Would you buy another Kobo e-reader? - Page 2

Jellby · 10-11-2014, 04:30 AM

I've had the Aura for a few months. Before that I had Bookeen readers (Gen3, Orizon). What I liked of the Bookeen readers was the possibility of uploading fonts and a rendering with kerning, ligatures, etc. The Kobo readers have these too. What I didn't like about Bookeen was the lack of updates. Kobo seems to be much better with this.

I still miss some things in Kobo, like screen rotation, an usable annotation management, or a physical button for turning pages (at least). But it is possible to install alternative readers and patch the firmware for further improvements, and there seems to be a healthy community around.

So, all in all, I'm satisfied with Kobo and I'd choose Kobo again if I had to buy another reader.

cybmole · 10-11-2014, 06:12 AM

i think amazon make better hardware but the lack of epub support is a showstopper. if kindle voyage ever becomes easily rootable / hackable then I'd go for that + an epub reader....

booklover6 · 10-11-2014, 06:32 AM

Absolutely. I adore Kobo eink readers. I have 6 of them. But if something catastrophic happened and I lost all 6 of them, I would buy another immediately. Probably a Glo, in white, if I could.

Lyn2012 · 10-11-2014, 07:22 AM

Having just bought the H2O, my answer is definitely yes. I have had the Touch, Glo, Aura 6" and now the H2O and have not had any significant problems with the hardware. If I do have any, my first recourse would always be MR not Kobo. This isn't a dig at Kobo, but rather the way I approach any problems with electronic devices - go to the people who actually use them not to someone sitting at a computer screen reading the answers from a prepared script.

You can see that I change devices fairly frequently, but when I do keep a device, or purchase an older device, I would not attempt to run the latest software but stick to software from around the original period of manufacture. Fortunately with a Kobo, downgrading to the firmware you wish is a fairly simple process.

Just to add I haven't always used Kobo ereaders, I started off with Sonys (300, 350 & 650), then tried Kobo (Touch & Glo), then tried the Kindle Paperwhite before coming back to Kobo and the Aura and now H2O. IMO of the ereaders I have used, the Kobo is the best for my purposes.

Willa · 10-11-2014, 10:04 AM

I started with a Kindle which thankfully died on me just out of guarantee

Then I got a Kobo Touch and was thrilled with it in comparison.

I sold it on and then got a Glo as I wanted the backlight feature. I have been really happy with it, so yes, I would unhesitatingly purchase another Kobo.

mycurlylocks · 10-11-2014, 10:12 AM

I would definitely buy another Kobo e-ink. I had bad luck with the Touch, it locked up permanently. Then I got the Glo, but it was the first run and the screen wasn't to my liking. Next I bought the Aura HD. Perfectly happy with it.

If I can find a North America retailer that sells the H2O, I will be buying one or two as Christmas gifts.

Canuck_in_Japan · 10-11-2014, 10:12 AM

I've only had an Aura HD and an Aura but I've experienced nary a problem so I would definitely buy another one if I had need of one. Everyone likes to complain about Kobo bugs but I've yet to experience a single bug that seriously affected my reading ability. Certainly nothing like the OP. I find that most (but not all, obviously) people complaining about bugs tend to suffer from reading anal retentiveness (imho).

Joeldmtl · 10-11-2014, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robko

In answer to your question, YES obviously since I had pre-ordered the H2O.

In answer to your problem, have you tried downgrading your firmware to make sure this is a firmware issue and not a hardware issue? You'll find directions scattered around on how to do this. Even if you do a factory reset and delete the update files before you disconnect from your computer you'd at least end up with whatever base firmware your device has to be able to rule out a hardware issue. If it is a hardware issue that sucks since at 2 years you're out of warranty.

I'm thinking of finally taking the plunge to downgrading my firmware. Correct me if i'm wrong - the previous FW for the Kobo Touch was 3.5.

Can someone please direct me to the proper FW 3.5 link for my Kobo Touch (N905B). The FW 3.5 links I have found in this forum indicate that it's for the Glo, Aura .... but don't mention the Touch. They also have all types of warning, so I'm a bit leery to try them.

ottdmk · 10-11-2014, 10:58 AM

I would absolutely buy another Kobo e-ink reader. I loved my Touch, and love my Aura HD even more (that front light! that screen!) I have had nothing but good experiences with Kobo Customer Service, including getting a replacement Aura HD when my unit stopped charging.

