Libra 2 Kobo Libra 2 first impressions

[martinot]

Originally Posted by omro

I hate to say it, but I really don't like the buttons very much. They are small, stiff and placed too close to the edge to be much use with my thumb where I naturally hold the Kobo. The buttons need to be twice the height and width to be any real use for me. I often end up having to shimmy my thumb to press the button.

I love the page turn buttons on my Forma (but hate the power button), and would not like to be without them. But looking a images of the Libra 2 they seems to be strangly placed much closer to the edge of the device.

Have you tried the Forma and compared it with the Libra 2 buttons?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by martinot

I love the page turn buttons on my Forma (but hate the power button), and would not like to be without them. But looking a images of the Libra 2 they seems to be strangly placed much closer to the edge of the device.

Have you tried the Forma and compared it with the Libra 2 buttons?

The Libra 1 buttons are certainly better than the Libra 2 buttons (I haven't tried the Forma, but its buttons seem similar to the Libra 1)

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Libra 1 buttons are certainly better than the Libra 2 buttons (I haven't tried the Forma, but its buttons seem similar to the Libra 1)

Interesting, but I disagree. Perhaps it's the difference in hand size.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Skydog

Interesting, but I disagree. Perhaps it's the difference in hand size.

That and the way people hold their devices, which can vary pretty wildly.

[Barty]

I think the problem with buttons on these newer e-readers is the designers are so deathly afraid of people complaining about accidental presses they go out of the way to make them way too hard to press. Page turn buttons on e-readers should be easy to press often and casually, not stiff and hard to press by accident like volume rockers on phones. Defeats the whole point of having page turn buttons.

[polymerwitch]

I really like the buttons on the Libra 2. Being so far to the side, there is plenty of space to rest my thumb next to them, then I just sort of roll it slightly to the side to press the button. I hold it toward the bottom so I just press the bottom of the button where it is easy to press. I have noticed the buttons don't actuate on the side near the middle of the device, only on the outside. So, it is harder to press if I try to click higher up, but at the bottom I barely have to nudge it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by polymerwitch

I really like the buttons on the Libra 2. Being so far to the side, there is plenty of space to rest my thumb next to them, then I just sort of roll it slightly to the side to press the button. I hold it toward the bottom so I just press the bottom of the button where it is easy to press. I have noticed the buttons don't actuate on the side near the middle of the device, only on the outside. So, it is harder to press if I try to click higher up, but at the bottom I barely have to nudge it.

Yes, the Libra 2 buttons are better in that regard than the Sage buttons, which are stiffer all over.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Libra 1 buttons are certainly better than the Libra 2 buttons (I haven't tried the Forma, but its buttons seem similar to the Libra 1)

I have to ask, why have people suddenly started to refer to the the Libra H2O as the Libra 1? This seems to have only started with the release of the Libra 2. I mean, if you are going to qualify the name, why not actually use the correct name?

Honestly, using the wrong name does confuse things. There is no actual "Libra 1", so I have to think about what you mean. It is the same with the various devices called "Aura". They need the full name so we know what the actual devices is. Using the example suggested here by renaming the Libra H2O as "Libra 1", then the "Aura HD" renamed as "Aura 1". But, that would be confusing as there is an "Aura ONE" that people do occasionally use "Aura 1" or "KA1" or even "A1". But, I have also seen the "Aura" (the 6" device that was the second device with "Aura" in it's name) as "Aura Edition 1" and have dropped the "Edition" from this and the "Aura Edition 2".

Is this me being pedantic? Probably. But, communication is hard enough that deliberately using the wrong names for things is just going to add to the confusion.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I have to ask, why have people suddenly started to refer to the the Libra H2O as the Libra 1

Is this me being pedantic? Probably. But, communication is hard enough that deliberately using the wrong names for things is just going to add to the confusion.

I agree, which is why I still refer to my Libra H2O as my Libra H2O. Although now that my Sage case is on its way I'll soon be referring to it as my wife's Libra H2O

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I agree, which is why I still refer to my Libra H2O as my Libra H2O. Although now that my Sage case is on its way I'll soon be referring to it as my wife's Libra H2O

My wife pointed out to me yesterday that I was still referring to her Sage as my Sage. It is a shame that as she is visiting her mother for little while, that I won't be able to fix that problem.

[matrim]

Originally Posted by Barty

I think the problem with buttons on these newer e-readers is the designers are so deathly afraid of people complaining about accidental presses they go out of the way to make them way too hard to press. Page turn buttons on e-readers should be easy to press often and casually, not stiff and hard to press by accident like volume rockers on phones. Defeats the whole point of having page turn buttons.

Couldn't agree more. When I first received my Forma I tried the buttons on it a couple of times and found it rather uncomfortable. The effort you put in pressing the button is way more harder than touching the screen. For me it's just impractical to use the buttons in long term reading.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I have to ask, why have people suddenly started to refer to the the Libra H2O as the Libra 1? This seems to have only started with the release of the Libra 2. I mean, if you are going to qualify the name, why not actually use the correct name?

Honestly, using the wrong name does confuse things. There is no actual "Libra 1", so I have to think about what you mean. It is the same with the various devices called "Aura". They need the full name so we know what the actual devices is. Using the example suggested here by renaming the Libra H2O as "Libra 1", then the "Aura HD" renamed as "Aura 1". But, that would be confusing as there is an "Aura ONE" that people do occasionally use "Aura 1" or "KA1" or even "A1". But, I have also seen the "Aura" (the 6" device that was the second device with "Aura" in it's name) as "Aura Edition 1" and have dropped the "Edition" from this and the "Aura Edition 2".

Is this me being pedantic? Probably. But, communication is hard enough that deliberately using the wrong names for things is just going to add to the confusion.

Simple. Libra 1 can be typed faster than Libra H2O. And no one seems to have had any issues with understanding what was meant. Given that there have been only two Libras so far.

It's not my fault that companies decide to let more than one device have the same name, or almost the same name. Of course Amazon is even worse with their generations of Paperwhites, Oases and just Kindles.

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Barty

I think the problem with buttons on these newer e-readers is the designers are so deathly afraid of people complaining about accidental presses they go out of the way to make them way too hard to press. Page turn buttons on e-readers should be easy to press often and casually, not stiff and hard to press by accident like volume rockers on phones. Defeats the whole point of having page turn buttons.

That is exactly why I love the page turn buttons on the Forma. Easy and comfortable to press without any effort. Really great buttons!

However the power button on the Forma is hard like hell...

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The Libra 1 buttons are certainly better than the Libra 2 buttons (I haven't tried the Forma, but its buttons seem similar to the Libra 1)

Ok. The Forma page turn buttons are great!

Much more so than the Libra H20 buttons (which I find average, and so-so).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Barty

But from what I've gathered, the first really even screen Kobo has made is the Libra 2, and it's sunken. I still suspect it is harder/costlier to make the light even with a flush design. Otherwise, previous paperwhite versions would've had a flush design to begin with.

Sorry, but the Libra 2 is not the first really even screen. I cannot say about the screens of earlier Kobo, but the Kobo Aura H2O has a really even screen. It's very clear and the light is very even.

As for flush screens, GoodEReader, in their comparison video of the PW5 and Libra 2 mentioned the shadows that the PW5 has because of the flush screen.