Why did Kobo abandon the capacative touch flat screen?

[Desdinova]

Looking at the colour e-ink Wallopboy posted tho, at 125dpi that isn't really worthwhile right now. I have some illustrated ebooks and to be honest colour isn't really high on my priorities ..

[PeterT]

@koboy: I'm quite sure that the illustrations in the original printed version of the Chronicles of Narnia were black and white, and frankly, those are the ones I would want to see in an eBook version.

[koboy]

PeterT that maybe, but that's not the main point and you know it, i have numerous books with colour photos in ranging from biographies to reference books on history,paintings etc to list them all would take too long, it seems to me that you are choosing to try and belittle the very valid point i am making, which is if i already have a perfectly good kobo aura black and white ereader which i do, then why would i bother buying another black and white ereader ie the kobo glo hd? that basically just does the same things that my aura does,as far as i'm concerned it would be a total waste of money,NO COLOUR NO POINT BUYING.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by koboy

colour is needed for many books RIGHT NOW not just digital comics examples would be the chronicles of narnia and the harry potter books both of which are illustrated and countless other types including reference books etc.

The US versions of the Harry Potter books have the illustrations in greyscale. So they would work perfectly well on an eInk Reader.

[PeterT]

Frankly; when I read I rarely pay ANY attention to illustrations; once in a while I *might* look at a map, but besides that I don't care.

Colour to me is not a requirement in an eReader; the eReader is a device I want for convenience, for long battery life, for lightness, for ease of putting in a pocket. I don't care one bit for having colour illustrations (and in any case, how often do paperbacks contain colour illustrarions?).

[oren64]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Hey koboy. First, thanks for the replies.

To clarify, since I'm a cheap-o and I don't need the world's most powerful e-reader (but I do want a micro-SD card slot), if I were to purchase a Kobo today, it would be either the Aura or the older Glo. Not the Glo HD. It looks like a fine device, but I want micro-SD, since I'd want to load my zillions of ePubs.

Kobo don't sell the Glo any more, i bay from my Glo from ebay for 69$ half a year ago.
the Aura is for 99.95 CAD and the Glo Hd is for 129.99 CAD in Chapters.
you can upgrad the internal micro-sd card in the Glo Hd so you can " load my zillions of ePubs".

[chrisridd]

The flatness of the Kobo Aura was certainly a selling point to me. Amazon has given up with capacitive screens as well hasn't it?

[EndlessWaves]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

But if Kobo didn't stick with it, it's likely due to problems, which makes me think I may as well get the Glo instead. We all know IR screens work.

Capacitive screens don't work with gloves, Kobo are Canadian.

It may not be problems, I haven't heard of any issues with the aura's screen, it may just be that the benefits of IR touchscreen tech are appealing to more people over that those of capacitive tech.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

The flatness of the Kobo Aura was certainly a selling point to me. Amazon has given up with capacitive screens as well hasn't it?

No. The Kindle Voyage has a flat screen with capacitative touch.

[Desdinova]

Originally Posted by koboy

PeterT that maybe, but that's not the main point and you know it, i have numerous books with colour photos in ranging from biographies to reference books on history,paintings etc to list them all would take too long, it seems to me that you are choosing to try and belittle the very valid point i am making, which is if i already have a perfectly good kobo aura black and white ereader which i do, then why would i bother buying another black and white ereader ie the kobo glo hd? that basically just does the same things that my aura does,as far as i'm concerned it would be a total waste of money,NO COLOUR NO POINT BUYING.

It doesn't look as if colour e-ink screens are anywhere near the resolution of their b/w cousins (and that makes sense, as colour requires three pixels to a b/w one and so naturally resolution will be a third). If colour is a big sticking point, read them on a tablet.

The fact is, I don't think the technology is there yet.

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by booklover6

No. The Kindle Voyage has a flat screen with capacitative touch.

Thanks! So it doesn't seem like there's a fundamental problem with them, except maybe the gloves thing.

[koboy]

if and when the technology for colour does become available it will be then and only then that i will upgrade, otherwise for me swapping one b/w ereader for another is just pointless.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by koboy

if and when the technology for colour does become available it will be then and only then that i will upgrade, otherwise for me swapping one b/w ereader for another is just pointless.

Well, that's no fun! I love getting new b/w ereaders. I have three at the moment.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by booklover6

No. The Kindle Voyage has a flat screen with capacitative touch.

The PW2 (not sure about the PW1, but I think it's the same) also has capacitive touch--although the screen is recessed and not flush.

[koboy]

capacitive touch screen on Kindle Voyage, an Kindle PW2 and also on new PW3.