Impressions of the GL3 & Advice on Plus

[Raphi'Elohim]

Originally Posted by lumpynose

As a former Unix sysadmin my standard rant is that for servers, Unix, be it Linux, Solaris, or whatever, is the only intelligent and reasonable OS for a server.

For the desktop, for the average user, linux is more trouble than it's worth unless you're a geek and like to play around and want to learn linux. Even if you're a geek and want to explore linux I'd recommend keeping Windows on your desktop and get a raspberry PI for playing with/exploring linux; they're dirt cheap and made for that.

I started using Linux in 1997 when it was still exclusively for Geeks. Nowadays, they have distributions like Ubuntu and Linux Mint that any idiot can operate for a desktop. Desktop is going the way of the Dinosaur, anyway.

Laptop workstations for coders will last longer that gives MacOSX with it's FreeBSD inspired Darwin internals and Linux an edge but the standard PC will die in favor of smartphones and tablets. For instance, let's say I'm not just a sysadmin but a coder that is a web developer too -- Linux will fit my need. What about something like an Android or Fuschia developer writing code in Kotlin ? Linux again. Windows has begun integrating Linux functionality into itself but it might be too little to late.

In terms of how hard they are to use :

1 .) Easy to use tier of Linux : Ubuntu and Mint

2.)Middle tier easy to moderately hard : Debian and Fedora

3.) Hard Arch Linux and Gentoo

Sorry for the off topic.

[trence]

Hey all, starting with the next Nightly of Koreader, the Nook GL3 (and I'm guessing the new one as well) have full refresh functionality. Just FYI.

https://github.com/koreader/koreader-base/pull/933

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Raphi'Elohim

https://github.com/apprenticeharper/...ment-496294886

Thanks for the link!

[FlyHero]

I saw a Plus in person recently. The display itself was not nice imo. It was a brownish grey and the light was splotchy with a dark spot in 15% of an upper corner. There was no color temp adjustment of the light that I felt looked good...it was always "weird" somehow. With the front light off in a brightly lit store the panel was too dark for me. This of course may not represent all samples but it was a bad first impression. Even despite those things, it didn't seem like a 200 dollar device. The plastic felt and looked cheap. Touch response was as Comrade Dyatlov would say "Not great, not terrible". I'd say it's similar to Kobo devices I have tried. It was my first experience with Nook software and the limited font adjustments were offputting. The ONLY positive for me is the screen size. 7.8 is a great size. But too much was a negative for me to even buy to try.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by hap124

I saw a Plus in person recently. The display itself was not nice imo. It was a brownish grey and the light was splotchy with a dark spot in 15% of an upper corner. There was no color temp adjustment of the light that I felt looked good...it was always "weird" somehow. With the front light off in a brightly lit store the panel was too dark for me. This of course may not represent all samples but it was a bad first impression. Even despite those things, it didn't seem like a 200 dollar device. The plastic felt and looked cheap. Touch response was as Comrade Dyatlov would say "Not great, not terrible". I'd say it's similar to Kobo devices I have tried. It was my first experience with Nook software and the limited font adjustments were offputting. The ONLY positive for me is the screen size. 7.8 is a great size. But too much was a negative for me to even buy to try.

Even though my original post was about comparing the Glowlight 3 to the old (original, 2015) Glowlight Plus, I've got to say that my impressions of the new (7.8") Glowlight Plus are quite different than yours. For one thing, the Glowlight Plus (new one) does have color temperature adjustment. The feature was probably unchecked and so you didn't see the color temperature slider. I also didn't think it felt cheap. I like the "rubberized" plastic, though I would probably get a case for it anyhow if I bought one. As for the screen, the one I saw looked as good as the Glowlight 3 sitting beside it. But, admittedly, I use older eReaders, so a newer, high resolution, screen is going to look good to me. I'm guessing the one you saw on display had issues.

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Even though my original post was about comparing the Glowlight 3 to the old (original, 2015) Glowlight Plus, I've got to say that my impressions of the new (7.8") Glowlight Plus are quite different than yours. For one thing, the Glowlight Plus (new one) does have color temperature adjustment. The feature was probably unchecked and so you didn't see the color temperature slider. I also didn't think it felt cheap. I like the "rubberized" plastic, though I would probably get a case for it anyhow if I bought one. As for the screen, the one I saw looked as good as the Glowlight 3 sitting beside it. But, admittedly, I use older eReaders, so a newer, high resolution, screen is going to look good to me. I'm guessing the one you saw on display had issues.

Your title does include "advice on the Plus" thus my comment. I didn't say there was no color temp adjustment if you read my actual words. I said there was no adjustment that looked good. The Nook displays on multiple devices and sizes in the store were all the same muddy brownish grey and darker than my older devices. Obviously the one I saw had issues with the light, but the display color was not a defect...it's the norm on every Nook I have seen. The question is how common are the lighting issues, and how risky if the lottery. You obviously feel there is less chance of you suffering that lottery so knock yourself out.

