Kobo to release 32GB Kobo Aura One

[soulfuldog]

The issues with the Aura One light is pretty much confined to the natural light feature though isn't it. Only the H2O2 has the same feature, and there's perhaps not enough people who've bought the H2O2 to be lots of feedback on this in the same way as there is with the Aura One?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

The issues with the Aura One light is pretty much confined to the natural light feature though isn't it. Only the H2O2 has the same feature, and there's perhaps not enough people who've bought the H2O2 to be lots of feedback on this in the same way as there is with the Aura One?

Okay, but even so you don't hear about it on the H202, the Glowlight 3 or any other reader with a color changing front light. The Aura One has been available for a year and still has the issue. Even the new limited edition model.

At the very least, shouldn't Kobo institute some quality control and let fewer of these off units out into the wild?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Okay, but even so you don't hear about it on the H202, the Glowlight 3 or any other reader with a color changing front light. The Aura One has been available for a year and still has the issue. Even the new limited edition model.

At the very least, shouldn't Kobo institute some quality control and let fewer of these off units out into the wild?

I haven't seen any complaints from a purchaser of the KA1 LE about the screen or lighting. Could you supply a link to your source for that statement.

Hmmm... Nook Glowlight 3. Fingerprints leave splotchy bright spots on screen. What kind of angle are you looking at the screen to see those splotches?

[soulfuldog]

I'm not sure about the Aura H2O2, but the Aura One (like the Kindle Voyage & Oasis) has a flush screen with capacitive touch compared to the recessed screens with infrared touch of the orgininal Aura H2O and the Nook Glowlight 3. Maybe that's the issue, as it appears to be more difficult to get it right with the added layer that is required for capacitive touch?

I know what you mean about quality control of what is supposed to be the premium ereader in the Kobo line, but you could say similar things about the Kindle Voyage & then the Oasis. Besides, there are a lot more happy owners of all these devices than there are unhappy, so maybe the cost of increased quality control isn't worthwhile.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I haven't seen any complaints from a purchaser of the KA1 LE about the screen or lighting. Could you supply a link to your source for that statement.

"Sadly, the lighting issues have not been corrected with this edition. As a result, I am returning mine as well. I guess I should have know better. Lesson learned."

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

I'm not sure about the Aura H2O2, but the Aura One (like the Kindle Voyage & Oasis) has a flush screen with capacitive touch compared to the recessed screens with infrared touch of the orgininal Aura H2O and the Nook Glowlight 3. Maybe that's the issue, as it appears to be more difficult to get it right with the added layer that is required for capacitive touch?

I know what you mean about quality control of what is supposed to be the premium ereader in the Kobo line, but you could say similar things about the Kindle Voyage & then the Oasis. Besides, there are a lot more happy owners of all these devices than there are unhappy, so maybe the cost of increased quality control isn't worthwhile.

There is also the size difference. It is probably harder to get an even light over the 7.8" screen than the 6", 6.8" and 7" screens used by the others. Plus the Aura ONE is effectively first generation for this. All the others could learn from it's mistakes.

And why doesn't Kobo learn from it's mistakes for the Aura ONE? It probably means a redesign and retooling of the factory. That's expensive. Or maybe it is the screen and they are waiting for the supplier to fix them. Or, it's both and they are preparing an Edition 2 or something for this year.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

"Sadly, the lighting issues have not been corrected with this edition. As a result, I am returning mine as well. I guess I should have know better. Lesson learned."

Thanks. More interesting was wolfsbruder comment about his KA1 LE and light bleedthrough. To quote "There is now light bleedthrough along the lower right edge of the reader between the frame and the screen." Looking at his image, the light at the edge of screen looks almost as if the edge had been chipped.

KA1 LE bleedthrough

His original complaint seemed to be the the KA1 and KA1 LE did not match colour at the same brightness and colour temperature slider settings. This has been an on-going complaint that KA1s had different colour screens when the slider was set close to or at the maximum night (warmest) setting. I suspect this might be due to colour/brightness matching batches of LEDs without worrying about consistency in colour temperature between devices. More upsetting to me was the first image posted showing the two side by side where light cones were definitely more visible on the LE's screen.

