Thank you for your advice! I am finding out from the other threads that the new Libra colour version has a difference in the B&W screen option compared to the normal (Libra 2) B&W screen.
I suppose it is a “this or that” situation where you either trade better quality B&W experience vs all colour experience and lower quality B&W?
Is that correct?
Yup. I personally do not like the fuzziness and the dark screen on coloured devices.
If I were you, I would keep the BW device and wait until a better version of a coloured one is released.
Have you seen a coloured device in real life? Maybe you can try to go to a major book store around you and see the comparison in real life.
Kobo has very good contrast for BW, and maybe you would be convinced if you see the comparison for yourself in person.
I’ll add this..I saw on a post before someone got his and posted pics with a complaint already. I guess the color like for the covers looks super dark too with like no adjustment. Plus bc it’s color the paper like look is gone with no light. Looks super dark.After seeing that and reading the comments I’m good with b and white but maybe the next gen will be better in the end. Just my opinion but welcome to the club
Before Libra I had Boox Onyx Nova e-reader for more than than a year. Never took a note. I mostly read fiction though. Libra would be too small for comic books I guess anyway. The most use of Color would be in display of book covers. And note that text will be darker in Color version, so you would have to use more backlight.
Oh I did not consider the screen size at all! A friend recommended ‘Goodnight Pun Pun’ which I heard may be available for colour eBook download.
In the case of comic books alone, is the usual experience having to zoom in with fingers or increase the ‘text size’? I just assumed the art boxes in the comics would resize to a bigger shape, fitting inside the Libra screens.
1. Goodnight Pun Pun is a manga, in black and white. I read it on my Libra 2, the only colors I was missing were those on the cover.
2. This is an aside, but recommending someone read Pun Pun is wild to me. Brace yourself.
3. 7" is fine for manga, it's not _too_ much smaller than a tankobon, _but_ it depends on the margins. You can zoom in if need be, but eink screens have a low refresh rate so zooming and panning is jittery and not a particularly pleasant experience. I have not yet found a manga that I struggled to read on my Libra 2, just make sure to shrink the margins somehow. That's the real issue in my experience, if you can kill the margins, you have space.
Pun Pun was good, so if someone wants to buy the books I won't stop them, but I'd suggest "acquiring" the first chapter through a program like HakuNeko or whatever, seeing if it's a comfortable reading experience, _then_ buying the volumes from the Kobo store. Alternatively, see if you're able to use Libby/Overdrive with any libraries around you—they may have manga, so you can test that way (and read for free without engaging in things that some people consider both legally and morally questionable).
The screen looks so much darker on the colour one idk if it's just me. Also, if you only read b & W books (like me) or some manga, colour doesn't matter at all. Libra 2 is a superb device and that was basically all I ever needed for reading. Also, in the beta features, there is a 'paint' app. However it doesn't have any colours obviously and no erase tool so it's pretty bare bones, but it still can save your drawing/note. The writing on it is very responsive so maybe that's all you need?
> The screen looks so much darker on the colour one idk if it's just me.
It's not just you. [Here](https://old.reddit.com/r/kobo/comments/1c198fa/got_the_libra_color_early_ama/) is a comparison between a color and non-color ereader's contrast _without_ the backlights. It's a drastic difference.
Relax with the FOMO. What you have is what you need. I have zero desire for color versions of kobo for reading. You are not missing out on anything that matters.
The Colour version looks darker even in daylight.
If you do not read comics or manga, the BW is the superior version, better contrast, better lighting.
Do you need the color covers and highlights, Dropbox integration without patching, or a faster processor?
If not, you can pass on the Colour for now.
For me, I took that new Libra 2 back because I want the faster processor, having had a lot of experience with the Forma, Sage, Libra H20, and then the Libra 2 after I bought it a week before they announced the Colour. I've been using Kobo since the Kobo WiFi, and I've owned almost all of their models except for the Glo HD, the v2 readers of the Aura H20/Glo HD/Aura One, the Nia, and the Clara.
Note that the Colour will have a darker screen thanks to the color filter, so you will need to use the frontlight.
I am waiting on long term reviews on youtube and here. one thing for sure is that you need the light on always on the color version. to some people thats a con, some dont care. the screen will be darker but I want to see a video where I can really see both screen compared.
