This was posted 4 months 15 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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[Perks] Kobo Libra Colour $305.10 + Delivery ($0 C&C/ in-Store) @ JB Hi-Fi

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[Perks] Kobo Libra Colour $305.10 + Delivery ($0 C&C/ in-Store) @ JB Hi-Fi
Go to Deal
303-Acid on 06/07/2024 - 10:47 jbhifi.com.au (2756 clicks)
Last edited 06/07/2024 - 11:55 by 1 other user

On sale for $339, combine with Perks for an additional 10% off. Both colourways Black and White) discounted.

The colour display might not be for everyone, the display is dimmer than a non-colour reader. The lighting helps and is adjustable in brightness and warmth. I purchased one recently for a mix of comic and ebook reading, coming from an old Kobo WiFi and Kobo Mini this is a nice upgrade for me. The CPU is nice and speedy, screen size is about right for me without being too large or small.

Display:
* 7" E Ink Kaleido™ 3 display with FastGLR and Dark Mode
* 1264x1680
* 300 PPI—black-and-white content
* 150 PPI—colour content

Black: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/kobo-libra-colour-black
White: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/kobo-libra-colour-white

Review and comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skofLjRyrH0

Official product site: https://au.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-libra-colour

Original deal post

Electrical & Electronics eBook Reader Kobo

Related Stores

JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi

closed Comments

  • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 11:50
    +27

    Kobo > Kindle.

    • FatTofu on 06/07/2024 - 11:50
      +1

      Why?

      • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 11:52
        +27

        Access to the local library via 'overdrive'.

        Can read epubs (the most common ebook format) and pdfs (though don't have too much high hopes with pdfs, they may look terrible on such a small form, and would be slow to load)

        Cheaper in price while not being a Chinese brand.

        Can also get Kindle content, though a bit of a hassle.

        No ads like Kindle, and of course, no Amazon bs to deal with.

        • a1234my on 06/07/2024 - 12:01
          +1

          Any cheaper brand ? Don't mind Chinese brand

          • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:10
            +1

            @a1234my: not sure but here's a cheap one from aliexpress - a kindle clone. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004927088940.html

            • a1234my on 06/07/2024 - 12:13

              @smartProverble: Thank you.
              when I saw the Amazon logo always tell me self is a fake rather then chepoo brand. Not sure it will last 2 years.

            • v00d00 AU on 06/07/2024 - 12:51

              @smartProverble: Anyone with experience from these?

          • axyh on 06/07/2024 - 12:51
            +19

            @a1234my: eReaders will last for many years if you get a good one. My wife is still using a Kindle that she bought in 2010.

            On the other hand, cheap units can die quickly. In the same time she's had her Kindle Keyboard, I went through three cheaper units. Each time, I'd show off my thriftiness by buying a unit that is "just like a Kindle but half the price", and each time, they would glitch out after a couple of years, or have impossible-to-replace batteries die. They also all had comically bad software. In the end, my wife bought me a Kindle Paperwhite and ended that cycle.

            Just get a decent unit and it will last longer, and provide a better experience. I've come to the conclusion that cheap electronics are a false economy - the Sam Vimes "Boots" theory at work. You will spend more money (and generate more waste) cycling through a succession of flaky options.

            Kobo and Kindle units are available around the $200 mark. That's not a lot of money for something that should last a decade.

            • awaiko on 06/07/2024 - 14:35

              @axyh: Strong agree on the value when it’s common to get about a decade out of them. My paperwhite is still going annoyingly strong. I have no need to replace it. It was $1xx however many years ago after Amazon support knocked $50 off the price when my Keyboard model had screen issues (again, after a good number of years).

          • paloverde88 on 06/07/2024 - 14:33

            @a1234my: Shang Jing has one for $99 supports all Chinese books and sideload for Arabic books too and option for Hindi!

            • a1234my on 06/07/2024 - 15:45

              @paloverde88: yes, looking to sideload other language.
              Shang Jing cant find anywhere to buy.

        • OI27 on 06/07/2024 - 12:30
          +2

          PDF support on it becomes a lot better if you install KOReader (it is good for ePubs as well)

          • Averell on 06/07/2024 - 14:00

            @OI27: I concur. Especially on a 8" Kobo.

        • GeneralSkunk on 06/07/2024 - 13:51

          I had a Kobo Glo that died within 1-2 years after I got it but I’d hardly used it. I never did any eReaders since.

