Forma Available in UK stores?

maddz · 07-11-2019, 03:30 AM

Does anyone know of any bricks and mortar store in the UK that carries the Forma? I can get it online, no problem, but I am concerned about the size/weight issues with my wrists (I suffer from tendonitis) so I don't want to buy one unless I've tried using it first. I'm told it's a little unwieldy compared to a 6" reader.

6" readers I'd happily get online as I know my wrists are OK with them, but the 8" I'm not so sure about. I've also been unable to find the 32GB model in the stores, only from Kobo direct.

As far as I can work out, neither Argos, nor Currys nor John Lewis carry them in store, and WH Smiths only sells the ARC Tablet. It's too new to have turned up in places like Computer Exchange yet, so I'm a bit stuck. If it helps, I live near Huntingdon and work in London. We visit family in Corby quite often.

simond · 07-11-2019, 04:58 AM

It looks like some Argos branches have one in stock, but I'm not sure they'd be willing to open one, but maybe try using their returns policy?

Quoth · 07-11-2019, 05:44 AM

Argos opened a rotary clothes line package for me. They do try to sell pointless warranties like Currys (do not waste money, c.f. 2 to 6 SOGA and equivalents) but otherwise are helpful if you explain your concerns. Easier to return faulty stuff to than Lidl or Tesco.

maddz · 07-11-2019, 07:46 AM

Yeah, but I want a 32GB and I can only get those direct from Kobo. Argos & everywhere else only have 8GB in stock.

Liesse · 07-11-2019, 08:41 AM

Ah, I think the 32gb you might have to get from Kobo direct.

Could you maybe try one at Argos to see how it feels first? I'd be nervous doing that, admittedly, but argos do have a good return policy. Do any curry's shops have one? I know the forma is on their site, but only 8 gb again.

I had a kobo h2o original before my forma. I read mostly in bed, on my side holding my forma with one hand. The forma is lighter and nicer to hold than the glo, and mine is in a case too. I think the Forma is a more tactile.

Do you read a lot of pdf or manga perhaps that you need the bigger storage? I had a 4 gig SD card in my h2o, which I never managed to fill. I had thousands of epubs on it. Admittedly, I did worry at first about the lack of removable SD card when the forma was announced, but when I actually checked how much space I used on my old reader, I was surprised how much I actually needed.

Please don't think I'm questioning your needs about the space, I just really like the reading experience on the Forma and I'd hate for anyone to miss out on trying one.

maddz · 07-11-2019, 12:02 PM

From what in store staff in Currys tell me, they don't carry any e-readers in store except maybe a Kindle or two, so you have to order online. I think these days it's too niche.

Most of my reading is ePub so 8GB would be plenty, but I have around 20GB of RPG PDFs sitting in iCloud I need to start reading through, even if all I'm going to end up doing is logging them in LibraryThing. So yes, bigger is better! Besides, my ebook library isn't going to get any smaller

It looks like I'll be meeting someone in London next week to try their Forma, so fingers crossed.

stumped · 07-11-2019, 02:43 PM

Warning. Reading large pdf on small screen e ink can be frustrating and slow.
They will not reflow so you will be constantly zooming, and not keep up you try to page through original pages.
So if you know that the page you want to see is e.g. page 196, of the print version, it may take an age to get to that
Try before you buy if at all possible

It's pretty bad on small android tablets which have fast scrolling and page refresh, but lack the CPU power for fast pdf rendering. If will be way worse on a forma.

NiLuJe · 07-11-2019, 03:49 PM

It's verging on the bearable (given the Forma's screen size) with third-party readers, but, yeah, PDF on eInk is never going to be especially fun.

