Advice Needed! Thank you:)

skooma · 03-19-2025, 01:23 PM

Hey everyone,

I am pulling my hair out trying to decide what e-reader I should buy, I have been mainly looking at Boox products but as I am in the UK, my selection isn't the widest.

I want a Boox Go 10.3 but concerned it's primarily a note-taking device rather than a reader. I'm also concerned about Boox customer service and some reviews say the device breaks rather easily.

I've also considered:

Boox Note Air 3 C 10.3 64GB
Onyx Boox Tab Mini C 7.8" 64GB
KOBO Sage
KOBO Libra Colour
Kobo Elipsa 2E 10.3

"

I'm in the market for an e-reader that meets the following criteria:

Annotation: I want to be able to write notes directly onto books or PDFs. Then for them annotations to save and be accessible later. Not necessarily use as a note-taking device.
Multiple Sources: I’d love to be able to access multiple book sources, and maybe even online articles etc.

I am not particularly fussed about B/W or Colour, or if it has a frontlight or not.

Would anyone have any recommendations?, many thanks in advance.

Quoth · 03-20-2025, 05:27 AM

Elipsa has less pixels than a Sage. I found the Sage better for notes and it's much better for ebooks, reading novels. I gave away my reMarkable and my Elipsa. Both too limited.

For PDFs and mainly notes, a Nxtpaper 11 or Nxtpaper 14 is far better.

I've still a B&W Libra and Sage (favourite for reading novels), but use Nxtpaper for larger PDFs and notes. Sometimes a quick sketch or note on the Sage.

Kobo: only the touch keyboard is good for annotation (PC text) on epubs. You can use the pen, but then can't sensible export. The Pen does no handwriting conversion on PDFs, you copy back the PDF with scribbles on it. Kobo uses a cut-down Nebo for notebooks and they are separate from epubs or PDFs. The full Nebo (iOS or Android wiith true stylus/pen) does annotate text from pen handwriting on PDFs and that can be copy/pasted in PC. Nxtpaper 11 recommended for notes, but Nxtpaper 14 is better for PDFs (inc notes).

skooma · 03-20-2025, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Elipsa has less pixels than a Sage. I found the Sage better for notes and it's much better for ebooks, reading novels. I gave away my reMarkable and my Elipsa. Both too limited.

For PDFs and mainly notes, a Nxtpaper 11 or Nxtpaper 14 is far better.

I've still a B&W Libra and Sage (favourite for reading novels), but use Nxtpaper for larger PDFs and notes. Sometimes a quick sketch or note on the Sage.

Kobo: only the touch keyboard is good for annotation (PC text) on epubs. You can use the pen, but then can't sensible export. The Pen does no handwriting conversion on PDFs, you copy back the PDF with scribbles on it. Kobo uses a cut-down Nebo for notebooks and they are separate from epubs or PDFs. The full Nebo (iOS or Android wiith true stylus/pen) does annotate text from pen handwriting on PDFs and that can be copy/pasted in PC. Nxtpaper 11 recommended for notes, but Nxtpaper 14 is better for PDFs (inc notes).

Thanks for your reply! Irish myself also.

I am considering the Kobo Sage after your comment, with the sleepcover stand case and the stylus 2. Is the battery life as bad as it says online?, and what is your overall experience with it day-to-day?

Quoth · 03-20-2025, 10:47 AM

The battery life is OK with light, WiFi & BT off.
I find the KWmobile sleep cover good and better value than official Kobo one.

Note that a twice as as big font uses the charge almost twice as fast as it's page turns that use power. The notebook or pen use or annotation with text uses more power. A front light on 8″ will use nearly twice the power as 6″. Physics and mathematics. I use a reading lamp at night, if in bed.

I can read four novels without a recharge and I have a 2m USB cable just in case, also a power bank for travelling which I've never used.

I've bought six Sage readers now. Three as presents, one each for wife and I a few weeks a go a spare in case they discontinue it, like they did for the Libra. The Libra Colour is totally inferior if you want to read regular novels.

I did test the Sage with the original Stylus for the Elipsa. There was no difference using 3 different models of 3rd party "two button" (no top button) MS Surface (3 or later) compatible pens. The AAAA cell lasts over 6 months with 10 year life if not installed. I got 6 out of a 9V PP3 (not all have them and the "spud"/nub is -Ve).

I read 4 to 8 novels a week on the Sage. It's the best for reading novels I ever had. I've had or have Kindles: K3. Paperwhite 3, DXG, Oasis 2. Also a reMarkable, Nook Simple Touch, iRiver Story Cover, several Binatone models (LCD), Sony PRS-350, PRS-T1 (returned due to freezes), PRS-T2. Kobo Models: Touch, Original Aura HD H2O, Original Libra, Libra 2, Original Elipsa. A small 4.7" (no touch) and a Boyue Likebook Mars 7.8″ (Android eink).