        • Averell on 06/07/2024 - 14:00
          +1

          I think Kindle now supports epub

        • donm on 06/07/2024 - 15:38
          +5

          I was quite disappointed with the range of books available on Overdrive. Then I realised some of the books on 'Libby' weren't available on Overdrive. You can read these books on your Kobo doing the following:

          1. Download the epub file from the Libby website. It actually downloads with a .acsm extension, interestingly.
          2. Sign up for an Adobe ID account
          3. Download Adobe Digital Editions on your computer.
          4. Open the epub/acsm file in Adobe Digital Editions to add it to your bookshelves. You should be able to double-click on the epub/acsm file in Windows Explorer / Finder, or you can choose "Add to Library" from the File menu in Adobe Digital Editions, but you may need to change the file type.
          5. Connect your Kobo to your computer using a USB cable and press the "Connect" button on the Kobo screen. The Kobo will appear as a device in Adobe Digital Editions.
          6. Drag-and-drop the book to your Kobo device in Adobe Digital Editions.

          It's a little convoluted, but it works.

          I learnt most of this from this YouTube video.

          • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 18:14

            @donm: Good tips!
            I'm sure you're already aware but you can have multiple libraries linked to your overdrive to give you more avenues to borrow books. Could expand your book selection a bit. There used to be a workaround to get all library accounts linked to your overdrive on kobo too.

            • donm on 06/07/2024 - 18:42

              @Castcore: Thanks.
              I have read about adding other libraries, but haven't done anything about it yet. Which libraries would you recommend?

        • AustriaBargain on 07/07/2024 - 00:13

          Kindle supports ePub now. And adding "pirate" epub books is easy with the Send to Kindle app for Mac and PC, just right click your ePub and choose "Send to Kindle".

          • donm on 07/07/2024 - 13:05

            @AustriaBargain: That's good.
            When I clicked on the 'download ePub' button on the Libby website it actually gave me a .acsm file. I tried using 'Send to Kindle' with the .acsm file bit it said 'File type not supported'. So I guess you still can't read Libby books on Kindle.

        • Shifty on 09/07/2024 - 09:35

          Cheaper?

          The paperwhite will be under $200 next week and retails at $270, the best you can get a libra is $300.

          It's the main thing stoping me from getting it

  • Toxinor on 06/07/2024 - 12:06

    Used to own one Kobo libra. Screen frozen time to time only for txt file in other languages.
    It's so common and seems to be a software issue…

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:16

      Did you try using kepub files and updating the firmware?

      • Toxinor on 06/07/2024 - 13:35

        I tried both the txt and epub. Txt happens more frequently compared to epub. Other formats seem fine tho.

    • AustriaBargain on 07/07/2024 - 01:04
      +1

      My mom had an early Kobo, it was instant garbage. I'm sure they are better now. But Kindle got it right from the start…

  • Max999 on 06/07/2024 - 12:08

    Is it worth the price premium compared to Clara Colour?

    • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:13
      +10

      depends. Does it have 'colourways'?

    • ju2au on 06/07/2024 - 12:13
      +1

      Bigger display with 2 physical buttons for page turning. For some, that's worth the price.

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:20
      +1

      Buttons are nice IMO, colour is unnecessary but pretty nifty it does feel like now I have colour I don't want to go back even though like 1% of my reading has colour….the colour is also kind of garbage compared to like every other device you will own. You do sacrifice black and white performance with coluor, overall the screen is darker without the glowlight turned on. I like to read without the glowlight so it feels more like reading a real book.

      Personally I would go the Clara BW if I didn't have an ereader at all. But it depends on what you want. Sorry I can't be more helpful, look at the ereader subreddit for comparison pics and stuff.

    • Max999 on 06/07/2024 - 12:36

      Thanks for the input guys.

  • CyberMurning on 06/07/2024 - 12:14

    Good to read comics anime cbz pdfs?

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:21
      +1

      Not big enough for most comics imo. Anime is mostly black and white. You get a rainbow effect on a lot of anime unfortunately because of how the shading is done.

      • CyberMurning on 06/07/2024 - 13:44
        +1

        Ok i stick with my old cheap surface pro 5

      • TheWetArmpit on 06/07/2024 - 14:34
        -1

        So I can watch cartoon on this thing?

