Next model kobo? Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

The new menu design also lets you skip the home screen entirely

But I don't want to skip the home screen. The home screen shows all books I'm currently reading and which I've read recently (but haven't marked in my Calibre library as read). It also shows a shortcut to the series I'm reading (a collection).

Based on all screenshots I've seen of that new and "improved" home screen, I'll only be able to see a max of 4 books (top half), a "top picks" which I won't ever use (considering I never turn on wifi) and a list of categories which I'm not interested in (both of those taking about 1/4th of the screen).

Right now, I have 1 collection, 3 finished books, and 5 active books visible on my home screen. And room for at least 2 books more. There's only one thing I'd like to change on my homescreen and that's the removal of that search bar on top. I never use that...

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Right now, I have 1 collection, 3 finished books, and 5 active books visible on my home screen. And room for at least 2 books more. There's only one thing I'd like to change on my homescreen and that's the removal of that search bar on top. I never use that...

I have five active books and 15 collections on my home screen. I love the home screen.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Based on all screenshots I've seen of that new and "improved" home screen, I'll only be able to see a max of 4 books (top half), a "top picks" which I won't ever use (considering I never turn on wifi) and a list of categories which I'm not interested in (both of those taking about 1/4th of the screen).

Exactly. Why should one have to have stuff on one's homescreen, taking up a considerable chunk of it, that one will never use? I don't see the point in that.

Sure, make such features available to those who want them, but allow those who don't want them to disable or dismiss them. If I could have dismissed the "top picks" and "categories" tiles, I might have kept the new homescreen.

Instead, I rolled my device back to an earlier firmware which hadn't been causing me any problems to get back my old homescreen and will likely never turn on the wifi again.

[MGlitch]

I'm holding out hope that Kobo listened to my feedback. Feedback which was largely taken from posts here about the new home screen. Once 4.4x arrives I'll pass judgment until then we're judging a system which Kobo was testing. I'm not saying the criticisms aren't valid or important just it's an unfinished product right now.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I'm holding out hope that Kobo listened to my feedback. Feedback which was largely taken from posts here about the new home screen. Once 4.4x arrives I'll pass judgment until then we're judging a system which Kobo was testing. I'm not saying the criticisms aren't valid or important just it's an unfinished product right now.

True enough, but Kobo might take more notice if they continue to see people talking about the change to the homescreen.

Writing to one's local politician can certainly help to influence their decision on a given issue. However, seeing crowds of people out demonstrating about an issue can also help to encourage politicians to move in a certain direction.

[MGlitch]

If a rep sees these posts and reports it. Remember the reps who do post here are doing so in a generally unofficial capacity. Those demonstrations aren't effective if they aren't seen.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

If a rep sees these posts and reports it. Remember the reps who do post here are doing so in a generally unofficial capacity. Those demonstrations aren't effective if they aren't seen.

Again, very true. However, were I involved in the decision making process for a company that was testing out such a change, I would be very interested in gauging the public reaction to it before going full steam ahead and rolling it out to everyone.

Part of that process would undoubtedly involve looking at customer feedback received by the company. But not everybody takes the time to submit customer feedback, and Kobo's webpage for submitting it leaves much to be desired. So I would likely want to see what the discussion about the change was like on a website such as this. How numerous and vociferous were the whiners in comparison to the supporters? How long did the discussion last? If it was vocal, but short lived, that might suggest that people really didn't have such a lasting reaction to it. However, if people continued to discuss it and share ways to retrieve the old homescreen, that might suggest there could be a problem with forcing it on everyone...

Of course, Kobo might not really care what people say about the new homescreen. Instead, they just might look to see if the new homescreen generates more sales for them.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Again, very true. However, were I involved in the decision making process for a company that was testing out such a change, I would be very interested in gauging the public reaction to it before going full steam ahead and rolling it out to everyone.

Part of that process would undoubtedly involve looking at customer feedback received by the company. But not everybody takes the time to submit customer feedback, and Kobo's webpage for submitting it leaves much to be desired. So I would likely want to see what the discussion about the change was like on a website such as this. How numerous and vociferous were the whiners in comparison to the supporters? How long did the discussion last? If it was vocal, but short lived, that might suggest that people really didn't have such a lasting reaction to it. However, if people continued to discuss it and share ways to retrieve the old homescreen, that might suggest there could be a problem with forcing it on everyone...

Of course, Kobo might not really care what people say about the new homescreen. Instead, they just might look to see if the new homescreen generates more sales for them.

There are a few problems with that:

The will put more emphasis one responses sent to them directly. And the responses to the survey they sent out will probably get more emphasis than comments in forums.

