The recent Kobos seem to have darker backgrounds!

[gottogetout]

Hi,
I compared the recent KOBOs with my AURA H2O 1, in a store: The screens are darker! It's unbelievable. The background. As a result the contrast is lower. I compared by reducing the brightness to zero. The thing is that I incidentally had my Kobo with me that day. then I had the idea to take a look.
A simple visual test done in a Paris France store. I compared my old H2O 1 to a Clara, to a H2O 2, and to the most expensive one, the Forma.

Conclusion : Clearly grayer screens! It seems like a drop in quality.
I don't understand that, too bad. How is this possible? It's weird.
I contacted KOBO by email, through the Rakuten site. No answer for the moment.

Did you guys noticed the same thing?

When my LOVED Aura H2O 1 will be out of order, will I purchase a less good one by choosing a Aura H2O 2? I don't like this idea

It's may be not a dramatic decrease of the screen quality, but it's nevertheless really disappointing

I do not appreciate the Kindle. I love my Aura H2O and I have been enticing everybody to buy one : I absolutely will stop to do that from now.

[GeoffR]

Your H2O1 has infra-red touch, I think the models you are comparing it with all have capacitive touch.

Capacitive touch means there is an extra layer on the screen, so more diffraction of the light, and so generally lower contrast and sharpness compared to infra-red.

[gottogetout]

Very interesting, thank you.

But aren't you doing a little mistake ?
I mean that the more recent technology shouldn't, logically, lead to a darker screen?
it should be the opposite, sin't it? it sounds a little weird

here they talk about that :
http://www.ebookreaderguide.com/2011...-for-ereaders/

you're certainly right
I can read that "Infrared Touch Screen Technology (are) Ideal For eBook Readers"

if the latest model are not "infra red" then it's worst. but what it's the advantage of capacitive technology for an e-reader? it's weird.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by gottogetout

Why that changes? Was it required in order to add the function allowing to reduce the "blue light"?

Infra-red touch requires a raised bezel, so once they made the design choice to have a flush bezel then they had to use capacitive touch for those models.

I don't know why they used capacitive touch on some models that have a raised bezel though, unless it is something to do with the different waterproofing technique they used on those models. The H2O1 has a more complicated (and so probably more expensive) waterproofing method than the H2O2.

[gottogetout]

I see. Thank you. I'll try to take much care of my e-reader in order to keep it OK for the maximum of time possible! :-)

[JeanPierre]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I don't know why they used capacitive touch on some models that have a raised bezel though, unless it is something to do with the different waterproofing technique they used on those models.

One reason might be that accidental touches occur more frequently with infrared touchscreens.

With infrared touch, a touch is registered when anything at all (almost) touches the screen, whereas a capacitive touchscreen will only react to a conductor (such as your finger). I saw a few negative reviews of the Amazon Kindle Basic (8th Generation) from users who were frustrated by accidental page turns, e.g. commuters who found that any bit of loose clothing that fell on the screen turned the page.

On a side note, thank you very much for your contributions to the Kobo patches . They thoroughly enhance the Kobo experience.

[gottogetout]

Salut JP,

if i have correctly understood, my KOBO H2O 1 would be a model with an infrared technology. OK. the fact is that I don't have accidental contacts with the screen,on the contrary. I often have to touch twice the screen in order to turn a page.
it doesn't match with what you have said
And for the highlighting of the text it's horribly slow. But despite of that, I love this tool : thanks to the contrast, the ability to set wide margins, and to choose my favorite font plus his size

Now if the background of all the latest generations of KOBO are greyer and darker - And that's what I have seen in that store the other day - I find it very sad. I don't understand it.

I sent my questions to KOBO : they sent a "formatted" answer, with nothing : "Thanks for your interest for our products "
unbelievable!
Then I sent a reply telling that I was expecting an answer to my questions : A new message arrived with not any answer at all, again, and with a link "how to set your KOBO!".
Ridiculous!