    • bgbrendan on 06/07/2024 - 13:52
      +1

      i picked up the tmnt (colour) comic bundle recently and been reading it on one of these, it looks fine to my eyes but definitely abit washed out. Just looking at some manga now it looks a bit grainy but again quite readable with kanji seem to be readable without strain compared to my old 6 inch kobo glo hd

      • CyberMurning on 06/07/2024 - 15:31

        Yep thanks i will use my 10 years old old 6"kobo for epubs only then.

    • AustriaBargain on 07/07/2024 - 01:05

      Look at the maximum amount of different coloured pixels it can do at the same time. An iPad is best for comics still. The 13 inch iPad is about the same size as a full sized comic page.

  • Misha Bakunin on 06/07/2024 - 12:19
    +2

    I'm curious, I'm know little about these e-Readers or whatever they are called.

    Would it not not cheaper and more flexible to get cheap tablet?

    Again noob here, just asking, I probably don't know something….

    • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:27
      +5

      ereaders or ebook readers or whatever they're called, are…

      • usually lighter (though feels flimsier too)

      • displays are completely different. Kinda feels like looking at some plastic with some dark etchings (think etch a sketch), rather than a display with a backlight / laptop screen / OLED screen.

      • cheap tablets usually have sh itty displays that look pixelated and not good viewing angles. In those cases, basically any 'e-ink' ebook viewer screen >>>> tablet screen.

      • cheap tablets most likely have much faster processors, so can load your content much faster / less lag when dealing with content that requires lots of processing power, like PDFs. Any changes to the screen (like moving the page a bit to the left or right or up or down etc.) will need a whole page re-render, which will take at least a second (yes, seconds), whereas a tablet wouldn't have this kind of issue (much faster).

      It's really related to the screen. Tablets are definitely more versatile. If ebook readers had the same screens as tablets, they would be sh itty overpriced tablets.

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:28
      +3

      Eink display versus and LCD or led display. Pretty much every other display in your life will work by having a light behind the colour pixels that shines directly into your eyes. No light behind and you can't see anything. Eink works by having these tiny ink balls in the screen that get rearranged to make different shades of white to grey to black, light can't physically shine through them so in order to see it light has to bounce off the front of it, like a normal book. They typically also have led lights around the front edge of the device so if the ambient light isn't bright enough, you can turn them on and they will bounce more light off the front so it's brighter.

      People say it's less straining on they eyes to read and I agree it mimicks a book more. Don't expect it to look or behave like any of your other devices. It will be much better and much worse in different ways.

      The other cool thing is that it only needs to use power to rearrange the ink balls, then those positions are locked in and it doesn't use any more power, it means the battery life can be months depending on how much you read. When the device is powered off for example it just shows the book cover constantly.

      • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:36

        People say it's less straining on they eyes to read and I agree

        How 'bad' is eye strain? We read on our phones all the time, and yet i hear no one complaining of eye strain, or how we shouldn't be reading on our phones etc.

        Disclaimer: I have a Kobo Klara HD and i think it's great (though cumbersome and slow as F… and of course, a separate phone. Best scenario I can think of, future-wise, is to get a Samsung Galaxy Z-Fold phone (the one that opens up to a small tablet / ebook reader form) - best of both words IMO, and so much more than just a phone / ebook reader, though expensive.)

        • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:45
          +2

          Yeah I mean personally I can read on mobile devices without being bothered that much but some people certainly do get headaches etc. I don't get head aches but sometimes I'll get this weird feeling of my eyes struggling to focus a bit, not blurry but maybe a bit cross eyed if I'm staring into a bright screen full of text for some reason. Again it doesn't bother me that much when it happens but it doesn't happen on my ereader.

          As far as getting eye strain, I don't know how bad it is for you, but I do know that if I have been working on my computer all day my eyes will be red/bloodshot, which doesn't happen if I spend a long time reading books, but I also haven't spent the whole day reading before either. All in all, I think you have to evaluate whether an ereader is for you. It really is just only good for reading and that's it, a tablet will be a lot more versatile.

        • CyberMurning on 06/07/2024 - 13:45
          +1

          Yep im reading demon slayer manga on zfold5 amazing

    • stickymoo on 06/07/2024 - 12:32
      +3

      Battery life

      • apey2000 on 06/07/2024 - 19:30
        +1

        This. I took my ereader on a 1-week hike with me. Used it every day and it barely dented the battery.

