New Colo[u]r Kobo ereaders and refreshed BW model. Compatible with Libby and Overdrive, easy to transfer ebooks from local library and your own library. Bluetooth for audiobooks too.
already 10% off, use code above for further discount
arrives 1st May 2024.
Sleepcovers also half price (plus discount): https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=kobo+sleep&p…
I would rate Kobo better as I get all my books from the high seas.
Yes can transfer books, I use calibre for management. Bit of a learning curve but worth it imo
https://calibre-ebook.com/
Thanks.. I've used calibre before.
What's high seas?
Nice try government.
Ok.. i assume p1ratẽd copies then!?
@NikhilTri: hang on, can you say that again but in normal English please and into this microphone right here.
Anna has a vast library
@pichxlonco: Nah so that's good for audiobooks, but for ebooks you can just go to Anna's Archive and avoid needing a private tracker.
Learning curve? It's quite simple…
Notepad is quite simple. It’s okay for people not to intuit how to use a new piece of software.
I call it the world-wide-library, considering Amazon doesn’t grant Australian users access to our local library catalogues.
Is it possible to have your books transfer from calibre library to your Kobo (Libra 2 in my case) wirelessly?
Look into Calibre Web (different yo Calibre but uses same Library) and their built in KoboSync :)
You can't transfer your books, but you can acquire them on the high seas and upload the to a kobo reader.
You can also strip the DRM from existing Kindle books, in cases where they are not available elsewhere.
Feels kinda shitty though giving Amazon all your money and then shirking a much smaller competitor.
I've been thinking to buy an ereader for a while, but am quite confused about the huge variety of models across all the ereader brands. Would these be a good first ereader buy?
those will be adequate but battery life and blue light make unsuitable for kids and others
can invert text to white on black backgroung and dim brightness right down?
Awful idea. People who read plenty will enjoy the experience on an e-reader a LOT more
These or kindles. Can't go wrong if you're just reading ebooks. These are often backlit so you end up with less eye strain when reading in low light. You can get free books through sub-legal means. Kindle has the amazon book library but Kobo has their own (I haven't used it) and can access OverDrive which is borrowing from a library online.
If you want to read comics, I'd just get a Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro 2022 for a similar price.
Thanks! I am willing to get free books through those sublegal means but is that possible on both Kindle and Kobo models? Is it also straightforward enough to source those ebooks from the internet? I know you mentioned you use Kindles primarily but from research apparently borrowing books through Overdrive/Libby is a little problematic sometimes, do you know anything about that process?
Personally I way prefer Kobo than Kindle but I'll give you an unbiased overview.
If you want to buy books they both have their own stores, the experience of this on them is very similar and that will be pure preference.
If you want to get books illegally or just sideload, the Kindle has really handy send to kindle feature where they give you a special @kindle.com email address and you just send the ebook in the email and it appears on your Kindle. Additionally it gets added to your Kindle cloud storage so if you have the mobile app, it will appear in there too and progress/notes will sync across them (how fantastic).
Kobo doesn't have this built in, and syncing of book progress and notes is only available for books purchased on the official store. However, Kobo's OS is a bit less locked down so you can install fantastic third party plugins (why I love it) there's one that will give you this exact same functionality but it takes more effort to set up. But there are even better ways to sync sideloaded books on your Kobo using a service such as Calibre Web which is a self hosted book library but it integrates into the default sync function of the Kobo. Again it takes more effort to setup, I have it running on a cloud server (the Oracle always free tier) it's very light weight and I give access to all my friends so they can all use it to either send books to their kindles or sync collections to their Kobo's.
Additionally some Kobo models let you access a google drive or drop box where you can easily sideload books. If your Kobo doesn't support it, you can easily add a plugin that unlocks that functionality. And also on the Kobo you can transfer a book over wifi to your Kobo by visiting this website on your Kobo then following instructions: https://send.djazz.se/
If you want to borrow eBooks from you library (which is a fantastic way to get them), then Kobo is your best bet. The Kindle does have overdrive and Libby support but it's only really available in America with American libraries, the Kobo supports overdrive in Australia. Kindle kind of isn't an option here in my opinion.
I generally just prefer the software on the Kobo, everything about the layout looks nicer (which is subjective), and I really like how Kobo gives more information about reading progress compared to the Kindle including page numbers which obviously changes depending on how big your text is. Kindle will have % left in book, and time remaining estimates in the chapter or whole book (Kobo also has these). But often kindle doesn't have page numbers, you only get them on specifically formatted books which you usually only get through the store, but you can format them yourself using tools like Calibre.
Both brands have great devices, but my recommendation is the new Kobo Clara BW.
