Kobo Libra 2 | eReader | 7” Waterproof Touchscreen|

It was time to replace my old OG kindle with something better. Lots of staring at reviews and I was finally left looking at 3 options. Kindle paperwhite, Kindle oasis and kobo libra 2. I didnt want a reader that was totally touch screen, but the kindle paperwhite was a serious contender. The thing most putting me off the kindle range? The 20 pounds extra to get rid of the ads on the non signature paperwhites. So rather than pay that extra levy on a standard paperwhite, or go for the paperwhite signature at a higher price that doesnt have forced ads but equally doesnt really bring enough to the table to justify its price over the regular paperwhite. But the jump to the kindle oasis is even more financially painful, and for an older design that still uses usb micro. Which left the libra 2 standing tall as the one for me. Coming in at almost exactly the same price as the paperwhite signature. After having a smaller kindle, the size change of the libra is very obvious. The screen of the libra2 is slightly larger than the kindle, and noticeably sharper than the og kindle. The buttons for page forward and back are an option I would hate to lose already. The buttons can be switched around easily for those preferring an inverted button arrangement. The power button on the back of the device looks like a camera in the pictures, mainly as thats where your head says a camera would be. The position for that power button was another huge decision maker for me in choosing the libra as it will never get pressed accidentally, unlike the stupid positioning of the power switch on a kindle paperwhite. The Libra comes with 32gb of storage space, but as with the kindles, 32 is overkill unless you are doing lots of large pdfs or audio books. Apparently the kobo only plays audio books from the kobo store, something to remember. One of the biggest reasons (beyond the buttons and avoiding ads) for choosing the Libra was the wider range of ebook formats that in theory would require less messing about with conversions. Epubs and mobis are just fine, pdfs too, plus numerous others, but one file format that should work natively instantly fell over, that was the cbr format. Comic book reader files resolutely refuse to play for me without conversion. Calibre came to the rescue with a simple conversion to mobi, but I cant help feeling a bit miffed that the conversion was needed at all. Stepping aside from that aspect to the hardware itself. It’s a nice feeling unit. Not premium in terms of materials, being plastic it feels like what it is, but it is light, hardly any extra weight than a paperwhite. Without a case the back of the libra is quite tactile with its dimpled area and contrasting smooth. But lets be honest here, how many people use these out of some kind of case? Given that both the kindles and libra screens are a less than substantial plastic layer and not glass, it is an area that can be scratched all too easily. The kindle has a flush flat screen front area with an extra layer of plastic over the e ink screen. The libra has a recessed screen without that extra protective layer. As a result the libra screen looks sharper in use than the kindle offering, albeit with a little less protection. When it comes to illumination, the screen looks brilliant in daylight and dark conditions alike, but thats just to be expected on any e reader today. I wasn’t too sure about the yellow tint option for night time, seen in daylight it looks garish, but at night it instantly makes sense and is way easier on the eyes. Another plus point for the libra is the accelerometer inclusion. It makes for a way nicer experience when swapping hands as the screen rotates like a phone or tablet, making left hand right hand options simple and easy. It will even rotate sideways to have the buttons at the base instead of the side. Something I haven’t used much at all, but still nice to have the function available. File transfer of owned books via usb from a pc is simple drag and drop (same as a kindle), though one annoying quirk is that if you have the usb connected before starting the pc up, it doesnt detect the libra. Turn the pc on first and then connect the libra and it connects first time with an interaction needed on the libra to confirm the connection is approved. You can drop books pretty much anywhere on the libra and it will pick them up and populate the menu after you disconnect from pc. One last thing of note, the face plastic around the two buttons is a fingerprint magnet. The whole area picks up the oils from your fingers almost instantly. Initially irritating, but the screen itself seems less inclined to attract the same messy look. I chose a thin type of case for the libra to minimise any extra bulk. My old kindle lived in a leather look type that worked just fine, while the case i chose for the libra was solely to protect the screen and any extra cover was a bonus, as it turned out the super cheap case is a great option. Either way, I wouldnt carry this around without a cover. I really like the way this reader puts a picture of what you are reading on the screen when its in standby mode, unlike the kindles forced assortments for those without ads, or just ads for whatever they want to push if you havent got an ad free kindle. The libras book cover approach was a refreshing change from what I was used to previously. So far, no regrets at ditching kindle for an alternative. UK users can use the Overdrive option and access e-books from their local library if they have a library card. It’s also worth mentioning that the kobo is fully waterproof, so no fear of it dying if you drop it in the bath while reading, The only potential downer I found with the kobo? I first opened the box and set it up at my parents. Set up a kobo account, and show mother how it works, and how the kobo book store aspect worked. She picked catherine cookson as a test to see what books were available by her on the kobo store. It pretty much bombed right there with pretty much nothing available from the search. It was not a good demonstration. It might be worth trying to find out if the books you most like are actually available through the kobo store, unless you already have access to a copy in the right format that you can just load directly onto the device via usb. So to sum up. Good device, same price as kindles 32gb paperwhite signature, but considerably cheaper than the older but similar designed kindle oasis. If you are not married to the kindle marketplace, the libra 2 is well worth considering as an alternative.