Aura NEW Kobo Aura Impressions Thread!

[bartveld]

I always sideload my own adjusted font on my reader. Just for the fun of it I decided to look at the advanced font settings and play around with the weight and sharpness. Didn't expect anything to happen. After all, those settings only work on Kobo's internal fonts, don't they? So imagine my surprise when it turns out they work very well on my sideloaded font. No metazoa patch or anything. Is this amazing or am I missing something?

[Lyn2012]

Originally Posted by bartveld

I always sideload my own adjusted font on my reader. Just for the fun of it I decided to look at the advanced font settings and play around with the weight and sharpness. Didn't expect anything to happen. After all, those settings only work on Kobo's internal fonts, don't they? So imagine my surprise when it turns out they work very well on my sideloaded font. No metazoa patch or anything. Is this amazing or am I missing something?

It's me that's missing something, even some of the pre-installed fonts (Gothic) don't have the advanced options on my Aura. Any fonts that I've loaded myself don't have the advanced options either. Which FW are you on? I'm running 2.9.0.

[bartveld]

Originally Posted by Lyn2012

It's me that's missing something, even some of the pre-installed fonts (Gothic) don't have the advanced options on my Aura. Any fonts that I've loaded myself don't have the advanced options either. Which FW are you on? I'm running 2.9.0.

I'm on 2.9.0. There isn't much else.

[Lyn2012]

Originally Posted by bartveld

I'm on 2.9.0. There isn't much else.

Just thought I might have missed something.

[neil74]

Originally Posted by mr_nihilism

I am of the school of thought that a $150 eReader should provide a screen that is not flawed. I returned mine after three attempts as I saw no reason to just settle for less.

I guess I have 3 choices:

1- keep it, forget about the spots, they don't show at the brightness I use anyway.
2- keep trying my luck at whsmith's until I get a good one
3-get a refund and pick up a different reader, probably the soon to be released kindle paperwhite part 2.

Screenshot of my aura attached.

[jackie_w]

@bartveld & lyn2012

Don't forget that in earlier firmwares the Advanced font settings were also available for the 'old' Kobo fonts Delima, Felbridge, Rockwell and Time New Roman. So renaming (internally & externally) any of your sideloaded fonts to one of these was a workable option. Metazoa's Kobo Patcher for fw 2.6.1 & 2.8.1 removed the need to 'fake it' like this.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by neil74

I guess I have 3 choices:

... or you could simplify it to 'When I'm not reading these hyper-analytical forums do I enjoy reading on this device enough to justify the money I spent?'

If yes - keep it, it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.
If no - get rid and wait for something you think you'll like better.

[jackastor]

Well was at the Chapters today, went in to look at the Aura, nice small light weight machine. I was really shocked by how small it looks compared to the Aura HD. It also looked smaller then the Glo. It had a nice feel to it. That was all I was able to observe as it was stuck in charge me mode and the Staff at the chapters was unable to plug it in to work. However The screen did have a nice feel too it and I am looking forward to seeing it working...

sigh if only for a power supply.

regards

Jack

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by thomasn75

I wonder if the kindle uses the same type of touch screen(does the kindle have multitouch?)

is it more visible because it is raised above the eink screen contrary to the kindle?

Yes they both have the same kind of touch screen, that's why I posted earlier in the thread that I wonder if it's the capacitive touch screen that is the cause of the issues. FWIW, the Kindle has the e-ink screen, then the capacitive touch screen layer and then the light guide at the top. Kobo may well be using different ways of doing it though?

I don't own one but from what I've read I think with the Aura HD Kobo showed that a lighted screen can look as good as a non-lighted screen (although I would be interested to hear from someone like Shifty4Ever who finds the font on the Aura less sharp if they think the same is true of the Aura HD?).

We'll see what happens when the new PW is out, but the original one had issues with a blotchy screen, now the Aura has issues with marks on the screen. In both cases, the visibility of the issues seem to vary, and people's sensitivities to them too. Maybe it is something to do with the manufacturing process though, as the issues with the PW seem less prevalent than they were when it was first released?

Originally Posted by mr_nihilism

I am of the school of thought that a $150 eReader should provide a screen that is not flawed. I returned mine after three attempts as I saw no reason to just settle for less.

+1 I could never understand those people who were happy to accept a less than perfect screen on their Paperwhite. Sure you don't need to over-examine it and turn the light up full in a dark room to look for faults, but I'd buy a Nook for £50 if I was happy to accept a lesser quality, if I'm paying over £100, it better be good. Otherwise why should I upgrade from my old ereader?

[bartveld]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

@bartveld & lyn2012

Don't forget that in earlier firmwares the Advanced font settings were also available for the 'old' Kobo fonts Delima, Felbridge, Rockwell and Time New Roman. So renaming (internally & externally) any of your sideloaded fonts to one of these was a workable option. Metazoa's Kobo Patcher for fw 2.6.1 & 2.8.1 removed the need to 'fake it' like this.

Of course! For my preferred sideloaded font is Times New Roman. I knew I was missing something...

[Rev. Bob]

Given that the Aura doesn't have the internal microSD that I've grown to love on my Glo, I'm not going to be upgrading. The darker screen doesn't help, either.

[Lyn2012]

@jackie_w

Thank you for this info. However, having searched through several old threads and also googled font renaming on a Mac, it looks as though it is rather complicated. Maybe I'll just hope that Metazoa's patch is updated sooner rather than later.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by palazzo

Anyway, putting suspicion and cynicism aside - this is shaping up as the best e-reader I've ever had, and I can't see what would make one better.

Higher resolution, for one thing. After the Aura HD, I'm used to fonts on an e-ink screen that are MoMA-ready. Late Beckett looks like a bloody work of art on the HD. Nothing else will do!

But for that one compromised feature, I'd have picked up an Aura for my grillfiend.

No matter. I expect Kobo to revisit the Aura's screen resolution in a later iteration.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by mr_nihilism

And this just up regarding the Aura:

http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...-than-aura-hd/

Those pictures are astonishing. I would definitely choose the Aura HD over the Aura, based on those pictures. The text is so much darker!

[cr3nk]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Those pictures are astonishing. I would definitely choose the Aura HD over the Aura, based on those pictures. The text is so much darker!

I'm waiting for Kobo to send a replacement for my Aura.

If its another "defective" set, I hope Kobo will let me do a refund/return and I can get the Aura HD or Paperwhite 2. Shame, really liked the Kobo Aura alot, awesome size, great looks and Pocket functionality for all my Longreads articles.