A new Kobo reader

[Tachikoma]

If this does move away from IR touch, then it's a guaranteed purchase for me, that's my main gripe with the Glo, the recessed screen and dust building up on the IR array making it less responsive.

I have read for over 300 hours on my Glo, so it's not all that bad, but given the choice I would prefer to be rid of the IR touch.

Incidentally, with regards to capacitative gloves, you can get them for a few £/$ now. At Christmas I bought a load from the £1 shop to use as stocking fillers. While not the best quality gloves for -8C they were better than no gloves or having to take them off every 5 minutes to answer a call/message.

[bartveld]

But if the bezel is flush with the screen, wouldn't that mean we will get ordinary, tablet-style backlight?

[Tachikoma]

Nah, the Kindle Paperwhite has the same frontlight as the Glo but a capacitative screen. That was what was making the Kobo purchase a difficult decision, I wanted native CBR/ePub support, an external SD card, but also a capacitative screen. If this new device has a better touchscreen then it will be my ideal device.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by bartveld

But if the bezel is flush with the screen, wouldn't that mean we will get ordinary, tablet-style backlight?

The light-guide is a layer bonded to the screen, it has nothing to do with the bezel. You'll never get a tablet-style backlight with eInk as it can't be backlit.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

It looks like one of those design-for-design's-sake decisions, I'm thinking. Me, I don't mind the look of it, since I quite like asymmetry, but isn't any case for this reader going to cover it up anyway? So why bother branding it at all?

No, not neccessarily. The Sleep Cover I have for my Aura is a shell the reader clicks into, and it covers only a very narrow bit of of the front at both sides. It wouldn't cover this logo.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bartveld

But if the bezel is flush with the screen, wouldn't that mean we will get ordinary, tablet-style backlight?

Not possible -- an eInk screen can't be backlit. The frontlight would be part of the sandwiched layers in front of the eInk screen though whether above or below the capacitive touch layer would be a design decision.

I think the Kindle places the frontlight below the capacitive touch layer but, for some strange reason, the owner of the one I've played with won't let me do a Bill Detwiler style cracking open on it. Brighter than she looks.

Regards,
David

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I think the Kindle places the frontlight below the capacitive touch layer but, for some strange reason, the owner of the one I've played with won't let me do a Bill Detwiler style cracking open on it. Brighter than she looks.
d

According to Amazon it's the other way around. The capacitive layer is below the light-guide. (see attached)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

According to Amazon it's the other way around. The capacitive layer is below the light-guide. (see attached)

Go ahead, take all the fun out of it. I just wanted an excuse to open the Kindle up.

Regards,
David

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Go ahead, take all the fun out of it. I just wanted an excuse to open the Kindle up.

Regards,
David

yes but what an explosion of information.....

[RZetlin]

The new reader looks like a 6" version of the Aura.

If Kobo decides to come up with a larger eReader or a colour one then I might have some interrest it in.

I already have the 6" Glo and the 6.8" Aura, so I will pass on this reader.

[TechniSol]

Glue two together side to side and look at both pages like a real book?

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

Glue two together side to side and look at both pages like a real book?

Lol Now that sounds like fun. How about have it read out loud to us. Actually reading out loud would be a decent thing, it would bring ereading to the blind, and expose more books that way.





Regards

JAck

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by jackastor

Lol Now that sounds like fun. How about have it read out loud to us. Actually reading out loud would be a decent thing, it would bring ereading to the blind, and expose more books that way.

The text to speech capability was a big reason why one acquaintance purchased a Kindle Touch. She then found that very few book publishers allowed you to use the read out look functionality. I get a vision of corporate lawyers sitting in a circle muttering about violating copyright -- after all, two people might listen to the book at the same time. The literal quote from the Author's Guild spokes-slug was “They don't have the right to read a book out loud. That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.”

For the few ebooks she found that allowed text to speech, the quality of the speech was quite poor compared to a human read audiobook.

If I am reading the license properly for one of the few audiobooks I own, the only time I can listen to it in my car is if I am alone in the car. Otherwise, I need a public performance license.

There are times when I think Shakespeare had it right:
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." 2 Henry VI, 4.2.59

Regards,
David

Originally Posted by DNSB

For the few ebooks she found that allowed text to speech, the quality of the speech was quite poor compared to a human read audiobook.

I understand the publisher's opposition due to audio rights, but as long as the quality of the reading is on par with accessive technologies (for the visually impared) I didn't see their arguments as holding much water. After all, people wanting audio books would probably find the quality unacceptable. Those needing text-to-speech would probably be willing to deal with it because they need too and because they are accustomed to it.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The text to speech capability was a big reason why one acquaintance purchased a Kindle Touch. She then found that very few book publishers allowed you to use the read out look functionality. I get a vision of corporate lawyers sitting in a circle muttering about violating copyright -- after all, two people might listen to the book at the same time. The literal quote from the Author's Guild spokes-slug was “They don't have the right to read a book out loud. That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.”

For the few ebooks she found that allowed text to speech, the quality of the speech was quite poor compared to a human read audiobook.

If I am reading the license properly for one of the few audiobooks I own, the only time I can listen to it in my car is if I am alone in the car. Otherwise, I need a public performance license.

There are times when I think Shakespeare had it right:
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." 2 Henry VI, 4.2.59

Regards,
David

You know some things are just stupid. I don't quite understand it but seems to me most people would use headphones at any rate.. and I cant imagine being stuck in a car and being forced to listen to the wife's audio book of Sookie Stackhouse......

regards

Jack