Kobo Sage's Horrible battery: WHHHYYYYYYY????

[GRHE]

Having read all of the above, what is the combined wisdom of this forum on the likelihood of Kobo releasing a new 8” e-reader in the next 12 months? I realise I’m in a minority here in wishing for a BW screen. Having said that, I wouldn’t mind colour, if that’s the way all new readers are going, as long as both BW and colour are at 300dpi and the contrast is as good as the Libra 2 I am currently using - contrast being the primary requirement.

In my late 70’s and use a larger heavier font and spacing than the average user, hence the need for more space to squeeze text into resulting in less page turns. Features like annotating and highlighting would probably be ignored.

So I guess a Sage 2 (or whatever) with Carta 1300 or equivalent screen and something like a 3000 mAh battery. Pipedream?

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by GRHE

I realise I’m in a minority here in wishing for a BW screen

I don't think you ARE in a minority. Most Sage users expecially don't want a colour version. And I say that as someone who bought a Libra Colour two months ago for the novelty (and the more portable size), then bought a new Sage two weeks ago when the battery on my first Sage shuffled off its coil.

[Quoth]

Though not hard to open a Sage and replace battery. Start near top and be careful of ribbon cable to PCB on rear for power cover.

It must have been a defective cell. They do vary in life 5:1 even from same maker.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I don't think you ARE in a minority. Most Sage users expecially don't want a colour version. And I say that as someone who bought a Libra Colour two months ago for the novelty (and the more portable size), then bought a new Sage two weeks ago when the battery on my first Sage shuffled off its coil.

How do you know most Sage users don't? Colour is most useful for Comics, notetaking and PDFs which tend to benefit more from bigger screens too.

There's definitely a desire on this website for a new BW Sage and Libra but I'm not sure that holds outside of here.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I did help one friend replace the battery in their Sage with a 1500mAH unit that was the same size. If they can keep from plugging their Sage in every time they read 15 minutes, perhaps this battery will live longer. After a couple of calibration cycles, it does give them about 20% longer reading time before the battery gauge drops to 10%.

Do you think it's possible to find a 2000mAH batter to go in the Sage?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Weight is never irrelevant.

The Sage is lousy because of the battery. So if a heavier battery is needed to make the run time good, then so be it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Sage is lousy because of the battery. So if a heavier battery is needed to make the run time good, then so be it.

Nope.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Nope.

I'd rather have a heavier Sage that lasts at least as long as the Libra 2 then a lighter Sage that won't even last a week.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by GRHE

Having read all of the above, what is the combined wisdom of this forum on the likelihood of Kobo releasing a new 8” e-reader in the next 12 months? I realise I’m in a minority here in wishing for a BW screen. Having said that, I wouldn’t mind colour, if that’s the way all new readers are going, as long as both BW and colour are at 300dpi and the contrast is as good as the Libra 2 I am currently using - contrast being the primary requirement.

In my late 70’s and use a larger heavier font and spacing than the average user, hence the need for more space to squeeze text into resulting in less page turns. Features like annotating and highlighting would probably be ignored.

So I guess a Sage 2 (or whatever) with Carta 1300 or equivalent screen and something like a 3000 mAh battery. Pipedream?

This is my opinion regarding the screen of the Kobo Colour and the Kobo Libra 2 [B&W], both of which I own:

The screen on the Kobo Colour is pathetic compared to the screen on the Libra Libra 2 [B&W].

Once you've seen them together, you can NEVER UNSEE the comparison (and attendant horror) of this 'newer' technology. It's like seeing a dead person on the side of the road due to an auto accident. And I have seen this.

And because some people love this phrase, here it is: YMMV.

If you've never owned the 2 ebook readers that I discussed in this post, then I imagine you'll be a happy grasshopper with the Kobo Colour's darker screen.

[Quoth]

Kaleido "color" eink is actually old tech, and mis-sold. It can never be as good as mono eink for mono and can only be slightly improved by having smaller or more translucent dots (makes it more pastel). Inherently poorer contrast and mono is only artefact free if at 150 dpi, unless they make a 600 dpi panel. I use reading glasses to read, so it no way matches 300 dpi Carta HD, never mind Carta 1200.

Also I only use a front light if the ambient light is too poor, which is rarely. I now have three Nxtpaper based "gadgets" and even the 14″ one is cheaper than a smaller Color Boox comparable to size of the Sage. They are fine for battery life, colour and glare.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Kaleido "color" eink is actually old tech, and mis-sold. It can never be as good as mono eink for mono and can only be slightly improved by having smaller or more translucent dots (makes it more pastel). Inherently poorer contrast and mono is only artefact free if at 150 dpi, unless they make a 600 dpi panel. I use reading glasses to read, so it no way matches 300 dpi Carta HD, never mind Carta 1200.

Also I only use a front light if the ambient light is too poor, which is rarely. I now have three Nxtpaper based "gadgets" and even the 14″ one is cheaper than a smaller Color Boox comparable to size of the Sage. They are fine for battery life, colour and glare.

It's still 300 DPI B&W on Kaleido 3. It looks better than the 200 DPI B&W Note Air I have, and the quality difference between B&W and monocolor text (actually 150 DPI) on the same screen is obvious. I don't have any older 150 DPI devices anymore but the Libra Color is IMO fine. I found Japanese kanji unreadable at my preferred text sizes on the last 150 DPI device I had, so much so I got rid of it for that reason and got a 300 DPI one. Not the case with the Libra Color.

The tech is "old" but Kaleido 3 improves contrast and sharpness over the older models. eInk is "old" tech too.

I mainly read with light off too and this is fine even out of direct sunlight or lamp light during the day for me. At night it can be too dark in places where a B&W reader wouldn't but it's easily solved by turning on or moving a lamp.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

It's still 300 DPI B&W on Kaleido 3. It looks better than the 200 DPI B&W Note Air I have, and the quality difference between B&W and monocolor text (actually 150 DPI) on the same screen is obvious. I don't have any older 150 DPI devices anymore but the Libra Color is IMO fine. I found Japanese kanji unreadable at my preferred text sizes on the last 150 DPI device I had, so much so I got rid of it for that reason and got a 300 DPI one. Not the case with the Libra Color.

The tech is "old" but Kaleido 3 improves contrast and sharpness over the older models. eInk is "old" tech too.

I mainly read with light off too and this is fine even out of direct sunlight or lamp light during the day for me. At night it can be too dark in places where a B&W reader wouldn't but it's easily solved by turning on or moving a lamp.

Now that's an idea: Turn the light on and tell my wife to go sleep in another room. Is that wrong?

Weelllll, Ok: I'll go to another room.....

[John F]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

This is my opinion regarding the screen of the Kobo Colour and the Kobo Libra 2 [B&W], both of which I own:

The screen on the Kobo Colour is pathetic compared to the screen on the Libra Libra 2 [B&W].

Once you've seen them together, you can NEVER UNSEE the comparison (and attendant horror) of this 'newer' technology. It's like seeing a dead person on the side of the road due to an auto accident. And I have seen this.

And because some people love this phrase, here it is: YMMV.

If you've never owned the 2 ebook readers that I discussed in this post, then I imagine you'll be a happy grasshopper with the Kobo Colour's darker screen.

Hard to tell where the hyperbole stops and the actual opinion is.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

Hard to tell where the hyperbole stops and the actual opinion is.

Basic physics and seeing colour eink confirms it. It's poorer. Depends on the individual how noticeable the inherent poor quality is.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

It's still 300 DPI B&W on Kaleido 3.

Not without artefacts.