Kobo Aura H2O Officially Announced

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Nah, just can't resist adding to my toy collection. The rest is a lagniappe.

Regards,
David

Do tell us what you think of it if you can. I'd love to hear about it. I don't own a kobo yet, but have been eying them greedily!

[PeterT]

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

I don't even think it's much of an upgrade. You must have it (the addiction) pretty bad to want to upgrade.

I still have the urge to pick up a Mini just to complete the collection. I'd probably call myself a completist but I object the indiscriminate usually added to the definition of completist.

The other more serious part is that I have had to use the JTAG connector on a couple of wireless routers when they were bricked by installing 3rd party firmware (Tomato DD_WRT, etc.). I have played with Android, Debian, etc. on my Aura HD, I do have some worries that I will convert it to a paperweight. While there is a serial connector on the motherboard, I wouldn't bet on it being useful in recovering a bricked ereader.

Regards,
David

[Sharkus]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Smooth MT, smooth

[Sharkus]

A beta / DVT H2O magically appeared on my desk and I've been using it in place of my Aura (another beta / DVT unit), and I'm impressed with it. I'm not sure how close to final either of the units I have were / are, moreso the Aura, but the H2O does seem to have a much brighter screen, I don't mean the backlight, I mean just the page itself seems brighter. It, obviously, is crisper, due to the HD nature of the display, so I'm not sure if that also accounts for the aforementioned brightness.

It's bigger than the Aura (duh!) and it took me 10 minutes to get used to the difference in size, but it feels normal now. Pages turns seem quicker than the Aura, though I've not timed them.

I have not tried the waterproof side of life yet, but will get round to it, probably take it in the shower. Proof of that won't be forthcoming though, for some obvious reasons but also because I don't have another waterproof device to show it being used in the shower, nor do I have multiple extra arms and hands to hold various things!

Feel free to take what I say with a pinch of salt, but I'm happy with the device, and yes, even if I hadn't had one appear, I honestly, hand on heart, would have purchased one, and I'd still have been happy.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by Sharkus

I'm not sure how close to final either of the units I have were / are, moreso the Aura, but the H2O does seem to have a much brighter screen, I don't mean the backlight, I mean just the page itself seems brighter. It, obviously, is crisper, due to the HD nature of the display, so I'm not sure if that also accounts for the aforementioned brightness.

Probably the carta e-ink that is making the difference. E-ink themselves state it has a 50% increase in contrast over earlier generations and I think when the PW2 was released Amazon stated 20% improved contrast over the PW1 - stating "whites are whiter and blacks are blacker, creating sharp, clear text".

How noticeable it is in practise probably depends on your own eyesight, but I definitely think the screen on the PW2 looks far better than most other ereaders (Aura HD excepted), so sounds good for the Aura H20 being a winner in this area again.

[Rand Brittain]

What's the build quality like? It seems like the H20 has the rubbery back similar to the Aura, which is something I regretted not having on the Aura HD.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Rand Brittain

What's the build quality like? It seems like the H20 has the rubbery back similar to the Aura, which is something I regretted not having on the Aura HD.

On the Goodreads review they say it's smooth plastic. Mines going in a case anyway.

[arspr]

Am I the only one that is surprised about the title of this thread? Don't you see anything strange? H-twenty?

Now seriously. At least IMO the "waterproofness" is just one stupid feature. Apart from its marginal usefulness (who do really read in the water, every single device support light splashes of water even with no "official" certification), it really has a very weak point: the connectors. And you have to charge the device, don't you? Or how do you upload books from Calibre? I do really fear that a lot of people is not going to properly close the latch, gate or whatever or, moreover, that gate is going to break with the use.

So the only new really useful advance from HD is just Carta. Period. Because of that, I would really like to see a HD vs a H2O side by side in order to properly evaluate it.

(I would have really loved a music player... but that feature seems completely obliterated in newest devices of nearly all brands).

Nevertheless, I don't discard giving my own HD to my wife as a gift, (she has just turned from paper to my old PRS-650), and therefore I would need a new ereader...

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by arspr

"waterproofness" is just one stupid feature. Apart from its marginal usefulness (who do really read in the water, every single device support light splashes of water even with no "official" certification)

Do they? I wouldn't really want to take the chance. Anyway I am not going to dunk mine in water. But I won't have to be obsessive about making sure my hands aren't damp when I pick it up.

Originally Posted by arspr

, it really has a very weak point: the connectors. And you have to charge the device, don't you? Or how do you upload books from Calibre? I do really fear that a lot of people is not going to properly close the latch, gate or whatever or, moreover, that gate is going to break with the use.

I worry about that, too.

Originally Posted by arspr

So the only new really useful advance from HD is just Carta. Period. Because of that, I would really like to see a HD vs a H2O side by side in order to properly evaluate it.

That may be enough of an incentive for me, right there, to buy one. I am also looking forward to the comparison photos. From comparison photos I have seen, the text on the PW2 Carta screens is darker and sharper than on the PW1 Pearl screens. I hope this will also be noticeable on the H20.

[Josieb1]

The connector may be a weak point, but we won't know for sure until we see one in the flesh.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by arspr

Am I the only one that is surprised about the title of this thread? Don't you see anything strange? H-twenty?

Now seriously. At least IMO the "waterproofness" is just one stupid feature. Apart from its marginal usefulness (who do really read in the water, every single device support light splashes of water even with no "official" certification), it really has a very weak point: the connectors. And you have to charge the device, don't you? Or how do you upload books from Calibre? I do really fear that a lot of people is not going to properly close the latch, gate or whatever or, moreover, that gate is going to break with the use.

So the only new really useful advance from HD is just Carta. Period. Because of that, I would really like to see a HD vs a H2O side by side in order to properly evaluate it.

(I would have really loved a music player... but that feature seems completely obliterated in newest devices of nearly all brands).

Nevertheless, I don't discard giving my own HD to my wife as a gift, (she has just turned from paper to my old PRS-650), and therefore I would need a new ereader...

My mom reads in the tub on a very regular basis (most evenings). She has dropped more than one book completely in the tub in her life. This product is for people like her. She will not take electronic devices near the tub because she took a game device in the tub with her and at some point...bzzzzp.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by booklover6

That may be enough of an incentive for me, right there, to buy one.

Me, too, I'm afraid My Buy-it-Now button-pressing digit is getting twitchy.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

My mom reads in the tub on a very regular basis (most evenings). She has dropped more than one book completely in the tub in her life. This product is for people like her. She will not take electronic devices near the tub because she took a game device in the tub with her and at some point...bzzzzp.

And as arspr said, marginal usefulness. Most people do not.

I am simply surprised that Kobo would make a device with such marginal appeal. But I don't think it is ridiculous that anyone would want one.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

And as arspr said, marginal usefulness. Most people do not.

I am simply surprised that Kobo would make a device with such marginal appeal. But I don't think it is ridiculous that anyone would want one.

Well, no, my point was that a lot of people might actually find it useful. I know of at least four people who will not take their ereader to the pool. They may or may not even float in said pool, but they won't take it near water. My mom has a friend who won't use her Kindle at all because she goes on a lot of cruises...and reads by the pool. She goes on cruises and takes five or six books which kind of defeats the whole idea!

And no one says you have to read by water to get use out of this e-reader. It's not like it's a "water only" device!