Libra Kobo Libra H2O - first reviews

mathil · 09-04-2019, 01:16 AM

https://youtu.be/CgZd3zbC0Aw

Some info from the video:

- Forma-shaped, 7" screen, 300ppi, 8GB
- Available in black and white
- Price around 180 euros (like the Aura H2O)
- New firmware with a different look (as you can see in the video - the smaller header will please many people), with a new function similar to the 'page preview' the Kindle has when navigating inside a book
- PDF reading and navigation appears improved, with page preview function

MGlitch · 09-04-2019, 01:41 AM

The header doesn’t seem so different but some of those menus do.

I wish this video was done a bit better, for much of it the view is zoomed way out. There’s so much empty space that tells us nothing about what the device looks like when being used. Heck a good third of the screen is taken up by the area showing the box.

It looks like they made the page turn buttons two unique buttons rather than the one long bar that the Forma has, and moving the power button to a recessed spot on the back is an interesting choice. I think the front might have been a better option but at least it should solve some people’s issues with the power button on the Forma.

Not something I’d pick up since I have the Forma. But it seems a pretty solid device for the price.

tourneur · 09-04-2019, 01:49 AM

Had a look at the specs and technically it is basically a 7" Forma. One hardware difference is a sunken screen instead of a flush one. Would have loved to have upgraded from my Clara but was really hoping for something with a flush screen. Bummer.

tourneur · 09-04-2019, 02:02 AM

1680x1264 pixels, 300 dpi
NXP i.MX 6SLL processor
Single core Cortex-A9 1GHz
512MB ram
8GB storage
1200mAh battery
IPX8
Micro-usb port
802.11bgn-wifi
144x159x7,8mm
192 grams

MGlitch · 09-04-2019, 02:07 AM

The depressed screen likely means a return to infrared sensors which might make some people happy since the screen may be slightly sharper.

meeera · 09-04-2019, 02:20 AM

Anything about the substrate?

davidfor · 09-04-2019, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tourneur

NXP i.MX 6SLL processor
Single core Cortex-A9 1GHz

Where does the second line come from? It wasn't shown on the specs page in the video. And I would have thought it was a completely different processor.

tourneur · 09-04-2019, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Where does the second line come from? It wasn't shown on the specs page in the video. And I would have thought it was a completely different processor.

Source (Dutch): https://tweakers.net/nieuws/156802/k...-180-euro.html

tourneur · 09-04-2019, 02:43 AM

Kobo release video: https://youtu.be/7xegTvqzNws

Tony1988 · 09-04-2019, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tourneur

Had a look at the specs and technically it is basically a 7" Forma. One hardware difference is a sunken screen instead of a flush one. Would have loved to have upgraded from my Clara but was really hoping for something with a flush screen. Bummer.

The only surprising thing is that it's a mini forma, other than that it offers nothing new to the ereader world as I expected. I mean truthfully there really isn't much they can do, expect maybe change the form factor. Out of the three new readers from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo, I think the nicest of the three is surprisingly the Nook. Which sadly I think many are scared to purchase because the company has changed hands, plus the more difficult library usage of the device.

davidfor · 09-04-2019, 03:24 AM

And look, they removed the options to hide the header and footer when reading!

mathil · 09-04-2019, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

And look, they removed the options to hide the header and footer when reading!

They sure did, which is a bummer - I'd gotten used to hiding the footer. I'm used to patching already, so I hope that someone will come up with something as well (maybe we'll be able to activate it in the .conf file?).
I do like the percentage at the top always being shown though. The new in-book menus look good IMO.

frostschutz · 09-04-2019, 04:01 AM

if I had to buy a new reader this would probably be it (white, with page turn buttons, in this day and age? I'm sold!)

but probably it doesn't have internal sd card slot anymore?

