Kobo put out a handful of latest e-readers a couple of weeks again: coloration variations of the wonderful Libra 2 and Clara, in addition to an up to date monochrome model of the latter. However after testing all of them out, I can say that for many customers, there’s no motive to modify.
First, the colour editions. I’ve been ready on coloration e-paper screens for what looks as if half my life, and so they have but to realize the extent of vibrancy I’d need in an effort to actually get pleasure from comics and web sites on them. That’s nonetheless the case with the Clara Color and Libra Color.
These units use E Ink’s newest Kaleido 3 show, and definitely issues have come a methods from what we have been seeing 10 years in the past. However the easy reality is the colour copy remains to be not nice. Higher than it ever was … however poor in contrast with nearly the rest.
It’s unclear to me why you’d need coloration in any respect on a 6″ machine concerning the measurement of a pulp paperback. I attempted to learn a couple of comics however the textual content is just too small and zooming and panning too clumsy. And the colours, whereas current, are washed out in each shade. Maybe a youngsters’s ebook?
Now, I wish to give credit score the place credit score is due: The display screen shows all kinds of colours — I studied one panel particularly that had a number of distinct however related shades of blue (not the one under), and I used to be capable of discern them on the reader nearly in addition to my regular LCD display screen. They’re actually desaturated, however they’re there.
These criticisms are all equally true of the bigger Libra Color, the most recent within the line of asymmetrical 7″ units with web page flip buttons. That additional inch makes for about as a lot additional readability as you’d count on — a bit — however the display screen itself is not any totally different.
It’s possible you’ll be considering: Why not simply get the colour one so you’ve gotten the choice? You may nonetheless learn extraordinary books, in any case. Sure, however … sadly, the colour layer truly makes black and white content material worse.
I in contrast the Clara Color and BW facet by facet — and for that matter, the year-old Clara 2E I had sitting round. Whereas they’re all nominally the identical decision, the Color seems as if there’s a form of mild gauze over it, darkening your entire show barely and in consequence decreasing the distinction.
This isn’t just a few minor factor that one solely notices with a microscope. It’s actually apparent. The colour screens are dimmer and tougher to learn. I attempted and did not seize it in pictures, however belief me, it’s unquestionably a step down.
As such, I merely can’t suggest the colour variations of those readers to anybody, except you’ve gotten a specific use case the place desaturated colours and a barely degraded studying expertise aren’t a giant deal.
Now, as for the Clara BW, that is basically the brand new default advice I’ll be giving — not as a result of it considerably outdoes my go-to reader, the Clara 2E, however as a result of it presents modest enhancements for $10 much less.
The brand new model of this very simple kind issue features a frivolously up to date display screen, the Carta 1300 collection, which boasts barely higher distinction and page-turning speeds. Examined towards the 2E, I discovered it to be noticeably sooner when tapping rapidly by means of pages, however not noticeable in extraordinary use. And so far as the readability and distinction, they have been about equal to my eye, with a slight benefit going to the brand new machine. My favourite characteristic is that it doesn’t crash once I plug it into my laptop half the time, a Clara 2E behavior I’d given up on fixing.
So actually, you get what I believe is probably the most sensible e-reader in the marketplace for most individuals, just for $130 reasonably than $140. No adverts, sideload your personal fonts and paperwork, built-in library app, loads of room to mess around and hack. Nonetheless, should you personal a Clara 2E, or perhaps a Clara HD, I don’t suppose the improve is essentially price it. Kind high quality hasn’t improved that a lot in the previous couple of years.
As earlier than, I like to recommend getting their faux-leather “sleep cowl,” which each protects your machine from the standard scuffs and folds into a stunning little stand. I like to recommend the Cayenne Pink coloration so that you by no means lose it. Consider me, you’ll be glad you spent the $30.
