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rogerinnyc · 10-29-2021, 05:22 PM

I have been very happy with my Forma, but after the Sage came out I managed, truly accidentally

, to gouge the screen on my Forma -- so, of course, I ordered the Sage.

Arrived today, and here are my first impressions:

1. The screen is lovely. The font is deep black, clear and has excellent contrast. Side by side to the Forma, it's a definite, albeit marginal, step up, but if you weren't looking at them both at the same time, the Forma is still lovely.

2. There is a TINY bit of white emphasis on the button side of the screen. Way less, and way less defined than the "stripe" on the Forma. Not distracting at all (but I wasn't particularly bothered by it on the Forma either). Frankly, the Sage screen is about as good as one could expect (with apologies to JosieB).

3. The background is a touch darker/greyer than the Forma -- but very pleasant. Not sure which I prefer.

4. So glad to be rid of the fiddly power button on side of the Forma. Ideally, though, I would have liked Sage's power button on the back in the upper right side (same side as the buttons), as was the case for the KA1 (still the perfect machine in my book). Muscle memory, however, still has me going to the side of the device to turn it on/off!

5. I got the Kobo case, too, and it's a magnetic snap in -- much nicer than the way you had to press down the Forma into it's case and then peel it off (which is still the way the Libra 2 works with its cover). Not quite as easy as the Kindle Voyage with it's origami magnetic cover, but very close.

6. I'm on the fence about not having the rubber separation around the buttons that existed on the Forma. I kind of liked its feel. On the other hand, the Sage, with a single piece of glass, looks more premium (but does pick up a fair number of prints near the buttons).

7. Ditto being on the fence about the new buttons. I've had a few times pressing them and not registering. Quite clicky -- not as spongy as the Forma buttons, and I may prefer those a tiny bit. But, again, the new style looks more premium.

8. USB-C for charging and syncing on the Sage. Major improvement over micro-USB of the Forma.

9. Ah, the weight. A big issue on first impression, but I'll live with it a bit and see how much it matters. The Sage clocks in at 8.5 oz or 239 grams. The Forma was 7.0 oz or 197 grams. For reference, the KA1 is 8.1 oz. There was something magical about the lightness of the Forma, and I may end up missing that more than I want.

10. Finally, battery life. It arrived at about 60% and, of course, I immediately began playing with it, installing the patches (all seem to work fine), etc. and it ran down VERY quickly. Too soon to tell -- I'll let it run out, then fully recharge and then observe. But I'm concerned battery life may be an Achilles heel.

Initial conclusion? If you have a Forma in good condition/working shape, I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade -- unless you absolutely have to have USB-C or it doesn't particularly stress your disposable income.

I bought from Kobo so, even though it's a PITA to work through them, I presumably can return it and exchange it for a new Forma if I decide that the weight difference is important or if turns out that the Sage battery life is subpar.

I do, however, wish Kobo would revamp and reissue the KA1!

10-29-2021, 05:22 PM	#300
rogerinnyc Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 944808 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Forma and Aura One; Kindle Voyage; Galaxy Note 10	First Sage Impressions compared to Forma I have been very happy with my Forma, but after the Sage came out I managed, truly accidentally , to gouge the screen on my Forma -- so, of course, I ordered the Sage. Arrived today, and here are my first impressions: 1. The screen is lovely. The font is deep black, clear and has excellent contrast. Side by side to the Forma, it's a definite, albeit marginal, step up, but if you weren't looking at them both at the same time, the Forma is still lovely. 2. There is a TINY bit of white emphasis on the button side of the screen. Way less, and way less defined than the "stripe" on the Forma. Not distracting at all (but I wasn't particularly bothered by it on the Forma either). Frankly, the Sage screen is about as good as one could expect (with apologies to JosieB). 3. The background is a touch darker/greyer than the Forma -- but very pleasant. Not sure which I prefer. 4. So glad to be rid of the fiddly power button on side of the Forma. Ideally, though, I would have liked Sage's power button on the back in the upper right side (same side as the buttons), as was the case for the KA1 (still the perfect machine in my book). Muscle memory, however, still has me going to the side of the device to turn it on/off! 5. I got the Kobo case, too, and it's a magnetic snap in -- much nicer than the way you had to press down the Forma into it's case and then peel it off (which is still the way the Libra 2 works with its cover). Not quite as easy as the Kindle Voyage with it's origami magnetic cover, but very close. 6. I'm on the fence about not having the rubber separation around the buttons that existed on the Forma. I kind of liked its feel. On the other hand, the Sage, with a single piece of glass, looks more premium (but does pick up a fair number of prints near the buttons). 7. Ditto being on the fence about the new buttons. I've had a few times pressing them and not registering. Quite clicky -- not as spongy as the Forma buttons, and I may prefer those a tiny bit. But, again, the new style looks more premium. 8. USB-C for charging and syncing on the Sage. Major improvement over micro-USB of the Forma. 9. Ah, the weight. A big issue on first impression, but I'll live with it a bit and see how much it matters. The Sage clocks in at 8.5 oz or 239 grams. The Forma was 7.0 oz or 197 grams. For reference, the KA1 is 8.1 oz. There was something magical about the lightness of the Forma, and I may end up missing that more than I want. 10. Finally, battery life. It arrived at about 60% and, of course, I immediately began playing with it, installing the patches (all seem to work fine), etc. and it ran down VERY quickly. Too soon to tell -- I'll let it run out, then fully recharge and then observe. But I'm concerned battery life may be an Achilles heel. Initial conclusion? If you have a Forma in good condition/working shape, I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade -- unless you absolutely have to have USB-C or it doesn't particularly stress your disposable income. I bought from Kobo so, even though it's a PITA to work through them, I presumably can return it and exchange it for a new Forma if I decide that the weight difference is important or if turns out that the Sage battery life is subpar. I do, however, wish Kobo would revamp and reissue the KA1!