Just bought the Glo HD. Is the hardware reliable?

TimeEffect · 04-29-2016, 11:13 PM

I have a Glo and never had a hardware problem

But it's so hard to ignore all the complaints of hardware issues I see online, and seeing the 4.5 star rating of Paperwhite vs the 3-3.5 star rating I sometimes see for Kobo makes me nervous

Is it just a vocal minority? Or maybe launch wave issues? I know even the new Oasis has its share of hardware defects for a few customers

I guess I just want my fears put to rest concerning the Glo HD. I also worry that since the company isn't well know like Amazon, it'd be harder to deal with customer service.

MGlitch · 04-30-2016, 12:01 AM

Keep in mind people seldom flock to the forums or review sites when things are going well. So take the negative reviews and comments with a grain of salt. And remember that there are very likely more positive experiences that just never see the light of day in terms of posts on forums.

Ultimately this is a good thing, otherwise the forum would be a swamp of 'I like 'x' device that I just bought' posts, and those who had issues would have a harder time getting help.

AnemicOak · 04-30-2016, 12:02 AM

I know a few people here have had some problems (I think Josieb1 had a couple go bad), but I think most people who have gotten a Glo HD like it a lot and haven't had any problems.

While Kobo isn't as well known as Amazon it's parent company, Rakuten, it well known in many countries (they also own buy.com, play.com, OverDrive, Ebates, etc.).

TimeEffect · 04-30-2016, 01:10 AM

Thanks guys. How have your experiences been?

I know that most users will tend to come online to bring up a problem they've had, but the fact that one user on here has had multiple devices go bad scares me a lot. Hoping it's just a case of bad luck, or maybe Josie is terrible with electronics and doesn't want to tell us :P

(Just kidding!)

AnemicOak · 04-30-2016, 01:53 AM

Plenty have had multiple Kindles go bad too, it can happen with any electronics.

I don't have a Glo HD myself, but I do have an Aura HD that I got in April of 2013 and have used almost every day since to read hundreds of books. I've also owned and gifted multiple Kindles and think they're good too, but if I had to replace this device today it'd probably be with a Kobo (probably the Aura H20 because I like the 6.8" screen).

Josieb1 · 04-30-2016, 04:12 AM

I just bought another Glo HD direct from Kobo. I think my two bad ones came from the same batch. I had two identical substrate cracks. Hopefully by buying another one from a new source I won't have the same problem, and if I do well then it must be something I am doing

booklover6 · 04-30-2016, 08:08 AM

I've had my Kobo Glo HD since launch. Never had a problem with it. Still have the older Kobo Glo that I bought new years ago, plus a Mini, and a used Aura HD. Use them all, no problems....well the Aura HD does have a small pin hole of light, but I ignore it easily.

LOVE my Kobo ereaders.

MGlitch · 04-30-2016, 09:03 AM

Some of the problematic devices come from third party retailers, and while I don't like to disparage them the farther away from the source company a retailer is the less concerned they become with the product.

I bought my H2O direct from Kobo, and I've had no issues with it that I did not cause through tinkering with the software. None of those issues was long lasting, nor did I need to call Kobo for support with them.

The other retailers I'd trust would be Chapters/Indigo, or Best Buy (if they carry Kobo's in your country, they don't seem to in the US).

howyoudoin · 04-30-2016, 09:13 AM

I don't own a Glo HD, but I would actually prefer it's rounded edges to the sharp edges of my H2O, because it can sometimes get uncomfortable holding the naked H2O for prolonged periods. The dimpled back of the Glo HD is also a matter of concern to me. It seems like asking for dirt and dust to be trapped over time. My perfect device would be the H2O with rounded edges.

Anyway, I digress. From my sample size of n=1 I would whole-heartedly recommend the Kobos from the past couple of years.

rashkae · 04-30-2016, 03:33 PM

Every single display model of Glo HD I've ever seen in stores, (about a dozen) have developed the same defect of straight lines of unresponsive pixels going down and across. Makes very pretty patterns. My own GloHD developed one of these as well. Granted, Display models have a hard life, but I strongly suspect there is (or was) some kind of structural defect making the Kobos very susceptible to this problem. Still, it's a very nice device for the price. $120 for an electronic gadget is not the the kind of thing I epect to be a long term quality investment.

