Kobo is developing a 7.8 eReader

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

I think the number of people buying Kobos just because they're patchable is approximately zero, in Kobo's reckoning.

Having said that it is very nice of Kobo to not make it overly difficult to do (i.e. patch) and I hope they continue to make it possible.

I would not say zero. One of the reasons I bought my H2O is because of being able to patch it.

[chrisridd]

I didn't say zero either, I said approximately zero.

There have been 3053 downloads of the firmware patch from this forum. How many readers does Kobo sell?

Like it or not, I think the number of users who patch is basically a rounding error to Kobo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

I didn't say zero either, I said approximately zero.

There have been 3053 downloads of the firmware patch from this forum. How many readers does Kobo sell?

Like it or not, I think the number of users who patch is basically a rounding error to Kobo.

I think there are some people who do download the patch more than once. But also, there are people who come here for the patch but do no register or register and do not post.

I know I've downloaded the patch more than once because I needed it when I didn't have access to the previously downloaded copy.

[chrisridd]

Yes, the number of patched devices out there is going to be hard to work out because of the reasons you said. But I suspect 3053 is right within an order of magnitude.

The only vague figures I can find from Kobo on the numbers of devices sold is "millions" annually. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kobo-double...r-sales-424740

[MGlitch]

Even doubling the downloads and presuming only a million devices, that's not a significant amount of purchasers to warrant a policy change like open source. Kobo already makes it easy to patch. Don't see them making things even more open though.

[ottdmk]

Originally Posted by johnnyb

It would be fantastic if Kobo did indeed extend sync support to brought books (that's basically what I said in my first post).

You and I differ here. I have no desire to have any one company know my entire library. It's a privacy thing.

I also, I'll admit, have no use for the sync feature at all. I read on one device, not multiple.

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Even doubling the downloads and presuming only a million devices, that's not a significant amount of purchasers to warrant a policy change like open source. Kobo already makes it easy to patch. Don't see them making things even more open though.

Maybe it isn't the numbers that are important here. Kobo's product management might consider that catering to the "high end" users like us is a worthwhile distinguishing feature for them, especially if it doesn't impact anything else.

[Jason90]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Why aren't we allowed to dream?

Because people get excited (including me) and it seems with the last few ereader release's people have jumped on the bandwagon and only ended up bitterly let down.

When eink revealed those colured signs awhile back they said it would take years before it MIGHT end up in ereaders so there really is no point in filling the topic up with disappointment.

[hoichi]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But back to the topic on hand: not sure I'd want to buy a 7.8".

Well, I know I don’t need 7.8'' for fiction (well, maybe for a couple of titles I happen to have in PDF, one of them accidentally bought at Kobo). But programming books is a different story: the code snippets lose all their beauty when they break their lines against page margins.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by hoichi

Well, I know I don’t need 7.8'' for fiction (well, maybe for a couple of titles I happen to have in PDF, one of them accidentally bought at Kobo). But programming books is a different story: the code snippets lose all their beauty when they break their lines against page margins.

True, but I managed to read those on my 6" already (by stripping those huge margins!). And I've not read one on my H2O yet, but I'd think it's be even better on that. But that's one type of books I prefer to read on paper.

But let me rephrase my sentence:

I'm not sure I'd buy a 7.8". Yes, I'd love to buy it, as I'm a bit of a gadget freak but not sure I can explain it to that other half...

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I'm not sure I'd buy a 7.8". Yes, I'd love to buy it, as I'm a bit of a gadget freak but not sure I can explain it to that other half...

I suffer from similar issues. Also MIL is with us for a few months, so it will be easier to smuggle in a new device when she's not here.

[Josieb1]

I also need to sit on my hands when the new devices come out. I have four ereaders already, and that's after selling the surplus recently. Plus I'm being made redundant. As for size 7.8 is too big for me, it's the new 6 inch that will be tempting.

[hoichi]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But that's one type of books I prefer to read on paper.

I prefer paper for IT books as well, but shipping to Russia makes the price difference too big to be justified unless I’m 100% positive the book is golden.

[anacreon]

The PDFs I have I'd really like to read without hurting my eyes are not available on paper. Internet makes available rare ancient books for which a bigger reader would be a boon - if it's not too expensive or too heavy.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by hoichi

I prefer paper for IT books as well, but shipping to Russia makes the price difference too big to be justified unless I’m 100% positive the book is golden.

Ah, yes. That's also why I've read some books on a 6" screen. But if I need them, I'll mostly get them from my boss anyway. So, it won't cost me anything anyway :P

Originally Posted by booklover6

I suffer from similar issues. Also MIL is with us for a few months, so it will be easier to smuggle in a new device when she's not here.

Sadly, that doesn't work for me.... At least my husband knows of my affliction and he mostly just sighs when I've bought a new device that's too expensive for what I'll use it for