Clara HD Clara HD vs Kindle Oasis & Voyage

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pghaworth

one final thought, if I may. I absolutely love my Clara. I have ordered a second one for the bedroom. it is the best ereader I have ever used and so customizable, via patches (jailbreaking) and just the normal interface, that I am blown away. I'm finished with the kindle experience.

I spent a bit of time yesterday upgrading the firmware and installing patches and it is now the perfect reading device for me. if you haven't ordered one yet, Amazon has them back on sale but not due in for a while. I think it's the end of Dec. +/-.

eta: you can also upgrade the internal SD, and change the battery out when the time comes, iirc.

Patching is different to jailbreaking. Jailbreaking requires being able to unlock the firmare. Kobo firmware is not locked down. And for now, the current Kindle firmware cannot be jaibroken.

[pghaworth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Patching is different to jailbreaking. Jailbreaking requires being able to unlock the firmare. Kobo firmware is not locked down. And for now, the current Kindle firmware cannot be jaibroken.

I was just using it as reference. I do get that they are different. it's the kobo way of customizing it.

[SusanReads]

I wonder, does anyone own a Clara HD and a Libra? How do those 2 screens compare? Like color wise, or lighting wise.

The Libras I tried were either yellow or green, with very uneven lighting, and the Clara HD I used to have was splotchy at best (might have been an old batch).

What do you think of the Clara's screen (in the dark)?

[pghaworth]

Originally Posted by SusanReads

I
What do you think of the Clara's screen (in the dark)?

I read in the dark a lot and I think it's very good bordering on excellent once adjusted. it's clean and clear, no shadowing. I use a combo of natural and regular lighting, otherwise it was too blue for me. I have it pretty bright with the natural on the lowest you can put it on before it's off. it's going to depend a lot on batches and whether you get a slightly older one or a newer one, etc.

Amazon, and I don't know where you buy, has another batch coming so that will be up in the air until mine lands. if it's garbage it's going back.

[bookyboy]

My Clara HD came today from that Walmart $99 sale.

It's heading back straight away. Light bleed was there and not amazing - but not the worst I've seen from all the photos out there in the wild...but the real killer was that I had a screen "issue" or dead pixel or "something" in the top right.

Below are some photos of it. Please, before anyone flames me for being "overly picky", trust me when I tell you that it's quite a bit worse in person to the naked eyes. It was just a bit hard to capture it fully and completely with my iPad taking photos.

Also - in comparison to the Paperwhite 4. It's "about the same" from what I can tell in usage for 30 mins and side by side. Neither of these are a Voyage competitor on sharpness and clarity. I don't think anything exists that actually is, to be honest.

Clara HD vs PW4

Closer - showing pixel/screen issue

In a dark room and up closer on pixel/screen issue

[pghaworth]

I would send the Clara back for the pixel too. did you try adjusting the text at all? there are standard adjustments and then advanced.

there are also sharpness settings that you can apply from a patch. I didn't feel a need. coming from Walmart, the pixel doesn't surprise me. they use fedex home and they are brutal with packages.

[bookyboy]

Originally Posted by pghaworth

I would send the Clara back for the pixel too. did you try adjusting the text at all? there are standard adjustments and then advanced.

there are also sharpness settings that you can apply from a patch. I didn't feel a need. coming from Walmart, the pixel doesn't surprise me. they use fedex home and they are brutal with packages.

Yeah, I played with it quite a bit. (had many Kobo's in hand in the past also)

I think I'm going to just remove myself from all this for a bit and read on the Voyage.

Warm light ideas were nice and desirable, but sharpness/clarity simply win the day for me.

[pghaworth]

Originally Posted by bookyboy

Yeah, I played with it quite a bit. (had many Kobo's in hand in the past also)

I think I'm going to just remove myself from all this for a bit and read on the Voyage.

Warm light ideas were nice and desirable, but sharpness/clarity simply win the day for me.

I understand your position about clarity and sharpness, but I've not seen anything sharper or clearer and I have bad eyes so it's important. let me know if you find something better.

[bookyboy]

Originally Posted by pghaworth

I understand your position about clarity and sharpness, but I've not seen anything sharper or clearer and I have bad eyes so it's important. let me know if you find something better.

For anything being made and sold new today - I agree, this is probably as good as it gets.

I just got a bit "ruined", if you will, by whatever Amazon did to the Voyage screens. Something there was so amazing. So white, so clear, so crisp..

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by bookyboy

Below are some photos of it. Please, before anyone flames me for being "overly picky", trust me when I tell you that it's quite a bit worse in person to the naked eyes. It was just a bit hard to capture it fully and completely with my iPad taking photos.

I was going to say... the pictures don't look bad but I know what you mean about the pictures not always giving a true representation. I don't think it's a dead pixel, it looks like a flaw in the light layer.

Originally Posted by bookyboy

Also - in comparison to the Paperwhite 4. It's "about the same" from what I can tell in usage for 30 mins and side by side. Neither of these are a Voyage competitor on sharpness and clarity. I don't think anything exists that actually is, to be honest.

I agree that the Voyage has the sharpest screen, but I do most of my reading on a Shine 3 (Clara hardware clone) because I like the warm light a lot. And the Shine 3 screen is sharp (even if it is not "Voyage sharp").

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by pghaworth

there are also sharpness settings that you can apply from a patch. I didn't feel a need. coming from Walmart, the pixel doesn't surprise me. they use fedex home and they are brutal with packages.

I don't think FedEx is at fault here. This looks like a flaw in the light layer.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by bookyboy

For anything being made and sold new today - I agree, this is probably as good as it gets.

I just got a bit "ruined", if you will, by whatever Amazon did to the Voyage screens. Something there was so amazing. So white, so clear, so crisp..

I can understand why the Paperwhites are inferior given they're a downmarket version of the Voyage. What I don't get is why Amazon doesn't use the Voyage screen tech in the significantly more expensive Oasis line.

[pghaworth]

Originally Posted by bookyboy

For anything being made and sold new today - I agree, this is probably as good as it gets.

I just got a bit "ruined", if you will, by whatever Amazon did to the Voyage screens. Something there was so amazing. So white, so clear, so crisp..

I agree, but I didn't keep the one I tried because the buttons weren't good. don't expect to find another like that again soon. they outdid themselves with the oasis, but my was so buggy it was ridiculous. if they would just package them properly for shipping... you can't subject these devices to the kind of beatings they take during shipping these days and package in paper-thin boxes with no real protection.

[bookyboy]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I can understand why the Paperwhites are inferior given they're a downmarket version of the Voyage. What I don't get is why Amazon doesn't use the Voyage screen tech in the significantly more expensive Oasis line.

That is precisely what I can’t understand for the life of me.

I know oasis fans perhaps disagree but I had an oasis three in my hands and I’m sorry but it was not as sharp and clear as a voyage… No way

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by bookyboy

That is precisely what I can’t understand for the life of me.

I know oasis fans perhaps disagree but I had an oasis three in my hands and I’m sorry but it was not as sharp and clear as a voyage… No way

No, it's not. Still, I prefer it to the Voyage because of the screen size and ergonomics. Those outweigh the slightly fuzzier screen for me. But I understand your viewpoint re the screen.