Why do you like the Kobo Aura One?

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Yes, it was Singapore, but I think they don't admit non-residents member now.

IIRC we used to give a fake address back then and some made-up passport numbers, too.

I only recall it was no longer possible or too tedious to borrow there and then I found the big library in West-Germany and the rest is history

Yes, they are appearing in Spain too.

Spain starts to sound better and better to me.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Sorry, I didn't realise you were talking about it being an option.

No worries! I just figure if we can enable the option via config file, there shouldn't be much of a barrier to them making it available.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I believe there's one library for the entire province here, but that doesn't mean the selection of ebooks is any larger.... There's a total of, hang on to your seat!, 588 English language books to chose from! And that's a combination of self-learning books and novels. (yeay, I can borrow the History of Rotterdam for dummies!)

Last time I looked into my library options in the south of the Netherlands, it was just easier and cheaper to buy the books I wanted to read; so I did.

Many of the books that can be borrowed or downloaded from the library were direct links to Gutenberg files, last time I looked. Might have changed though.

[ballfresno]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

How do you know the majority of users would like to get rid of them? Maybe Kobo did what their generic customers like.

I found the header and footer annoying on my two previous (smaller) Kobos but actually like them on the KA1! Surprised me.

But, yes, making them optional would be the right thing to do.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

They cost the same anyway because one has to factor the cost of either a leather cover (which is approx. 60€ for the Aura ONE) or the official Kobo cover, as the Oasis comes with a leather cover.

Except that you don't have to have the official Kobo cover. You can buy an aftermarket cover for $10 or less. Or even go without altogether. Neither is an option for the Oasis. And if we're forcing a straitjacket comparison onto the two devices, let's not forget to add $20 to the price of the Oasis to render it ad-free, like the Aura One.

When it comes to comparing a larger screen with ergonomics, obviously you have to pick one, since you can't get both. But the cost factor is most definitely not a wash.

[Katsunami]

I always find it strange to see people talking about a bigger e-reader as 'big' or 'heavy'.

Held any good hard covers lately? Compared to some, the KA1 is tiny and light as a feather.

I understand that for some people every gram can count if you need to hold the book or device, but when comparing to my (few remaining) hard covers, I cannot, by any means, call the KA1 'big', 'heavy', or 'unwieldy'. Or unergonomic for that matter.

[anacreon]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I always find it strange to see people talking about a bigger e-reader as 'big' or 'heavy'.

Held any good hard covers lately? Compared to some, the KA1 is tiny and light as a feather.

I understand that for some people every gram can count if you need to hold the book or device, but when comparing to my (few remaining) hard covers, I cannot, by any means, call the KA1 'big', 'heavy', or 'unwieldy'. Or unergonomic for that matter.

I have small, very arthritic hands, and I definitely have problems with even trade paperbacks: I find it painful to hold them open (or break the spine). For my hands, the most comfortable (reading one handed) is the Glo HD, and the next one is the One (much better than the H2O, not for the 3g, but for the balance and the grip), all this of course without covers. With covers, I find them heavy when I can't lean them on something. Since I have the One, the Glo HD is relegated to spare wheel status, and I wouldn't like to go back to 6" screens.

I find the One quite comfortable reading standing in the métro with one hand gripping a pole, but I have short trips. I know it is a risk without a cover but I've had readers since 2011, with quite a number of falls, at home and abroad, with no consequence, and should I have a problem once, the cost of a new reader would be covered with all I've saved buying books.

I only use covers when hiking (no protection in the rucksack), flying (for going through security) and the occasional handbag without adequate separate pocket - adequate meaning no torsion or scratch risk.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by issybird

Except that you don't have to have the official Kobo cover. You can buy an aftermarket cover for $10 or less. Or even go without altogether. Neither is an option for the Oasis. And if we're forcing a straitjacket comparison onto the two devices, let's not forget to add $20 to the price of the Oasis to render it ad-free, like the Aura One.

When it comes to comparing a larger screen with ergonomics, obviously you have to pick one, since you can't get both. But the cost factor is most definitely not a wash.