We also loan ereaders to beta readers, proof readers etc. We also test ebook formatting.

I bought the 1st Sage 2 weeks after the Elipsa as I found it too big and awkward for notes and resolution too low for PDF magazines (Both mono reMarkable models use the same screen and are worse to use).

Using Calibre on Linux since late 2016. Calibre on Windows before that. Using ereaders for 12 years and ceased paper proofing.

03-19-2025, 01:23 PM	#1
skooma Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2025 Device: BOOX 10.3 Go	Advice Needed! Thank you:) Hey everyone, I am pulling my hair out trying to decide what e-reader I should buy, I have been mainly looking at Boox products but as I am in the UK, my selection isn't the widest. I want a Boox Go 10.3 but concerned it's primarily a note-taking device rather than a reader. I'm also concerned about Boox customer service and some reviews say the device breaks rather easily. I've also considered: Boox Note Air 3 C 10.3 64GB Onyx Boox Tab Mini C 7.8" 64GB KOBO Sage KOBO Libra Colour Kobo Elipsa 2E 10.3 " I'm in the market for an e-reader that meets the following criteria: Annotation: I want to be able to write notes directly onto books or PDFs. Then for them annotations to save and be accessible later. Not necessarily use as a note-taking device. Multiple Sources: I’d love to be able to access multiple book sources, and maybe even online articles etc. I am not particularly fussed about B/W or Colour, or if it has a frontlight or not. Would anyone have any recommendations?, many thanks in advance.

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03-20-2025, 05:27 AM	#2
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,618 Karma: 103503445 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Elipsa has less pixels than a Sage. I found the Sage better for notes and it's much better for ebooks, reading novels. I gave away my reMarkable and my Elipsa. Both too limited. For PDFs and mainly notes, a Nxtpaper 11 or Nxtpaper 14 is far better. I've still a B&W Libra and Sage (favourite for reading novels), but use Nxtpaper for larger PDFs and notes. Sometimes a quick sketch or note on the Sage. Kobo: only the touch keyboard is good for annotation (PC text) on epubs. You can use the pen, but then can't sensible export. The Pen does no handwriting conversion on PDFs, you copy back the PDF with scribbles on it. Kobo uses a cut-down Nebo for notebooks and they are separate from epubs or PDFs. The full Nebo (iOS or Android wiith true stylus/pen) does annotate text from pen handwriting on PDFs and that can be copy/pasted in PC. Nxtpaper 11 recommended for notes, but Nxtpaper 14 is better for PDFs (inc notes).

03-20-2025, 10:47 AM	#4
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,618 Karma: 103503445 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	The battery life is OK with light, WiFi & BT off. I find the KWmobile sleep cover good and better value than official Kobo one. Note that a twice as as big font uses the charge almost twice as fast as it's page turns that use power. The notebook or pen use or annotation with text uses more power. A front light on 8″ will use nearly twice the power as 6″. Physics and mathematics. I use a reading lamp at night, if in bed. I can read four novels without a recharge and I have a 2m USB cable just in case, also a power bank for travelling which I've never used. I've bought six Sage readers now. Three as presents, one each for wife and I a few weeks a go a spare in case they discontinue it, like they did for the Libra. The Libra Colour is totally inferior if you want to read regular novels. I did test the Sage with the original Stylus for the Elipsa. There was no difference using 3 different models of 3rd party "two button" (no top button) MS Surface (3 or later) compatible pens. The AAAA cell lasts over 6 months with 10 year life if not installed. I got 6 out of a 9V PP3 (not all have them and the "spud"/nub is -Ve). I read 4 to 8 novels a week on the Sage. It's the best for reading novels I ever had. I've had or have Kindles: K3. Paperwhite 3, DXG, Oasis 2. Also a reMarkable, Nook Simple Touch, iRiver Story Cover, several Binatone models (LCD), Sony PRS-350, PRS-T1 (returned due to freezes), PRS-T2. Kobo Models: Touch, Original Aura HD H2O, Original Libra, Libra 2, Original Elipsa. A small 4.7" (no touch) and a Boyue Likebook Mars 7.8″ (Android eink). We also loan ereaders to beta readers, proof readers etc. We also test ebook formatting. I bought the 1st Sage 2 weeks after the Elipsa as I found it too big and awkward for notes and resolution too low for PDF magazines (Both mono reMarkable models use the same screen and are worse to use). Using Calibre on Linux since late 2016. Calibre on Windows before that. Using ereaders for 12 years and ceased paper proofing.

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