PeterT · 10-11-2014, 11:05 AM

I'd buy another (and probably will somepoint this year).

Have owned Kobo 1 / Wifi / Touch / Glo / Mini and the wife has an H2O.

ballfresno · 10-11-2014, 03:17 PM

Yes. Emphatically.

murg · 10-11-2014, 04:42 PM

I'd buy another Glo sized one, if my current one died.

I'm not sure if I want an Aura sized one...

DNSB · 10-11-2014, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeldmtl

I'm thinking of finally taking the plunge to downgrading my firmware. Correct me if i'm wrong - the previous FW for the Kobo Touch was 3.5.

Can someone please direct me to the proper FW 3.5 link for my Kobo Touch (N905B). The FW 3.5 links I have found in this forum indicate that it's for the Glo, Aura .... but don't mention the Touch. They also have all types of warning, so I'm a bit leery to try them.

AFAIK, there was no firmware 3.5.0 release for the N905 or N905B Touch devices. The Direct Links to Kobo Firmware list 3.3.0/3.3.1 as the last releases for the Touch N905/N905B until the 3.8.0 release. Use Touch N905/N905B 3.3.1 to download the 3.3.1 release.

You can try just using the KoboRoot.tgz file from the Mark 4 3.5.0 firmware release with your Touch. If it doesn't work, time for the hardware factory reset.

One item is that when downgrading your firmware, it's best to do a factory reset as your first step.

doxallday · 10-11-2014, 08:15 PM

I've had the Kobo Touch accompany me for more than a year now, issues had: none. First eReader I decided to purchase, and only thing I knew I wanted was for it to support an open standard like EPUB (Kindle was a major show-stopper for me in this regard); to put a sweet icing on the story - it even cost me 10 euros less than a Kindle - couldn't have been happier about the purchase. Now that H2O has stepped onto the nightstand, my needs have been quelled for many seasons to come.

Moreover, if it came down to buying another device as a gift or otherwise, I'm positive it would be tagged Kobo.

mr_nihilism · 10-11-2014, 08:39 PM

I've owned a Mini, Glo, Aura HD and now the H2O and have been happy with all of them. I'm a fairly basic user that doesn't hack and uses Caliber for for sideloading and have not run into any problems other than the rare freeze up that a restart resolves.

I tried and returned three Aura's (6inch) because the screen was garbage in my opinion. With that exception, I consider Kobo a quality reader that I will continue to support.

10-11-2014, 07:22 AM	#19
Lyn2012 Addict Posts: 382 Karma: 1118562 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Middlesex, UK Device: Kobo Aura One, iPhone 8, iPad Pro	Having just bought the H2O, my answer is definitely yes. I have had the Touch, Glo, Aura 6" and now the H2O and have not had any significant problems with the hardware. If I do have any, my first recourse would always be MR not Kobo. This isn't a dig at Kobo, but rather the way I approach any problems with electronic devices - go to the people who actually use them not to someone sitting at a computer screen reading the answers from a prepared script. You can see that I change devices fairly frequently, but when I do keep a device, or purchase an older device, I would not attempt to run the latest software but stick to software from around the original period of manufacture. Fortunately with a Kobo, downgrading to the firmware you wish is a fairly simple process. Just to add I haven't always used Kobo ereaders, I started off with Sonys (300, 350 & 650), then tried Kobo (Touch & Glo), then tried the Kindle Paperwhite before coming back to Kobo and the Aura and now H2O. IMO of the ereaders I have used, the Kobo is the best for my purposes. Last edited by Lyn2012; 10-11-2014 at 07:25 AM.

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10-11-2014, 04:30 AM	#16
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	I've had the Aura for a few months. Before that I had Bookeen readers (Gen3, Orizon). What I liked of the Bookeen readers was the possibility of uploading fonts and a rendering with kerning, ligatures, etc. The Kobo readers have these too. What I didn't like about Bookeen was the lack of updates. Kobo seems to be much better with this. I still miss some things in Kobo, like screen rotation, an usable annotation management, or a physical button for turning pages (at least). But it is possible to install alternative readers and patch the firmware for further improvements, and there seems to be a healthy community around. So, all in all, I'm satisfied with Kobo and I'd choose Kobo again if I had to buy another reader.