Well, that's just the point, if you want to compare the price I think you have to compare them with their offficial covers respectively with leather covers. As like you said, the Oasis can't be bought without it. Which means to me, you have to compare them with similar equipment components. If they were cars, would you really compare the prizes of two brands when one of the cars has leather seats while the other one has vinyl covers?

When you want to compare the features setting them apart, then you can factor the possibility to buy a cheap cover for the Kobo. Like one of them has the orange light and the other doesn't.

At least that is how I think about it and as we try to set good examples for our resident grouch aka Jon, this is of course just MHO.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I always find it strange to see people talking about a bigger e-reader as 'big' or 'heavy'.

Jepp, they are confusing dimensions and/vs/with weight.

It's a bit like with people. I can be as tall as my best friend, weigh the same and still have wider hips and smaller breasts than she has. Confused the heck out of one of my boyfriends when I said I can't zip up her jeans, even though I managed to put them on, but otherwise we wore the same dress size and had the same weight.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Jepp, they are confusing dimensions and/vs/with weight.

It's a bit like with people. I can be as tall as my best friend, weigh the same and still have wider hips and smaller breasts than she has. Confused the heck out of one of my boyfriends when I said I can't zip up her jeans, even though I managed to put them on, but otherwise we wore the same dress size and had the same weight.

That wasn't what I meant

I meant, complaining about the size and/or weight of a 7.8 inch reader seems a bit overdone, if a largish hard cover is about 25% wider, taller, and 5 times as heavy. Compared to the hard covers I have, the KA1 is tiny. I'll make a picture later today...

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Well, that's just the point, if you want to compare the price I think you have to compare them with their offficial covers respectively with leather covers. As like you said, the Oasis can't be bought without it. Which means to me, you have to compare them with similar equipment components. If they were cars, would you really compare the prizes of two brands when one of the cars has leather seats while the other one has vinyl covers?

I'd compare if the other had cloth covers, which I prefer anyway!

And that's actually my point; you have to factor in the cost of a cover, (see what I did there, Jon?), but not a premium cover, if a premium cover has no value/negative value for you. If you'd be buying the official cover for the Kobo anyway, then yes, absolutely, you have to add in that cost. But if you don't want it and would prefer a different cover, or a sleeve, or nothing at all, then yes, you get to count that savings.

And let's not forget the added cost of no ads*, at least in the US. If you really don't care (or maybe even like them ), fine. But that's an added cost for one device that's built into the other, too.

*Seriously, I think it's beyond cheap of Amazon to sell a super-premium device with ads. The larger point is that it does let them fudge price comparisons a bit.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

And in going for a Kobo, you get a loss less text than a Kindle, because of the large header and footer (assuming you're not going to patch and hack CSS using Calibre and stuff.)

Don't forget that the narrowest margins on a Kindle are pretty wide and then there is the line-height. So I would not say for sure that Kindles get more text on screen than a 6" Kobo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

The Oasis is expensive because of its ergonomic design.

The Oasis is expensive because Amazon is touting it as their top end Kindle and because of that it has to be more expensive than the Voyage. As for ergonomic, the Oasis is not ergonomic. It's a terrible design. The battery case is a really bad idea. Just put in a proper battery, do away with the battery case and charge a reasonable amount.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

So, no. It wouldn't be better if Kobo had a full-screen out of the box, if you ask me.

I do think it would be a good idea if Kobo did have a full screen reading mode as an option but not on by default.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

As a simple novel reading device, I don't see the point. 6" seems adequate and is easier to hold. I imagine the Aura One would be quite ungainly in bed at night!

Some people need to read with a larger font. Depending on how large you want/need could mean that the text is just too large to give a good reading experience with a 6" screen. Another problem that Kindles could have is contrast. Some people need better contrast and a Kindle doesn't allow adjusting the weight of the fonts. Out of the box, a Kobo allows the fonts (that come with the firmware) to have the weight adjusted. So someone who has issues with eyesight, the larger screen in combination with being able to adjust font weight makes the Aura One to be a really good choice.

As for reading in bed at night, it's no more ungainly than reading during the day. You can prop up your pillow(s), get a study pillow, or one of those adjustable beds. Then there is no issue holding the Aura One.

But the Aura One is no more unwieldy then a 7" tablet or an iPad Mini. I don't see people complaining that these sorts of tablets area problem when in bed.