@Castcore: Haven't tried a Kindle yet but got a 2nd hand Kobo Touch (2011/2012) for AUD20 from an op shop recently. Does everything I need it to. File drag & drop is super convenient too.
@poposhh: Awesome! At the end of the day if you're enjoying reading books what more do you need :)
You make a good point though, I forgot to mention that both brands support just dragging and dropping on books.
@Castcore: Thanks for the tips! I've only ever transferred books using Adobe digital editions. What difference is there between that and Calibre?
@Lurk Hartog: I've never used Adobe Digital Editions so I can't really comment. I will say that Calibre is clearly the most popular of the ebook tools though, and I'm sure it does what ADE does and more. It also supports plugins to add extra functionality.
Also there is a difference between Calibre and Calibre Web, they are not the same even though they both use the same database definitions. Often people will use Calibre to curate and edit their library and then Calibre Web to create user accounts and make it accessible over the internet. Personally I find myself just using Calibre Web these days because you can still edit metadata on it.
@Castcore: @Castcore Thanks for the info regarding Kindle email to and the sync between devices. I didn't realise that worked with sync. Have just been using Calibre for years and manually loading on via usb. This is much better as now I can start reading on my phone if I want.
In saying that, the new Clara BW is awfully tempting
@Castcore: Could you point me you the name of the plug in to sync my reading across devices for sideloaded books? Is that through koreader or can it be used with the native reader app?
@pichxlonco: Yeah so the feature is called KoboSync in Calibre Web. I think KoReader is aiming to implement it but I'm not sure they have it yet. You can get another plugin on KoReader called progresssync not sure how it works though.
Admittedly KoboSync is a very elegant solution because it behaves as if your books are from the Kobo store.
@Castcore: Thanks for the advice! I actually had a look at the previous model in store and I actually like the Libra’s 7 inch size a bit better. I am happy with the Clara BW as is but prefer that extra one inch. Not sure if it’s worth paying more for the Libra Colour though just for the larger screen + worse contrast. What do you think?
If you know you want one, get the new Kobo Clara BW unless you really want buttons.This is a fantastic deal.
Thanks!
16GB and 32GB storage for the Clara and Libra respectively. I would have liked to have seen bigger storage since comics and graphic novels would have been a draw card for these devices.
Whats the point of colour then?
There is no need if its just to read books.
Comics would be the main need for colour and need lots of space.
And storage is so inexpensive nowadays with a micro sd card. At least add micro sd card capability if you are so stingy with storage.
Does my head in seeing all this stupidity.
Whats the point of colour then?
Novelty largely at this stage.
If the colours were vibrant and adequate to the task of displaying comics and images they’d show how good they look in the promos. There are no onscreen colour images (excepting book covers) shown in the promos.
Whats the point of colour then?
There is no need if its just to read books.
Exactly my point. It's a dumb decision and I don't see anything about microSD expandability.
It's a dumb decision
Not if it sells more units
don't see anything about microSD expandability
Waterproofing takes precedence
@0jay: I respectfully disagree. Smaller storage is a not good draw card and will turn people off.
Are there that many people reading comics in the bath tub or pool? There are water resistant sim card slots, there can be water resistant microsd card slots.
will turn people off.
I’ve had five kobos, the oldest still in use is 8gb and i’ve never had to delete to clear storage.
As for waterproofing there’re a lot of factors in play, one is warrantee claims on water damaged units.
@0jay: I'm not sure if you're being obtuse on purpose.
People would want to read colour comics and graphic novels and they take up more storage space and storage is cheap these days…
I'm probably going to buy the BW version. I'd love to be able to read comics on the colour one but from what I've read and seen online it won't be a great experience. I'll have to use our shared tablet for that.
I read PDF (tech) books, and I have always wished my Kobo had colour to show the charts/diagrams properly.
I saw some people making notes in books using coloured highlighters which would be handy for some. I just read books so I am happy with black and white.
One of the issues already present is that it doesn't deal well with big files anyway, if it is anything like the Libra 2 when I have tried to read bigger files it can be slow and sluggish meaning I have normally take this into account before reading anyway.
That being said finding the right balance it works well enough. The Libra 2 is by far the best e-reader I have used.
better off waiting for eofy for colour ereader sales?
This discount is extremely surprising, Kobo rarely ever discounts them. For your reference the Kobo Libra 2 went on sale for $300 recently in preparation for the release of the Libra Colour. I'm shocked these brand new models are on sale.
If you’re patient ebay technology sales can see them cheaper, picked up a Libra 2 for my partner and myself last year for $230 each.
I actually picked up a Libra 2 for my missus last August for $250. It was full price at JB Hi Fi and I just asked the guy what was the best price he could give it to me for.
