I love Kobo's E Ink writing tablets, but there's one critical area where Kindle has them beat

Having tested ereaders for astir 7 years now, it's adjacent to opportunity I've tried astir models from nan mainstream brands – Amazon Kindle, Kobo, reMarkable, Onyx Boox and PocketBook. These companies make immoderate of nan best ereaders and penning tablets, but I americium partial to a Kobo because of nan personification interface and nan truth that I tin get ebooks from nationalist libraries successful Sydney, Australia (where I americium based). I besides person a Kobo Plus subscription.

At present, my regular e-ink instrumentality is nan Kobo Elipsa 2E – I prefer nan penning features complete nan Kindle Scribe and its interface is acold much streamlined than immoderate Onyx Boox instrumentality I've tested. It besides gets maine a surface ray that nan reMarkable 2 doesn't, truthful I tin publication successful furniture astatine nighttime aliases jot down an thought astatine 2am without turning connected nan lights.

However, if you were to inquire maine for a proposal for an e-paper penning tablet, I'd astir apt propose thing but nan Elipsa 2E for 1 elemental logic – really nan Kobo Stylus 2 feels connected nan screen. If Kobo tin hole 1 small hardware bit, I situation opportunity each nan penning tablets from nan Japanese-Canadian marque – nan Libra Colour, nan Kobo Sage and nan Elipsa 2E – would go my most-recommended devices.

That small hardware spot is nan stylus' extremity aliases nib.

Softly does it

While astir brands usage integrative for nan styli tips, nan Kobo Stylus 2 has a harder constituent than nan ones connected Amazon's Basic and Premium Pens, Onyx Boox's Pen Plus, and reMarkable's Markers. The softer integrative makes gliding complete nan various E Ink screens of nan respective penning tablets very smooth, and this is peculiarly existent for nan 2022 Kindle Scribe (we are yet to afloat trial nan caller 2024 Kindle Scribe).

The Kobo Stylus 2, connected nan different hand, creates a batch much clash than immoderate different marque I've tested. It's not rather reminiscent of a pen – fountain aliases ballpoint – connected insubstantial because it feels for illustration you are really penning connected a expanse of plastic. Let maine beryllium clear, though – nan wide penning acquisition connected nan Elipsa 2E, nan Kobo Libra Colour, moreover nan Sage, isn't excessively bad; it's conscionable that nan different brands do it better.

That said, I deliberation nan harder nib mightiness besides mean location whitethorn not beryllium arsenic overmuch deterioration and tear compared to nan softer pen tips. When I initially started utilizing nan Elipsa 2E, I recovered nan Stylus 2 extremity began to show signs of deterioration rather quickly (within days), but it plateaued retired aft that and, successful nan twelvemonth that I've been utilizing it, it hasn't gotten immoderate worse.

That could beryllium because I don't use arsenic overmuch unit connected pens erstwhile penning arsenic I've seen different group do. Take my colleague's acquisition arsenic an illustration – Philip uses nan reMarkable 2 for notes and "burns done nan integrative pen nubs [sic] quicker than expected". So he turned to third-party titanium alternatives which, unfortunately, ended up being a "pen-destroying mistake". I person different friend who wore done nan reMarkable's Marker Plus extremity successful astir 2 months, astir flattening it! This mightiness sound for illustration a reMarkable thing, but I person seen akin conditions connected Kindle Scribe Pens.

The pen is mightier

Kobo is nary alien to redesigning its integer pen. The first loop of nan Kobo Stylus was a AAAA battery-powered pen, which meant it was a small connected nan dense side. Moreover, astir group would apt person a spare AA aliases AAA artillery lying around, not needfully a AAAA. So not only did you request to return into information nan ongoing costs of nib replacement, but besides nan battery.

This older pen didn't characteristic an eraser connected nan top, but had a fastener connected nan broadside (or is that 'length' connected a cylindrical object?) adjacent to wherever nan thumb would be. It besides had a 2nd fastener adjacent to it for utilizing arsenic a highlighter.

The Kobo Stylus 2, which debuted pinch nan Elipsa 2E successful April 2023, was a important betterment complete its predecessor. Gone is nan battery; alternatively a USB-C larboard helps support it topped up, truthful it's some lighter and a wee spot thinner successful comparison. There's an eraser astatine nan apical of nan Stylus 2, truthful it features conscionable 1 fastener for highlighting. I besides emotion nan touch of achromatic connected nan eraser – it adds a small thing to nan creation artistic I think.

If Kobo is still keen connected innovations, nan 1 alteration I'd really for illustration to spot is simply a softer nib for a imaginable Stylus 3 that offers a smoother penning experience. Although I dream it doesn't travel astatine nan costs of needing to switch it often.

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