Aura Aura One disadvantages

[romanlryji]

Kobo has very strange integration with dictionaries. It seems to exist, but actually it does not:
- first of all, the set of languages that you are allowed to use. It is strictly restricted by the firmware. Yes, there is a workaround allowing you to bypass the restriction, but every Kindle device allows you to use any dictionary you have and any language pair you wish even if it is not supported by the firmware.
- phrasal verbs and idioms? Forget it. According to Kobo, they do not exist. As Kobo can search only one word in the dictionary, not a word combination. Though every Kindle can. Even the oldest one.
- to look something up in a dictionary? A simple thing, is not it? Forget it. Every Kindle, even the oldest one, can open its dictionary as a book. Kobo cannot.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

Kobo has very strange integration with dictionaries. It seems to exist, but actually it does not:
- first of all, the set of languages that you are allowed to use. It is strictly restricted by the firmware. Yes, there is a workaround allowing you to bypass the restriction, but every Kindle device allows you to use any dictionary you have and any language pair you wish even if it is not supported by the firmware.

So, Kindles have a dictionary for every language in the world? Or do you need to buy the extras? Yes, Kobo have restricted it to what they have licensed for use in the device.

- phrasal verbs and idioms? Forget it. According to Kobo, they do not exist. As Kobo can search only one word in the dictionary, not a word combination. Though every Kindle can. Even the oldest one.

The Kobo dictionary can look up multiple words in the dictionary. The problem is that the dictionary on the device is relatively small. If the word or word pairing isn't in the dictionary, then it can't be found. And if you need an example, "buffalo soldier".

As to idioms, that's again the size of the dictionary. And how common or recent the idiom.

- to look something up in a dictionary? A simple thing, is not it? Forget it. Every Kindle, even the oldest one, can open its dictionary as a book. Kobo cannot.

Start search from wherever you want to. Choose "Dictionary" in the drop down on the right. Choose the language from those available. Including translation the translation dictionaries. Start typing in a word. All matches will be displayed. Tap the match to see the definition.

No, you cannot open the dictionary like a book and read it. But, I've never felt the need to read a dictionary from cover to cover. Except maybe when playing Scrabble.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

Maybe they have nothing to compare.

I have plenty to compare. I've owned a Kindle Keyboard, currently own a Kindle Touch and my husband also has the current Kindle Paperwhite. I've previously owned a Nook, and several great Sony readers, along with a Kobo Aura HD.

But my KA1 tops them all. The screen size and sharpness are great! And the front light very nice.

NO Kindle, not a single solitary one, provides me with a comfortable font size for reading. Select the closest font size to comfort, it is a bit too small and I have to squint! Select the next size up and it is ridiculously large AND looks exceedingly bad on the tiny 6" screen size! Yeah, it's readable, but it sure the heck isn't pleasant!

Yet my Kobo KA1 lets me select an exactly right font size for my eyes.

Clearly you prefer Kindle, and Kindle DOES have some advantages of which dictionaries are only one. But some of us with older eyes find the Kindle reading experience to be flawed because they do not provide enough font size selection.

Ultimately, NO reader is going to be perfect, people have to select what fits their needs best. I'm very happy with my KA1. It's not perfect, but it is the best e-reading experience I've yet had! It's hard to imagine reading at night without the comfort light now, it's also hard to imagine reading on a smaller screen. The larger screen is just so much more immersive.

KA1 battery life isn't great, touch is not quite as responsive as it could be and highlighting is a bit of a pain, but those are very minor things I can live with as long as my eyes are comfy! Comfy eyes means I can read more books!

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

[vandafc]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

Kobo has very strange integration with dictionaries. It seems to exist, but actually it does not:
- first of all, the set of languages that you are allowed to use. It is strictly restricted by the firmware. Yes, there is a workaround allowing you to bypass the restriction, but every Kindle device allows you to use any dictionary you have and any language pair you wish even if it is not supported by the firmware.
- phrasal verbs and idioms? Forget it. According to Kobo, they do not exist. As Kobo can search only one word in the dictionary, not a word combination. Though every Kindle can. Even the oldest one.
- to look something up in a dictionary? A simple thing, is not it? Forget it. Every Kindle, even the oldest one, can open its dictionary as a book. Kobo cannot.