I think because it's been out for a while they're inclined to give good discounts to make a small commission. I wouldnt be surprised if you could get them to go even a bit lower now there is a new model :)
Regardless that's good to know! I wasn't aware of that
@Castcore: That’s if you can find one - my partner ended up buying a near new used one this morning because JB were sold out of the BW Libra 2 for a few weeks, and she wanted one now.
For those interstated on jumping onto colour e-ink.
Here's a comparison between colour vs bw ebook readers https://youtu.be/jaWnBMvdKH0?si=PdD7HBbmtI_vSGlC
It's suggested for overall reading experience (text) black and white e-ink is better, with recommendation to only go colour if you're into comics or Web browsing etc
PSA: Watch at 1.25/1.5x speed. Makes it seem like normal speed.
Your video shows a completely different e-reader that is noticeably worse. This video shows the Kobo colour, which looks great to me..
Ahh I hope they have upgrade option…
Got Libra and would love to upgrade
What do you mean by this? You had the Libra 1?
Yep
If you don't have an eReader and we're planning on getting a Kindle or Kobo etc…
Get the Kobo Clara BW!
Unless you really want colour because you know you'll be reading a lot comics etc, or already have an e-reader and want to splurge, get the black and white. Colour degrades the black and white experience significantly and honestly the only colour you'll see in most books is the cover art. While it's cool it just doesn't make sense to pay more, impact battery life, and degrade black and white reading for something that you'll probably use 1% of the time. Also you have to realise that the colours are nothing like a phone or tablet they're usually not very saturated, you can look up some good comparisons of Kaleido 3 and Carta 1200 online. The Kobo Clara BW is Carta 1300 which is even better.
Personally I'm splurging on the Libra Colour because I already have a kindle basic, and it wouldn't make sense for me to get a Clara BW. If they had have come out with a Libra BW then I would have gotten that.
Just asking, do you know if most Kobo users get ebooks by buying them or by sideloading them? From what I've read, Kobo users don't seem to be purchasing ebooks primarily compared to Kindle users and instead just borrow or download from the internet.
Just borrow from library no need to sideload
Are the online library collections usually extensive enough too in your experience? Apparently a lot of people have to subscribe to multiple library services
@monkeyoutlet: I honestly haven't used the library stuff but from what I've heard it's really good. You might have to wait a bit for that book to become available because they can only lend out a certain number of books so you kind a join a queue until they get returned. Libraries are free so joining different ones shouldn't be a problem.
Obviously the waiting isn't awesome if you really want to read it now, but I actually think it's kind of a good thing. In my opinion if you have a bunch of books at hand currently it becomes difficult with so many choices, when you borrow something you can be excited waiting for it to pop up while you read something else and then when it does you know you only have it for like 1 month or whatever before it auto returns so you know you have to get through it. In my opinion it's just more motivating.
But if you can't find something you can always sideload it. I think the best solution is using everything you have on hand. Borrow books where you can, if you can't, sideload it, if you want to support the author buy it, if you want to keep it but not buy it, sideload it.
@Castcore: Yeah that sounds good, thanks for the recommendation. Just tossing up between the Libra Colour and Clara BW just because of the screen size - I prefer that extra one inch of the Libra but don’t really care for the coloured screen. Thoughts?
@monkeyoutlet: I got a Libra Colour but would recommend the Clara BW. The reason I got the Libra Colour was because I already own a Kindle Basic and the Clara BW is too similar to justify getting one at all. I would have gotten a Libra BW if they refreshed it. The Libra 2 is fantastic, my partner has one and it's basically the perfect e-reader, but I don't wanna get an old model.
I do understand wanting a bigger screen, but one thing I will say is that the smaller 6" is pretty perfect for on the go as well. Most of my shorts I can actually slip it into my pocket in a pinch which I wouldn't be able to with a Libra.
It's a really tough decision because the contrast of the screen is actually just a bit too much worse on the colour models. See this Reddit post for a comparison with lights off. It also reduces the crispness of the screen slightly but not enough for me to really care, really zoom in on this picture to see it, weird lines. You can also in this picture the brightness when Libra Colour is at 100% blue light and the Kindle is 0%. You can compensate for the darker screen but that will give you a hefty hit to battery life and even though the page will appear the same lightness, the luminance from the e-reader is higher and will likely cause more eye strain.
The biggest issue is that the Libra Colour has hardware compromises you'll have to live with and the Clara BW has none. It's just not as big as you want it to be, which I guess is a personal compromise. If they had have done a Libra BW, it would have been perfect. I really can't help you out much more than this other than to suggest waiting for better reviews and comparisons, but maybe the hefty discount is gone by then. The colour is really quite unnecessary for most users use cases. I know I'll be reading basically only novels, so I legit won't see colour 98% of the time and it does seem kind of stupid to take such a hit to most of what I'll be doing, but I'm coping a little and just pretending like it won't be that bad, and telling myself I'll read some comics to make the most of it lol. But deep down after seeing that Reddit post, I know it's actually quite bad, I like eink for the fact that I don't need any glowlight and this kind of completely compromises that.
