Kobo Glo HD

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Ryvyan

This may sound like a silly question but I'm not familiar with e-readers' technological advances since the Nook STR. What's the difference between capacitive and IR (which Nook uses) touch-screen? The Glo HD is of capacitive while H2O infrared?

Capaticitive touch uses a layer on the screen that detects touch by an electrical conductor (such as moist skin), IR uses beams projected from the side of the screen that detect being blocked by an opaque object.

The advantages I see for IR are:

1. No extra layer on the screen, so contrast is better and there are less problems with colour distortion caused by refraction as light passes through the layers.

2. I can touch with a less conductive object such as fingernail, or the drier skin on my knuckle, instead of the moist skin of my fingertip which avoids marks on the screen.

3. Touch still works when wearing ordinary gloves, and for people with dry skin, etc., no need for special gloves or thimble.


I think the Glo HD has IR touch same as the H2O, but not 100% sure until someone tests one.

[arspr]

Capacitive is just a far superior touchscreen technology. It is faster, it is more more precise, it supports multitouch gestures (zooming or rotating)... But as GeoffR says it has also some drawbacks.

So I cannot imagine using a smartphone without capacitive touchscreen. But within an e-ink Reader I also prefer maximum image and contrast quality rather than a "better" (even with some disadvantages) touch response. IR is just good enough unless you really intend to make a serious use of the WebBrowser...

Having said this, there are IRs and IRs. Although Kobo Aura HD and H2O work, they are far worse than PRS-650 one. As I have said in other threads, Kobo IR is just quite less precise and it just doesn't see the Sony stylus (while PRS-650 obviously does...)

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Ryvyan

This may sound like a silly question but I'm not familiar with e-readers' technological advances since the Nook STR. What's the difference between capacitive and IR (which Nook uses) touch-screen? The Glo HD is of capacitive while H2O infrared?

I don't understand the difference myself that well but I don't think the Glo HD is capactive, the small Aura was but that didn't have a great screen.

I think basicly all Kobo's are now IR and all kindles are capactive.

I know with capactive you can have a flat screen, but with IR you can't. But as to the real differences I'm sure someone else will come along and explain.

[Josieb1]

With my Voyage the fonts are much sharper and clearer than on my PW. I like using my own font on my H20 but on my Voyage I'm quite happy with Helvicta. I also like the page press sensors and the automatic light adjustment works perfectly. I never change the lighting anymore and I can turn the page from either side which is useful if I'm holding with my left hand. I won't get rid of my H20 as its waterproof but I can't imagine not having my Voyage now, add in whispersync and cloud storage for personal docs and it can't be beaten.

I'm sure the Glo HD will be a lovely device. I had the previous Glo and recently sold it as I wasn't using it anymore.

[anacreon]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Capaticitive touch uses a layer on the screen that detects touch by an electrical conductor (such as moist skin), IR uses beams projected from the side of the screen that detect being blocked by an opaque object.

The advantages I see for IR are:

1. No extra layer on the screen, so contrast is better and there are less problems with colour distortion caused by refraction as light passes through the layers.

2. I can touch with a less conductive object such as fingernail, or the drier skin on my knuckle, instead of the moist skin of my fingertip which avoids marks on the screen.

3. Touch still works when wearing ordinary gloves, and for people with dry skin, etc., no need for special gloves or thimble.


I think the Glo HD has IR touch same as the H2O, but not 100% sure until someone tests one.

Another advantage is that a clear demarcation between edge and screen avoids all the accidental, annoying screen touching when fingers slip, which I had all the time with the aura 6".

[cerem0ny]

Hrmmph, not sure how to feel about this release. My H2O was basically everything I wanted in an ereader - high ppi, big screen, and a really nice colour frontlight.

I don't miss the very cold, blue tone of the original Glo though. I adore the colour balance on the H2O and its immaculate, even frontlighting (the main reason I wont get a voyage).

I'm a bit upset that Kobo have opted against a flush screen, but the 300 ppi is a big motivator for me to get this, but as for now I'll wait until the reviews start popping up - not as excited about this one as I feel I should be haha.

