Forma New Kobo reader: The Forma/Shape

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

They delete a lot of my posts. like they have an article that kindle unlimited on sale 4.99 ( today) and i see it still 9.99$ when I go to amazon.com so i posted that today that I see not sale and now my post is gone.

Yeah, they're a useful and dynamic source, but they have very questionable practices. I wouldn't trust them, but I don't totally dismiss them as many do. They have a lot of scoops.

[patrik]

Could it be the exact same 8" e-ink screen as Oasis uses? Maybe the amazon-only agreement (if there was one) has run out?

[Amon_Re]

Originally Posted by patrik

Could it be the exact same 8" e-ink screen as Oasis uses? Maybe the amazon-only agreement (if there was one) has run out?

The Oasis is 8"?! Are you sure about that?

[HLS]

Originally Posted by patrik

Could it be the exact same 8" e-ink screen as Oasis uses? Maybe the amazon-only agreement (if there was one) has run out?

The oasis is 7"

[robko]

Originally Posted by sawdin2

Does Kobo typically offer discounts for pre-orders?

No they don't. The only advantage to pre-order is that (in theory**) you should be front of the line to get it.

** - I say "in theory" only because it did happen one time that the preorders were delayed in shipping and it was available in stores before those who preordered actually received their devices.

[CH23]

When the Clara HD was released, the Glo HD refurb + sleep cover, was priced exactly the same.

Kobo doesn't do discounts, is my experience.

[PeterT]

I wonder if Kobo will start to share hardware between their two brands of readers; Kobo and Tolino?

I know the underlying O/S is totally different between the two lines (Linux and Android) but still...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[CH23]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if Kobo will start to share hardware between their two brands of readers; Kobo and Tolino?

I know the underlying O/S is totally different between the two lines (Linux and Android) but still...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

One of these is the Tolino Shine HD
The other is a Kobo Glo HD

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by CH23

One of these is the Tolino Shine HD
The other is a Kobo Glo HD

Attachment 166577

That's pretty telling, but the Kobo Glo HD was made before Kobo bought Tolino, so that means that Tolino and Kobo must both be contracting out Longshine to build their readers. (Well, at least the Kobo Glo HD and Touch 2.0, anyhow.) Maybe Kobo broke away from Longshine and that's why the Glo HD and Touch 2.0 had such a short shelf life.

Longshine once sold their own reader, the Shinebook. It looks like it has the same kind of buttons as the Kobo WiFi.

[sparklemotion]

Hmm interesting. I'm not a fan of the Oasis design, so I'm not really a fan of this either, but I would still like to see one in person. I was hoping for a new version of the Aura One.

[Kisuke-CZE]

Well, let's hope Forma will come with 7,8" diplay, natural-light like Aura One and better quality control. Then it will be dream came true e-reader for me.

I am now on latest Oasis, because physical turning buttons and shape is very good (not so much for software and build style). But I liked Kobo features (natural-light, Pocket) on Aura One.

If this is not fake, it will be nice upgrade (and one used Oasis to sell).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if Kobo will start to share hardware between their two brands of readers; Kobo and Tolino?

I know the underlying O/S is totally different between the two lines (Linux and Android) but still...

It looks like it's been tried -- successfully for some models. This particular article was mostly concerned with the Kobo Glo HD and Tolino Shine 2 HD.

From a German site (since I don't read German I had to use Google Translate).

https://allesebook.de/review/kobo-gl...ssembly-95553/

Software not interchangeable, no Android on Glo HD

In the run-up, I was particularly curious as to whether it would be easy to replace the memory cards of the two eBook readers. That worked after all with the Tolino Shine 1 and Kobo Glo (without HD). If you put the memory card of the Shine into the Kobo eReader, the device ran almost without restrictions with the Tolino software.

Thanks to root access you could then fill the "Kobo Shine" baptized device with all sorts of apps. For more information, click here. Since you can also root the Tolino Shine 2 HD, a corresponding compatibility for Kobo owners would of course be interesting again.

As already mentioned, the two HD models have removable microSD internal cards. After I fumbled and changed them from the brackets, the big moment came.

The Tolino Shine 2 HD started without any problems with the Kobo firmware. The eReader landed relatively quickly on the start screen and was easy to use. One thing did not work though: the lighting. No matter which lighting level you have set, the LEDs did not want to tackle. The control between Glo HD and Shine 2 HD is obviously different here. This is probably because the Kobo eBook Reader has no hardware button to activate. The Glo (without HD) has as well as Shine 1 or 2 HD a button.

The other way, things looked even worse. The Kobo Glo HD with Shine 2 HD memory card did not even start. Although after pressing the power button the Tolino logo appeared on the screen - but it was not possible to continue. The Glo HD got stuck at this point.

Finally I turned the game over. Instead of plugging the memory cards, I've connected the boards with the other display unit. This worked fine in both cases - except for the fact that the touch screens due to the different sensor arrangement did not fit together with the plastic conductor and the operation was therefore not possible. However, this final attempt shows that the incompatibility in the memory card exchange obviously related to different controls of the software, but the hardware is basically compatible.

At the beginning of the article you find this ...

Over a year ago, when the first Tolino Vision hit the market, I noticed that eReader's hardware was very similar to another in many ways. We are talking about the now no longer available Kobo Aura. The two competing models had many similarities despite different display generations (Pearl vs. Carta). All information can be found in this article.

Unfortunately the link doesn't seem to go to the article it's supposed to go to. If this really works, you could install have Aura software on Tolino Vision hardware (and get an E-Carta screen instead of a Pearl one). Both of these had the capacitive, flush mounted screens.

EDIT: I did find the article. I was jumping to conclusions. Apparently neither the Kobo Aura (original one) or the original Tolino Vision had internal microSD cards -- and they are (apparently) also very similar to one another.

From another article at Alles ...

https://allesebook.de/review/teardow...enommen-94775/

No removable internal memory card

To conclude the question, I have taken the Tolino Vision apart. In the following teardown, it is easy to see that the existing memory card on the Tolino Shine has been replaced by a memory chip placed directly on the motherboard. As expected, the memory of the vision can not be removed and a simple modifiability as the predecessor is therefore not feasible.

As mentioned earlier, this is not unexpected, because the Kobo Aura also has a soldered memory chip. The inner life also clears up with the last doubts that Kobo Aura (here at the FCC) and Tolino Vision have common genes.

My main interest is, if the Tolino Page also uses an internal microSD card, would I be able to upgrade its memory like you can with the Kobo?

[Michal Jancik]

- What a pity, I was not waiting for an Oasis made in KOBO.
- I hope KOBO will release a "7.8" or "10" chips reader, not an "OASIS", for a replacement my INKPAD 3
* Domage, I'm not a fan of things copied.

- Not another version "7.8" or "10" chips in sight?

[Braid]

Wow. I'm so pleased to see this leak tweet. Or, depending on my mood, I am disappointed that I am going to have to buy ANOTHER e-reader.

I love page-turn buttons. I love bigger (and bigger) screens. It's great to now see the two main e-reader companies acknowledge the superiority of these features. And it's good to see Kobo finally trying something a little adventurous with the shape of their device. (Not to deny their apparent influence on amazon with larger screen and waterproofing, of course.)

Another justification I may use for this unnecessary purchase is that maybe it will have a comfort-light that isn't green.

[Futuregrace]

If they were gonna copy Kindle, I wish they would have copied the page turn system on the Voyage and just made a larger version with comfort light.