Kobo put out a handful of recent e-readers a number of weeks again: shade 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 purpose to change.
First, the colour editions. I’ve been ready on shade e-paper screens for what looks as if half my life, and so they have but to attain the extent of vibrancy I’d need with a purpose to actually get pleasure from comics and web sites on them. That’s nonetheless the case with the Clara Color and Libra Color.
These gadgets 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 replica continues to be not nice. Higher than it ever was … however poor in contrast with virtually anything.
It’s unclear to me why you’ll need shade in any respect on a 6″ machine concerning the dimension of a pulp paperback. I attempted to learn a number 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 e book?
Now, I need to give credit score the place credit score is due: The display screen shows all kinds of colours — I studied one panel specifically that had a number of distinct however related shades of blue (not the one under), and I used to be in a position to discern them on the reader virtually in addition to my regular LCD display screen. They’re definitely desaturated, however they’re there.
These criticisms are all equally true of the bigger Libra Color, the newest within the line of asymmetrical 7″ gadgets with web page flip buttons. That additional inch makes for about as a lot additional readability as you’ll anticipate — a bit — however the display screen itself isn’t any completely different.
Chances are you’ll be considering: Why not simply get the colour one so you could have the choice? You may nonetheless learn atypical 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 aspect by aspect — and for that matter, the year-old Clara 2E I had sitting round. Whereas they’re all nominally the identical decision, the Color appears to be like as if there’s a form of gentle gauze over it, darkening your complete show barely and consequently 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 didn’t seize it in pictures, however belief me, it’s unquestionably a step down.
As such, I merely can’t advocate the colour variations of those readers to anybody, until you could have a specific use case the place desaturated colours and a barely degraded studying expertise aren’t an enormous 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 affords modest enhancements for $10 much less.
The brand new model of this very easy type issue features a evenly 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 way of pages, however not noticeable in atypical 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 after I plug it into my pc half the time, a Clara 2E behavior I’d given up on fixing.
So actually, you get what I feel is essentially the most sensible e-reader available on the market for most individuals, just for $130 slightly than $140. No advertisements, sideload your personal fonts and paperwork, built-in library app, loads of room to mess around and hack. Nevertheless, 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 few years.
As earlier than, I like to recommend getting their faux-leather “sleep cover,” which each protects your machine from the same old scuffs and folds into a stunning little stand. I like to recommend the Cayenne Purple shade so that you by no means lose it. Consider me, you’ll be glad you spent the $30.
