Long Time Kindler, First Time Kobo-ler

Took the dive on a more expensive Kobo ecosystem, but happier so far. Kobo Libra Colour Thoughts:

Overall, I prefer the user interface:

• It integrates handy shortcuts that I use often as first order controls (e.g., brightness can be adjusted by sliding up/down side of screen).

• There’s a whole dedicated page to Overdrive tied to my library. I used the discover button and started reading a random poetry book last night. My dream of 24-7 library I can access as a disgusting goblin from bed is finally unlocked. I anticipate reading a lot more for free vs impulse buys.

• The main screen shows books on my device, and doesn’t force me to look at recommendations on every start-up (including on supposedly ad-free Kindle, which for me adds residual mental static I’d rather not experience).

• I find the ‘annotations’ view easier to read. You can make annotations (and ones in color) anywhere in the actual text of the book.

• The bottom of the book shows page number and a bar graphic showing relative position instead of metrics about reading speed. These types of analytics suck some joy out of the experience for me, and I accidentally toggle these all the time on my Kindle. They can make it feel like there’s an engineer in the room with me versus the more straightforward voyeurism between reader-author.

• Nice whole separate notes section. I often get distracted when reading with other thoughts I want to explore in detail later, and it helps me to focus to have a place to park those thoughts to get back to the book.

The hardware is also great. Page flips are speedy and don’t seem to leave behind artifacts. USB-C charging (for reader and stylus) ✅. Lovely e-ink color, which is a must for leisure reading for me, as backlit screens wreak devastation on my eyes. The “white” version has a popular Japanese market pearlescent effect.

Cons:

• Cost; books are more expensive. But I will keep investing in Bezos competitors/local until I can’t.
• There’s no first party origami book-stand case with stylus holder. But I did spot a good hack for this. You can add a roughly size-compatible Apple pen clip to the back. This won’t interfere with the stand folding and also provides a grip.

(A version of this was originally published on Bluesky.)