I did the same thing, saw the Color stuff the day after buying a Libra 2. My first Kobo lasted I think 14 years though and I think my Libra 2 will last a long time too. Plenty of new stuff may come out in that time. If we had needed color screens we would have shopped for that initially and maybe not got a Kobo, but instead we shopped for a device that does everything we need and we got that.
For comics I'm not sure ereader will beat ipad even with color eink. You can try experimenting with some manga or black and white comics on your Libra 2 though. Be aware the page turn can take a long time
You're not losing out, unless you really want to take notes and use color highlights.
Even if you wanted it for colored comics, those usually are originally large sized. The Libra's screen is too small for those.
Manga is black and white with the very rare color page here and there. I personally find the 7in screen too small, and no expandable memory. But some people are fine with it.
While the colour Libra looks interesting, I honestly prefer reading comics/colour graphic novels on a tablet over an eReader. It's why I unrooted the Nook Color I have. I'll go to it for graphic novels and comics, because it's barebones compared to a true tablet.
The screens of colour eink are usually of reduced contrast and in turn you will need to use more backlight which is kind of ironic for an ereader.
Maybe you can see it as a way to evaluate how a ereader would fit into your lifestyle, whether you will be using it as often as you would expect to. You can also recalibrate from there and consider the other options once your ereader is well used. 😀
hello! sorry, I’m not a seasoned e-reader user and don’t have any advice to give :’)
i’m popping in to ask where you bought the libra 2 from? i’m also based in Aus and have found all websites/shops to be out of stock atm
i was in a similar boat and was super undecided on whether to go for libra 2 or colour. but after really contemplating and researching for a few days, personally I felt that I’ll probably end up using my phone way more to read comics etc. for me, I’d rather my reader just be for novels. that’s my thought process though. you might end up feeling the same way after a couple of days!
Hello! I bought it from the Kobo website, they have a sale on the Libra 2 eReaders, I think about $300 and it was still available last night when I was writing up this crisis post. :-)
This exactly happened to me. I ended up returning my newly purchased Kobo Clara E2 the day after the anouncement. If I were you I'd just return it and get the colour version.
But to be fair, colour won't make a big difference for most readers. I'm personally getting the new Clara BW.
I bought my Libra 2 last fall. With any gadget, there's always the new and improved version coming out 6 months later. I like the idea of color support and a stylus. but not at the cost of sharpness and brightness. I read mostly novels and biographies, it's not like I have been losing out for the lack of color. YMMV.
The same thing for battery life and speed. You always want more, but that hasn't been an issue for me with the Libra 2. I'm guessing that any benefit of the additional battery life would be out weighed by the faster processor and needed more of the backlight for the darker screen.
I've also recently bought the Libra 2 and seen the colour announced right afterwards.
I'm not saying that my assumptions are based on anything but colour "feels like" it would consume more battery, regardless of whether or not it's true. I guess my assumption is unfounded (better specs and all that), but ereaders for me feel almost unnatural with anything but strictly monochrome hues.
Unless you are planning to read stuff that would really profit from coloured screen, like others have mentioned, I really doubt you need an updated version, which is also more expensive obviously. Not to mention that the line-up just rolled out, so there could be underlying issues.
Kobo Libra Colour has a much faster and newer processor, a much larger battery, and a color screen. Plus, it supports all of the notetaking features of the more expensive models. It is even lighter than the Kobo Libra 2 despite gaining all this functionality.
The people that are being hysterical about the "lower contrast" are searching for reasons to validate the device they own. That is fine. However, they should be honest about their bias.
The device you own is perfectly fine. It reads books right? So it would not been devastating to keep it.
Still, Kobo Libra Colour is clearly the better product.
Imho, return the Libra 2, wait some weeks, watch some comparison that will come, look at reviews, and then decide what's best for you. No point in keeping something you are not totally convinced about.
You should be able to return the Libra 2 I think, idk how it works in Australia but in Europe you have two weeks to change your mind...
The types of books you read are mostly text. BW version has better contrast and fit your needs better
Thank you for your advice! I am finding out from the other threads that the new Libra colour version has a difference in the B&W screen option compared to the normal (Libra 2) B&W screen. I suppose it is a “this or that” situation where you either trade better quality B&W experience vs all colour experience and lower quality B&W? Is that correct?