I'm not sure why anyone would want to read with the ereader set to "candlelit" -- my KA1 is one of the ones that goes to the very reddish candlelit look and I abhor it. The Tolino epos I have goes to more of an yellowish incandescent lighting look which is warmer than I really prefer.

As an aside, we were visiting in Bellingham this weekend and I got to see two Nook Glowlight 3's belonging to the cousin's kids (well, cousin to my wife's standards of what constitutes a cousin). The colour of the screens was quite different between the two of them when the lighting was set to the warm end. We updated one to the latest beta which made the owner very happy since she is into manga. Her brother was more "What's sideloading?" and "Why would I want to do that?" so left his alone (little snot kept calling me "revered husband of third cousin twice removed"--he has yet to learn not to apply sarcasm with a trowel). Looking at the screen made me wonder--again--why Kobo discontinued the Glo HD.

[Cootey]

My KA1 LE also turns red at the maximum Natural Light setting. It's replacing my KA1, which I gave to my daughter. That KA1 turns green at maximum. Since I read in the dark before sleeping, I like the natural light, but dislike the reddish cast of my KA1 LE. BUT not enough to return it. I don't understand why Kobo has such variance in colors. However, the new speed of the KA1 LE and it's ability to zoom and quickly page through my manga more than made up for any reddish reluctance I have.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Cootey

My KA1 LE also turns red at the maximum Natural Light setting. It's replacing my KA1, which I gave to my daughter. That KA1 turns green at maximum. Since I read in the dark before sleeping, I like the natural light, but dislike the reddish cast of my KA1 LE. BUT not enough to return it. I don't understand why Kobo has such variance in colors. However, the new speed of the KA1 LE and it's ability to zoom and quickly page through my manga more than made up for any reddish reluctance I have.

As stated before, I suspect that the LEDs are being matched for colour/brightness for a device to give a more even screen illumination with little concern for any differences between devices. Much like my car's tail lights where I was told to replace 3 dead LEDs on one side, I would have to replace both the left and right tail light assemblies at a ridiculous price so the two sides would match in brightness.

Out of curiosity, is your KA1 LE noticeably reddish over the entire slider width? My KA1 gets very red in the last 5mm of the slider but up to then looks okay to my eyes which are colour vision deficient and, more importantly, the daughter's eyes. Due to prescription drug use decades back (it took about 6 weeks after I contacted the doctor about the issue before the doctor admitted this was a possible side effect and changed the medication), I lost a good chunk of my red/green sensitivity and despite the doctor's reassurance that I would recover some colour sensitivity, that does not seem to have happened. The main side effects are that when I look at colour blindness tests, the only one I can call is the one that anyone who can see will see, a use of other's eyes when colour is important and that I am never asked "Do these go together?".

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I'm not sure why anyone would want to read with the ereader set to "candlelit" -- my KA1 is one of the ones that goes to the very reddish candlelit look and I abhor it. The Tolino epos I have goes to more of an yellowish incandescent lighting look which is warmer than I really prefer.

I don't mind a variance in the color if the entire screen is the same color. I for one would prefer my Glowlight 3's amber color to red. I don't have any valid reason for that though. Either way they are cutting blue light.

When it comes down to it, I'm not entirely sold on the color changing screens. I would use it, but wouldn't buy a reader just for it.

With the Aura ONE my gripe is that it is their top of the line model and this defect has persisted for a year and appears to be continuing on their even more expensive Limited Edition model. It just doesn't make them look good to me.

As an aside, we were visiting in Bellingham this weekend and I got to see two Nook Glowlight 3's belonging to the cousin's kids (well, cousin to my wife's standards of what constitutes a cousin). The colour of the screens was quite different between the two of them when the lighting was set to the warm end. We updated one to the latest beta which made the owner very happy since she is into manga. Her brother was more "What's sideloading?" and "Why would I want to do that?" so left his alone (little snot kept calling me "revered husband of third cousin twice removed"--he has yet to learn not apply sarcasm with a trowel). Looking at the screen made me wonder--again--why Kobo discontinued the Glo HD.

