My favorite Kindle option for an important reason

I have been a long-lasting Kindle user, but when I was offered the chance to try the $ 219 Kobo Libra color, I was fascinated. The lid of the prospects of physical buttons, a color screen and a more open ecosystem, I wanted to see if this kobo could compete with Kindle experience I’ve been used to for years. An regarding the number of books with Dragon theme later, I can safely say that it is a worthy alternative, especially if you are looking for a tactile side-coming experience with a unique sales point Kindle no longer has: Physical buttons.

Like many E-ink tabletsThe Kobo Libra color (yes, it is official colors, not color in Kobo -Land) has a clean, minimalist design that is light (just under 200 grams) and comfortable for long reading sessions. However, compared to the similar size Kindle Paperwhite, Vågen has a wide side frame with a small curve. For me, this makes it easier to grab one -hand (even when lethargy loosens my hold for half an hour into my book). And as I already referred to, unlike paperwhite, the wave color also has physical side tournaments.

Supporters of Kindle Oasis already want to know the benefits of this feature, but like someone who has primarily used touch screens for years, I was really surprised at how much I liked the tactile experience. Using the buttons is significantly more practical and seamless than my standard habit to navigate through pages with one hand and hold my e-reader with the other. In bed it allows me to keep more of my limbs comfortably under the carpet. On the couch, it leaves one hand free of my cup emotional supported.

Since the Kindle officially shuttered the Oasis line (which was marked’s only remaining model with buttons), the KOBO device stands out. The buttons can even be customized, so you can decide what makes the most sense to you. I learned that, like playing with reverse control settings on Xbox, expects my brain the opposite functionality as my partner.

The wine color’s headline function is of course right in the name. KOBO uses a Kaleido 3-color e-ink touch screen display with a 1264 x 1680 resolution to add muted but meaningful color copies to all the device content, from book covers and menus to highlights and remarks. To be clear, it is not alive as a tablet, color tones are dampened to almost pastel saturation. Still, reading my library makes it significantly more engaging.

On that front, the interface is intuitive, and offers a user-friendly experience whether you are new to e-readers or a long-time Kindle conversion like me. The subtle color accents give the user interface a fresh, modern feel without being distracting and the transitions are generally smooth, although there may be a small backlog when handling special content -tight sides. I fumbled a few cranes here and there, but never enough to pull out of a reading session.

My absolute favorite detection was that I could adjust the screen brightness on request, with a simple slide on my finger down the left edge of the screen. Now I want to see the same tool added to the right side of text size. Overall, the user interface feels thought out designed.

Compared to just-white-just tablets, it’s fantastic for comics and graphic novels, as well as for children’s books. With a ten -hour flight in the child’s near future, I love the prospect of loading Vågen with classics. However, there is some significant flashing between pages that give me a break. I imagine that there is low risk, but can be a concern for children with visual sensitivity. The color screen is also useful when reviewing notes in case prose; The ability to color the highlights gave a sense of structure that is difficult to get from monochrome screens.

That being said, it seems that Vågen has a slightly less contrast in pure text than other devices. For hard specifications, the device offers 300 ppi when displaying black and white content (such as regular text) and 150 ppi when showing color. In practice, I have had no trouble reading about it, and again the waving’s color support makes it far more versatile. It also offers adjustable heat (like most devices), and the brand’s Comptlight Pro feature automatically reduces exposure to blue light for evening reading.

All in all, I liked to read the device thoroughly. The 7-inch display is abundant size while keeping the general building small. It also packs in 32 GB of storage, which I really appreciate for audiobooks especially. Meanwhile, IPX8 waterproofing meant that I could also take it to the beach and by the pool without stress, which of course I did to make sense. The weapon color display looks good in practically direct sunlight, although the colors dampened a little more.

Color is not the only advantage on Vågen, it also supports note-ta via Kobo Stylus 2, which is Sold separately for $ 69.99. Warm by testing Kindle Scribe (2024)I was curious to see how well these tools compare. Finally, the stylus/writing compatibility of Vågen is a thoughtful supplement, but far from perfect. Writing on Vågenes e-ink screen feels especially slower, and the stylus often misses strokes. There is also a noticeable backlog, and the eraser is difficult to use with any precision. I like different colors and tool options, but the experience is too nice to be used for a lot beyond fast sticks.

The style itself is a little difficult to hold, and I constantly hit the tool the SWAP button. It must also be recharged via USB-C, which is not as practical as those who charge magnetic. It’s okay to highlight passengers or make small notes, but I definitely won’t rely on it for longer writing sessions or detailed sketch. If handwriting is a priority, customers may be better off with a third -party pen or even a more specialized unit.

In other words, Vågen is no substitute for a remarkable paper pro or an iPad, but if you just want to mark as you read, that job gets done. It is certainly satisfactory to emphasize a sentence or leave a quick patch in the margin and see soft color among grayscale.

When it comes to other accessories, I also tested the official Kobo Sleepcover (Available for $ 39.99), which, unlike many third -party covers, feels like it was actually designed with the device in mind. It flips on magnetic, folded into a stand, and wakes up automatically or sleeps the unit when it opens or closes. It is not flashy, but when there is no more than three flashes that go out of night or groggily to try to push in a few pages in the morning, not having to fumble with buttons or a locking screen is a mini -luxury.

One of the biggest differences between the Kobo Libra color and Amazon’s Kindle is each brand’s ecosystem. Vågen does not come locked in a proprietary shop, even though the Kobo store is built into the device. I was able to buy from my weight immediately, but I could also easily load epub files and PDFs without any problems. KOBO’s integration with exaggeration/libby makes it easy to borrow e -books directly from the library. Emphasis of direct. I love that I can immediately download free books without needing another device.

For my audiobooks, the Kobo Libra color also has Bluetooth support, so I could connect my own wireless headphones. Unfortunately, Kobo audio books are fine sound quality, but the selection is limited compared to audible, which is owned by Amazon. Similarly, the device is not integrated with Goodreads, another popular service owned by Google. If you use goodreads to keep track of your reads and ranked your books, you need to do a little more heavy lifting.

As of now, the device also supports limited browsing, but the function is still in beta. I am interested in seeing how this is developing in the future and how it can round off the tablet further.

If you are deep inside the Amazon ecosystem, the Kobo Libra color can feel like a step away from the convenience of Kindle’s integration across apps and devices. However, if you are looking for an alternative to Amazon that offers the news in physical buttons, combined with plenty of file support and a color screen, the wine color has a lot to offer. It is not without errors (the optional stylus can be more responsive, and the audiobook store is limited), but overall it is worthy to serve serious consideration for random readers and severe bibli files.

That said, the e-browser market is a crowded. If you just want a dedicated color e-reader, the Kobo Clara color ($ 149.99 at Amazon) Is a great portable option that drops stylus support and buttons, but still offering a nice 6-inch color screen.

Anyone committed to Kindle may want to check out Kindle Colorsoft ($ 279.99 at Amazon) or the constantly popular 2024 Kindle Paperwhite ($ 159.99 at Amazon) Instead, even if you do not find buttons or stylus support on board, and the latter does not have a color screen. For more detailed note-taking, 2024 Kindle writer (419.99 dollars at Amazon) Pair of reading and writing nicely, but does not support any colors. It is also quite bulky if reading is your primary goal.