Quote:
Originally Posted by Lima7
Hey let us know which one you pick. I have an H2O with battery problems and I'm tempted to either return it and get the Clara HD or buy the Clara for when I'm travelling and reading outside of home. I like the larger screen of the H2O but it's a bit large for when I'm not home.
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I would like to have more of a preference! I'm going with the H2O2, but they're both nice enough readers to practically disappear when in the middle of a good book and should feel like an improvement over the Aura.
The Clara HD is more slippery and the plastic casing makes it feel almost toy-like, but if you want a tiny, portable device, few of the current selection are better. It's only 14 grams lighter than the Glo HD, but holding it in one hand for a long time, the difference is noticeable. Although the build quality is't exactly dizzying, the addition of a metal layer between the casing and the screen makes me hopeful that it traveling with it wouldn't be any more anxiety-inducing than with any other e-ink device.
That said, if you really came to like a wider screen, have large hands or like holding your reader with both hands, the H2O2 is much more comfortable - and of course the water-proofing is a nice bit of added security whether traveling or at home. I rarely leave anywhere without a bag of some sort, so carrying a bigger device is not as much of a problem as leaky water-bottles... At the same time, it feels a bit excessive: I'm apparently so habituated to 6-incher settings that the extra screen real estate on the H2O has so far mostly meant more book-like margins, rather than more text per page.
The screens and frontlights on both of my units are fine. Neither is blotchy, visibly gridded or particularly unresponsive. Neither is perfect. The Clara has
more of a light bleed problem but it is also easier to temporarily resolve (by pressing on the affected spot lightly). I also prefer the Clara's honey-colored night light in most ambient lighting conditions to the H2O2's pinkish/orange light. Of course, the exact color of the light varies from unit to unit too much to trust one person's experience. And it seems that the H2O goes a bit dimmer, which is nice in (near) complete darkness.
I was lucky enough to get the version of the H2O2 on which KSM and other third-party programs can still be installed. But, if I'm honest, what really made the decision for me was finding a family member who much prefers the dimensions (ie max line length) and tone of the Clara's screen. So really, happiness could be found with either of them. I hope your next device has a decent battery, whichever it is!