Saturday, April 27, 2013

[Product Review] Kobo Aura HD eReader

I don't often do product reviews, mainly because I pretty much stick to my standard devices and rarely have an opportunity to try anything new. But that changed about a week and a half ago when the wonderful people over at Kobo asked me if I would be interested in experiencing their new Kobo Aura, before it even released! Honestly, the first time I read the email I thought it was either spam or a joke...but I Googled the contact's name and found out she was legitimate so I went ahead and responded. I am sure glad I did because a few days later the awesomeness started.


I might be a bit biased because I have always been a fan of the Kobo products. I purchased one of their original Kobo eReaders as soon as they released. It was light and easy to sync with my computer, and I loved it. It was a bit slow between page turns, and it was before they added wi-fi to their devices, so it wasn't perfect, and the clicking of the page turning button drove me batty. But it was a great device to read my Kobo ebooks on. I used it until the Kobo Vox came out, and then I gifted it to my son.
The Kobo Vox was my next eReader of choice. I had skipped the wi-fi and touch upgrades because I didn't feel they were different enough to warrant an upgrade. But the Vox was stunning and I knew I had to have it. Full colour, wi-fi enabled, also with Android apps for email, Twitter, Facebook and more, it was like a cheaper and smaller (and heavier) iPad. It was fabulous and I enjoyed it for quite a while. It was a little heavier than I liked for an eReader, but it was convenient because I could use it for more than reading. I was a little annoyed at how slow it could be at times, and how the videos often wouldn't work, but I was happy with it none-the-less. I even wrote an article about how to use it with NetGalley titles and they went and posted it on their site! I was really fond of the colour, but quickly realized it didn't make much difference in my reading experience, except for viewing the covers.

Which brings us to the Kobo Aura HD. I don't think there is anything negative I can say about this new device.

First off, something so small, yet for me so huge, is this new cable style for charging.


My biggest issue with most cables, especially Apple cables, is that they are so thin and flimsy my cats often take them out in one bite. This is a wonderfully thicker and fabric braided cord. I love it! I also love that you charge the Kobo directly with the computer, and not have to plug it into an outlet like the Vox. That was a bit of a pain.

Other things I love about the new Kobo Aura HD:
  • 30% larger HD screen
  • very light and easy to travel with
  • built-in front-lit lighting for reading in darker places
  • super responsive and precise touch screen interaction
  • 4GB of built-in storage, expandable up to 32 GB with MicroSD card
  • wi-fi enabled for shopping direct from Kobobooks.com
  • supports EPUB and Adboe DRM files
  • super fast page turning and downloading of ebooks
  • easy transfer for other ebooks, especially my NetGalley titles (see more below)
  • ability to create shelves and easily add titles with search function


The ease of transfer of NetGalley titles is always important to me as publishers move more to digital e-arc distribution. It was also one of the first things I tried out when I set up this Kobo. And it was a breeze. I downloaded the file from NetGalley, plugged in the Kobo to my computer, opened the file in Adobe Digital Editions, dragged the file from the main library to the Kobo listed under devices. Easy peasey.

And it looks great, even when it's turned off!


4 comments:

  1. i can understand how happy you must have been after receiving this email^^ and i'm glad teh pruduct is a good one in your opinion

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    1. It is really good. If you happen to try it out let me know what you think!

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  2. I'm trying to write my review for this now too. I haven't used a Kobo so I haven't had much experience but I definitely love it. Great review!! I love the screen so much, and it's so easy to use.

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    1. I can't wait to read your review! Let me know when it goes live!

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