        • stickymoo on 06/07/2024 - 20:51
          +1

          So slim & compact too, perfect for travel!

    • CyberMurning on 06/07/2024 - 13:27

      Next time stop by at jbhifi and play around with both d youll see

    • Misha Bakunin on 06/07/2024 - 13:28
      -2

      Why down vote me for not knowing, saying that and asking a question? Oz bargain… Bloody hell.

  • dws on 06/07/2024 - 12:19

    Anyone know what font that is on the JB pics? It looks nice

    • Vulvasaur on 06/07/2024 - 12:31
      +2

      It's the Kobo default font, "Rakuten Serif"

  • RolandWaites on 06/07/2024 - 12:20
    +2

    As a Kobo user I've done a bitta reserch on these.

    Reviews have been mixed (perhaps tending towards positive), with main criticisms being how vivid the colours are (or, perhaps more appropriately, aren't).

    Good for things like manga but beyond that the colour, supposedly, adds little.

    Love my Kobo Libra 2 (the buttons were the main reason I got it), but I'm not convinced the extra cost (50% more) is worth it for first-gen colour tech.

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:35
      +1

      I have the colour, I don't think Kaleido 3 is worth it for almost anyone, especially on the Libra or Clara size. Comics are usually too small, and manga is usually in black and white. But it is nifty and now that I have it I wouldn't go back. I'm excited to see how colour tech progresses. I wouldn't buy a Libra 2 at RRP, but definitely for <$230. If I didn't have an ereader already I would buy the Clara BW, the buttons on the Libra are nice, but smaller form factor of the Clara is ideal for taking it places, can literally slip it into my pocket.

    • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:39
      +1

      How good is reading comics on these kobos?

      On my Kobo Clara HD, it's absolutely a miss - just very slow to load, and any changes to the screen (like moving the page to the right, so that you can see the rest of the content) is also very laggy… so basically, the experience is just bad. Only good for reading books, and absolutely not PDFs in my opinion.

      • Bunnyburger on 06/07/2024 - 14:19

        Absolutely no PDFs huh. Thanks for the tip

        Does it have native android inside?

        • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 16:10

          You can have PDFs that are formatted well for the screen, but if they require you to zoom in / scroll around, you're going to have a bad time.

          Native android? No.

    • Shifty on 08/07/2024 - 08:13

      Unfortunately you can't buy the 2 anymore.

      I wanted to a Libra but I don't want to pay the premium for color that im not going to use

  • eagleshigh5 on 06/07/2024 - 12:30

    I had the B&W Clara HD which server me well re sideloading my own epubs and borrowing library books through overdrive. I preferred it to kindle, however I much prefer my Libra colour over both. It feels softer on my eyes and easier to read from, I do most of my reading at night. The page turn buttons are a big improvement over screen taps which can jump around more. It's also easier to hold, although I still find them a bit slippery without a case. Tip is to adjust the refresh rate to every page to prevent and colour ghosting.

    This is a good price to grab it at, the e-reader technology is proprietary, so prices rarely drop much.

    • smartProverble on 06/07/2024 - 12:41

      does the libra 'feel faster' than the Clara HD?

      I have a Clara HD, feels very slow, from loading the device, to opening a book, to highlighting some text (very laggy experience this), to looking up word definitions…

      • eagleshigh5 on 06/07/2024 - 12:58
        +1

        Yes it feels smother, I haven't noticed the same delays as the Clara HD.

  • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:38

    Heads up, inverted / dark mode on the Colour Kobos is not nearly as nice as the non-colour models at night time. The blacks get extremely washed out as soon as the glowlight goes on. Without the glowlight it looks great. The ghosting in inverted mode is quite bad too.

  • zerog101 on 06/07/2024 - 12:38

    Can these do text to speech for kids still learning to read?

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 12:50

      Depending on how old your kid is, I wouldn't give them an ereader. They're fragile and expensive and there is a lot of merit in reading physical books for kids including the interaction of going to a library to borrow them or getting them as gifts. I do understand that is not always possible, but yeah just my opinion.

      To answer your question, this model won't do text to speech. There are other ereaders that will. You can get audiobooks on these, but an ereader for audiobooks makes no sense in my opinion, they don't have speakers so you need bluetooth headphones, and in general the experience on a mobile device will be far better.