Just curious, do you have a kobo ereader?

[romanlryji]

Originally Posted by vandafc

Just curious, do you have a kobo ereader?

I've got it and I hate it!

[romanlryji]

- it is impossible to change the screen orientation.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

I've got it and I hate it!

Which you have demonstrated you don't know how to use. But, that's OK.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

- it is impossible to change the screen orientation.

Well, I can for PDF, comics, images and the like. Can't say I've ever felt the lack for reflowable formats like epub.

[Braid]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

- it is impossible to change the screen orientation.

Very few people seem to care about this, which is why I wouldn't typically list it as a disadvantage. But I agree. I love reading in landscape compared with reading in portrait. My eyes much prefer reading a short stack of wide lines of text, rather than a taller, thinner stack of lines.

You can change orientation with PDF documents, but as I've pointed out before, Kobo's software, compared with that of the Kindle, is particularly bad at displaying and navigating PDF files, to the point of being distracting. Some people think it's pointless to read PDF on a 6" screen - personally I can get through lots of PDF books comfortably and without distraction on my Kindle Voyage, whereas on my H20 or One the experience is too frustrating.

[romanlryji]

Originally Posted by Braid

Kobo's software ... is particularly bad at displaying and navigating PDF files.

Oh yes. With Kobo's laziness and sluggishness it is out of discussion at all. It is one of its functions that seems to exist but in fact does not.

[romanlryji]

- it is impossible to add and even to buy a dictionary instead of the poor one that Kobo obliges me to use. And even if I (with some tribal dances around the device) manage to upload a better one into the device's file system, at the next sync it will be overwritten with that Kobo's;
- it is impossible to use two dictionaries for one language pair.

[latepaul]

I'm generally happy with my KA1 but it's not my favourite reader. Things I dislike:

• awkwardness/heaviness to hold. Perhaps a larger reader is not for me. I had the same problem with my Aura HD which I sold in the end.
• the 'color temperature' screen. Yes I see blobs. No I didn't go through the rigamarole of returning hoping to get one that looks better. I honestly don't know if this problem is poor QA, the limits of the current technology, different sensitivities of different eyes or a combination of all three. Anyway I turn it off.
• Blue power button is not as convenient when you want to wake from power off. Actually I don't like the power button on my Glo HD either. I like the slider on my Touch.
• Inaccuracy in touch sensor. Seems particularly bad with bottom menus when reading. Sometimes I have to touch well to the left of the icon, such that I feel like I'm really hitting the one next to it. Has gotten better and worse depending on firmware level, so I remain hopeful it can be resolved.
• It has never ever, not once, made me breakfast in bed!

[Stevex]

Originally Posted by romanlryji

Oh yes. With Kobo's laziness and sluggishness it is out of discussion at all. It is one of its functions that seems to exist but in fact does not.

This is all horses for courses stuff. My use case is epub and for that kindle doesnt work your use case is pdf and for that kobo doesnt fit.
What's the point though ofwasting your time writing and everyone elses readingthis pointless stuff.
Latepaul's above post pretty much sums up my experience, except I dont have the blobs. It's a shame some people have their experience spoilt by this problem which MUST be either (a) one particular production facility which is producing iffy machines or (2) a general qa issue.

[romanlryji]

- the result of tapping a reference depends on the phase of the Moon or atmospheric pressure or neighbour's dog mood, I don't know on what but it is unpredictable. Sometimes it turns the page. Sometimes it opens top and bottm bars. But sometimes I have a stroke of luck and it does what I expected. In most cases this "almost" natural result is accompanied by opening of top and bottom bars.

[romanlryji]

Originally Posted by Stevex

... your use case is pdf...

It does not seem to be correct. I share my experience with e-book reading only. And that issues I point at are not subjective but objective result of poor technical design and engineering quality.