Any new Kobos coming out this year?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Nope. No buttons, awful ergonomics.

Nice ergonomics and no buttons are all a plus.

[Yapyap]

Buttons are good.

I figured that with a 10’’ device, especially since at least one of the apps I intend to use doesn’t recognise any buttons for page turns at all, I can do without buttons, but it’s been so damn cold at home the last few evenings that moving my hand out from under the blanket every time I needed to turn the page was annoying, LOL. (I have a 8bitdo Micro on order. Can see if I will manage to get that working…)

For anything below 10’’, I’d definitely NOT want a device without buttons though.

Choice is good. But I do get that e-readers are still a relatively niche thing so I guess offering all sizes with and without buttons, BW and colour, might be too much for any company to be commercially useful...

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Nice ergonomics and no buttons are all a plus.

You can ignore buttons, but a major issue if you need them and they don't exist. I use the volume buttons on phones and big android tablets, so don't use an app that doesn't support them.

[nana77]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You can ignore buttons, but a major issue if you need them and they don't exist. I use the volume buttons on phones and big android tablets, so don't use an app that doesn't support them.

I was to guess if having a stylus can repleace them, also having it at hand for highlights won't be bad, specially for the ones with gross fingers.
I do prefer buttons, btw, I was just wondering if the pen can repleace them.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by nana77

I was to guess if having a stylus can repleace them, also having it at hand for highlights won't be bad, specially for the ones with gross fingers.
I do prefer buttons, btw, I was just wondering if the pen can repleace them.

IMO, a stylus and buttons do very different tasks and are not a replacement for each other. Yes, I can turn pages with a Kobo stylus (the only one I've tested this with), but having to hold the stylus all the time is painful compared to tapping on a button or even swiping with a finger or thumb.

[PHughes]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You can ignore buttons, but a major issue if you need them and they don't exist. I use the volume buttons on phones and big android tablets, so don't use an app that doesn't support them.

Sure, you can ignore buttons with respect to using them, or not, but you cannot ignore the space they take, when one is looking for a compact reader. I liked my H20, with no buttons, the screen was a good size, and the reader was still fairly compact, and I could slip it in the back pocket. It was borderline for me with respect to overall size. I was traveling internationally weekly, and space was at a premium for me, and I wanted the reader to fit in a pocket so I could take it with me easily when I wasn't carrying a bag. The addition of buttons on the side, adds width that makes it just over the acceptable width, for me. Others of course have different preferences and needs.

The Libra Colour would be fantastic, as it is has a slightly bigger screen than the Aura H20, and yet is shorter than the H20, thinner, and has the potential to be shorter in width than the H20, but it's not, its a little over a half inch, or 1.56 cm wider, because of the buttons. I would have bought one in a heartbeat had they left the buttons off. I wouldn't mind them if they were on the bottom, and didn't contribute to added width, but at the same time I prefer the most compact form possible, so I prefer no buttons.

To me, and once again my preference, is that buttons are superfluous on a reader with a touch screen. I use the screen as a button, you don't have to swipe, you can simply tap, to turn the page.

I am amazed at how Kobo made the Libra Colour so compact, even with the buttons, but I own the Clara BW, even with my old eyes, because I value the compactness it brings to the table.

And before the one I know who will comment on this, Yes, I know you don't think you should carry the reader in a back pocket, but I do, and have since my original Sony readers many years ago. I can carry it to a restaurant without carrying a bag, or holding it in my hand. I have never damaged one carrying it that way. It works for me. I truly hope one day Kobo will come out with a reader with a 7 inch screen like the Libra, sans buttons. Until then, I will stick to the smaller screen.

[JSWolf]

It depends where the buttons are. The best Reader I've ever seen with buttons is the Sony Reader PRS-T1. The buttons were under the screen. So they were not in the way at all.

Sometimes buttons can be in the way depending where they are and how you hold the Reader.