      • zerog101 on 07/07/2024 - 09:26

        It would be for the times he doesn’t know how to read a single word and would get ereader to say the word for him.

  • 0806449 on 06/07/2024 - 12:40

    Does Rakuten have more ebooks in other languages? Vs kindle?

  • Ozb101 on 06/07/2024 - 12:50
    -1

    probably better getting a samsung tablet with styus

    • Mulga Bill on 07/07/2024 - 12:33

      I got the B&W Libra for the battery life. A tablet would basically need charging every day but this lasts weeks on my bedside without charging.

  • noshopping on 06/07/2024 - 13:11
    +2

    remember you can use https://send.djazz.se
    to send local Kobo/Kindle books on your PC to your device ;)

    • impoze on 06/07/2024 - 20:52

      or you can also use Send to Kindle - email

  • OpenHand on 06/07/2024 - 13:38
    +1

    I have a Kobo set up with Calibre and it's awesome.
    Whatever the waterproof model is.

  • deepfriedchips on 06/07/2024 - 13:57
    +1

    ive done a tonne of research about these new colour models, looking to upgrade from an ageing Kindle Voyage. It seems as though comics/visual novels will be too difficult to read, so will keep reading those on my tablet. I think ill wait for a Libra BW (with a Carta 1300 screen to match the Clara BW).

  • Raj09 on 06/07/2024 - 14:17

    Bought one and is a champ

  • Jimbuscus on 06/07/2024 - 14:33

    You gotta use Calibre with Kobo to manage metada effectively, keeping a library on both the device and computer for that metadata, which won't be added until after the device is disconnected and adds the books, followed by being reconnected to computer a second time.

    • impoze on 06/07/2024 - 20:51
      +1

      I used Calibre with my Kindle on my main pc but then I moved to the Docker version.

      I use send via email to get books onto my Kindle.

      https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web

      • Jimbuscus on 06/07/2024 - 21:03

        I've been meaning to transfer to my docker server, makes it a lot easier to access between devices.

  • dclee12 on 06/07/2024 - 14:36

    I’ve still got a 1st gen kindle that the kids use now , also have two other kobo’s.
    Been very happy with the longevity of these devices, though seems like not everyone’s been as lucky.

    I prefer reading on 8” , but 7” fine as well. Lots of devices still 6” but feels small to me.

    I really only use them for novels etc. PDF and comics arent great and i’d use a tablet for those.

    For straight reading i far prefer an e-reader over a tablet, i don’t think its eye strain or anything like that, it just feels a lot nicer and much closer to an actual book.

  • paloverde88 on 06/07/2024 - 14:36
    -1

    the mini version not colour appears to have quite a following—-

    https://www.catch.com.au/product/onyx-boox-palma-6-13-ereade…

    No LTE though

    • wearytraveller on 06/07/2024 - 16:44

      This is a completely different company…

  • congo on 06/07/2024 - 16:49
    -1

    Is there an ios app that can simulate e ink readers display?

    • shiznit on 06/07/2024 - 17:09

      If there was, it could only give you the crap refresh rate and washed out colour, and none of the benefits of an e-ink display.

    • Castcore on 06/07/2024 - 18:18

      I don't think that Transformer exists yet.

  • mansunz on 06/07/2024 - 17:20

    I own a bigme b751C. Really happy with it and comes with a Google app store. Save you money as there are no requirement to buy the pen; 7 inch screen is too small for it to be useful.

  • jackwilk on 06/07/2024 - 17:23
    +2

    Got it couple of months ago during the pre release. You can drag and drop epubs directly from your laptop via usb. Very convenient. Or share via google drive. Pdfs don't resize that well. Screen is fine. Excellent battery. I have read more books on it than is last 3 years :)

  • MrBin on 06/07/2024 - 18:30

    Amazon will introduce a new color kindle next year with new technology(https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/amazon-to-launch-next-ge…). Would it be better to wait for the color kindle or jump on this deal now?

    • Jimbuscus on 06/07/2024 - 21:40

      Kobo is preferred by many as the only other big e-reader brand, with Kobo offering simple EPUB support that can be dragged and dropped over USB.

      Kindle devices with books that aren't bought on Amazon need to have the book emailed to an Amazon user email address.

      • dav3 on 07/07/2024 - 02:02
        +1

        Or uploaded via Calibre

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