kobo aura (2013) lots of questions - first time e-reader / first device

[wakkaday]

first of all
hi everyone i hope you can help.

i have purchased a kobo reader for £80 from whsmith ( i was told its good value) compared to the pw2 (its lighter, smaller and quality is good and has sd)

is this a wise purchase, should i exchange it for another model?
i do casual reading but i do like the pocket intergration as thats the main app i use on my android phone to read articles...

1)
i also have the kobo app installed on my android device, but the books on my device do not show on the kobo app. (they have not been purchased by the kobo store) - is this only possible for official kobo purchases?

(is this the same on the kindle, all are all files shown and bookmarked regardless of the device you read it on)


2) can i use google drive to download books (its stuck on loading screen. i know dropbox works as i put a few pdfs which i managed to download directly)


3)what is a good case to buy?


4) the sd card *64gb sandisk* sometimes isnt recognised it says put in fat32 format which it is. do i need to partition this drive so its 32gb fat32? can i copy contents from the sd card onto the device directly.


5) any other tips /advice i should know?

[murg]

4) Unless you have a spare 64gb Sandisk lying around, don't worry about it. And then, unless you want to keep thousands of large PDFs on your reader, an external card of that size is not really necessary.

You cannot copy between the card and the device, other than through a connected PC.

[icedtea]

Originally Posted by wakkaday

1) i also have the kobo app installed on my android device, but the books on my device do not show on the kobo app. (they have not been purchased by the kobo store) - is this only possible for official kobo purchases?

(is this the same on the kindle, all are all files shown and bookmarked regardless of the device you read it on)...

5) any other tips /advice i should know?

Yes, I believe only Kobo purchases/files can be synched across devices and apps, not sideloaded content.

My 0.02 on the Aura screen - make an effort to read several sample book(s) within your return period from the retailer you purchased from, to test it out on your eyes.

In my opinion, the Aura screen is actually worse than my Kobo Mini (and I would suppose Kobo Touch, also not lighted, and maybe the Glo, which is lighted, as well). It gave me serious eye strain, and I won't be attempting to read on it again until spring/summer. It might be the light layer; since the Mini screen doesn't have a light.

I tend to read in larger chunks - usually at least 1-2 hours at a time; sometimes up to 3-4 hours. If you are a lighter reader (you said you are a casual reader), you may not have the same issue.

[PixelKnight]

Amazon has a lot of good Kobo Aura cases !

[meeera]

I've no problem reading for hours on my Aura, so long as I adjust the light correctly. Your mileage may vary as usual!

I like the Gecko cases, but sure check Amazon too for cheaper cases if you live in the USA.

Do you have a particular need for an enormous SD card? I don't use one at all when I'm at home. I take one with a few books on it when travelling, in case I need to reset the device and reload the books (I haven't used it yet).

[booklover6]

Reading for long periods on the Aura is just fine. (It is only when I compare it side by side to my other Kobos that I notice the screen is not quite as good). It has such a wonderful small size. It has 4 GB memory, and I don't even have a card in mine. No need for 64 GB, really! 32 GB is fine, if you need a huge card. Honestly, 2 GB would be fine also. ebooks simply don't take up a lot of space.

I would recommend a slim style case from ebay or Amazon. This is the style I have and it is wonderful!

Look up the library management program called Calibre. It is awesome for using with your Kobo.

I've got almost 3000 ebooks on my Aura, and have a bit over half of the on board storage used. This does include many, many short stories, but as you can see, plenty of space thus far.