[nana77]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Mobius screens don't have better contrast. When the Sage came out, several reviewers compared it to the Forma and said that the Forma had noticeably worse contrast.

Mobius screens make the device lighter. They don't improve screen contrast or readability.

If you would like, this article seems pretty nice about: https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...-with-no-glass

And I was wrong, as by using a stylus it can be that it needs to add an extra layer (in the case of Wacom?).

Exposed plastic e-paper screens are superior for reading, as the lack of glass means you won’t have reflections from overhead lighting or the sun. Text tends to look better, since the e-paper screens have fewer barriers between the screen and your eyes.

If you’re looking for a device with a plastic screen, with no glass, here’s a comprehensive list.

    Kobo Clara
    Kobo Clara BW
    Kobo Clara Colour
    Kobo Libra
    Kobo Libra 2
    Barnes and Noble Glowlight 4
    Pocketbook Verse Pro
    Pocketbook Verse Lite
    Pocketbook Verse Color
    Pocketbook InkPad X
    Kindle Basic 2024
    Onyx BOOX Go 7 Color (White model only)
    Supernote Manta
    Fujitsu Quaderno Gen 3 A4 and A5
    Tolino Shine 2024
    Tolino Shine Color
    Tolino Vision Color
    Viwoods AiPaper
    Hyread Gaze Pro Note C

The article is from 2025, and probably the Inkpad One and the Color Note also are no glass.

The note @6:55 about physical buttons like "old scool's" A and B, angled, is nice, also (but imho again):

Spoiler:

[PHughes]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It depends where the buttons are. The best Reader I've ever seen with buttons is the Sony Reader PRS-T1. The buttons were under the screen. So they were not in the way at all.

Sometimes buttons can be in the way depending where they are and how you hold the Reader.

I agree. If the buttons were on the bottom, as on my old Sony Readers, then I would not mind them as much. I still have my PRS-300, and my PRS-350. They had the buttons on the bottom. The PRS-350 was a big update with respect to the buttons, gone was the large circular navigation button, though the circular button did work well. It also added a touch screen.

[MGlitch]

I think Kobo could either nearly halve or maybe even more than halve the button wedge of the Libra series and it’d check off a lot of people’s wants. The wedge as it is now isn’t that wide because they want it to be comfortable for your thumb I’d wager most people don’t have a thumb wide enough to require the whole space. That’s not saying you can’t take the whole space but look at what you actually need to hold it and hit the buttons. The wedge is that wide because of the board inside which can easily be moved to the main body of the ereader with lines out to the buttons which would then be on a much slimmer board.

If you look for an image of the internal space of a Libra 2 (and I presume it’s similar/the same for the color) the main body is basically the screen and the battery with empty space above and below. Shift the battery slightly lower, move the board from the wedge above the battery, reduce the wedge by half. You’ll have a better grip on the ereader regardless of your hand size because you’ll be able to get more of your hand across the back of the device. It’ll also be lighter overall (though I’ll grant not a massive amount) because they removed however much material for the wedge.

A 7” device with slim profile overall, still having buttons but not ones that take up a lot of space. It’d also shave off some of the weight.

I don’t think it would match the Aura H2O for width but would be a lot closer and have the benefit of buttons.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by nana77

If you would like, this article seems pretty nice about: https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...-with-no-glass

And I was wrong, as by using a stylus it can be that it needs to add an extra layer (in the case of Wacom?).

I don't agree that text looks better with plastic screens. I've used a lot of different ereaders, with both glass and plastic screens, and there have been glass screens with good contrast and plastic screens with relatively poor contrast.

That said, I don't read in direct sunlight or directly under overhead lights. I also always have the device frontlight on.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I think Kobo could either nearly halve or maybe even more than halve the button wedge of the Libra series and it’d check off a lot of people’s wants. The wedge as it is now isn’t that wide because they want it to be comfortable for your thumb I’d wager most people don’t have a thumb wide enough to require the whole space. That’s not saying you can’t take the whole space but look at what you actually need to hold it and hit the buttons. The wedge is that wide because of the board inside which can easily be moved to the main body of the ereader with lines out to the buttons which would then be on a much slimmer board.