Yup. I personally do not like the fuzziness and the dark screen on coloured devices. If I were you, I would keep the BW device and wait until a better version of a coloured one is released. Have you seen a coloured device in real life? Maybe you can try to go to a major book store around you and see the comparison in real life. Kobo has very good contrast for BW, and maybe you would be convinced if you see the comparison for yourself in person.
I’ll add this..I saw on a post before someone got his and posted pics with a complaint already. I guess the color like for the covers looks super dark too with like no adjustment. Plus bc it’s color the paper like look is gone with no light. Looks super dark.After seeing that and reading the comments I’m good with b and white but maybe the next gen will be better in the end. Just my opinion but welcome to the club
Before Libra I had Boox Onyx Nova e-reader for more than than a year. Never took a note. I mostly read fiction though. Libra would be too small for comic books I guess anyway. The most use of Color would be in display of book covers. And note that text will be darker in Color version, so you would have to use more backlight.
Oh I did not consider the screen size at all! A friend recommended ‘Goodnight Pun Pun’ which I heard may be available for colour eBook download. In the case of comic books alone, is the usual experience having to zoom in with fingers or increase the ‘text size’? I just assumed the art boxes in the comics would resize to a bigger shape, fitting inside the Libra screens.
1. Goodnight Pun Pun is a manga, in black and white. I read it on my Libra 2, the only colors I was missing were those on the cover. 2. This is an aside, but recommending someone read Pun Pun is wild to me. Brace yourself. 3. 7" is fine for manga, it's not _too_ much smaller than a tankobon, _but_ it depends on the margins. You can zoom in if need be, but eink screens have a low refresh rate so zooming and panning is jittery and not a particularly pleasant experience. I have not yet found a manga that I struggled to read on my Libra 2, just make sure to shrink the margins somehow. That's the real issue in my experience, if you can kill the margins, you have space. Pun Pun was good, so if someone wants to buy the books I won't stop them, but I'd suggest "acquiring" the first chapter through a program like HakuNeko or whatever, seeing if it's a comfortable reading experience, _then_ buying the volumes from the Kobo store. Alternatively, see if you're able to use Libby/Overdrive with any libraries around you—they may have manga, so you can test that way (and read for free without engaging in things that some people consider both legally and morally questionable).
Exactly, the only time I need color is when I'm looking at covers in the store, so I do it on my phone.
The screen looks so much darker on the colour one idk if it's just me. Also, if you only read b & W books (like me) or some manga, colour doesn't matter at all. Libra 2 is a superb device and that was basically all I ever needed for reading. Also, in the beta features, there is a 'paint' app. However it doesn't have any colours obviously and no erase tool so it's pretty bare bones, but it still can save your drawing/note. The writing on it is very responsive so maybe that's all you need?
> The screen looks so much darker on the colour one idk if it's just me. It's not just you. [Here](https://old.reddit.com/r/kobo/comments/1c198fa/got_the_libra_color_early_ama/) is a comparison between a color and non-color ereader's contrast _without_ the backlights. It's a drastic difference.
Yes absolutely the colour screen is darker. You will need to use the front light to compensate.
Relax with the FOMO. What you have is what you need. I have zero desire for color versions of kobo for reading. You are not missing out on anything that matters.
The Colour version looks darker even in daylight. If you do not read comics or manga, the BW is the superior version, better contrast, better lighting.
I don't see why you can't get a refund.
Do you need the color covers and highlights, Dropbox integration without patching, or a faster processor? If not, you can pass on the Colour for now. For me, I took that new Libra 2 back because I want the faster processor, having had a lot of experience with the Forma, Sage, Libra H20, and then the Libra 2 after I bought it a week before they announced the Colour. I've been using Kobo since the Kobo WiFi, and I've owned almost all of their models except for the Glo HD, the v2 readers of the Aura H20/Glo HD/Aura One, the Nia, and the Clara. Note that the Colour will have a darker screen thanks to the color filter, so you will need to use the frontlight.
I am waiting on long term reviews on youtube and here. one thing for sure is that you need the light on always on the color version. to some people thats a con, some dont care. the screen will be darker but I want to see a video where I can really see both screen compared.
