New Kobo Aura HD eInk eReader 1440x1080

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

Folders and line spacing are only two of the possible benefits of jailbreaking and custom FW -- even for an e-reader that will never "be used as a tablet."

Care to display a custom text message with your name and phone number on the standby screen along with a custom image? Feel inclined to use a different kind of font than the included ones? Lamenting the absence of a font size between two of the gradations you're given stock? Fancy a home screen that can display only the books you've read or uploaded last? Hunger to rearrange books on your shelf according to twenty different criteria? Crave using your own dictionaries and disincluded languages? Motivated to change the way your reader shows read and unread books or the order in which it lists them? Do you daydream listlessly about disabling ads on a reader that wasn't marketed as including them? Do you grin lasciviously at the idea of changing text from ragged to justified and back? Will you bang your forehead against the nearest wall rhythmically to light meringue until your e-reader offers you more precise margin options?

These are all desires that might be addressed with user-created options.

Why limit yourself to thinking in boolean terms? People's reasons for rooting or using CFW are not reducible to buying an e-ink reader and "wanting it to be a tablet."

Here's the other boolean choice that doesn't need to be made:

Seeing this thread either in terms of advocating the Aura or berating it. Someone who makes a point about the virtues of custom firmware and rooting is not necessarily belittling the device you're coveting. Pointing out a potential drawback isn't discouragement. It can help to make buying decisions more precise.

Anyone who's ever jailbroken a Kindle, rooted a Nook or used PRS+ on a Sony Reader knows exactly what I'm talking about.

I do use a PRS+ Sony and I don't do any of that stuff. I once made up a custom jpeg on my computer with my contact info and used that as the sleep screen but I was able to do that on my stock firmware and even then I switched back because I liked seeing the cover of the book I was reading. I guess I just don't have many demands as a reader. Anyways it looks like the aura is going to have a lot more useful options than my prs+ Sony does.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by Lbooker

If the stock firmware does not include a no-refresh mode, then I will wait for a rooted reader with this new high-resolution screen that offers this very pleasant way of reading. Real paper books do not flash when you turn a page.
For now I shall stick with my rooted Sony.

Your rooted Sony doesn't refresh? What is this amazing rooting technology that you're using?

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

According to your profile, you seem not to own a pre-Android Sony Reader, Skydog. Have you ever owned one in the past? If not, then I don't think you're familiar with the options I'm referencing. Note that the two people who have agreed with me on custom firmware are both Sony owners. The detailed options I'm talking about have to be experienced to be understood. I myself didn't know they'd be important to me until I was presented with them, and with the chance to use them daily.

A lot of new e-readers can be tremendously fun to use at first. The question is whether their limitations will become irksome over time -- particularly if you've grown accustomed to not being manipulated by an OS en route to reading your books.

If the price of admission is $160-190, I think it's fair to raise the question before people order.

Actually, I have but it was back in the Dark Ages. (I do not list every device I own, only those being used) But that has nothing to do with my post. I was replying to a post that gave the impression that, while the Kobo can easily take custom fonts and change page refresh rates, one would need to jailbreak the PW (that would be Kindle Paperwhite) to do so. I was pointing out that is not the case. That's all.

How on earth that prompted your question regarding my previously owned devices or the limitations of Sony is beyond me.

[JSWolf]

Does anyone have a phone number for Kobo? I'd like to call them. Their website does not allow a US purchase to be made via PayPal. So in order to buy an Aura HD, it will cost extra as we will be charged a foreign transaction fee.

[Fbone]

General Customer Care Inquiries:
1 (855) 732-3662 English
help@kobobooks.com
Sunday - Saturday: 8:00 - 24:00 EST

[pidgeon92]

I don't see a foreign transaction fee on my credit card. Kobo has already hit my Visa for $169.99, transaction date 4/16/13, posting date, 4/19/13. Perhaps it will show up later?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I don't see any such fee on my invoice.

You don't see it on your invoice. You see it on your card's statement. Kobo is a Canadian company. Thus any purchase from Kobo made in the US is a foreign transaction. But they do allow PayPal for eBooks. So why not hardware as well?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fbone

General Customer Care Inquiries:
1 (855) 732-3662 English
help@kobobooks.com
Sunday - Saturday: 8:00 - 24:00 EST

Thank you. I'll give them a call and find out what to do to not have this transaction fee.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You don't see it on your invoice. You see it on your card's statement.

My bad. I realized this after I made my post, and have since updated my post.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

My bad. I realized this after I made my post, and have since updated my post.

What credit card did you use and what bank issued it? Maybe the card you used doesn't have a foreign transaction fee.

I know for a fact that the last time I bought an eBook from Kobo with my bank card, I was charged for the privilege. Using PayPal, I've never had a fee.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What credit card did you use and what bank issued it? Maybe the card you used doesn't have a foreign transaction fee.

I know for a fact that the last time I bought an eBook from Kobo with my bank card, I was charged for the privilege. Using PayPal, I've never had a fee.

I used a Visa from Chase. My husband uses this often in Canada, and always gets a foreign transaction fee when buying his morning coffee & donut. Perhaps the FTF will show up in a few days.

[Thrasher]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I used a Visa from Chase. My husband uses this often in Canada, and always gets a foreign transaction fee when buying his morning coffee & donut. Perhaps the FTF will show up in a few days.

That is funny because Amazon.ca Visa CC in Canada is one of the very few CC's that does not charge cross-border fees.

I believe the fee structure for cross border fees in the States is different than in Canada and I am not familiar with it.

[MrDoug]

Originally Posted by david_e

Absolutely agree. I've never accessed the Bookstore link on my reader and have never seen a single advert.

I second that! Never a problem..

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does anyone have a phone number for Kobo? I'd like to call them. Their website does not allow a US purchase to be made via PayPal. So in order to buy an Aura HD, it will cost extra as we will be charged a foreign transaction fee.

How much would a transaction fee be? Like a buck? Don't be cheap and just pay it! Us Canadians need to pay $22 in taxes which you probably won't have to pay living in the US.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

How much would a transaction fee be? Like a buck? Don't be cheap and just pay it! Us Canadians need to pay $22 in taxes which you probably won't have to pay living in the US.

My card charges 3% foreign exchange fee. This is along with the 7% sales tax.

For the Kobo Aura it would be $7.06 + $15.40 = $22.46

Total cost with cover would be $242.44