07-11-2019, 03:30 AM	#1
maddz Wizard Posts: 1,273 Karma: 28630044 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Icarus, iPad Mini 2, Kobo Touch, Google Nexus 7	Available in UK stores? Does anyone know of any bricks and mortar store in the UK that carries the Forma? I can get it online, no problem, but I am concerned about the size/weight issues with my wrists (I suffer from tendonitis) so I don't want to buy one unless I've tried using it first. I'm told it's a little unwieldy compared to a 6" reader. 6" readers I'd happily get online as I know my wrists are OK with them, but the 8" I'm not so sure about. I've also been unable to find the 32GB model in the stores, only from Kobo direct. As far as I can work out, neither Argos, nor Currys nor John Lewis carry them in store, and WH Smiths only sells the ARC Tablet. It's too new to have turned up in places like Computer Exchange yet, so I'm a bit stuck. If it helps, I live near Huntingdon and work in London. We visit family in Corby quite often.

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07-11-2019, 04:58 AM	#2
simond Fanatic Posts: 532 Karma: 1062755 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London, UK Device: Kobo Aura One, iPad, iPhone	It looks like some Argos branches have one in stock, but I'm not sure they'd be willing to open one, but maybe try using their returns policy?

07-11-2019, 05:44 AM	#3
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 11,158 Karma: 85874891 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	Argos opened a rotary clothes line package for me. They do try to sell pointless warranties like Currys (do not waste money, c.f. 2 to 6 SOGA and equivalents) but otherwise are helpful if you explain your concerns. Easier to return faulty stuff to than Lidl or Tesco.

07-11-2019, 07:46 AM	#4
maddz Wizard Posts: 1,273 Karma: 28630044 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Icarus, iPad Mini 2, Kobo Touch, Google Nexus 7	Yeah, but I want a 32GB and I can only get those direct from Kobo. Argos & everywhere else only have 8GB in stock.

07-11-2019, 08:41 AM	#5
Liesse Zealot Posts: 120 Karma: 610994 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: UK Device: Kobo Libra 2, Forma	Ah, I think the 32gb you might have to get from Kobo direct. Could you maybe try one at Argos to see how it feels first? I'd be nervous doing that, admittedly, but argos do have a good return policy. Do any curry's shops have one? I know the forma is on their site, but only 8 gb again. I had a kobo h2o original before my forma. I read mostly in bed, on my side holding my forma with one hand. The forma is lighter and nicer to hold than the glo, and mine is in a case too. I think the Forma is a more tactile. Do you read a lot of pdf or manga perhaps that you need the bigger storage? I had a 4 gig SD card in my h2o, which I never managed to fill. I had thousands of epubs on it. Admittedly, I did worry at first about the lack of removable SD card when the forma was announced, but when I actually checked how much space I used on my old reader, I was surprised how much I actually needed. Please don't think I'm questioning your needs about the space, I just really like the reading experience on the Forma and I'd hate for anyone to miss out on trying one.

07-11-2019, 12:02 PM	#6
maddz Wizard Posts: 1,273 Karma: 28630044 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Icarus, iPad Mini 2, Kobo Touch, Google Nexus 7	From what in store staff in Currys tell me, they don't carry any e-readers in store except maybe a Kindle or two, so you have to order online. I think these days it's too niche. Most of my reading is ePub so 8GB would be plenty, but I have around 20GB of RPG PDFs sitting in iCloud I need to start reading through, even if all I'm going to end up doing is logging them in LibraryThing. So yes, bigger is better! Besides, my ebook library isn't going to get any smaller It looks like I'll be meeting someone in London next week to try their Forma, so fingers crossed.

07-11-2019, 02:43 PM	#7
stumped Wizard Posts: 3,305 Karma: 10259306 Join Date: May 2016 Device: kobo forma, Kobo Libra, Huawei media Tab, fire HD10, PW3 HDX8.9,	Warning. Reading large pdf on small screen e ink can be frustrating and slow. They will not reflow so you will be constantly zooming, and not keep up you try to page through original pages. So if you know that the page you want to see is e.g. page 196, of the print version, it may take an age to get to that Try before you buy if at all possible It's pretty bad on small android tablets which have fast scrolling and page refresh, but lack the CPU power for fast pdf rendering. If will be way worse on a forma.

07-11-2019, 03:49 PM	#8
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,477 Karma: 26012494 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	It's verging on the bearable (given the Forma's screen size) with third-party readers, but, yeah, PDF on eInk is never going to be especially fun.

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