Did you buy one of the new Kobos (or do you plan to)?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by koboy

it's much better than the square alternatives. in my extremely humble opinion

best wishes koboy

Yeah, that's why we need a shapeshifting reader. So everyone gets the shape they want.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by martinot

I think a lot of people would initally go for the Sage with the pen-support, but might change ther minds after holding it in the hand for hours. Might be weight or battery that ends the session first, but after that I think the Forma really stands out. If you must not have the pen support.

I just got my second backup Forma waiting to be picked up by me (my wife took my first backup I got a month a ago). So with three Formas I will probably get by great until 2024 and longer!

The Forma was my go-to reader since nearly its release date. My primary reason to upgrade to the Sage was the improved display and speed. I do use the stylus more than I expected but that was not a factor in my purchase. Also, the difference in weight of the Sage, to me, is negligible and I have "held it in my hand for hours" with no adverse effect. Really, the Forma remains an excellent reader but there simply is no comparison to the beautiful display and faster processor of the Sage.

[anacreon]

I gave away my Forma after I bought the Elipsa since Elipsa was MUCH better for reading PDFs and books with tables/maps and such, which were what I was using the Forma for. And I relegated my Libra H20 to spare wheel after I bough the Sage. Libras' screen were better than the Forma's but I hated their lemon-ish color even with natural light off (I exchanged the first, but the second was almost as bad). And I chose the Sage over the Libra 2 because after reading on 10", 7" was unsatisfactory.
I use the pen almost only to move the handles of selections, and adjust the zoom on PDFs. The buttons position would make it difficult to use for long for its other uses, but I am not a reference - I have severe arthritis.
The Sage would be perfect with the Elipsa's battery and ram - I have a number of books, not only poor PDFs, which are impossible to read on the sage because of the ram I think.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by martinot

I think a lot of people would initally go for the Sage with the pen-support, but might change ther minds after holding it in the hand for hours. Might be weight or battery that ends the session first, but after that I think the Forma really stands out. If you must not have the pen support.

The Sage is a whooping 11 grams heavier than the Aura One and lots and lots of people have managed to read with their KAOs for hours quite happily. I should know, because I was one of them. And with the Sage having the wider bezel to hold onto, I expect it to be even easier to hold than the KAO.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

The Sage is a whooping 11 grams heavier than the Aura One and lots and lots of people have managed to read with their KAOs for hours quite happily. I should know, because I was one of them. And with the Sage having the wider bezel to hold onto, I expect it to be even easier to hold than the KAO.

That bezel is one of the reason I've been doubting the Sage... I really don't like those non-symmetric form factors...

[ps67]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yeah, that's why we need a shapeshifting reader. So everyone gets the shape they want.

Yes! A Clara when You put it in a Pocket but a Elipsa when You read!

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

That bezel is one of the reason I've been doubting the Sage... I really don't like those non-symmetric form factors...

This was my reaction, too, when I sold my KAO and had to move to the new form factor. I loathed the looks and hated loosing the book look of the KAO page size.

And then, when the Libra H2O came, it turned out I love it!

The bezel makes holding it for me so much easier! But I almost never read when sitting, if I can help it. I am lying on my side on the couch or the bed. For someone sitting and holding their device two handed, this might not be as big a thing as it was for me.

Is there a store in your vicinity where you could try one?

[Sirtel]

I fell in love with the square shape when it first appeared in 2016 (the Kindle Oasis 1). It's just so much more comfortable to hold. I never want to use any rectangular reader again.

I never read lying down, but I do always read holding my reader in one hand. For someone who is used to reading two-handed, the asymmetrical shape probably has no advantages. But for one-handed reading it's pure bliss.

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Quoth

So unless you want an 8" ewriter, or scribbles/doodles on PDFs a Forma is better, because in terms of annotation that exports to ANYTHING else, the ebook aspect of the Elipsa/Sage is simply like the Forma or Libra.

So Libra2 or Forma as an ereader and finger highlight with touch screen typed annotation which can export, or Sage/Elipsa pen doodle/sketch on ebooks that can't export, or use Sage/Elipsa as electronic notebooks (advanced mode, basic is mono sketching) with decent handwriting conversion to text. Text or docx export to PC. The Diagram & Equation and sketch stuff does export also to docx, but compared to PC Visio or PC equation editing it's awkward.

As serious ewriter the Elipsa is better as the sleep cover with pen dock and pen is included. The Sage cover has nowhere for the pen. Adds another €46 for pen and whatever for cover on Sage.
I might later get a Sage if there is a reduced price offer and use it on the go with a €10 generic cover and the Elipsa pen.

The Sage & Elipsa are like two products in one box, the regular ereader and the additional pen based Advanced Notepad as an eWriter. So the Sage is more a reduced size Elipsa rather than a Forma with a pen.

Totally agree with above.

For me it is the Forma for reading books. It is really a pure e-book reading device in that great 8" format. Love the simplicity and pureness of it for just reading books.

If I needed a pure device for reading PDF and taking notes (today I use my iPad Mini with Apple Pen2 or my Surface Go2 with Surface Pen for that), I would go for the Elipsa over the Sage.

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I'm in the same camp! I've been looking at the sage, but the One still beats it...

Check out the Forma. It has IMO the best properties from the KA1 and from the Sage, but in a ligther package (with great warm light and great battery life).

Very easy to hold and read for long times.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by martinot

Check out the Forma. It has IMO the best properties from the KA1 and from the Sage, but in a ligther package (with great warm light and great battery life).

Very easy to hold and read for long times.

Nah, it is a horrible device! The light band and the icky soft rubber that will turn into a sticky goo one day. I for one din't like it at all and @Sweetpea has owned and loved the same devices as I did over the last decade IIRC.

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

The Sage is a whooping 11 grams heavier than the Aura One and lots and lots of people have managed to read with their KAOs for hours quite happily. I should know, because I was one of them. And with the Sage having the wider bezel to hold onto, I expect it to be even easier to hold than the KAO.

I do not have the KA1. I use and love the Forma. It has the great with bezel and format of the Sage, but without all the problems with uneven warm light and poor battery life.

Kobo Forma is 197g (Sage 241g).

Spoiler:

If you add the Battery Cover for Sage (to compensate for the smaller internal battery and higher power drain of the Sage) and compare with Forma SleepCover the difference will be even greater (504g for the Sage BatteryCover and 167g for the Forma SleepCover).

[martinot]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

I for one din't like it at all and @Sweetpea has owned and loved the same devices as I did over the last decade IIRC.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by martinot

I do not have the KA1. I use and love the Forma. It has the great with bezel and format of the Sage, but without all the problems with uneven warm light and poor battery life.

Kobo Forma is 197g (Sage 241g).

Spoiler:

If you add the Battery Cover for Sage (to compensate for the smaller internal battery and higher power drain of the Sage) and compare with Forma SleepCover the difference will be even greater (504g for the Sage BatteryCover and 167g for the Forma SleepCover).

I have no problems with my Sage. The lighting is even and the display is excellent. My Forma is being neglected.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by martinot

I do not have the KA1. I use and love the Forma. It has the great with bezel and format of the Sage, but without all the problems with uneven warm light and poor battery life.

Kobo Forma is 197g (Sage 241g).

Yeah, and it also has worse contrast and a slower processor. No, the Forma doesn't have the best features of the Sage.

As to the weight, it's not really such a big deal as you make it out to be. I've had heavier readers than the Sage - the 7.8" Nook - and could hold it in one hand without issues too. Holding the Sage in one hand is by no means difficult.

We all get that in your opinion the Forma is the best reader ever released. But your constant repeating of it in practically every Kobo thread is getting a bit tiresome.