Is Kobo accidently leaking (sarcasm) of new device's

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I see. The PocketBook uses a couple formats, .mp3 is one of them. But I don't even know if you can buy .mp3 audiobooks. I know I can't borrow audiobooks from Overdrive and use them on the PocketBook — I tried it once just to see.

Audiobooks from Overdrive are in MP3 and MP3 has no DRM.So yes you could listen to audiobooks from Overdrive on anything that will play MP3.

[Almamida]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You don't know that any of this is true given that the Libra 2 has not yet been released.

My answer was meant for the first Libra. I look forward for the release of the new one to see if they at least have an improvement in contrast / front light.
I must admit I have no hope concerning the (lack of) speed of the device itself.

[mezzanine]

If Kobo historically offered previous gen devices at significant discounts following new releases, Id be more enthusiastic about picking up a cheaper but still new Forma than the Sage, which would give my disappointment with the new generation a silver lining.

It doesnt make much business sense why they would do so, though, which is why Im not holding my breath. If they discounted the KA1 significantly after the Forma was released, there might be hope yet, but I dont recall them doing so. The flagship readers are so niche and the tech changes so slowly that theyre well protected from the depreciation common to other electronic devices like phones or tablets.

[mezzanine]

Those of us who hope to do consumer research based on the availability of a large sample of users who decide to buy the Sage while owning the Forma might be in for a disappointment. I cant imagine a whole lot of folks who already own the Forma deeming it good value to upgrade to the Sage. God knows most of the youtubers will be utterly useless with their comparison reviews.

It will probably boil down to the degree of light uniformity across the screen as the single biggest factor for my own evaluation.

[rogerinnyc]

Recessed screen on the new Libra 2 kills my interest. Will stick with my light and reliable Forma (sorry to miss USB-C though)

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by issybird

So what? What difference does it make? It’s entertainment. I don’t think listening to audiobooks is reading either, but I enjoy them. As with most things, it has advantages and disadvantages compared to reading and there’s no reason why you can’t do both, choosing the option that best fits the situation. And the bottom line is that you’ve still absorbed the content.

Just stating my personal take on it. For me, reading is reading, listening is something else. If I listened to a book I would also want to read along. I can pick up more when I visually see the words. And also, I usually read at night and I like the quiet. If I'm going to listen to something (which would require headphones) I could just as well watch a movie. This is no way a judgment on anyone else or their preferences, just the way I (personally) look at it.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Just stating my personal take on it. For me, reading is reading, listening is something else. If I listened to a book I would also want to read along. I can pick up more when I visually see the words. And also, I usually read at night and I like the quiet. If I'm going to listen to something (which would require headphones) I could just as well watch a movie. This is no way a judgment on anyone else or their preferences, just the way I (personally) look at it.

Im a fan of audiobooks and enjoy listening to speeches and discussions on youtube, but you are right when you observe reading is a qualitatively different experience than listening. Theres a reason why oral cultures gave way to literacy when writing evolved.

Neil Postman wrote about the cultural changes that occur moving from an oral to a print based culture in a couple of books (technopoly and amusing ourselves to death).

Reading is something unique and valuable that cant be replicated by listening to the same material for reasons hardwired into our biology. Another popular book exploring this theme is The Shallows- what the internet is doing to our brains.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Those of us who hope to do consumer research based on the availability of a large sample of users who decide to buy the Sage while owning the Forma might be in for a disappointment. I cant imagine a whole lot of folks who already own the Forma deeming it good value to upgrade to the Sage. God knows most of the youtubers will be utterly useless with their comparison reviews.

What!!! Miss adding the Sage to my ereader collection just because I also own a Forma and quite a few other Kobo ereaders going back to the original? Nice to see Bluetooth making a comeback.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by DNSB

What!!! Miss adding the Sage to my ereader collection just because I also own a Forma and quite a few other Kobo ereaders going back to the original? Nice to see Bluetooth making a comeback.

Im starting to think Im becoming too neurotic about the virtues of different ereaders and budgeting and should just follow your lead and splurge guiltlessly.

Ereaders are very easy to rationalize compared to most consumer products I obsess over. Ive been on a kick recently to be more disciplined and responsible with my spending otherwise I wouldnt be negotiating with myself like this.

Id been waiting patiently for the next generation of high end kobos and am bummed that there isnt an obvious move forward like with the Forma because it will probably be at least another couple years before we get another flagship, which means probably 5-6 years stuck with essentially the same device.

Looks like weve hit a stagnation wall with the tech since carta and temperature adjustment. Something similar happened with desktop cpus during the 2010s.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

And TBH it's a few grams heavier, you'll notice if you switch from a forma for the first week or two, but after that not so much and decreasingly less and less.

A fair bit heavier, not just a few grams; plus the weight of a cover that I wouldn't use a glass-substrate device without. That's a LOT more for someone who has disabilities that affect their hands.

So no, given that I currently notice the weight of my H2O pretty much all the time, I don't think I would somehow stop noticing the weight of this device.

I'm super disappointed in this announcement. There I was hoping they'd expand their flexible-substrate offerings down into the Libra size range, not abandon them altogether.

Don't know what I'll do next.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Im a fan of audiobooks and enjoy listening to speeches and discussions on youtube, but you are right when you observe reading is a qualitatively different experience than listening. Theres a reason why oral cultures gave way to literacy when writing evolved.

Oral cultures did what now? You know that verbal storytelling still exists, right?

I'm so sick of the "audiobooks aren't real books" carry-on. We've done it to death here. People who are still proud of their text decoding ability need to grow up.

[Josieb1]

I only recently bought the Forma, which I love, but I am a very tempted by the Sage, not enough to pre order though, I’ll wait for reviews first. Everything hinges on the screen for me. Plus I’d want third party covers. I don’t like the Kobo cover in style or colour, plus I hate pale grey interiors, they just get dirty and look grubby quickly.

[anacreon]

I recently gave my Forma to a friend: I had only used it to read PDFs and Elipsa is way better for that. I also discovered that despite my very arthritic and painful hands, I can read on the Elipsa for hours on end, so the Sage shouldn't be a problem. The Elipsa also has a very good screen, much better than the annoyingly yellowish Libra (it is my second Libra, since the first had become even yellower with time and Fnac exchanged it for me). And the Libra has only 8 Gb storage so I can't put all my reference library on it. But Libra is the right size/weight on the go.
I'm considering buying the Sage because I miss buttons on Elipsa, and I'd like the 300 dpi. Having 32 GB memory means I don't have to limit myself. I just need seeing the first reliable reviews - I would like a comparison of Elipsa and Sage screens as well.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Im starting to think Im becoming too neurotic about the virtues of different ereaders and budgeting and should just follow your lead and splurge guiltlessly.

You can try my method. When my wife asks, "Why do you need another ereader?" The answer is, "It's for you, I'm just testing it for you." It worked for the Aura ONE and Forma. The only change this time is that I have mentioned it ahead of time with the word "audiobook". I'm not sure how long she will let me "test" it.

[cerem0ny]

I kind of want one! I might have to break my ‘no more Kobos ever’ promise! But I will wait for reviews. I am not going through the exchange of 8 devices again to get one with a normal looking screen.