There have been plenty of comments in the past here that people don't like the tiled home screen and want something closer to what Kobo have now produced. So, which should they listen to?

We don't know what other research they have done on this. They apparently did work with lots of users on the Aura ONE design. Part of that, or more trials probably brought up these changes.

Then there is the fact that the members of MR are not the target market for Kobo and Amazon. And probably not the other ereader companies. There aren't enough of us to count and the way use and are willing to hack the devices and books move us out of the target market.

Lastly, nearly everyone here is working on old information. I think I can state that Kobo haven't completely ignored the complaints. But, until it is released, or there are some clear screenshots, I can't comment further.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by davidfor

There are a few problems with that:

The will put more emphasis one responses sent to them directly. And the responses to the survey they sent out will probably get more emphasis than comments in forums.

There have been plenty of comments in the past here that people don't like the tiled home screen and want something closer to what Kobo have now produced. So, which should they listen to?

We don't know what other research they have done on this. They apparently did work with lots of users on the Aura ONE design. Part of that, or more trials probably brought up these changes.

Then there is the fact that the members of MR are not the target market for Kobo and Amazon. And probably not the other ereader companies. There aren't enough of us to count and the way use and are willing to hack the devices and books move us out of the target market.

Lastly, nearly everyone here is working on old information. I think I can state that Kobo haven't completely ignored the complaints. But, until it is released, or there are some clear screenshots, I can't comment further.

Good points. Well taken. Guess we'll just have to wait, and hope, with fingers crossed, that they are somehow able to please both the whiners (me) and those who appreciate the changes being trialed.

Thankfully, I am happy with both my Kobo devices as they currently are. So no real need to update unless they come out with some new functionality that would really enhance the reading experience.

[Question Mark]

It's interesting that when you go onto the Kobo website and click on the specs for the various ereaders on offer, they all claim, "No advertising, no interruptions".

Hopefully, as davidfor suggests, that means that, whatever version of the homescreen which they decide to go with going forward, one will not have to look at suggestions for books one is not interested in.

I have no problems with an unobtrusive tile which says something like, "Previews of books you may be interested in". I just don't want those books which I am almost certainly not interested in popping up on my homescreen without being able to dismiss them.

But I only ever had the "new" homescreen for a very short time before I ditched it, so hopefully that truly is "old" information. Fingers crossed.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Lastly, nearly everyone here is working on old information. I think I can state that Kobo haven't completely ignored the complaints. But, until it is released, or there are some clear screenshots, I can't comment further.

Can you be more specific about the screenshots, there are a good number that show the new home screen now.

https://www.stuff.tv/kobo/aura-h2o-edition-2/review

Near the end of the review

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/kobo-aura-h2o-2017

Not the best but you can see the home screen clearly it's just cut off

Perhaps Nate can assist us in more photos

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Can you be more specific about the screenshots, there are a good number that show the new home screen now.

https://www.stuff.tv/kobo/aura-h2o-edition-2/review

Near the end of the review

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/kobo-aura-h2o-2017

Not the best but you can see the home screen clearly it's just cut off

Perhaps Nate can assist us in more photos

Unfortunately, neither show what I want on the home screen. They do show the contents of the right hand-column changes, but not the full list of can appear in each of those spots.

The screenshot that does show a change is of the book list in the first review: https://images.cdn.stuff.tv/sites/st...amp=1493908693. It's hard to see, but there is change from a drop-down above the list to choose between books and collections to tabs. The tabs, which I'm sure everyone can read, are "Books", "Authors" and "Collections". I'll let you imagine what tapping "Authors" does

[oren64]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Unfortunately, neither show what I want on the home screen. They do show the contents of the right hand-column changes, but not the full list of can appear in each of those spots.

The screenshot that does show a change is of the book list in the first review: https://images.cdn.stuff.tv/sites/st...amp=1493908693. It's hard to see, but there is change from a drop-down above the list to choose between books and collections to tabs. The tabs, which I'm sure everyone can read, are "Books", "Authors" and "Collections". I'll let you imagine what tapping "Authors" does

I couldn't see it with that pic here a better one https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordp...g?w=1024&h=768

I wonder what it does
Is it show the author or author sort?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by oren64

I couldn't see it with that pic here a better one https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordp...g?w=1024&h=768

I wonder what it does
Is it show the authors or authors sort?

Yes, that is a better picture. And if it was for sorting, it would be in the wrong place.

[s4nder]

Does the new H2O have a capacitive or IR touch screen? Kobo has been moving to blurry capacitive screens lately.