Forma Is the Kobo Forma too buggy for the price?

HugoLover · 02-24-2019, 09:48 PM

I currently have a very old Kobo Glo which I’ve had for YEARS. The battery is finally starting to give out so I’ve been looking into a new ereader. I would like to stick with kobo. I purchase the Forma because I loved the large screen and the lightness when I held it in store. However when I got it home and used it, I found there was a bar of very bright light on the side with the buttons and the lighting was dim towards the buttons and got gradually lighter toward the edge.

I ended up returning the Forma as I felt that for the price ($299 CAD) the device should be flawless. I was mad that the screen lighting was so bad when I could have bought a tablet for the same price. However, now I have no ereader and am thinking I should just repurchase it and live with the lighting flaws as I enjoy many of the other features. Just wondering what others think? Is the Forma actually worth the price???

guffchuck · 02-25-2019, 03:24 PM

All I can tell you is that I love mine. I don't notice the light stripe anymore. I wish it had the build quality of the Kindle Oasis - but in all other respects it's the best e-reader I have ever owned.

Barbara1955 · 02-25-2019, 03:26 PM

Bugs have probably been fixed.

HugoLover · 02-25-2019, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara1955

Bugs have probably been fixed.

I thought the lighting issue couldn’t be fixed via software update? Do you mean because there would be updated hardware now?

Barbara1955 · 02-25-2019, 05:25 PM

They cant... But they didn't stop making them. So like the Light Bleed on the Claras they Fix the Hardware problem at the manufacturer.

bearthang · 02-27-2019, 04:16 AM

I agree with @HugoLover.
I have the same light issue although it's hardly to notice.

But with 300 buck, I expect the flawless product.

ZodWallop · 02-27-2019, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HugoLover

I ended up returning the Forma as I felt that for the price ($299 CAD) the device should be flawless. I was mad that the screen lighting was so bad when I could have bought a tablet for the same price. However, now I have no ereader and am thinking I should just repurchase it and live with the lighting flaws as I enjoy many of the other features.

Why not try the kobo H2O instead? I haven't heard complaints about flaws on the H2O like I have with the Forma and the Clara HD.

stuartjmz · 02-27-2019, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Why not try the kobo H2O instead? I haven't heard complaints about flaws on the H2O like I have with the Forma and the Clara HD.

I second this. The Forma was too rich for my budget anyway, but I'm loving my H2O2. It ended up being MORE expensive than a Forma, because once she saw mine, I had to buy my wife one too. Maybe that's why it's called the H2O2

HugoLover · 02-27-2019, 07:27 PM

I looked at the H20 in store and didn’t like the lighting tone compared to the forma and Clara HD. But maybe I’ll give it another look as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

NoHolyGrail · 06-17-2019, 08:43 PM

The Forma I received in April (replacing my first one which had a defective touchscreen) still has the lighting issue on the side of the screen. Thought it might worth pointing this out since people speculated that they'd eventually iron this out as they produced new units. As of April, they apparently hadn't.

I never minded this though. There are also other shortcomings I actually care about, but it's still worthwhile to me. I find the Forma to be so much more ergonomic than the Kindle Oasis that it was an easy decision to keep it.

DNSB · 06-17-2019, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

I second this. The Forma was too rich for my budget anyway, but I'm loving my H2O2. It ended up being MORE expensive than a Forma, because once she saw mine, I had to buy my wife one too. Maybe that's why it's called the H2O2

Beats my Forma which I owned for a couple of hours before my wife "borrowed" it. My next ereader is going to have to come with a sticker reading "You can have my ereader when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers".

davidfor · 06-17-2019, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Beats my Forma which I owned for a couple of hours before my wife "borrowed" it.

My wife let me use the Forma for a few days to see what I thought of it. But, from the moment she saw it, it was hers.

Quote:

My next ereader is going to have to come with a sticker reading "You can have my ereader when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers".

Wouldn't she just thank your for putting the nice sticker on her new ereader?

DNSB · 06-17-2019, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

My next ereader is going to have to come with a sticker reading "You can have my ereader when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers".

Wouldn't she just thank your for putting the nice sticker on her new ereader?

Sadly, very likely true. "Happy wife, happy life".

meeera · 06-18-2019, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HugoLover

I looked at the H20 in store and didn’t like the lighting tone compared to the forma and Clara HD. But maybe I’ll give it another look as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

By "tone" do you mean the colour temperature/warmth? It's adjustable.

Dr. Drib · 06-18-2019, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Beats my Forma which I owned for a couple of hours before my wife "borrowed" it. My next ereader is going to have to come with a sticker reading "You can have my ereader when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers".

If I put that sentence on my ereader, that would give her certain options that she might choose to investigate.

02-24-2019, 09:48 PM	#1
HugoLover Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo	Is the Kobo Forma too buggy for the price? I currently have a very old Kobo Glo which I’ve had for YEARS. The battery is finally starting to give out so I’ve been looking into a new ereader. I would like to stick with kobo. I purchase the Forma because I loved the large screen and the lightness when I held it in store. However when I got it home and used it, I found there was a bar of very bright light on the side with the buttons and the lighting was dim towards the buttons and got gradually lighter toward the edge. I ended up returning the Forma as I felt that for the price ($299 CAD) the device should be flawless. I was mad that the screen lighting was so bad when I could have bought a tablet for the same price. However, now I have no ereader and am thinking I should just repurchase it and live with the lighting flaws as I enjoy many of the other features. Just wondering what others think? Is the Forma actually worth the price???

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02-25-2019, 03:24 PM	#2
guffchuck Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2016 Device: Kindle Voyage	All I can tell you is that I love mine. I don't notice the light stripe anymore. I wish it had the build quality of the Kindle Oasis - but in all other respects it's the best e-reader I have ever owned.

02-25-2019, 03:26 PM	#3
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	Bugs have probably been fixed.

02-25-2019, 05:25 PM	#5
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	They cant... But they didn't stop making them. So like the Light Bleed on the Claras they Fix the Hardware problem at the manufacturer.

02-27-2019, 04:16 AM	#6
bearthang Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2018 Device: Kobo Forma	I agree with @HugoLover. I have the same light issue although it's hardly to notice. But with 300 buck, I expect the flawless product.

02-27-2019, 07:27 PM	#9
HugoLover Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo	I looked at the H20 in store and didn’t like the lighting tone compared to the forma and Clara HD. But maybe I’ll give it another look as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

06-17-2019, 08:43 PM	#10
NoHolyGrail Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 3 (previously owned PRS-500, PRS-600)	The Forma I received in April (replacing my first one which had a defective touchscreen) still has the lighting issue on the side of the screen. Thought it might worth pointing this out since people speculated that they'd eventually iron this out as they produced new units. As of April, they apparently hadn't. I never minded this though. There are also other shortcomings I actually care about, but it's still worthwhile to me. I find the Forma to be so much more ergonomic than the Kindle Oasis that it was an easy decision to keep it.

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