Forma New Koba Forma, my first eReader since DX

[Baldr]

The only ereader I own is the original Kindle DX, I've had since 2009. Although I haven't used it in many years (instead I just use iBooks on my iPhone/iPad/Computer). I've been pretty unimpressed with ereader technology so I've held out.

Needless to say, the Forma is a huge step up I will definitely still miss some things about reading on iBooks - I think having the "continuous scroll" helps with focus as I steadily scroll with my thumb, reading only the top-most line at a time. Although, I tell myself that comprehension will be better on the Forma as it's closer to the look & feel of an actual book. I'm a heavy highlighter, and iBooks is unparalleled in that regard. A few dissapointing things I've discovered about the Forma I wasn't aware of from my constant browsing of Forma threads in the weeks prior to it arriving:

- you cannot highlight PDFs
- sync'ing of highlights & position across devices is only supported if using kepubs bought from Kobo store
- the "live preview" that shows a before & after of text size, margins, line spacing, etc. does not work for ePubs (can someone confirm this is only available for kepub files?)
- WiFi doesn't work on 5ghz band (I don't care about this but I only found out when I received the device)

I mostly only read non-fiction ePubs & PDFs, and have not tried converting ePubs to kepubs, as I'm assuming the aesthetics of the formatting will not be as good as the original (and I don't care about the non-functional benefits kepub offers such as reading stats).

Yes, the lighting band kinda sucks, but I can look past it. One of the page turn buttons is not as "clicky" as the other. But the screen looks very good (absolutely beautiful when the lighting is just right), and the lighting is uniform - this is the most important to me. And considering how eager I was for it to arrive, and what others are complaining about, I wouldn't have the patience and I'd probably only get worse devices if I went through exchange process.

The device feels great, the raw textured grip feels really good, although I use the official Forma case. It looks great, and when the cover is flipped to the back, you end up holding the inside of the screen cover, which is suede. Maybe I would prefer if I could have gripped the leather of the case, but the real issue is weight. The added weight of the cover is enough to turn it from a device that can be held with one hand, to one that must be held up with both hands (does anyone else agree with me here?). I was hoping the case was more of a "cover" like the official iPad cover. Since I put the Forma in and out of my backpack a lot, I keep the case on; ultimately protection is most important. Also, not having to press the power button is a plus.

k2pdf has become a dear friend, and it's been fun tinkering with the settings to get the perfect output. The calibre plugins (KoboTouch & KoboUtilities) are awesome. Since we're almost in 2019, I wish Forma utilized USB-C as the plug feels very low-key sketch, just got to be careful when I plug the cable in.

Overall, a step in the right direction for eReaders, except the poor quality control. At the end of the day I will support the company that offers native ePub support, a large screen, physical page turn buttons, and comfortLight. And a company that isn't Amazon (f*** your Ads)

[robko]

Originally Posted by Baldr

- the "live preview" that shows a before & after of text size, margins, line spacing, etc. does not work for ePubs (can someone confirm this is only available for kepub files?)

I presume you mean the preview that shows up when you are changing advanced font settings? It works on epub or kepub. What you might be seeing is if you are using a sideloaded font doesn't have advanced font settings unless you patch. Otherwise, you should see changes on the screen whether epub or kepub.

[Baldr]

Originally Posted by robko

I presume you mean the preview that shows up when you are changing advanced font settings? It works on epub or kepub. What you might be seeing is if you are using a sideloaded font doesn't have advanced font settings unless you patch. Otherwise, you should see changes on the screen whether epub or kepub.

Ah yes, I see it now. I stick to publisher default, so not much use there. I mistakingly thought it was a preview of margin and line spacing too.

[Michal Jancik]

• Why do you do it? 2.4 GHz uses less resources on the battery than Wifi@5Ghz. IMHO using the 5Ghz on a reading system is totally useless

Ps : After me personallemnt I am disappointed by Kobo forma, too expensive for quality in general, software.
* FORMA = Reading for the bourgeois (middle-class) :-D

• For me, Inkpad 3 is mile times better and expensive month, with possibility to listen to the TTS books and audio book. CPU dual-code and 1Gb of the RAM. (possibility to open two document en same time)

[Quoth]

USB better than WiFi

[Baldr]

Originally Posted by Michal Jancik

• Why do you do it? 2.4 GHz uses less resources on the battery than Wifi@5Ghz. IMHO using the 5Ghz on a reading system is totally useless

I agree, which is why I said IDC in the OP. Just wanted to give a heads up so others don't worry (like I did) something is wrong with their Forma when wireless isn't working; all is needed is to setup a 2.4 band on the router.

[bookfrog44]

I'm considering picking up the 32GB version for my EPUB collection.

Is there a way to have the Kobo capture series metadata (via Calibre) on this device?

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by bookfrog44

I'm considering picking up the 32GB version for my EPUB collection.

Is there a way to have the Kobo capture series metadata (via Calibre) on this device?

Yes. It's one of the standard functions of the Kobo interface for calibre. The only thing to be aware of us that the series data gets populated the next time the Kobo is connected; ie the first connection is to transfer the Epub to the Kobo, then the Kobo is disconnected and processes the new content to add to its database, and then when the Kobo is reconnected the series info is updated.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[bookfrog44]

So it's essentially a multi step process?

I'm currently using a Huawei Mediapad X2 (best Android tablet on the planet for E-Reading) but I am aware of the benefits of E-Ink, especially for late night reading.

I had a Kobo Aura HD but returned 2 of them with defects and gave up.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bookfrog44

So it's essentially a multi step process

Yes, you need two steps. The first step adds the book which is then imported into database. The second steps adds the series information to the book entry in the database.