General consensus on the Kobo board was that the Glo HD just wasn't profitable enough to continue. There didn't seem to be any other valid reason to replace it with the less than impressive Aura Edition 2.

So far, my impression of the Glowlight 3 matches my feelings towards Nook in general. Very nice hardware. But I wish I could put some Kobo firmware on it.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

...

General consensus on the Kobo board was that the Glo HD just wasn't profitable enough to continue. There didn't seem to be any other valid reason to replace it with the less than impressive Aura Edition 2.

...

I don't think it was much of a "consensus". If the Nook GL3 is basically the same price, goes on sale for a lower price, and has the natural lighting and buttons and higher dpi, does the "consensus" really hold up?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I don't mind a variance in the color if the entire screen is the same color. I for one would prefer my Glowlight 3's amber color to red. I don't have any valid reason for that though. Either way they are cutting blue light.

So that makes two amber Glowlight 3s and one that is a reddish-amber (not quite as red as some KA1s but definitely redder than than the other Glowlight 3 I was comparing it to.) Neither owner was worried.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

When it comes down to it, I'm not entirely sold on the color changing screens. I would use it, but wouldn't buy a reader just for it.

There are times I suspect the "cutting blue light" is more a sales gimmick than a reality. Fun to play with but no real utility.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

General consensus on the Kobo board was that the Glo HD just wasn't profitable enough to continue. There didn't seem to be any other valid reason to replace it with the less than impressive Aura Edition 2.

Consensus? Especially by a group not associated with Kobo. If a Kobo marketing person commented, it might be worth reading. Though there are some suggestions that a mass of uninformed opinions converges towards the correct answer.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

So far, my impression of the Glowlight 3 matches my feelings towards Nook in general. Very nice hardware. But I wish I could put some Kobo firmware on it.

And shrink the bezels. Possibly baby duckling syndrome since I'm used to ereaders, tablets and phones that have ever narrowing bezels to the point where I would like wider bezels on some devices. Again, personal taste and given that I do not live in B&N market area, not of much interest to anyone outside of a small circle of friends.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Consensus? Especially by a group not associated with Kobo. If a Kobo marketing person commented, it might be worth reading. Though there are some suggestions that a mass of uninformed opinions converges towards the correct answer.

If the internet isn't for WAG, what is it for? Yeah, it would be nice if Kobo were to make an announcement. But 'if wishes were horses...'

And shrink the bezels. Possibly baby duckling syndrome since I'm used to ereaders, tablets and phones that have ever narrowing bezels to the point where I would like wider bezels on some devices. Again, personal taste and given that I do not live in B&N market area, not of much interest to anyone outside of a small circle of friends.

Yeah, I hear about the bezels a lot. But then 'ereaders, tablets and phones that have ever narrowing bezels to the point where I would like wider bezels on some devices.'

I for one like them. Of course, as you mentioned it is personal taste.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

I don't think it was much of a "consensus". If the Nook GL3 is basically the same price, goes on sale for a lower price, and has the natural lighting and buttons and higher dpi, does the "consensus" really hold up?

I guess it would depend on the differences between the companies, wouldn't it?

Sounds to me like the Glowlight 3 is a very good deal.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by davidfor

There is also the size difference. It is probably harder to get an even light over the 7.8" screen than the 6", 6.8" and 7" screens used by the others. Plus the Aura ONE is effectively first generation for this. All the others could learn from it's mistakes.

And why doesn't Kobo learn from it's mistakes for the Aura ONE? It probably means a redesign and retooling of the factory. That's expensive. Or maybe it is the screen and they are waiting for the supplier to fix them. Or, it's both and they are preparing an Edition 2 or something for this year.

That's a good point about the screen size. Also, I'm pretty sure if there was an simple solution to fix the lighting issues, they'd have implemented it fairly quickly....