Libra Kobo Libra H2O - first reviews

[Fumbar]

Anyone else have uneven backlight color? The side of the screen nearest the buttons is more blue on all settings other than the most orange setting. It's distracting but not so bad I'd risk dealing with customer service.

[Fumbar]

Originally Posted by Theron

Do you notice the screen is warmest on the left and coolest on the right with comfort light on and slightly brighter on the right without? It's a very smooth transition on mine, but I'll turn it and try another is it's not like that on every unit.

I have this issue but didn't feel it was enough of an issue to deal with a return. It does bug me though.

[tourneur]

Originally Posted by Fumbar

Anyone else have uneven backlight color? The side of the screen nearest the buttons is more blue on all settings other than the most orange setting. It's distracting but not so bad I'd risk dealing with customer service.

Yes, if you go through this thread you'll find quite a few posts about it. It seems to be a widespread problem, but not everyone is bothered by it in the same way. I returned mine in the end because for 180 euro I think it's fair to expect a properly working front light. I'll try one again in half a year or so.

[Quoth]

I'm fussy and my Libra front light is fine, either in bluish white or amber.
Though I only used it to test it and demo to others.
I rarely use the built in light on Kindle or Kobo Aura H2O. I have room lighting and a bedside light bright enough for old paperbacks. Not had problem visiting elsewhere.

[meeera]

[Gecko covers]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I bought one of their covers once.It had to go back as the magnets were not lined up correctly. I didn't try a different one as I bought a kwimoble cover and I rather like it it and it's been the one I've been using for 5 years.

The only time I've had an issue with their covers (which was nothing more than a frayed corner), they immediately posted a replacement without asking me to send the old one back. I've bought from them ever since. I love the Slimfits, and none of the cheapo covers I've tried replicate them.

(Same with STM Dux laptop shells - they back their product and reship extremely promptly.)

[Gone]

Originally Posted by tourneur

Yes, if you go through this thread you'll find quite a few posts about it. It seems to be a widespread problem, but not everyone is bothered by it in the same way. I returned mine in the end because for 180 euro I think it's fair to expect a properly working front light. I'll try one again in half a year or so.

I must say that this issue is one of the main reasons why I'm holding out on buying the Libra.

I waited a while before buying the Clara, until I read more positive reviews about the lighting issue.

[SusanReads]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

I must say that this issue is one of the main reasons why I'm holding out on buying the Libra.

I waited a while before buying the Clara, until I read more positive reviews about the lighting issue.

I love Kobo devices, but to this date I have never seen a Kobo e-reader with perfectlty even lighting. Have you? So even though I would love to have a Kobo Libra (I returned mine), I don't think the lighting issue is ever going to be completely resolved. Lots of people aren't bothered by it, so I guess it's more a thing of what will you be able to accept.

[mathil]

Originally Posted by SusanReads

I love Kobo devices, but to this date I have never seen a Kobo e-reader with perfectlty even lighting. Have you? So even though I would love to have a Kobo Libra (I returned mine), I don't think the lighting issue is ever going to be completely resolved. Lots of people aren't bothered by it, so I guess it's more a thing of what will you be able to accept.

I know you had a bad experience and I'm sorry about that, but that doesn't mean that all Libras (or Kobos) have uneven lighting. The three Kobos I own all look perfect, the Libra I saw on display in the store (a black one) looked great as well, and I'd wager it's the same for many of the 99.99% Kobo owners who are not Mobileread users. Experiences differ. You shouldn't forget that this is an extremely small niche and that the vast majority of people come online to complain, not to praise (as can be evinced from the contents of this thread). If I based my opinion on the Oasis 3 on the Kindle subforum I'd believe that all of them have terrible ghosting and a light gradient, but that's clearly not true, so...