My H2O got a barely noticeable, tiny chip in the front plate after a few months of us :-( wondering whether this will be a big enough reason to get the HD when it comes out... but what I'm really waiting for is a voyage with a screen that matches the reliability and sheer beauty of the H2O's... then I'd be sold.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I don't understand the difference myself that well but I don't think the Glo HD is capactive, the small Aura was but that didn't have a great screen.

I think basicly all Kobo's are now IR and all kindles are capactive.

I know with capactive you can have a flat screen, but with IR you can't. But as to the real differences I'm sure someone else will come along and explain.

The Kobo Aura is capacitance and the Kindle is IR. So Kobo have one current device that uses capacitance and Amazon has one current device that uses IR.

With IR, you can pinch to zoom. You can do so on a Sony PRS-T1 which uses IR.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by mystika1

If I would be certain that I wouldn't experience multiple page turns per tap, I'd buy the glo hd. I used to have to reset my glo at least twice a week(usually in the middle of the night) because the screen would freeze. I was really loyal to kobo until I finally had enough of getting up at night searching for a straight pin for the reset hole. I actually want to buy the hd, but...do I want to chance it? Especially since I can't drive to a store and return it if I don't like it.(nearest indie store is three hours away)


Have you ever had problems with multiple page turns on your h2o?(or any other problems for that matter) I ask this because I have had my pw2 for over a year and have not had a reason to reset it once.

Thanks,

Penny

My H2O have never needed to be reset and never had multiple page turns. It sounds like you have a problem with your Glo and you should have gotten it replaced. If these sorts of problems were more common, you'd have been reading about them on MR.

People post more about a problem than they do when everything works as it should.

[filmo]

Kobo Glo HD and H2O both use IR touch screen. Kobo Aura has capacitive touch screen.
https://www.kobo.com/koboaura#overview

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My H2O have never .... had multiple page turns.

None of the Kobos I have had have done that. (Multiple Minis & Glos, 1 Aura, 1 Aura HD, 1 Touch)

[shalym]

Originally Posted by booklover6

None of the Kobos I have had have done that. (Multiple Minis & Glos, 1 Aura, 1 Aura HD, 1 Touch)

Hmmm...have you also never had problems with not having your tap register, or having unintentioned page turns because of something else touching the screen?

Shari

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by shalym

Hmmm...have you also never had problems with not having your tap register, or having unintentioned page turns because of something else touching the screen?

Shari

Infrequently yes to both, not enough that it has ever caused me any great annoyance or concern.

[Anak]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Honestly, the sharpest, best defined font I have on all my eReaders is the Constantia add-on font on my Kindle Touch. I thought I would like Glo's ability to adjust fonts, but no matter how much fiddling I do, I can't get the built-in fonts on the Glo to match the Constantia font on the Kindle Touch.

That said, it's all relative. The Glo's fonts are quite readable, I just thought they would be a little sharper and not quite as faded out. Without the "Glo" light turned on, the screen is "muddier" than the non-lit Kindle Touch's so, when reading on the Glo, I pretty much have to use the light -- even when the room is brightly lit up.

Try the attached fonts (otf and ttf). The TypeGenius advanced font options might work with the TTF flavor of the font.

[mystika1]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My H2O have never needed to be reset and never had multiple page turns. It sounds like you have a problem with your Glo and you should have gotten it replaced. If these sorts of problems were more common, you'd have been reading about them on MR.

People post more about a problem than they do when everything works as it should.

The problems would occur after firmware releases. One firmware release would end a problem, but start another. It was like that for most of the time I used my glo. I know it was firmware, because others here would post about the same issues, but one firmware release had a lot of us complaining of multiple page turns. The next firmware releases supposedly fixed that, but mine continued. I recently took the glo out of the drawer and updated it. Page turning is way better now. I'm just so paranoid of going through that again, otherwise, I'd pre-order the glo HD.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by shalym

Hmmm...have you also never had problems with not having your tap register, or having unintentioned page turns because of something else touching the screen?

I get page turns from cats touching the screen, but that's not really much of a solvable problem. I don't blame the device for it, anyways.