Two new Netronix Devices

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Steven Karp

Speaking from the other side of the Great Divide, I guess. I want a new 6" reader because it fits in my pocket, is comfortable to read in bed, and doesn't (presumably) have physical buttons--I find those to be a significant point of failure.

My poor Clara HD's battery is on its last legs. I tried the Clara Colour and found it perfectly fine for my needs, except for the miserly 16GB storage. I'm hoping these "new" devices include a storage bump in addition to the battery bump, but are otherwise unchanged.

You should NEVER put a Reader in your pocket. That said, a 7" Reader can be very portable. My Libra 2 is very portable. Also, it's very easy to hold while reading in bed. The buttons, while useless, are easily able to be ignored. I find a 6" reader a bit small.

[DNSB]

My iPhone Max Pro has a screen area of 17.05 square inches while my Clara HD has a screen area of 17.25 square inches. Some of Samsung's larger 6.8"+ screens and their foldables have a larger screen area than the Clara HD. By contrast, my Kobo Sage has 30.72 square inches of screen area.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Apollyon202

I get that they want to keep that book-like feel with the tablet form factor, but since phones now average over 6", it’d be more practical if Clara devices switched to the Palma-style form factor and left the tablet-like design behind.

No thank you. It might be easier to carry, but I don't like those short lines. I like the screen width of traditional eReaders. And if there is going to be a smaller eReader, I would rather it be a modernized version of the Kobo Mini or Sony PRS-350.

[RobertJSawyer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You should NEVER put a Reader in your pocket.

Hi, Jon. I often put my Clara 2E in my jeans pocket. Now, yes, one could argue that it's at a slight risk of damage because of that, but to me it's an acceptable risk. If one really wanted to reduce all possibility of damage to the unit, one would never pick it up at all. By taking it with me this way, I get a lot more use out of it. If it breaks — which it hasn't, despite almost four years of using it this way — I'll buy a new one.

Perhaps what you meant to say was "I NEVER put a Reader in my pocket," rather than issuing a Kantian categorical imperative.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

Hi, Jon. I often put my Clara 2E in my jeans pocket. Now, yes, one could argue that it's at a slight risk of damage because of that, but to me it's an acceptable risk. If one really wanted to reduce all possibility of damage to the unit, one would never pick it up at all. By taking it with me this way, I get a lot more use out of it. If it breaks — which it hasn't, despite almost four years of using it this way — I'll buy a new one.

Perhaps what you meant to say was "I NEVER put a Reader in my pocket," rather than issuing a Kantian categorical imperative.

Your lucky. If yours breaks you can get a Clara BW. If mine breaks, I'm screwed as it's a Libra 2.

[xor_]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Your lucky. If yours breaks you can get a Clara BW. If mine breaks, I'm screwed as it's a Libra 2.

I really don't want to think about the size of jeans pocket required for a Libra 2.

[Cactus Chef]

eReader in a jeans pocket is a silly risk. But I will concur that a 6" reader fits nicely in my coat's breast-pocket, while I don't think a 7" or 8" reader would. So there is good reason to have one on-hand for day travels.

[DNSB]

Since I very often wear cargo shorts, my Sage in it's cover fits into the larger pockets with ease.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

eReader in a jeans pocket is a silly risk. But I will concur that a 6" reader fits nicely in my coat's breast-pocket, while I don't think a 7" or 8" reader would. So there is good reason to have one on-hand for day travels.

I'm hoping that Kobo will come out with a new 7" BW Reader with the form factor of the Aura H2O. That might fit in a pocket But I don't recommend a Reader in a pocket.

[kandwo]

They should release a new Mini. That'd be readily pocketable!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kandwo

They should release a new Mini. That'd be readily pocketable!

But not until after a new Libra 2 without color.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But not until after a new Libra 2 without color.

I don't know what's stopping them from releasing a fully up-to-date line of readers at once:

Kobo mini 2
Libra 3
Sage 2
Elipsa 3

All using the latest Carta 1300.

But Kobo is super slow releasing new devices. They just don't want our money. And no, it doesn't seem like a "we analyzed the market, and there isn't enough interest in these devices" kind of situation since the CEO himself writes that the mini is a "beloved" model. And we know from people writing both here and on Reddit that the Libra 3/BW would sell well (also backed up by the Libra 2 selling out quickly).

The Sage and Elipsa are possibly models that don't sell that well. But they are also sub-par and shouldn't sell well. The Sage has bad battery life and buggy page turn buttons; the Elipsa has sub-300 PPI and is much worse than the competition when it comes to writing and note taking.

[Steven Karp]

Originally Posted by Semwize

Why do you need more on a 6″ device? Manga and pdf are inconvenient to read there, the screen is too small. Just wondering.

No manga, no pdf, just a heck of a lot of kepubs--per Calibre, about 6600 titles. I like to keep my entire collection on the reader, and when I tried loading it on a Clara Colour, I ran out of space about 500 books before the end of the collection.

So, to allow for future growth, I really want at least 32GB or some kind of expandable storage.

As for the pocket issue: in my case, I mostly tuck it in my jacket pocket or the handy pocket on my lunch bag. In both cases, it fits perfectly; a 7 incher wouldn't. (Although I'll admit to tucking it in the back pocket of my pants occasionally, I try to keep that to a minimum so I don't risk sitting on it.)

[Moonbase59]

7″ BW is the definite "sweet spot" for me, too. Had a Tolino Vision 5 for some years, and now switched to a Pocketbook Era (not color). It’s about the size of a paperback, an acceptable size for my old eyes, nice for outdoor (cargo shorts!), travel, reading in the tub or bed.

[talaivan]

Originally Posted by kandwo

I don't know what's stopping them from releasing a fully up-to-date line of readers at once:

the Elipsa has sub-300 PPI and is much worse than the competition when it comes to writing and note taking.

I use the newer Elipsa all the time and like it, though I don't use it for writing or note taking (an iPad is much better than any eInk device for these things). I had a Kindle Scribe, which does have 300 PPI, but I find the Elipsa is easier to read and clearer. In dark mode, the Scribe is very hard to read. I also have a Colour Libra, which I like. I am dubious that it would be any better without the color.