10-11-2014, 06:12 AM	#17
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	i think amazon make better hardware but the lack of epub support is a showstopper. if kindle voyage ever becomes easily rootable / hackable then I'd go for that + an epub reader....

10-11-2014, 06:32 AM	#18
booklover6 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,545 Karma: 14008730 Join Date: May 2008 Location: PA (USA) Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre 1, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle, Kobo Libre Colour	Absolutely. I adore Kobo eink readers. I have 6 of them. But if something catastrophic happened and I lost all 6 of them, I would buy another immediately. Probably a Glo, in white, if I could.

10-11-2014, 10:04 AM	#20
Willa Davidfor's friend 😊 Posts: 295 Karma: 284140 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: U.K Device: Libra 2	I started with a Kindle which thankfully died on me just out of guarantee Then I got a Kobo Touch and was thrilled with it in comparison. I sold it on and then got a Glo as I wanted the backlight feature. I have been really happy with it, so yes, I would unhesitatingly purchase another Kobo.

10-11-2014, 10:12 AM	#21
mycurlylocks Addict Posts: 239 Karma: 1455315 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: US Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2	I would definitely buy another Kobo e-ink. I had bad luck with the Touch, it locked up permanently. Then I got the Glo, but it was the first run and the screen wasn't to my liking. Next I bought the Aura HD. Perfectly happy with it. If I can find a North America retailer that sells the H2O, I will be buying one or two as Christmas gifts.

10-11-2014, 10:12 AM	#22
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	I've only had an Aura HD and an Aura but I've experienced nary a problem so I would definitely buy another one if I had need of one. Everyone likes to complain about Kobo bugs but I've yet to experience a single bug that seriously affected my reading ability. Certainly nothing like the OP. I find that most (but not all, obviously) people complaining about bugs tend to suffer from reading anal retentiveness (imho).

10-11-2014, 10:58 AM	#24
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,220 Karma: 3804496 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M9	I would absolutely buy another Kobo e-ink reader. I loved my Touch, and love my Aura HD even more (that front light! that screen!) I have had nothing but good experiences with Kobo Customer Service, including getting a replacement Aura HD when my unit stopped charging.

10-11-2014, 11:05 AM	#25
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,515 Karma: 78910202 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I'd buy another (and probably will somepoint this year). Have owned Kobo 1 / Wifi / Touch / Glo / Mini and the wife has an H2O.

10-11-2014, 03:17 PM	#26
ballfresno Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 5774804 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Device: Kobo (Sage, Aura One, Aura HD, & Touch); reMarkable tablet.	Yes. Emphatically.

10-11-2014, 04:42 PM	#27
murg No Comment Posts: 3,240 Karma: 23878043 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Australia Device: Kobo: Not just an eReader, it's an adventure!	I'd buy another Glo sized one, if my current one died. I'm not sure if I want an Aura sized one...

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10-11-2014, 08:15 PM	#29
doxallday Web Crawler Posts: 47 Karma: 100 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Central Europe Device: Kobo Aura H2O	I've had the Kobo Touch accompany me for more than a year now, issues had: none. First eReader I decided to purchase, and only thing I knew I wanted was for it to support an open standard like EPUB (Kindle was a major show-stopper for me in this regard); to put a sweet icing on the story - it even cost me 10 euros less than a Kindle - couldn't have been happier about the purchase. Now that H2O has stepped onto the nightstand, my needs have been quelled for many seasons to come. Moreover, if it came down to buying another device as a gift or otherwise, I'm positive it would be tagged Kobo.

10-11-2014, 08:39 PM	#30
mr_nihilism Always been the caretaker Posts: 479 Karma: 1406369 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Canada Device: Aura H2O, PW2	I've owned a Mini, Glo, Aura HD and now the H2O and have been happy with all of them. I'm a fairly basic user that doesn't hack and uses Caliber for for sideloading and have not run into any problems other than the rare freeze up that a restart resolves. I tried and returned three Aura's (6inch) because the screen was garbage in my opinion. With that exception, I consider Kobo a quality reader that I will continue to support.