Kobo is developing a 7.8 eReader

[anacreon]

Some complain about the blue button, but for my arthritic hands it is very good news: I have more and more difficulties using the "oh so discreet and elegant" button on H2o or Glo HD, and saw the day when I'd have to construct something (I already need devices to open water bottles or get my credit card out of ATM's).

I really hope Kobo will have a similar device in 6" with corresponding lighter weight, but I'll buy the 7.8" anyway for reading at home unconvertible PDFs, complex German books (when the verb is at the end of a loooong sentence) and poetry.

[cerem0ny]

Originally Posted by Athropos

Thanks for the explanation guys! This device looks at least very interesting, I'm now waiting for reviews!

Screw the reviews hahaha, I want to buy one RIGHT NOW!!!

[cerem0ny]

That pattern on the back is totally trippy too, I could stare at it for hours... thats the plan I suppose!

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by cerem0ny

That pattern on the back is totally trippy too, I could stare at it for hours... thats the plan I suppose!

Sorry to break it to you, but I think it's the idea that you look at the other side mostly!

[isaacbh]

I'm very happy with my h2o, but I do read a lot of pdf files (processed through k2pdfopt). An extra inch would really help (that's what she said).

[meeera]

Originally Posted by snoeki

- weight 252 gram

Only 19 grams more than the H2O? That's less than I was expecting.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by grucha44

Looking at shown picture makes me wonder - why make such a "big" reader and then set header, footer and margins so big that I'm afraid I have more actual book text on usual 6" reader

If Kobo used a picture with a giant wall of text, some people would feel intimidated and not buy the device. It's not aesthetically pleasing for marketing purposes.

But I will offer an argument for the value of margins, headers and footers. Paperbacks and hardcovers have large margins, headers and footers. That white space is an important part of the display of a book. That new reader meets or exceeds the size of an mmpb in area which allows you to use that negative space without sacrificing valuable screen real estate. On the standard six inch reader there is so little space for reading that margins, headers and footers feel like a terrible waste of space. And we're so used to those cramped conditions that we forgot the aesthetic appeal of that negative space border. But we don't have that problem on an eight inch reader. So why not better emulate the look and feel of the paper book? I mean isn't that the point of the e-ink reader?

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

But I will offer an argument for the value of margins, headers and footers. Paperbacks and hardcovers have large margins, headers and footers. That white space is an important part of the display of a book.

You waste an awful lot of pixels for those margins. If the device itself was white instead of black you'd have your margins outside of the display zone without wasting anything... I don't get why black prevails as a color for ereaders, especially for the flush screen ones; I only want the text itself to be black, nothing else.

Originally Posted by haydnfan

So why not better emulate the look and feel of the paper book?

A paper book is not a standard to strive for... it may be the format you're used to the most, but lots of things were done this way because it was paper, not because it was the best way to do it... a good ereader should go above and beyond what a paper book used to be, not emulate paper book properties.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

If the device itself was white instead of black you'd have your margins outside of the display zone without wasting anything... I don't get why black prevails as a color for ereaders, especially for the flush screen ones; I only want the text itself to be black, nothing else.

I can only speak for myself but my experience with a white device is that the white of casing/bezel makes the non-black of the screen appear grey. The apparent contrast is better with a black device.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by latepaul

I can only speak for myself but my experience with a white device is that the white of casing/bezel makes the non-black of the screen appear grey. The apparent contrast is better with a black device.

That matters less now that we have frontlights.

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by anacreon

Some complain about the blue button, but for my arthritic hands it is very good news: I have more and more difficulties using the "oh so discreet and elegant" button on H2o or Glo HD, and saw the day when I'd have to construct something (I already need devices to open water bottles or get my credit card out of ATM's).

I use a sleep cover with my Aura and I don't remember when I last had to use the Aura's quite fiddly power button. I hope more sleep covers come out for the Aura One.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

That matters less now that we have frontlights.

Well, again only speaking for myself, I prefer not to have the light up too high. And in order to get a white-look I'd have to crank up the brightness further than I'd like.

TBH though I've never fully been happy with lighted screens. Either it feels like the light is too bright or you lose the contrast. My current preferred method is to use Koreader nightmode. Or use the bedside lamp.

[freekobo]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

I use a sleep cover with my Aura and I don't remember when I last had to use the Aura's quite fiddly power button. I hope more sleep covers come out for the Aura One.

It's to bad Kobo never designs an e-reader that comes with a cover option built in(like a clip on one or something), but I guess they would loose out on selling the expensive Kobo branded sleep covers if they did that.

[booklover6]

Fingers crossed that the new 6" Aura 2 will also have 8 GB.

I want some leaks on that one. I don't suppose they will announce it at the same time as the cookie-sheet sized one? (Remember the promo photos of the Kindle DX---always shown being held in 2 hands? The @ 8" Kobo is even bigger, so....)(The promo photo showing the woman holding the big Kobo with one hand...her thumb is obviously smack in the center of the screen, no way could she actually be reading).

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by freekobo

It's to bad Kobo never designs an e-reader that comes with a cover option built in(like a clip on one or something), but I guess they would loose out on selling the expensive Kobo branded sleep covers if they did that.

Oh, like the Oasis? Um, no thanks.