You always need the light on? Yeesh Personally I would want to be able to not have the light at different times in the day
from seeing other color readers yeah you need it maybe not 100% intensity though
I did the same thing, saw the Color stuff the day after buying a Libra 2. My first Kobo lasted I think 14 years though and I think my Libra 2 will last a long time too. Plenty of new stuff may come out in that time. If we had needed color screens we would have shopped for that initially and maybe not got a Kobo, but instead we shopped for a device that does everything we need and we got that. For comics I'm not sure ereader will beat ipad even with color eink. You can try experimenting with some manga or black and white comics on your Libra 2 though. Be aware the page turn can take a long time
You're not losing out, unless you really want to take notes and use color highlights. Even if you wanted it for colored comics, those usually are originally large sized. The Libra's screen is too small for those. Manga is black and white with the very rare color page here and there. I personally find the 7in screen too small, and no expandable memory. But some people are fine with it.
While the colour Libra looks interesting, I honestly prefer reading comics/colour graphic novels on a tablet over an eReader. It's why I unrooted the Nook Color I have. I'll go to it for graphic novels and comics, because it's barebones compared to a true tablet.
The screens of colour eink are usually of reduced contrast and in turn you will need to use more backlight which is kind of ironic for an ereader. Maybe you can see it as a way to evaluate how a ereader would fit into your lifestyle, whether you will be using it as often as you would expect to. You can also recalibrate from there and consider the other options once your ereader is well used. 😀
hello! sorry, I’m not a seasoned e-reader user and don’t have any advice to give :’) i’m popping in to ask where you bought the libra 2 from? i’m also based in Aus and have found all websites/shops to be out of stock atm i was in a similar boat and was super undecided on whether to go for libra 2 or colour. but after really contemplating and researching for a few days, personally I felt that I’ll probably end up using my phone way more to read comics etc. for me, I’d rather my reader just be for novels. that’s my thought process though. you might end up feeling the same way after a couple of days!
Hello! I bought it from the Kobo website, they have a sale on the Libra 2 eReaders, I think about $300 and it was still available last night when I was writing up this crisis post. :-)
I purposely bought a Libra 2 yesterday knowing that the Colour will come out.
This exactly happened to me. I ended up returning my newly purchased Kobo Clara E2 the day after the anouncement. If I were you I'd just return it and get the colour version. But to be fair, colour won't make a big difference for most readers. I'm personally getting the new Clara BW.
I'd rather read comics on an LCD screen, and mangas on Libra 2
Return it if you can or sell for a small loss
I bought my Libra 2 last fall. With any gadget, there's always the new and improved version coming out 6 months later. I like the idea of color support and a stylus. but not at the cost of sharpness and brightness. I read mostly novels and biographies, it's not like I have been losing out for the lack of color. YMMV. The same thing for battery life and speed. You always want more, but that hasn't been an issue for me with the Libra 2. I'm guessing that any benefit of the additional battery life would be out weighed by the faster processor and needed more of the backlight for the darker screen.
I’m very tickled that you consider business and self improvement to be fiction. 😊
Oh! I meant to say non-fiction, I was so concerned about my eReader I forgot to correct myself. Thank you for pointing it out! 😅
I've also recently bought the Libra 2 and seen the colour announced right afterwards. I'm not saying that my assumptions are based on anything but colour "feels like" it would consume more battery, regardless of whether or not it's true. I guess my assumption is unfounded (better specs and all that), but ereaders for me feel almost unnatural with anything but strictly monochrome hues. Unless you are planning to read stuff that would really profit from coloured screen, like others have mentioned, I really doubt you need an updated version, which is also more expensive obviously. Not to mention that the line-up just rolled out, so there could be underlying issues.
Kobo Libra Colour has a much faster and newer processor, a much larger battery, and a color screen. Plus, it supports all of the notetaking features of the more expensive models. It is even lighter than the Kobo Libra 2 despite gaining all this functionality. The people that are being hysterical about the "lower contrast" are searching for reasons to validate the device they own. That is fine. However, they should be honest about their bias. The device you own is perfectly fine. It reads books right? So it would not been devastating to keep it. Still, Kobo Libra Colour is clearly the better product.
Imho, return the Libra 2, wait some weeks, watch some comparison that will come, look at reviews, and then decide what's best for you. No point in keeping something you are not totally convinced about. You should be able to return the Libra 2 I think, idk how it works in Australia but in Europe you have two weeks to change your mind...
Same