Thargor · 09-04-2019, 04:37 AM

Phew, my stomach dropped when I saw the thumbnail and the price right after ordering a Forma but it sounds like the Forma is still king, recessed screens picking up dust drives me mad and I wanted the biggest reader I could get anyway.

pickyaxe · 09-04-2019, 05:20 AM

A recessed screen! Great. IR looks much sharper than capacitive, in my opinion.

Also happy that they're keeping the Forma design. Good to see that they've improved on the buttons' ergonomics: the page buttons should be more tactile, and more importantly the Forma's power button is awful. Not sure if I like the back placement though, these look bad with cases.

I wonder if they fixed the Forma's light column?

09-04-2019, 01:16 AM	#1
mathil Evangelist Posts: 444 Karma: 287725 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Europe Device: Kobo Aura H2O/Glo HD/Libra 2, Kindle PW3/PW5	Kobo Libra H2O - first reviews https://youtu.be/CgZd3zbC0Aw Some info from the video: - Forma-shaped, 7" screen, 300ppi, 8GB - Available in black and white - Price around 180 euros (like the Aura H2O) - New firmware with a different look (as you can see in the video - the smaller header will please many people), with a new function similar to the 'page preview' the Kindle has when navigating inside a book - PDF reading and navigation appears improved, with page preview function

09-04-2019, 01:49 AM	#3
tourneur Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 385602 Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Libra	Had a look at the specs and technically it is basically a 7" Forma. One hardware difference is a sunken screen instead of a flush one. Would have loved to have upgraded from my Clara but was really hoping for something with a flush screen. Bummer. Last edited by tourneur; 09-04-2019 at 01:51 AM.

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09-04-2019, 01:41 AM	#2
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,849 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	The header doesn’t seem so different but some of those menus do. I wish this video was done a bit better, for much of it the view is zoomed way out. There’s so much empty space that tells us nothing about what the device looks like when being used. Heck a good third of the screen is taken up by the area showing the box. It looks like they made the page turn buttons two unique buttons rather than the one long bar that the Forma has, and moving the power button to a recessed spot on the back is an interesting choice. I think the front might have been a better option but at least it should solve some people’s issues with the power button on the Forma. Not something I’d pick up since I have the Forma. But it seems a pretty solid device for the price.

09-04-2019, 02:02 AM	#4
tourneur Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 385602 Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Libra	1680x1264 pixels, 300 dpi NXP i.MX 6SLL processor Single core Cortex-A9 1GHz 512MB ram 8GB storage 1200mAh battery IPX8 Micro-usb port 802.11bgn-wifi 144x159x7,8mm 192 grams

09-04-2019, 02:07 AM	#5
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,849 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	The depressed screen likely means a return to infrared sensors which might make some people happy since the screen may be slightly sharper.

09-04-2019, 02:20 AM	#6
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,700 Karma: 66666666 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	Anything about the substrate?

09-04-2019, 02:43 AM	#9
tourneur Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 385602 Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Libra	Kobo release video: https://youtu.be/7xegTvqzNws

09-04-2019, 03:24 AM	#11
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303822 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	And look, they removed the options to hide the header and footer when reading!

09-04-2019, 04:01 AM	#13
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	if I had to buy a new reader this would probably be it (white, with page turn buttons, in this day and age? I'm sold!) but probably it doesn't have internal sd card slot anymore?

09-04-2019, 04:37 AM	#14
Thargor Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 6322 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony PRS 505	Phew, my stomach dropped when I saw the thumbnail and the price right after ordering a Forma but it sounds like the Forma is still king, recessed screens picking up dust drives me mad and I wanted the biggest reader I could get anyway.

09-04-2019, 05:20 AM	#15
pickyaxe Addict Posts: 286 Karma: 3762916 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	A recessed screen! Great. IR looks much sharper than capacitive, in my opinion. Also happy that they're keeping the Forma design. Good to see that they've improved on the buttons' ergonomics: the page buttons should be more tactile, and more importantly the Forma's power button is awful. Not sure if I like the back placement though, these look bad with cases. I wonder if they fixed the Forma's light column?

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