Two new Netronix Devices

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kandwo

I don't know what's stopping them from releasing a fully up-to-date line of readers at once:

Kobo mini 2
Libra 3
Sage 2
Elipsa 3

All using the latest Carta 1300.

But Kobo is super slow releasing new devices. They just don't want our money. And no, it doesn't seem like a "we analyzed the market, and there isn't enough interest in these devices" kind of situation since the CEO himself writes that the mini is a "beloved" model. And we know from people writing both here and on Reddit that the Libra 3/BW would sell well (also backed up by the Libra 2 selling out quickly).

The Sage and Elipsa are possibly models that don't sell that well. But they are also sub-par and shouldn't sell well. The Sage has bad battery life and buggy page turn buttons; the Elipsa has sub-300 PPI and is much worse than the competition when it comes to writing and note taking.

As soon as word got out that the Libra 2 was being discontinued, it sold out very quickly. That should have told Kobo that we want a new 7" Reader that BW and not color. I don't want a Kaleido overlay that spoils the reading experience for me.

I agree that all the older Kobo need updating with a better processor and a much better battery. However, I'm willing to wait until 2027 (after February) so they will have user replaceable batteries per EU law.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by talaivan

I also have a Colour Libra, which I like. I am dubious that it would be any better without the color.

If you compare them side by side, the Libra 2 with black on white text is slightly sharper than the Libra Colour (I set the front light to give about the same white level). OTOH, I prefer my Sage for it's larger screen—these old eyes prefer larger font sizes. On yet another hand, my two granddaughters prefer the Clara Colour to a Clara HD since their books are image based.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As soon as word got out that the Libra 2 was being discontinued, it sold out very quickly. That should have told Kobo that we want a new 7" Reader that BW and not color. I don't want a Kaleido overlay that spoils the reading experience for me.

Oddly, here several of the Chapters/Indigo/Coles stores had stock on Libra 2s for a couple of months after the Libra Colour was released. There was no rush to purchase them.

[PHughes]

Originally Posted by Steven Karp

Speaking from the other side of the Great Divide, I guess. I want a new 6" reader because it fits in my pocket, is comfortable to read in bed, and doesn't (presumably) have physical buttons--I find those to be a significant point of failure.

My poor Clara HD's battery is on its last legs. I tried the Clara Colour and found it perfectly fine for my needs, except for the miserly 16GB storage. I'm hoping these "new" devices include a storage bump in addition to the battery bump, but are otherwise unchanged.

I agree, so you aren't alone. I honestly think there are a lot of people who appreciate the 6 inch readers. As you said, it fits in a pocket.

I had the original H2O, and liked it, but not as much as my previous, smaller reader. It really didn't fit in a back pocket well, though I could cram it in some pants, it took up more room in my bag, I travel internationally for work, and sometimes space in the bag is at a premium, and it was heavier to hold while reading in bed. Did I like it? Yes. Did I like it as much as a smaller reader? No.

I accidentally closed the back hatch of my car on the H2O and broke the screen. I was really bummed, but I replaced it with the Clara HD, and I loved it. I didn't realize until then how much I liked the smaller format reader. The only thing I missed was the waterproofing. That wasn't a huge issue though.

My HD finally bricked one day, it was stuck in a boot up loop. I thought of fixing it, but because it was also prone to erratic battery life, I replaced it with the Clara BW. Great upgrade. It is waterproof, it does not suffer from the flaky battery life issues the old one exhibited, and it is faster. It does seem as if I need more backlight in some situations than the HD, but that is a very minor point. The Clara BW goes everywhere with me.

I think overall there is a big market for the smaller readers. I appreciate the fact they did add buttons on one side, which would make the reader wider, making it more difficult to fit in a pocket. The form factor of a six inch reader is very user friendly. I understand the love for larger readers, and one day perhaps I'll have one if I ever feel the need for a large screen, for PDF files and the like, but for general reading, I'll stick with a six inch model.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by PHughes

I agree, so you aren't alone. I honestly think there are a lot of people who appreciate the 6 inch readers. As you said, it fits in a pocket.

I had the original H2O, and liked it, but not as much as my previous, smaller reader. It really didn't fit in a back pocket well, though I could cram it in some pants, it took up more room in my bag, I travel internationally for work, and sometimes space in the bag is at a premium, and it was heavier to hold while reading in bed. Did I like it? Yes. Did I like it as much as a smaller reader? No.

I accidentally closed the back hatch of my car on the H2O and broke the screen. I was really bummed, but I replaced it with the Clara HD, and I loved it. I didn't realize until then how much I liked the smaller format reader. The only thing I missed was the waterproofing. That wasn't a huge issue though.

My HD finally bricked one day, it was stuck in a boot up loop. I thought of fixing it, but because it was also prone to erratic battery life, I replaced it with the Clara BW. Great upgrade. It is waterproof, it does not suffer from the flaky battery life issues the old one exhibited, and it is faster. It does seem as if I need more backlight in some situations than the HD, but that is a very minor point. The Clara BW goes everywhere with me.

I think overall there is a big market for the smaller readers. I appreciate the fact they did add buttons on one side, which would make the reader wider, making it more difficult to fit in a pocket. The form factor of a six inch reader is very user friendly. I understand the love for larger readers, and one day perhaps I'll have one if I ever feel the need for a large screen, for PDF files and the like, but for general reading, I'll stick with a six inch model.

I would never ever put a Reader in a pocket. That's a good way to get it broken. When I bought the Aura H2) at 6.8", I rather liked the extra screen space. 6" now seems small.

The market is there for larger Readers. Some like a larger font size and depending on how large, a larger screen could do much better.

In my bag, the space for my Libra 2 is the same space if I was take a 6" Reader. I'd still have no room for anything else.

[Sirtel]

I don't want to read on a 6" screen ever again. It's only 7-8" for me.