Kobo put out a handful of recent e-readers a couple of weeks again: colour 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 colour e-paper screens for what looks like half my life, and so they have but to realize the extent of vibrancy I’d need to be able 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 positively issues have come a methods from what we had 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’d need colour in any respect on a 6″ gadget in regards to 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 e book?
Now, I wish to give credit score the place credit score is due: The display 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 in a position to discern them on the reader virtually in addition to my regular LCD display. They’re definitely 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 further inch makes for about as a lot further readability as you’d anticipate — a bit — however the display itself isn’t any totally different.
Chances are you’ll be considering: Why not simply get the colour one so you may have the choice? You may nonetheless learn unusual 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 the whole show barely and because of this 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 more durable 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 may 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 gives modest enhancements for $10 much less.
The brand new model of this very easy type issue features a calmly up to date display, the Carta 1300 sequence, which boasts barely higher distinction and page-turning speeds. Examined towards the 2E, I discovered it to be noticeably sooner when tapping shortly via pages, however not noticeable in unusual use. And so far as the readability and distinction, they had been about equal to my eye, with a slight benefit going to the brand new gadget. 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 essentially the most sensible e-reader in the marketplace for most individuals, just for $130 quite than $140. No advertisements, sideload your individual fonts and paperwork, built-in library app, loads of room to mess around and hack. Nonetheless, in case you personal a Clara 2E, or perhaps a Clara HD, I don’t suppose the improve is essentially value it. Sort 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 gadget from the same old scuffs and folds into a stunning little stand. I like to recommend the Cayenne Pink colour so that you by no means lose it. Imagine me, you’ll be glad you spent the $30.