[Raphi'Elohim]

Originally Posted by hap124

I saw a Plus in person recently. The display itself was not nice imo. It was a brownish grey and the light was splotchy with a dark spot in 15% of an upper corner. There was no color temp adjustment of the light that I felt looked good...it was always "weird" somehow. With the front light off in a brightly lit store the panel was too dark for me. This of course may not represent all samples but it was a bad first impression. Even despite those things, it didn't seem like a 200 dollar device. The plastic felt and looked cheap. Touch response was as Comrade Dyatlov would say "Not great, not terrible". I'd say it's similar to Kobo devices I have tried. It was my first experience with Nook software and the limited font adjustments were offputting. The ONLY positive for me is the screen size. 7.8 is a great size. But too much was a negative for me to even buy to try.

I own the new Nook Glowlight Plus 2.

To get the display any kind of brownish or pseudo-brownish I had to set the blue or white backlight to like 70 or 80% and the warm reddish glowlight at 20-30% and that is just one setting out of a lot of different setting combinations. I am not even sure it was really brownish or pseudo-brownish since I was in a lighted room not a completely dark room, either. I must say with the white only all the way on looks as good as any modern eReader and with the red/yellowish backlight all the way on it looks as good as the kobo Aura ONE or Kobo Forma as I have not seen the new Oasis with this feature , yet.

The B&N Nook Glowlight plus is about minimalism in case you did not notice. Also, the rubberized chasis is good because it is comfortable to hold and it is like industrial-like so if you drop it you are less likely to damage it especially since the Screen is recessed somewhat. It is so easy to chip the chassis or break the screen on kind paperwhites and Oasis' that it is not even funny.

Also, as far as the reading software. The Nook is easy to root and you can put any eReader software that comes in an Anroid .apk format , on it, by sideloading it if you don't like the default reading software for it.

[Sirtel]

The OP probably means the screen looked brownish with the frontlight off. That's how an average Carta screen looks when unlit - brownish/yellowish grey, as opposed to the lighter/whitish grey of older Pearl screens in the days before the arrival of frontlight. The manufacturers had to make the old unlit screens look as good as possible, since you couldn't make the screen whiter by adjusting the light. That's why older screens look better than modern screens when unlit.

[Raphi'Elohim]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The OP probably means the screen looked brownish with the frontlight off. That's how an average Carta screen looks when unlit - brownish/yellowish grey, as opposed to the lighter/whitish grey of older Pearl screens in the days before the arrival of frontlight. The manufacturers had to make the old unlit screens look as good as possible, since you couldn't make the screen whiter by adjusting the light. That's why older screens look better than modern screens when unlit.

That the older ones look better is just an opinion since the brownish look to it would make it look more like paper, in a real book, than the pearly super white screen. You can't please all the people all the time.

Some paperbacks and hardbacks have whitish pages but a lot don't. So, since you can get either one or the other in the book world it should not matter. Before eReaders existed if I wanted to buy a book whether the pages where brownish or whitish would not have made the difference it would be the content of the book itself that would be crucial.

[FlyHero]

Originally Posted by Raphi'Elohim

That the older ones look better is just an opinion since the brownish look to it would make it look more like paper, in a real book, than the pearly super white screen. You can't please all the people all the time.

Some paperbacks and hardbacks have whitish pages but a lot don't. So, since you can get either one or the other in the book world it should not matter. Before eReaders existed if I wanted to buy a book whether the pages where brownish or whitish would not have made the difference it would be the content of the book itself that would be crucial.

It's not the tint that's the problem...it's how DARK that tint is. I have NEVER seen a paper book with pages as dark as an unlit Carta background. Pearl backgrounds are much closer to the lightness of a paper book. Go put your Carta devices, unlit, next to various paper books and tell me the background is not significantly darker. It requires the front light to even approximate lightness of a page and using that light washes out text more as you increase it so its a losing battle for contrast.

This isn't some super picky tint debate. Most books are cream colored, not grey, and I like them fine. It's about background darkness and contrast. The unlit Kobo h202 I have here, and every unlit Carta device I have looked at, is twice as dark as a book page...which is twice as dark as a white sheet of paper itself. Even newspapers with their grey ugly paper have lighter backgrounds. That is a significant difference and not just opinion. Overall color tint is another issue entirely and not a bother for me. it gets frustrating hearing that facts are "just opinions". The screens ARE darker than books and older screens. That it doesn't matter to you doens't change that.

[ZodWallop]

So, rcentros, didja ever order the (2015) Plus?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by hap124

Your title does include "advice on the Plus" thus my comment.

I understand. I was just clarifying my original intent.

Originally Posted by hap124

I didn't say there was no color temp adjustment if you read my actual words. I said there was no adjustment that looked good.

Okay, got it now. Thanks.

Originally Posted by hap124

... You obviously feel there is less chance of you suffering that lottery so knock yourself out.

Good luck finding the "perfect" reader.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

So, rcentros, didja ever order the (2015) Plus?

Not yet, but I'm going to. I've got to sell a Sony Daily Edition (PRS-950) before I can justify bringing yet another eReader into the house. I've had the 950 up on eBay for about a week. I might have to lower it's a price a bit.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Good luck finding the "perfect" reader.

If Kobo would re-release the original Aura with the screen and specs of the Clara and make that baby waterproof, it would be just about perfect to me.

[brianca]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

If Kobo would re-release the original Aura with the screen and specs of the Clara and make that baby waterproof, it would be just about perfect to me.

I agree, i still love my old Aura that I bought on eBay—-i think, actually, from a link you posted! (Thank you!) The form factor is really just about perfect IMO.