Two new Netronix Devices

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kandwo

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.

As soon as word got out that the Libra 2 was being discontinued, it sold out very quickly. That should have told Kobo that we want a new 7" Reader that BW and not color. I don't want a Kaleido overlay that spoils the reading experience for me.

I agree that all the older Kobo need updating with a better processor and a much better battery. However, I'm willing to wait until 2027 (after February) so they will have user replaceable batteries per EU law.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by talaivan

I also have a Colour Libra, which I like. I am dubious that it would be any better without the color.

If you compare them side by side, the Libra 2 with black on white text is slightly sharper than the Libra Colour (I set the front light to give about the same white level). OTOH, I prefer my Sage for it's larger screen—these old eyes prefer larger font sizes. On yet another hand, my two granddaughters prefer the Clara Colour to a Clara HD since their books are image based.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As soon as word got out that the Libra 2 was being discontinued, it sold out very quickly. That should have told Kobo that we want a new 7" Reader that BW and not color. I don't want a Kaleido overlay that spoils the reading experience for me.

Oddly, here several of the Chapters/Indigo/Coles stores had stock on Libra 2s for a couple of months after the Libra Colour was released. There was no rush to purchase them.

[PHughes]

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.

I agree, so you aren't alone. I honestly think there are a lot of people who appreciate the 6 inch readers. As you said, it fits in a pocket.

I had the original H2O, and liked it, but not as much as my previous, smaller reader. It really didn't fit in a back pocket well, though I could cram it in some pants, it took up more room in my bag, I travel internationally for work, and sometimes space in the bag is at a premium, and it was heavier to hold while reading in bed. Did I like it? Yes. Did I like it as much as a smaller reader? No.

I accidentally closed the back hatch of my car on the H2O and broke the screen. I was really bummed, but I replaced it with the Clara HD, and I loved it. I didn't realize until then how much I liked the smaller format reader. The only thing I missed was the waterproofing. That wasn't a huge issue though.

My HD finally bricked one day, it was stuck in a boot up loop. I thought of fixing it, but because it was also prone to erratic battery life, I replaced it with the Clara BW. Great upgrade. It is waterproof, it does not suffer from the flaky battery life issues the old one exhibited, and it is faster. It does seem as if I need more backlight in some situations than the HD, but that is a very minor point. The Clara BW goes everywhere with me.

I think overall there is a big market for the smaller readers. I appreciate the fact they did add buttons on one side, which would make the reader wider, making it more difficult to fit in a pocket. The form factor of a six inch reader is very user friendly. I understand the love for larger readers, and one day perhaps I'll have one if I ever feel the need for a large screen, for PDF files and the like, but for general reading, I'll stick with a six inch model.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by PHughes

I agree, so you aren't alone. I honestly think there are a lot of people who appreciate the 6 inch readers. As you said, it fits in a pocket.

I had the original H2O, and liked it, but not as much as my previous, smaller reader. It really didn't fit in a back pocket well, though I could cram it in some pants, it took up more room in my bag, I travel internationally for work, and sometimes space in the bag is at a premium, and it was heavier to hold while reading in bed. Did I like it? Yes. Did I like it as much as a smaller reader? No.

I accidentally closed the back hatch of my car on the H2O and broke the screen. I was really bummed, but I replaced it with the Clara HD, and I loved it. I didn't realize until then how much I liked the smaller format reader. The only thing I missed was the waterproofing. That wasn't a huge issue though.

My HD finally bricked one day, it was stuck in a boot up loop. I thought of fixing it, but because it was also prone to erratic battery life, I replaced it with the Clara BW. Great upgrade. It is waterproof, it does not suffer from the flaky battery life issues the old one exhibited, and it is faster. It does seem as if I need more backlight in some situations than the HD, but that is a very minor point. The Clara BW goes everywhere with me.

I think overall there is a big market for the smaller readers. I appreciate the fact they did add buttons on one side, which would make the reader wider, making it more difficult to fit in a pocket. The form factor of a six inch reader is very user friendly. I understand the love for larger readers, and one day perhaps I'll have one if I ever feel the need for a large screen, for PDF files and the like, but for general reading, I'll stick with a six inch model.

I would never ever put a Reader in a pocket. That's a good way to get it broken. When I bought the Aura H2) at 6.8", I rather liked the extra screen space. 6" now seems small.

The market is there for larger Readers. Some like a larger font size and depending on how large, a larger screen could do much better.

In my bag, the space for my Libra 2 is the same space if I was take a 6" Reader. I'd still have no room for anything else.

[Sirtel]

I don't want to read on a 6" screen ever again. It's only 7-8" for me.

[John F]

I'll most likely stick with 6" for a while. Once my corrected eyesight gets worse, I may switch to a larger reader.

And, I carry my ereader in my pants pocket, sometimes in my pants back pocket. I have yet to have a screen break.