If you look for an image of the internal space of a Libra 2 (and I presume it’s similar/the same for the color) the main body is basically the screen and the battery with empty space above and below. Shift the battery slightly lower, move the board from the wedge above the battery, reduce the wedge by half. You’ll have a better grip on the ereader regardless of your hand size because you’ll be able to get more of your hand across the back of the device. It’ll also be lighter overall (though I’ll grant not a massive amount) because they removed however much material for the wedge.

A 7” device with slim profile overall, still having buttons but not ones that take up a lot of space. It’d also shave off some of the weight.

I don’t think it would match the Aura H2O for width but would be a lot closer and have the benefit of buttons.

I love the wide side bezel. If it were much slimmer, my thumb would slid onto the screen all the time and the device would be much harder to hold. The current shape with the wide edge and buttons is the best fit for me. I hate slim bezels, they make the device very hard to hold for me.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, if worse comes to worst and my current readers give up the ghost with no new 7-8" devices from Kobo, I'll probably buy a Boox. Perhaps install KOReader on it. Not a Pocketbook, as their ereaders often have poor contrast compared to other brands, and are rumored to be slow (I'd be glad to be wrong, here). Plus the English dictionary Pocketbooks use is hopelessly outdated (from 1913!), while you can presumably install any Android dictionary on a Boox. The Pocketbook native reader also doesn't have font weight adjustment, while the Boox native reader does.

But I do hope Kobo will get off their collective ass and do something. The current situation isn't good for a lot of people.

I agree with you. The Onyx Boox Go 7 is probably the most comprehensive option available at the moment (not counting the Kindle Paperwhite, of course). Let’s see how the new PocketBook Era Lite performs; it comes with a Carta 1300 display, and I imagine KOReader will be available for it soon as well.

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The Nxtpaper is far superior to color eink for colour content.

Mono eink, even 227 dpi, is superior to the color eink for mono content. I've not a single actual reflowable novel that needs colour. The Last Hero is colour with text and is fixed layout, so needs a large screen. Some images are across two pages so it works well on the 14.25″ TCL Nxtpaper 14 using Pocketbook.

I have a Nxtpaper 40 & 50 (phones) and 11 & 14 Tablets. All have good enough battery life and though I'd never read in direct sunlight, they do work in that situation (auto brightness). I use them about 9% to 17% manual brightness indoors with all the epaper simulation off. Best in sRGB mode.

I'd use the Nxtpaper 50 outdoors now instead of the Sony PRS-350. The Sage is my favourite for novels and the original Libra for reading out loud due to the more reliable buttons than Libra 2 or Sage.

I gave away the Elipsa and the reMarkable, but it came back when the owner got a Sage. She hated the reMarkable.

I've seen 3 different Color eink models in person and they were far worse than web page photos or videos.

The problem is that Nxtpaper devices are not e-readers. And monochrome e-readers do not display colour. Anyone looking for a colour e-reader will ultimately have to settle for Kaleido 3 or Gallery 3 (which also has its drawbacks). Personally, I find Kaleido 3, despite its limitations, to be the most suitable option at present. Obviously, it is not suitable for those who do not want a colour e-reader.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by cellaris

I agree with you. The Onyx Boox Go 7 is probably the most comprehensive option available at the moment (not counting the Kindle Paperwhite, of course). Let’s see how the new PocketBook Era Lite performs; it comes with a Carta 1300 display, and I imagine KOReader will be available for it soon as well.

The current Kindle models are not at all attractive for me. No buttons, not enough suitable options with font size/line height/margins and no way to install anything else without jailbreaking, various problems with USB-transferred books (nope, I don't want to use Send to Kindle), no way to downgrade from a buggy update without jailbreaking... I could go on. No, no Kindle for me, as things stand now.