[SusanReads]

Originally Posted by mathil

I know you had a bad experience and I'm sorry about that, but that doesn't mean that all Libras (or Kobos) have uneven lighting. The three Kobos I own all look perfect, the Libra I saw on display in the store (a black one) looked great as well, and I'd wager it's the same for many of the 99.99% Kobo owners who are not Mobileread users. Experiences differ. You shouldn't forget that this is an extremely small niche and that the vast majority of people come online to complain, not to praise (as can be evinced from the contents of this thread). If I based my opinion on the Oasis 3 on the Kindle subforum I'd believe that all of them have terrible ghosting and a light gradient, but that's clearly not true, so...

I get what you're saying, but ALL the review pictures I have seen online had uneven lighting. I myself tried 3 different Libras, all with uneven lighting.

I don't mean to be negative about Kobo devices, because honestly I love the menu, the software, the reading experience. I just think that even lighting for some people is uneven lighting for others. I think some people don't notice the uneven lighting at all. But even with the reviews where people say the lighting of their Libra is even, I see that the button side is darker than the rest of the screen in their pictures. So I guess 99% of the people just don't notice the uneven lighting, or simply don't care all that much.

And checking the lighting of a screen in a store is not a good idea since the store is brightly lit and you can't see how the lighting would be in the dark.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by SusanReads

I love Kobo devices, but to this date I have never seen a Kobo e-reader with perfectlty even lighting. Have you?

I'm sure with the right tech equipment you could detect unevenness with my H2O2, but my eyes can't.

[SusanReads]

Originally Posted by meeera

I'm sure with the right tech equipment you could detect unevenness with my H2O2, but my eyes can't.

That's good to hear!
I love the Kobos but don't like the lighting. So there is hope yet.

[HolyAura]

I'm thinking of getting a Libra. Are there any issues with the hardware besides the lighting?

[issybird]

To weigh in on the lighting issue, to my eye the light is even on all four of my front-lit Kobos. That said, only one, the Glo, was bought on release; the Aura One and H2O were bought a few months later and the Glo HD on discontinuation. I acknowledge that when using the Comfort Light on my Aura One, it's blueish in the lower left-hand corner, but that doesn't bother me.

I know it's a MMV situation in terms of what you see and how much it bothers you, but for the fussy (and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense, you're entitled to be as fussy as you like when parting with simoleons), it might be a strategy not to buy an early batch. But then, I'm generally not in a rush myself, as I usually wait for some kind of deal before pulling the trigger. There wasn't a deal on the One; the delay was caused by waiting for it to restock.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by issybird

I know it's a MMV situation in terms of what you see and how much it bothers you, but for the fussy (and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense, you're entitled to be as fussy as you like when parting with simoleons), it might be a strategy not to buy an early batch. But then, I'm generally not in a rush myself, as I usually wait for some kind of deal before pulling the trigger. There wasn't a deal on the One; the delay was caused by waiting for it to restock.

I'm not sure that helps. My personal experience with Kindles: the only lighted Kindle I didn't buy right after release was the Voyage (bought a year and a half later) and its frontlight was the most uneven of all my Kindles. The 3 Oases I bought upon release were far better in that regard.

Probably it's a combination of the light itself, a person's sensitivity to such issues and the reading conditions (the darker the room, the more visible any blotches and gradients).

I certainly notice the light issues, but am not really bothered by them (which is a bit funny, because I'm a pretty fussy person otherwise). I haven't returned any of my readers. They're not perfect, but they're good enough for me.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I'm not sure that helps.

Maybe not. I figure it can't hurt; there might be production issues that are addressed after a first run, and as long as you don't have an immediate need why not give some room for flaws to be addressed? As for the Kindles, perhaps some devices are more prone to lighting issues than others? The Voyage was the only Kindle I kinda, sorta would have liked.

Probably it's a combination of the light itself, a person's sensitivity to such issues and the reading conditions (the darker the room, the more visible any blotches and gradients).

I'm sure this is true. At that, I might be unhappier personally if more of my devices had the Comfort Light.