[cellaris]

Although I have no problem with any size, I tend to use the ones at the extremes more often. At home, I prefer to use 10" e-readers (the Kobo Elipsa 2E has a beautiful screen with fantastic lighting), and outside the home, I prefer to use 6" e-readers (I think the Clara BW is a very good option for Kobo lovers). I don't dislike the intermediate sizes (7" and 8"), but I find them less useful for the different situations in which I read. The 6" offers me greater portability, lower weight and a more affordable price. And the 10" expands the reading possibilities: more text, 2-column display option and other formats (CBZ, PDF). I find the combination of both very practical. But I don't think there is an "ideal" e-reader size for everyone. Everyone uses the size they feel most comfortable with.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by cellaris

Although I have no problem with any size, I tend to use the ones at the extremes more often. At home, I prefer to use 10" e-readers (the Kobo Elipsa 2E has a beautiful screen with fantastic lighting), and outside the home, I prefer to use 6" e-readers (I think the Clara BW is a very good option for Kobo lovers). I don't dislike the intermediate sizes (7" and 8"), but I find them less useful for the different situations in which I read. The 6" offers me greater portability, lower weight and a more affordable price. And the 10" expands the reading possibilities: more text, 2-column display option and other formats (CBZ, PDF). I find the combination of both very practical. But I don't think there is an "ideal" e-reader size for everyone. Everyone uses the size they feel most comfortable with.

I like reading using 7" at home and usually bring my Libra 2 with me when traveling. When I'm out and about I use my e-ink smartphone to read, and when I'm too lazy to pick up a bigger reader I use a Palma to read at home, too. I also use the Palma to read in bed since it's so small and lightweight.

My 10" reader gets used mostly for manga and the 13" for note taking and work related PDFs.

I'd love to have a traditional 6" reader with page turn buttons, but they don't come in white or with Carta 1200/1300.

[cgsmom]

Originally Posted by kandwo

I like reading using 7" at home and usually bring my Libra 2 with me when traveling. When I'm out and about I use my e-ink smartphone to read, and when I'm too lazy to pick up a bigger reader I use a Palma to read at home, too. I also use the Palma to read in bed since it's so small and lightweight.

My 10" reader gets used mostly for manga and the 13" for note taking and work related PDFs.

I'd love to have a traditional 6" reader with page turn buttons, but they don't come in white or with Carta 1200/1300.

The only 6" reader that I know of with page turn buttons is the Nook Glowlight 4. I have one and I like it fine, but I'm used to BN lousy software. It happens to be on sale right now.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Kobo is really letting us down. They have no devices I can recommend to anyone.

Well, they may not be scratching your itch, but I can’t recommend the Kobo Libra Colour enough. Yes, I absolutely love the eInk color screen, even with its flaws. The KLC is one of the best Kobos I’ve had, though I dearly miss my Kobo Aura One LE.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Apollyon202

From 2027, removable batteries will be mandatory in handheld devices in the EU.
Probably they will redesign all the upcoming models to suit the new law. Let's face it, despite the ifixit stuff and because of the goo inside, even a battery swap is a nightmare.

More than a decade ago you could have waterproof phones with swappable batteries. What we have today is very anti-consumer in all ways.

Hopefully this wil change in the upcoming years.

Prying out glued batteries with dental floss and a spunger isn’t my idea of fun, though I’ve successfully done it. I’d love to see replaceable batteries one day.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Well, they may not be scratching your itch, but I can’t recommend the Kobo Libra Colour enough. Yes, I absolutely love the eInk color screen, even with its flaws. The KLC is one of the best Kobos I’ve had, though I dearly miss my Kobo Aura One LE.

Color is useless if you never read any content with color on your ereader. If I did, I'd consider the Libra Colour, but I don't. All my ebooks are black and white, I don't read comics or books with color pictures on my Kobos. I don't highlight or take notes either. So the screen of the Libra Colour has only disadvantages for me.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The phone aspect ratio is like reading a newspaper column, not a book. By all means have a portable eink too, but most eink are 3:4 aspect and most tablets are 16:9 aspect (though 16:10, 4:3 and 3:2 exist).

Although I do agree with you about the phone aspect ratio, and I much prefer the tablet format of ereaders & the iPad, you can get used to it. I’ve read quite a number of books on my iPhone from the first gen in 2007 all the way to the iPhone 15 Pro. In fact, I’ve read seven books this year on my iPhone. Not all readers are created equal, which might affect your enjoyment, but the reading experience with Apple Books, Kobo, and even QuickReader for speed reading is pleasant.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Color is useless if you never read any content with color on your ereader. If I did, I'd consider the Libra Colour, but I don't. All my ebooks are black and white, I don't read comics or books with color pictures on my Kobos. I don't highlight or take notes either. So the screen of the Libra Colour has only disadvantages for me.

Yes. And most non-comic colour content needs a better screen than Kaleido or any eink colour. More than ten times poorer than old high color CRT PC.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Oddly, here several of the Chapters/Indigo/Coles stores had stock on Libra 2s for a couple of months after the Libra Colour was released. There was no rush to purchase them.

If they had put them up for sale on Amazon (in the U.S. anyhow) they wouldn't have been around for long. People were having trouble getting Libra 2s even before the Libra Colour was released (again, in the U.S., can't speak for other countries).