Forma wedge-side light issue

[Richwood]

Originally Posted by koboyedi

Considering the likely percentage of faulty devices (based on user reports here) I can only imagine the massive legal battle that must be going on in the background between Kobo and the manufacturing plant.

All depends on the manufacturing contract and whether the problem is the Kobo design or a manufacturing quality assurance problem. How much illumination variation is allowed by the design and engineering specifications.

I was involved in quality assurance on Xerox Diablo impact printers and some buyers wanted tighter controls on print quality than was specified by Xerox Diablo engineering. An ongoing problem then.

[NiLuJe]

It's also just plain hard to get right. The Kindle Oasis 3 took lab126 an *extremely* large amount of iterations to get right, much more so that any other previous devices (and some were already taking the cake, with a crapload of of prototype iterations).

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

It's also just plain hard to get right. The Kindle Oasis 3 took lab126 an *extremely* large amount of iterations to get right, much more so that any other previous devices (and some were already taking the cake, with a crapload of of prototype iterations).

I remember seeing the details on how the lighting is done for eink. (My words: Shine a light in the edge of a thin sheet of plastic, and put imperfections in the plastic so that the light is reflected down on the screen but when it is reflected off the screen it passes straight through that thin sheet of plastic.) After seeing that, I'm more surprised that the light is as even as it is.

But, I have wondered about how the grey stripe is created. Are the LEDs not quite in the right? Or was the design of the light layer wrong? Or did they try something to hide the light cones that were common in older screens, but got it wrong. Any of those could be hard to fix and probably not something that can be done on the factory floor.

[John F]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I remember seeing the details on how the lighting is done for eink. (My words: Shine a light in the edge of a thin sheet of plastic, and put imperfections in the plastic so that the light is reflected down on the screen but when it is reflected off the screen it passes straight through that thin sheet of plastic.) After seeing that, I'm more surprised that the light is as even as it is.

But, I have wondered about how the grey stripe is created. Are the LEDs not quite in the right? Or was the design of the light layer wrong? Or did they try something to hide the light cones that were common in older screens, but got it wrong. Any of those could be hard to fix and probably not something that can be done on the factory floor.

Also, minimizing the gradient. It seems like each new iteration comes with something slightly different: light cones, gradient, blotches, gutter, ...

From what I've read, the Oasis 3 doesn't have the gutter issue.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by John F

Also, minimizing the gradient. It seems like each new iteration comes with something slightly different: light cones, gradient, blotches, gutter, ...

I'd certainly trade my A1's blotchiness for the Forma's stripe if I could.

[NiLuJe]

Yep, it sure raises a few questions .

Has someone ever done a teardown of a Forma? (For Science! )

EDIT: Or, hell, an Oasis 3, too. I know there were a few attempts for the Oasis 2, and they all resulted in a destroyed device, so, fair warning, don't do this at home, kids .

[banfeld]

Originally Posted by John F

From what I've read, the Oasis 3 doesn't have the gutter issue.

Correct. My Oasis 3 was completely uniform across the screen (to my eyes anyway).

I still prefer the forma. Mine has the 'stripe' but I've never seen it as a defect.

[Richwood]

I have both the Forma and both the Oasis versions 9 and 10. I prefer the Oasis units due to both the stiff metal back shell and the much more tactile page turn buttons. It just feels like higher quality to me. The ability to have both 4G and WiFi is also an advantage in my book and is something no Kobo offers that I know of. The 8" screen on the Kobo Forma is nice but both the Oasis and Forma almost square form factors are a disadvantage in my book. I prefer the more vertical layout of earlier readers from both makers including the DX and 6" Kindles and the 6", 7" and 7.8" Kobos. Except for keyboard use and the older 168 PPI not illuminated screen the old Kindle NT gens 4 and 5 are still about my favorite 6" Kindle.

[Xullo]

Good afternoon. I just bought a Forma and I found the wedge-side light issue too. The after-sales service offers me another Forma or the refund and a discount for the Kobo Aura One (in Spain).

Does every Forma still have this problem, or have I had bad luck with my unit? Does Kobo Aura One have any problems similar to this that I should know about?

Thanks

[NiLuJe]

Empiric evidence suggests that another Forma is unlikely to be significantly different.

If you're happy with every other aspect of the device, I'd say keep it. If there are other defects that aren't design defects, do exchange it.

If the issue is too much to bear for you, get another model entirely .

The Aura One is EoL (I think?). In any case, it's an older generation for sure (which is a blanket "not recommended" in my book, but that's just me), and its most glaring recurring issue was touchscreen accuracy.

[sniglom]

Just bought a Forma. I have this issue on mine. A bluish stripe that is a bit brighter.
Really annoying since it's a different hue. Would be a different thing if it just was a shadow.
Will return this unit.

Mine is worse when using the white leds compared to using the yellow ones. Is this common?

[garbanzo]

To those who sent their Forma back due to the lighting issue - what device did you buy instead?

I'm so conflicted. I love everything about the Forma, but that light issue is too distracting. I can't get through more than a page or two before seeing it again. I can't bring myself to accept this flaw in a "top of the line" ereader.

[Gadgetguy]

Originally Posted by sniglom

Just bought a Forma. I have this issue on mine. A bluish stripe that is a bit brighter.
Really annoying since it's a different hue. Would be a different thing if it just was a shadow.
Will return this unit.

Mine is worse when using the white leds compared to using the yellow ones. Is this common?

I have also experienced the light stripe issue on the Forma. Just returned it (for a different reason). We shall see if the replacement also has the issue. But even if it does - while it is clearly not super nice, I can totally live with it (just set the margins so they are outside of the light stripe. Gives a little bit less text on the screen but make the light stripe less of a bother)

[Gibbo]

Nearly two years since it's release and still has the dreaded stripe?

[NiLuJe]

The fact that it wouldn't magically disappear on its own was never in question, so, yep, still here .