I read a lot. I started off my eReader experience, like many, with the Amazon Kindle, but quickly grew to dislike it. The size wasn’t quite what I was looking for, and frankly, I missed good old-fashioned buttons. The other thing that was a pain more than you’d think was that it wasn’t waterproof (at the time, Kindle didn’t offer such options).

My first jump into the Kobo world was a second-hand Forma unit from eBay. It was the perfect size, and sideloading via Calibre was a complete breeze. The screen was good and came with a beautiful auto-backlight. The thing never seemed to run out of battery, no matter how much I neglected it. The little workhorse served me extremely well as I bounced on and off flights for over 2 years.

Then I dropped it! I was outside, sitting by the solostove and it fell on the concrete, chipping the corner. It still functioned, but its waterproof days were over. Maybe this was the excuse I was looking for to upgrade to the Libra color unit.

Purchased the Kobo Libra Color and it promptly arrived. Opening it and syncing all my library with Calibre offered no resistance. I started reading. Wow – this thing is fast. If I had to critique the Forma unit, the start-up speed was quite slow, especially if it had gone into deep sleep. The Libra, on the other hand, is pretty much instant, and within seconds of picking it up, I am back at where I left off.

The color screen is nice, but nothing I really need. All my books are just text, and the odd one that has a color photo embedded—it’s nice they pop—but overall not a game changer. The screen, though, is more responsive; sliding a finger down the left-hand side quickly changes the brightness.

The buttons work as expected, and so far, the battery life seems to be as impressive as the Forma. I have only charged it once when I first received it, and I have read three books already.

It has one more party trick – it supports a pen. Being a huge reMarkable user, I don’t always have it with me, and when I am reading, I get inspired and take notes on my phone. I bought a pen that clips to it, and when inspiration hits, I can write notes on the device. It will never replace the reMarkable device, as it is too small for that, but it is perfect for jotting down quick notes.

So I now keep my Forma out in the garage when I do my reading by the fire, and then use the Libra by my bed and while traveling. The only annoyance (which is first-world problems) is that the devices do not sync reading distance with one another for side-loaded content. Oh well.

If you are in the market for a new eReader and want to step away from the Amazon ecosystem, then you will not be disappointed with the Kobo devices.