TimeEffect · 04-30-2016, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rashkae

Every single display model of Glo HD I've ever seen in stores, (about a dozen) have developed the same defect of straight lines of unresponsive pixels going down and across. Makes very pretty patterns. My own GloHD developed one of these as well. Granted, Display models have a hard life, but I strongly suspect there is (or was) some kind of structural defect making the Kobos very susceptible to this problem. Still, it's a very nice device for the price. $120 for an electronic gadget is not the the kind of thing I epect to be a long term quality investment.

Oh geez...maybe I should cancel and go with Paperwhite 3? :/

I was hoping this line issue was just a bad batch, and since the HD has been out for a while, I was thinking new models would work better.

...I fully expect a $140 product to work longterm. Why shouldn't it?

JSWolf · 04-30-2016, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeEffect

Oh geez...maybe I should cancel and go with Paperwhite 3? :/

I was hoping this line issue was just a bad batch, and since the HD has been out for a while, I was thinking new models would work better.

...I fully expect a $140 product to work longterm. Why shouldn't it?

This is just a few people saying this. If the Glo HD was really that unreliable, we would have read many more posts from unhappy users.

To be honest, I've read about damage to most eInk Readers including Kindle and Kobo. It's not just a matter of being reliable. It's a matter of being careful. eInk screens use a glass substrate and if they get damaged, the screen is broken. Some people treat Readers like they were a cell phone and break it and then complain the Reader is faulty. I've never heard of a Reader just breaking on it's own. There's always been a cause even if the user doesn't know what that is.

Barbara1955 · 04-30-2016, 04:53 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Paperwh...rds=paperwhite

Don't work for Amazon! But thought you like to know the PW3 is on sale ... not sure for how long.

ALL ereaders seem to have problems. When I got my 1st PW3 it had problem with the lights. But No biggie Amazon exchanged it. 2nd one looks Beautiful!!!

JSWolf · 04-30-2016, 05:04 PM

https://us.kobobooks.com/products/ko...paign=Glo%20HD

The Kobo Glo is on sale until the end of May 1st, 2016 for $109 with free shipping. Same screen as a PW3 and has the exact same chance of breaking.

Barbara1955 · 04-30-2016, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

https://us.kobobooks.com/products/ko...paign=Glo%20HD

The Kobo Glo is on sale until the end of May 1st, 2016 for $89 with free shipping. Better price than a PW3 which uses the exact same screen and has the exact same chance of breaking.

But how good is Customer Service & Shipping back can be a pain & expensive.... Which is why I went with PW3

04-29-2016, 11:13 PM	#1
TimeEffect Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2014 Device: Glo	Just bought the Glo HD. Is the hardware reliable? I have a Glo and never had a hardware problem But it's so hard to ignore all the complaints of hardware issues I see online, and seeing the 4.5 star rating of Paperwhite vs the 3-3.5 star rating I sometimes see for Kobo makes me nervous Is it just a vocal minority? Or maybe launch wave issues? I know even the new Oasis has its share of hardware defects for a few customers I guess I just want my fears put to rest concerning the Glo HD. I also worry that since the company isn't well know like Amazon, it'd be harder to deal with customer service.

04-30-2016, 04:12 AM	#6
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,084 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra Colour, Libra 2	I just bought another Glo HD direct from Kobo. I think my two bad ones came from the same batch. I had two identical substrate cracks. Hopefully by buying another one from a new source I won't have the same problem, and if I do well then it must be something I am doing Last edited by Josieb1; 04-30-2016 at 03:29 PM.

04-30-2016, 04:53 PM	#13
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Paperwh...rds=paperwhite Don't work for Amazon! But thought you like to know the PW3 is on sale ... not sure for how long. ALL ereaders seem to have problems. When I got my 1st PW3 it had problem with the lights. But No biggie Amazon exchanged it. 2nd one looks Beautiful!!! Last edited by Barbara1955; 04-30-2016 at 04:56 PM.

