Startup Kobo Ellipse 2E it’s a good step Rakutenwho saw how after entering from Amazon with his Kindle Scribe in the sector of large-format eReaders with a writing stylus, it was necessary to restore the original Kobo Ellipsea model that we had the opportunity to analyze almost two years ago and that left a great impression on us.

Although the changes incorporated into the Kobo Elipsa 2E compared to the previous generation are not outwardly visible, aspects such as a more sustainable design, the inclusion of a faster processor, a new Kobo Stylus 2 or improving the note-taking experience, it’s worth seeing in detail what Rakuten has to offer with its new Kobo Elipsa 2E.

Rakuten Kobo Ellipsa 2E Specifications

Kobo Elipsa 2E, a more sustainable design

When we analyze Kobo Clear 2E, we noted that Rakuten aims to use the most sustainable materials in the production of its e-readers, as we can read in its carbon footprint policy statement. This Kobo Elipsa 2E is made of more than 85% recycled plasticincluding 10% of ocean-derived plastics. By the way, the cover SleepCoverwhich we’ll talk about later, is made from 97% recycled plastic.

In addition, the cover of this e-book reader does not contain magnets and is made of FSC-certified recycled paper. This packaging is printed with soy ink thanks to a renewable and ecological printing process.

In terms of design, it is practically identical to the first generation with dimensions 19.3 x 22.7 x 0.75 cm and Weight 390 grams; the only difference is that the 2E model weighs 7 grams more. Although the screen rotates as you move, the natural position to hold the e-reader is with the widest edge on the right, with “kobo” printed on the bottom, which also has a USB port on the side for charging. and an on/off or standby button.

We can see how the dimensions of the Kobo Elipsa 2E and the Kindle Scribe are very similar. In the image above, we have the Kobo on the left with the stylus on the magnetized side surface in which it is attached. Next to it is the Kindle, also with its “stylus”, this time on its side (also magnetized). In the middle picture we can see how the thickness of both eReaders is very similar. Finally, in the third picture, we appreciate that there is a small difference in size between the pencils of both models.

We talk about the “natural position” for holding the Kobo Elipsa 2E with the larger edge on the right, because the SleepCover forces you to use it, but of course, if we held the new Rakuten eReader without a case, it could do so in any position, even horizontally.

Another detail that is very accurate is his textured backThis makes it easier for us to hold the Kobo Elipsa 2E in our hands even without the case. For example, with the Kindle Scribe, although its metal back may seem like a better quality detail, it is almost mandatory to accompany it with a cover, because you constantly feel that it might slip and fall to the ground.

About the SleepCover he sells €69.99 and only available in black, it’s the perfect complement to the Kobo Elipsa 2E. Even if it means adding 70 euros to the 400 euros that the eReader costs, which is not little, precisely because of the high investment, logic asks us to protect it from possible accidental drops, and this case achieves the goal.

SleepCover activates Standby Mode when it is closed so that we can enjoy the Kobo Elipsa 2E immediately after opening it without having to touch the power button. In addition, it has a compartment in which the Stylus 2 fits and does not get lost. By the way, the Kobo Elipsa 2E doesn’t even charge the stylus case, it’s done via USB connection, which eliminates the need to carry batteries (as with the previous version), although it’s not as convenient as the Kindle Scribe stylus, you don’t need to charge it.

A screen, processor and pen that enhance the writing experience

Although we don’t know more details, the Kobo Elipsa 2E has a Dual 2GHz CPU thanks to this, everything flows without waiting times, which would not be typical for a device that is sold for 400 euros. When we go through different “screens” like “My Books” or “My Notebooks”, go back to “Start”, go to “Settings” or change the brightness, everything happens quickly, even when zooming or scrolling the PDF.

Besides his backlit display with technology Comfort Light PRO allows us to adjust the color temperature depending on the time of day. We can also set a sleep time. The Daylight setting, as Rakuten reminds us, “regulates the color of the light, from orange candlelight for nighttime reading to white sunlight for daytime reading. As the bar moves to the night setting, the amount of blue light decreases.”

If we add to the new and improved Kobo Stylus 2 (part of the Elipsa 2E) its dual processor and the quality of its screen, which, in addition to being 25% lighter than the previous version, has been redesigned with a more ergonomic and “rubber” integrated into its upper part ( in the style of traditional pencils), the writing experience has been greatly improved.

We wanted to take a quick tour of the features that the Kobo Elipsa 2E provides from a typing perspective. To begin with, there are two types of notepads, the basic one, which allows us to write anywhere, or the advanced notepad, which converts handwriting into typography and allows us to add free sections, diagrams and equations. In addition, we can also create folders to keep notebooks organized. As you can see in the second picture, we wrote the text freehand, to be honest without excellent calligraphy and also using capital letters. After double-clicking on the text, the text was converted to typographic characters with a very low error rate. We are pleasantly surprised by the reliability of handwriting recognition. We also fixed two or three small bugs that occurred. We end with two more images, where you can see that thanks to the Stylus 2, it is not only possible to annotate, underline or mark PDF documents, but also, for example, books in EPUB format.

As you can see in the images above, the typing capabilities of the Kobo Elipsa 2E are very interesting. In particular, we must highlight advanced notebooks with handwriting recognition. When we want to export the notebook to our computer, we will only have to connect it to it using the USB cable that is included in the package, or export it to Dropbox in the Rakuten Kobo folder. When we export to a computer, we can do it in .docx, text or HTML format.

In the event that this is a basic notebook, the export is, as it could be otherwise, treated as an image and offers non-editable PDF, PNG and JPEG formats.

conclusions

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is a very special device. And why we say that, because it is not a regular e-book reader, it is an e-book reader that costs 400 euros (without case) and not everyone will use its features. If we only want to read e-books, it’s like buying a Ferrari to drive the kids to school.

Its screen is excellent, the speed with which you move through its interface is remarkable, it allows you to change the font size, line spacing, brightness, warmth of the light… and all kinds of details that we can think of in an eReader, but we come back to for the price and also perhaps for its format, the 10.3-inch screen is large, very large compared to other handheld readers.

But if we are looking for a device in which we can not only read various e-books, but also any document in electronic format and want to take notes, underline or highlight different passages, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is unbeatable. And what about the possibility of taking all kinds of notes in notebooks, which we can then export to Word in a format ready for editing.

Add to that the fact that the battery life can last for weeks, and that many people want to get away from iPad-type tablets due to the information saturation that notifications have exposed us to, and it might be an e-ink reader like the Kobo Elipsa 2E. a great choice whenever you stop to think if you are a user who needs such a device.