Amazon Announces Kindle Colorsoft

[Dazrin]

It looks like the Colorsoft review embargo has been lifted, so here are a bunch of links:
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tabl...131529685.html
https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/30/ki...oach-to-color/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/...ice-is-tricky/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-be...-boox-or-kobo/
https://www.wired.com/review/kindle-colorsoft/

Taken from this post at Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm...views_are_out/

The engadget, cnet, and zdnet links have some direct comparison photos between various color e-readers. I don't see anything conclusive at this point though. In some photos the Colorsoft looks better, in others the Kobo/Boox looks better. In some cases they didn't compare the same screen content, not sure why you would make that choice in a comparison / review articl.

[Hollow Man]

This review has some decent comparisons:

https://youtu.be/KRHmi9bnuK0?si=cYo9MHdMjVm51KOO

I suspect it will mostly be an upgrade from the Oasis I bought 8 years ago, sans the thin aluminum body and physical buttons. The contrast is likely better; I've always found the text on my Oasis slightly grey. And with regards to the background, unless I'm outside, I always use the backlight.

So the only thing that may be slightly worse is the clarity of the text. There's no question on my Oasis it's very sharp, so it remains to be seen if I'll care about that difference.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

It looks like the Colorsoft review embargo has been lifted, so here are a bunch of links:
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tabl...131529685.html
https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/30/ki...oach-to-color/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/...ice-is-tricky/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-be...-boox-or-kobo/
https://www.wired.com/review/kindle-colorsoft/

Taken from this post at Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm...views_are_out/

The engadget, cnet, and zdnet links have some direct comparison photos between various color e-readers. I don't see anything conclusive at this point though. In some photos the Colorsoft looks better, in others the Kobo/Boox looks better. In some cases they didn't compare the same screen content, not sure why you would make that choice in a comparison / review articl.

I've only looked at the engadget review so far. At least there, the opinion on Colorsoft mostly seems a shrug. Buying one at Amazon's starting price seems ridiculous, though I'm sure they'll sell like hotcakes at first.

[Hollow Man]

Mine just shipped and is due to arrive tomorrow.

I paid $380 (plus tax, bringing it to over $400) for my Oasis (loved that 3G access!), so this is practically free comparatively.

[ZodWallop]

I hope you enjoy it. I have a Clara Color for my kid. I really don't mind the dimmer screen and think it is oversold as an issue by people that don't own one.

On the other hand the novelty of the color covers wears off pretty quick. Color readers are fine, but when I broke my Clara HD I replaced it with a Clara BW.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

... but when I broke my Clara HD I replaced it with a Clara BW.

Do you find the Carta 1300 a big improvement?
I do (on my Onyx Go6).

[Hollow Man]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I hope you enjoy it. I have a Clara Color for my kid. I really don't mind the dimmer screen and think it is oversold as an issue by people that don't own one.

On the other hand the novelty of the color covers wears off pretty quick. Color readers are fine, but when I broke my Clara HD I replaced it with a Clara BW.

I sure don't need a color screen, but will happily accept the novelty of the color covers until it wears off.

My weird hope is that Amazon will release an anniversary edition of the Oasis...

[Paperbackstash]

So it looks like some are saying that with sideloaded usb pdf books, and one person on reddit with some Libby borrows, those covers and features will remain in black and white. Very irritating if this is the case.

This review video shows it also apparently - https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=fFH...ature=youtu.be
Time-stamp 10:30 according to poster

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Renate

Do you find the Carta 1300 a big improvement?
I do (on my Onyx Go6).

Yes. There's also a Clara 2E in my house and I'd say the difference between the 2E and BW is negligible. But both look better than the HD. (Though to be honest, I would have just kept using the HD if I hadn't dropped it on tile.)

[JSWolf]

Do not watch any of the Kindle videos from Info Circuit. They are all the same video with different names. Clickbait!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do not watch any of the Kindle videos from Info Circuit. They are all the same video with different names. Clickbait!

I try to just stick to reviewers I've watched before. CriminOlly or MyDeepGuide (or whatever the name is) or Nate or Maneetpaul Singh. Of course, there'll be GoodeReader, but I usually bail out of their videos partway through.

[spl237]

My Colorsoft arrived today.

Nice screen - decent upgrade over my first-gen Oasis - but syncing with Calibre 7.20 does not seem to transfer cover art thumbnails to the library; this worked perfectly with the Oasis.

Is this a known issue with recent Kindles, or have Amazon broken something new?

[leaston]

I sacked the idea of the colour Kindle partly because I don't relish being locked in.

So, I bought the Boox Go Color 7 and it arrived yesterday. The cost was similar to the Kindle, but with a slip case included.

The colour on the screen is, ok and about right for my fairly low expectations. The gui has some quirks and irritations, but I'm sold on Android for an ereader and the flexibility it gives me over the Kobo or Kindle.

I love the virtually instant page turn speed on this device. The ghosting can be a bit intrusive if you don't tweak the settings to reduce it.

The BooxDrop app is fantastic and enables drag and drop (wirelessly) onto the device from my PC browser with no fuss. I've added epubs, pdf, cbz and they all just opened in the default Boox reading app with no need for Calibre or conversion.

Is it perfect? Far from it. There's some colour bleed on the right of the screen, the menus are all over the place and often hard to find, poorly explained and occasionally ineffective. However, I'll take the ridiculous amount of config available over what I have on the Kobo or Kindle right now.

This is my ereader until a 10" colour device (with a light) appears, to scratch the comic itch.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by leaston

So, I bought the Boox Go Color 7 and it arrived yesterday.

Be sure to get acquainted with the "Eink Center". There are many settings that are on a per app basis. Some of the defaults are not optimal. The "Master switch" disables all weird overrides.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by spl237

My Colorsoft arrived today.

Nice screen - decent upgrade over my first-gen Oasis - but syncing with Calibre 7.20 does not seem to transfer cover art thumbnails to the library; this worked perfectly with the Oasis.

Is this a known issue with recent Kindles, or have Amazon broken something new?

This is likely related to the Colorsoft using the MTP protocol for USB file transfer. MTP was initially introduced on Kindles in a software update for the Scribe, which broke support for covers with sideloaded books on the Scribe for a few months. Tweaks had to be made to the Calibre MTP drivers in order to restore functionality.

The new 2024 Kindles all use MTP for USB file transfer, so it is likely that something similar to what was done for the Scribe will have to be done for the Colorsoft as well.