04-30-2016, 05:04 PM	#14
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,679 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	https://us.kobobooks.com/products/ko...paign=Glo%20HD The Kobo Glo is on sale until the end of May 1st, 2016 for $109 with free shipping. Same screen as a PW3 and has the exact same chance of breaking. Last edited by JSWolf; 04-30-2016 at 06:48 PM.

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04-30-2016, 12:01 AM	#2
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,855 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	Keep in mind people seldom flock to the forums or review sites when things are going well. So take the negative reviews and comments with a grain of salt. And remember that there are very likely more positive experiences that just never see the light of day in terms of posts on forums. Ultimately this is a good thing, otherwise the forum would be a swamp of 'I like 'x' device that I just bought' posts, and those who had issues would have a harder time getting help.

04-30-2016, 12:02 AM	#3
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I know a few people here have had some problems (I think Josieb1 had a couple go bad), but I think most people who have gotten a Glo HD like it a lot and haven't had any problems. While Kobo isn't as well known as Amazon it's parent company, Rakuten, it well known in many countries (they also own buy.com, play.com, OverDrive, Ebates, etc.).

04-30-2016, 01:10 AM	#4
TimeEffect Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2014 Device: Glo	Thanks guys. How have your experiences been? I know that most users will tend to come online to bring up a problem they've had, but the fact that one user on here has had multiple devices go bad scares me a lot. Hoping it's just a case of bad luck, or maybe Josie is terrible with electronics and doesn't want to tell us :P (Just kidding!)

04-30-2016, 01:53 AM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Plenty have had multiple Kindles go bad too, it can happen with any electronics. I don't have a Glo HD myself, but I do have an Aura HD that I got in April of 2013 and have used almost every day since to read hundreds of books. I've also owned and gifted multiple Kindles and think they're good too, but if I had to replace this device today it'd probably be with a Kobo (probably the Aura H20 because I like the 6.8" screen).

04-30-2016, 08:08 AM	#7
booklover6 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,545 Karma: 14008730 Join Date: May 2008 Location: PA (USA) Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre 1, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle, Kobo Libre Colour	I've had my Kobo Glo HD since launch. Never had a problem with it. Still have the older Kobo Glo that I bought new years ago, plus a Mini, and a used Aura HD. Use them all, no problems....well the Aura HD does have a small pin hole of light, but I ignore it easily. LOVE my Kobo ereaders.

04-30-2016, 09:03 AM	#8
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,855 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	Some of the problematic devices come from third party retailers, and while I don't like to disparage them the farther away from the source company a retailer is the less concerned they become with the product. I bought my H2O direct from Kobo, and I've had no issues with it that I did not cause through tinkering with the software. None of those issues was long lasting, nor did I need to call Kobo for support with them. The other retailers I'd trust would be Chapters/Indigo, or Best Buy (if they carry Kobo's in your country, they don't seem to in the US).

04-30-2016, 09:13 AM	#9
howyoudoin how YOU doin? Posts: 1,100 Karma: 7371047 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: India Device: Kindle Keyboard, iPad Pro 10.5”, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Libra 2	I don't own a Glo HD, but I would actually prefer it's rounded edges to the sharp edges of my H2O, because it can sometimes get uncomfortable holding the naked H2O for prolonged periods. The dimpled back of the Glo HD is also a matter of concern to me. It seems like asking for dirt and dust to be trapped over time. My perfect device would be the H2O with rounded edges. Anyway, I digress. From my sample size of n=1 I would whole-heartedly recommend the Kobos from the past couple of years.

04-30-2016, 03:33 PM	#10
rashkae Wizard Posts: 1,274 Karma: 5935030 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Aura HD	Every single display model of Glo HD I've ever seen in stores, (about a dozen) have developed the same defect of straight lines of unresponsive pixels going down and across. Makes very pretty patterns. My own GloHD developed one of these as well. Granted, Display models have a hard life, but I strongly suspect there is (or was) some kind of structural defect making the Kobos very susceptible to this problem. Still, it's a very nice device for the price. $120 for an electronic gadget is not the the kind of thing I epect to be a long term quality investment.

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