Sorry I just blurted everything on my mind out, there genuinely is no right or wrong decision just pick the compromise that makes more sense for you, or perhaps even consider the possibility of getting the Libra 2 in some clearance sales if the discount is right, good luck!
@Castcore: Appreciate the detailed answer! Yeah, I definitely think the BW Libra or a Libra 2 would probably be more suited for my use case but as you said, probably not worth going for that one given this new colour model is at a similar price point. I've also not owned an ereader before so it's probable that I'm also underestimating the 6 inch size of the Clara too.
So maybe if I get the Libra Colour maybe I wouldn't even notice the drop in contrast + sharpness either. There is that one early buyer AMA on reddit who has overall positive feedback for the Libra Colour as well, I'm guessing it'll still be an enjoyable experience for you though haha. I've also noticed the sale's already ended sooner than I thought which is annoying, is it still worth purchasing without the sale price? Also with the Libra 2, what's a good price for it nowadays given the release of these new models? Thanks!
I have a Kobo eReader (the Auro H20 Edition 2) and buy books from the Kobo store. They regularly have sales and if you join their VIP program, then you get discounts on top of the sale prices and discounts on all books. You earn points and then can redeem points for books too.
Love my Kobo - mine is over 5 years old and still going strong.
Sounds good thanks!
would libra colour be good for kindy kids?
eReaders can be pretty fragile, the screen can often crack under pressure (like being throw in a bag or sat on). I wouldn't give one to a kid personally, not an expensive one at least.
IMHO it's hard enough getting kids to be interested in anything else besides a screen, especially as they get older. While they're little, there is so much to be gained from the whole non-tech tactile experience of books. Lots are fun & interactive with flaps, etc. My suggestion is avoid introducing screens so there is a better chance of them developing other interests at young age
Totally agree, my nearly 5 yr old doesn't have an ipad and wouldn't get more than 1hr screen time a week so far, and when he does it's an animal documentary. My thinking was to get kids ebooks as he'll start reading soon. Think it's too early but I'd rather an ereader over an ipad.
Stick to physical books for kids, they are all colour and images which aren't the best for kids.
Facebook marketplace has plenty of bargains
Can't find where to put in the code??
You have to make it through the whole checkout process and it's at the end right before putting in your payment details. "Promotions"
Thanks OP! Ordered one..already planned on buying one for my 8yr old, he uses his Libra daily now. This should be a good upgrade for him for the occasional colour pictures on kids books/novels. The code also works for the accessories, so added a cover with the purchase too.
Oh damn they're 50% off already too, I'm so confused by this sale, this never happens especially not on new models.
I should've grabbed one with my order, don't wanna pay for delivery now 😞
It won't ship for a couple of weeks, maybe contact them and alter the order?.. or order again and cancel the original.
I did put that in description. Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
You should be able to call and cancel, then reorder. Still 2 weeks to go.
Nah it's pretty clear I just missed it, thanks op :)
Do you think JB Hi Fi will pricematch?
Should on the listing price but likely not with the coupon added
If I read manga from a browser is this a good buy?
Also is there an option to connect a bluetooth keyboard?
I'd recommend an android tablet and get a tachiyomi alternative like mihon to read manga.
Picked up the Lenovo smart paper this week from this deal and using mihon for manga had been good.
Can also use KOreader or apps
Thanks OP! Just order one! Recently I am looking for ereader and lucky I missed out the last JB deal for Lenovo smart paper few weeks ago!
Welcome. I decided against that. Seems too half baked.
Rather a bespoke ereader like this.
Well thanks but I prefer to get a new kobo now
Yeah if you don’t already have a 6-7” than it’s quite different.
I want an e-Reader. One where I can easily add my own books to. I'm a bit cautious to buy a reader which hasn't been released yet. I'm thinking of the Clara BW.
Should I buy? If I buy now, the risk is I'm not certain of the quality, but maybe this is a pre launch bargain price.
![[Pre Order] Kobo Clara Colour $210.60, Clara BW $193.50, Libra Colour $291.60 - Free Delivery @ Booktopia](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/37/841137.jpg?h=97dd1bf6)
Thanks.. this looks good but i have a question.
I use Kindle paperwhite for reading ebooks which are usually cheaper on Amazon than hardcopy.
Is the ecosystem for Kobo similar?
Can I transfer my kindle books to Kobo?
Looking at this for taking notes as well.. ta