Just bought the Glo HD. Is the hardware reliable?

[GERGE]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

https://us.kobobooks.com/products/ko...paign=Glo%20HD

The Kobo Glo is on sale until the end of May 1st, 2016 for $109 with free shipping. Same screen as a PW3 and has the exact same chance of breaking.

This is not exactly true. The screens are the same, but Kobo can get bend a little more easily. So, if you are using them without a cover, Kobo is a little more in risk.

The lesson here, buy cover and almost all worries will go away. Kobo's own Sleepcover is very pretty.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by GERGE

This is not exactly true. The screens are the same, but Kobo can get bend a little more easily. So, if you are using them without a cover, Kobo is a little more in risk.

Evidence?

---

Otherwise - yes, what everyone said above. A lot of complaints about hardware are people talking about "screen corruption" and "screens gone bad" - and when you dig, they've broken the screen (this is both with Kindles and Kobos, and other eink readers). Take that issue away, and I'm not sure that there's much to pick between the two in terms of hardware reliability - in both cases, I'd recommend buying from a local bricks n mortar store if you can, for easy exchange.

One difference is that many of the Kobos have an internal SD card that can be swapped out for a fresh one with a new image if there's a problem with it. I don't think that can be done with Kindles. Voids the warranty, but it means there might be something you can do to fix an out-of-warranty device.

Another is that some Kindle models can be a bit of a gamble if you have excellent colour vision, some being very even and some having variations. (See above re: plan for easy exchange!)

[GERGE]

Paperwhite is made from harder stuff, there is no technical data, but I think I read somewhere that they use better plastics.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by GERGE

Paperwhite is made from harder stuff, there is no technical data, but I think I read somewhere that they use better plastics.

Personally I think that's true. I've handled all versions of the Paperwhite, plus the Voyage, the Kobo Aura H20 and the Kobo GLO HD, and I think the GLO is definitely the most fragile. I also 'think' the two substrate fractures I've had on the GLO maybe due to keeping swapping cases for it. That's only a guess. For my new GLO I'm picking the best case (I have multiple) and staying with it, just in case.

Please note this is just my opinion.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by GERGE

Paperwhite is made from harder stuff, there is no technical data, but I think I read somewhere that they use better plastics.

I don't think that's true. That's probably a rumor spread by a PW3 user. Compared to my H2O, that definitely isn't true.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't think that's true. That's probably a rumor spread by a PW3 user. Compared to my H2O, that definitely isn't true.

I agree about the H20, that feels stronger, but the GLO HD I'm not sure about. The substrate cracks I had were both in the top left, the same place, same line down the screen. My first was after a week, I had the device replaced by the retailer and the next one was at 11 months, that time the retailer gave me a refund. I'm hoping they were both from the same batch (I.e bought a week apart from the same seller) but who knows. I'll just be very careful how I remove this one from its case, if I ever need to.

[howyoudoin]

There's also the drop factor to be considered.

When your ereader drops to the ground, what matters is if the plastic frame absorbs the impact, and that is a property unrelated to the 'hardness'. Indeed, it could be the case that a softer plastic does a better job of absorbing the force of impact by squishing up on itself.

[Cex]

I own a Glo HD since it was released in Spain and haven't found any problem with it other than buggy software. My wife has a PW2 and I don't think it was made of better materials than the Kobo.

I have one of those cheap sleeps covers from eBay for the Glo HD and it provides good protection for the device. I have carried it into my luggage bag and haven't found any problems with screen (I try to set it into a position where there's no direct pressure to the screen anyway).

I think is a good reader for the price, and quite more open than kindles, although the bugs in software are quite annoying, specially when they are solved in a version and come back in the next one. I, personally, find quite annoying the ghosting which were improved in 3.18 and then came back in 3.19.

[TimeEffect]

So I got my device, and there's an issue. Arghhh

http://imgur.com/bPABqD4

It may be hard to see, but there is a brighter patch of light on the bottom right of this Kobo. When I use the light, this area is a bit brighter than the rest.

I could have let this go, but it was distracting. It's not unreasonable to have this replaced, right?

I contacted support, and they will do a replacement. The good thing is, they send the new one first, so I dont have to be without having an ereader. I absolutely love that. It all seems hassle free.

But it has me very concerned about the replacement also being defective in some way. What if it breaks down a few months down the line? I know I showed cause for concern regarding build quality in my last thread, but I have to think this is just my bad luck.

It's such a beautiful device. The screen and speed is amazing. A part of me still thinks I should go with Paperwhite, but I have to imagine such issues are just as likely on that product.

I'm really impressed with how even the lighting is (issue aside) and how black the ink looks.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

[Blossom]

It looks like a defect to me. I do not have that in mine. The Paperwhites have their own issues. Amazon's quality control in my opinion is lousy. Uneven lighting, pinholes, discolorations are a gamble and the horrible contrast. You could get a great one but more than likely you see yourself settle for a subpar reader like I see many do in the Kindle forum. Just peek over in the Kindle Oasis threads. Again this is all my own opinion and observation. I'll stick to my Kobo. My Paperwhite can keep collecting dust.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Ksquared]

Originally Posted by TimeEffect

I contacted support, and they will do a replacement. The good thing is, they send the new one first, so I dont have to be without having an ereader. I absolutely love that. It all seems hassle free.

I bought an Aura about a year ago, had a frequent lock-up problem after a month and found the customer service and replacement very easy as well. I've read a lot of books since - no lock-ups and I love the Aura. I would go for a Glo HD if I wasn't so cheap.

When you get the replacement, compare them side-by-side and use the new one for a day or two before sending back the original - just in case!

[Aryanna]

Originally Posted by TimeEffect

I have a Glo and never had a hardware problem

But it's so hard to ignore all the complaints of hardware issues I see online, and seeing the 4.5 star rating of Paperwhite vs the 3-3.5 star rating I sometimes see for Kobo makes me nervous

I guess I just want my fears put to rest concerning the Glo HD. I also worry that since the company isn't well know like Amazon, it'd be harder to deal with customer service.

Well, if you don't have issues, you don't need to worry

I myself bought a Kobo Glo HD a few days ago. It turned out that the battery was broken, out of the box. It went empty in a matter of hours, and wouldn't really load well. I brought it back, explained what I had done (load on PC, load on other PC, soft reset, hard rest, put it on the loader for 4 hours, etc.). I couldn't even finish my story, and immediately got my money back (without needing to nag). Which makes me think that this wasn't very unusual. I didn't dare to buy another Kobo, and I am now waiting on my Kindle Paperwhite 2015. I hope that one doesn't come with a broken battery.

[Blossom]

This happens with Kindles too. It's an issue with any device. Batteries can go bad. I've had it happen with a cell phone and Kindle.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Blossom

This happens with Kindles too. It's an issue with any device. Batteries can go bad. I've had it happen with a cell phone and Kindle.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I had an iPhone 5 where the battery didn't last all that long sooner than it should have. Turned out it was a known issue and Apple replaced the battery for free.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I had an iPhone 5 where the battery didn't last all that long sooner than it should have. Turned out it was a known issue and Apple replaced the battery for free.

For the price of a iPhone they should fix it. My point was battery issues are not a specific Kobo problem. It happens with any brand of device. My Kobo Glo HD has the best battery life of all my devices. In standby it can go over a month on a single charge or with my average reading I can go over two weeks and that's reading 5+ hours a day.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk