Aura ONE Kobo Aura One owners thread

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Kuram

Hmm might make more sense to just cancel and re-order on the Kobo store. What format does the Kobo store deliver in, kepub?

Originally Posted by PeterT

With Kobo you have two ways to obtain content; Kobo desktop and WiFi sync of the device will get the content in kepub format.

Alternatively via the website you can download in Adobe ePub format; this will be an acsm file that gets processed by Adobe Digital Edition (ADE) to download the actual ePub format.

Whichever route is used the content will be DRM encumbered.

For books downloaded either via syncing the Kobo desktop application or your Kobo ereader or downloaded from the website to your computer, DRM is not necessarily present. I'm finding that about 30% of the epub format ebooks I download from Kobo's website need ADE to process the .acsm file, the remainder are DRM free and download directly to an .epub file. Admittedly, an epub file with a rather unfriendly name -- at least, I don't consider 9a43cf2c-9a41-435e-aefa-d5ccc44011f9-epub-fbf70bfe-6abe-4f28-be8a-da7dc8f06773.epub as a friendly name.

[Kuram]

If I'm sideloading books (to KAO), should I be converting to kepub or simply epub? I've read the pros and cons of both and it seems kepub is better/more responsive, unless I'm in fullscreen mode, using full justification, or worried about hypenation (which I'm not for all 3). Would like to get feedback of those who've actually used both extensively if possible.

edit: actually now that I remember, kepub will add a header that isn't removed with the Metazoa patches (at least that I saw in the options), so if I don't use fullscreen mode I will invariably have the header wasting space. Is that accurate?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Kuram

edit: actually now that I remember, kepub will add a header that isn't removed with the Metazoa patches (at least that I saw in the options), so if I don't use fullscreen mode I will invariably have the header wasting space. Is that accurate?

You can reduce the size of that header space in kepb, but you cannot remove it. ePub has no header and it renders the text better.

There are pros and cons for each format.

For kepub...
If you have a lot of footnotes
If you have images too small to see properly or read (like a map) because you can zoom in

Otherwise, ePub works well and displays the text better.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by Kuram

If I'm sideloading books (to KAO), should I be converting to kepub or simply epub? I've read the pros and cons of both and it seems kepub is better/more responsive, unless I'm in fullscreen mode, using full justification, or worried about hypenation (which I'm not for all 3). Would like to get feedback of those who've actually used both extensively if possible.

edit: actually now that I remember, kepub will add a header that isn't removed with the Metazoa patches (at least that I saw in the options), so if I don't use fullscreen mode I will invariably have the header wasting space. Is that accurate?

Why not experiment and see what you like best? As JS Wolf said--there are pros and cons for each format.

My personal choice is kepub--because I like the in book statistics and chapter page numbering available with kepub. With kepub, there is an option to show "page count" by chapter instead of for the whole book in the footer. When this is chosen, the page count is actually a "screen count" of the number of "screens" for the chapter and will change when changing font/margin/line spacing sizes.

[Kuram]

I come up with these questions while I'm at work, so I try to find the theory and then I'll put it into practice when I get home. The header on it's own is too much of an annoyance for me, so that settles my choice fairly easily.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Kuram

If I'm sideloading books (to KAO), should I be converting to kepub or simply epub? ...

I agree with dordale. Read a whole book of each format. Afterwards you'll probably know which you like best ... or which format drove you to distraction

Along the way, if something's really bothering you, it's always worth asking in the relevant firmware Patch thread if there's a way round your problem. Not all patches have been made public so you never know whether someone else once had a bright idea that they thought was too nit-picky for others to be interested in.

[ebok]

Hi everyone. I just got a Kobo Aura One today and I'm stoked. I have a couple of questions:

1. How is the latest firmware compared to past with regards to stability and battery life?
2. Which firmware version should I be looking into if I want the best stability and battery life?
3. Which firmware version works best with nightmode and KOreader? Do I sacrifice stability and battery life to have those them on? If yes, is it even worth it?

Thanks!

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ebok

Hi everyone. I just got a Kobo Aura One today and I'm stoked. I have a couple of questions:

1. How is the latest firmware compared to past with regards to stability and battery life?
2. Which firmware version should I be looking into if I want the best stability and battery life?
3. Which firmware version works best with nightmode and KOreader? Do I sacrifice stability and battery life to have those them on? If yes, is it even worth it?

I don't use the nightmode hack or KOreader, so I can't comment on them. For the others, I would probably suggest the latest release which is 4.6.9995 and will be what the device downloads during setup. Otherwise, it is probably one of the 4.2.x or 4.3.x versions. One of these might give better battery life, but I don't think it is enough to worry about.

To me stability isn't much of a problem. There are some things that would crash the earlier firmware, but for most you would be very unlucky to see them. Unless there is something specific you do want, or don't want, I think there are enough extra features, bug fixes and performance improvements to make 4.6.9995 the best choice for the Aura ONE. And most of the other devices.

[Labarum]

If I register an Android Phone to an Overdrive account it shows as a registered device at overdrive.com and any books borrowed will be available on that device.

I can see no way of making my new KA1 display as a registered device. What am I doing wrong?

If I want to browse a public library for what is actually available there seems to be no way to do that from within the KA1 (I can only search for a particular item), so a solution would be to select at overdrive.com and download to KA1.

But I cannot find a way to do this?

Ideas please.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Labarum

If I want to browse a public library for what is actually available there seems to be no way to do that from within the KA1 (I can only search for a particular item), so a solution would be to select at overdrive.com and download to KA1.

But I cannot find a way to do this?

Ideas please.

Not sure what to say on this. There seems to have been a recent change to the storefront on the device that has made it nearly useless to use unless you go there knowing what you want. Previously you could actually do a general browse (new seems to make you decide pretty detailed what you want category wise before you can browse) and use filters to only show library books, what was available (not checked out) etc. Not at all what it was like last time I used it.

[Labarum]

This is a big disappointment. For years my wife has used a Sony reader - you could/can browse at the Public library site then sideload by USB cable.
Perhaps all she can do is identify what is available on the laptop then pick up the KA1 and search for that book.

I wonder if Kobo are deliberately making Library use difficult to push users to buy form the Kobo shop.

I would be very grateful if other experienced users can come up with a way forward.

But the KA1 is a classy product, and looks as if it may be very pleasant to use.

[Labarum]

The KA1 is certainly useable with Overdrive as I suggested.

Explore what is available at overdrive.com on your chosen public library pages, then search for your chosen book on the KA1.

It is an extra level of complexity that should not be necessary, but it works.

If anyone has a better solution, please share it.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Labarum

This is a big disappointment. For years my wife has used a Sony reader - you could/can browse at the Public library site then sideload by USB cable.

You can do exactly that with any of the Kobo ereaders including the Aura ONE. The download will be to ADE rather than the Sony software.

Perhaps all she can do is identify what is available on the laptop then pick up the KA1 and search for that book.

You can do that as well. And it's probably what I would be doing as I've never been excited by the shop on the device. It's fine if I know exactly what I want, but I'd much prefer to browse using the PC.

I wonder if Kobo are deliberately making Library use difficult to push users to buy form the Kobo shop.

As robko said, something has recently changed in the store on the device. I wonder if they are rebuilding it ahead of the next firmware release.

[Labarum]

Originally Posted by davidfor

You can do exactly that with any of the Kobo ereaders including the Aura ONE. The download will be to ADE rather than the Sony software.

Yes, I had grasped that option but was trying to avoid it! I have a Nook set up that way.

The browse on laptop and specific search on KA1 seems the easier option, but I do hope Kobo come up with a better option in firmware.

Thanks David

[gilster]

Originally Posted by Labarum

The KA1 is certainly useable with Overdrive as I suggested.

Explore what is available at overdrive.com on your chosen public library pages, then search for your chosen book on the KA1.

It is an extra level of complexity that should not be necessary, but it works.

If anyone has a better solution, please share it.

What I've been doing is using the Libby app from Overdrive. In most cases, the process is quite workable. You enter your Overdrive account into Libby, and you can set up more than one library (I have two). The Aura One only lets you enter one library when you set up Overdrive on it, but you can log in instead using Overdrive (an option is provided to do this, rather than using one of your library accounts). You can then do what I do, which is to search using Libby for any books you want to read, and check them out with the app. In most cases, they then appear on the Aura One the next time you sync it.

I admit I've had a couple of cases where the book didn't download at sync. With these, I've had to go the ADE route to add the book to the device. But 90 percent of the time, Libby works for me, and it's terrific for searching for a book at your library.