily the first
time I opened the Aura, and is still there and a little sticky after many
cleanings of the bezel.

I have opened and closed that one so many times that some of the thinner
slot edges are breaking away. This has not prevented the case from being
securely, even tightly closed up.

As to how to; I just run my thumbnail around the slot between the bezel and
the case. The corner of a good hard plastic card works fine and could reach in
to nudge the tape apart, as well.


Luck;
Ken

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I have had the first one apart many times. It is all just clip like protrusions and holes/slots that the bezel snaps into.

That is good news. Or at least as good as one can expect on modern devices. As a follow up question: does the Aura use an internal microSD card, like some of the other Kobo devices, or is the memory soldered on to the mainboard?

[filmo]

Kindle Paper White uses capacitance touch screen not needing to recess screen for IR light beams. Aura IR touch screen makes more likely Aura screen will be recess exceeds your limit.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

That is good news. Or at least as good as one can expect on modern devices. As a follow up question: does the Aura use an internal microSD card, like some of the other Kobo devices, or is the memory soldered on to the mainboard?

Yes the Aura comes with an internal 4GB micro-SD card. There are threads in this
forum that spell out the process to install a larger card. I have mine running with
an 8GB card. There may not be much point to adding more, with the Aura's large
database handling problems.

Luck;
Ken

[Papi]

I don't know why but I don't like this gap also. I understand it's inherent to the IR technology, but I just sold my Kindle Keyboard and regret the almost no gap between the bezel and the screen. I think it makes it look more like paper and less like a device. The paperwhite doesn't use IR right ? so I guess the gap is less important, I wish Kobo had made the same choice (wacom ?).

[gers1978]

I'm not sure why e-ink devices can't just use the same touch tech as phones/tablets, and have no recess between bezel and screen?

[taming]

I just wrote something really stupid about front lit vs back lit devices and the advantages of eInk for reading books. Sorry. This is my attempt to erase it all.

Originally Posted by gers1978

I'm not sure why e-ink devices can't just use the same touch tech as phones/tablets, and have no recess between bezel and screen?

The nice thing about an IR touch screen is that the emitters/receivers sit around the edge of the screen. Since everything is contained in the bezel, it does not interfere with the display itself.

EDIT: it is also worth noting that phones and tablets do have recessed screens. The difference is that there is a glass or plastic surface over the screen. That may offer a flush surface as far as our hands are concerned, but it interferes with the display itself. In the case of phones and tablets, most people don't care about that interference. In the case of ereaders, people do care.