As a stationery lover, I took the Kobo Elipsa 2E out for a whirl and it totally changed my writing game.
I like to call myself a recovered stationery hoarder. For anyone who’s seen my bookshelf, it’s filled to the brim with empty notebooks, paints, and pens that I’ve collected over the years. Some I’ve hoarded since I was 16! Thankfully, I’ve developed some self-control now and only buy what’s necessary for me. I’m still a fan of handwritten notes – that’s something I haven’t quite grown out of. But I run into the conundrum of having my notes in a mess, housed in different half-filled journals. Lucky for me, I had the chance to give Rakuten Kobo’s new eReader Kobo Elipsa 2E a try to get myself organised.
Introducing the Kobo Elipsa 2E: An e-reader, notebook, and audiobook rolled into one
Rakuten Kobo brings the latest in digital reading and writing experiences with its new and improved e-reader. It boasts a 10.3-inch glare-free e-ink touchscreen and reduced blue light which eases strain on the eyes when you’re reading for long periods of time. I’ll be honest, the main reason I fell in love with the Kobo Elipsa 2E is for its stylus and note-taking capabilities. I’ve wanted a digital notepad and stylus for the longest time to replace my paper notebooks. But I couldn’t make a decision or commitment to a specific brand while I was on my search for a digital notebook.
Along with the Kobo Elipsa 2E and stylus ($629.90), I also received the Kobo Elipsa 2E SleepCover ($99.90). It’s made out of 97% recycled plastic that would have otherwise become landfill and ocean waste. It’s an accessory that saves your e-reader’s battery life by putting it to sleep when you close it. But besides its function, I love the feeling of the faux leather material and the way it protects my Kobo Elipsa 2E’s screen. Plus, it keeps my stylus tucked snugly in the magnetic crevice of the cover so I don’t have to worry about it falling out.
A dedicated trip companion
My new toy couldn’t have come at a better time. I was taking a few trips and couldn’t find a way to fit physical books into my limited luggage space. To curb that problem, I proceeded to download books into my Kobo Elipsa 2E to keep myself occupied. It came hand-in-hand with my laptop in my carry-on. And despite the troubles I had digging two devices out from my already hefty bag, the e-reader accompanied me through the long rides I had on the plane and train ride to London.
Its large display allowed me to comfortably adjust the text to a size that’s comfortable for reading. And thankfully, it has a back light equipped in it. That meant being able to read without the help of external light sources so I didn’t disturb any of my seatmates on a plane. While I’m not the biggest fan of audiobooks, I decided to give it a shot during my flight. All I can say is that I was quite quickly lulled to sleep thanks to the soothing narration.
An e-notebook that’s write on the money
As I mentioned earlier, my initial draw to the e-reader is the note-taking function, and I began using it right away. I was enamoured. The device comes with a range of templates that mimic your favourite notebook paper style. It isn’t limited to typical lined or dotted document layouts. There are preset templates for calligraphy practice, monthly planning, storyboarding, and even planning music scores. It’s a versatile dream as I planned my day, general to-do list, and video concepts in one space.
My e-reader made appearances during meetings, press conferences, and media tastings at restaurants. I whipped it out and started furiously scribbling down my thoughts on almost anything. It spent a handful of late nights with me as I journaled through my down days. And it sat with my coffee as I spent a morning in Seoul journaling in the quaintest cafe. It even kept me company on the plane ride back home from Heathrow as I drafted this review. Having everything on one device kept my notes super tidy, which I adored. Other than my concerns about spilling drinks on it, the device was a dream to use.
A glitch in the system
With any piece of tech, especially with something as multi-functional as this, there’s always room for improvement. While I love the e-notebook, I encountered a couple of issues that interfered with my experience.
The stylus became both a pleasure and a pain point after a few weeks of use. It magnetically snaps into the little nook within the case, but it’s finicky and needs to be placed in a specific orientation to ensure it doesn’t fall out. I also wish there was an indicator of the stylus’ battery life because I had moments where I couldn’t take down notes since I had no idea it was flat.
The button on the stylus that allows you to quickly switch to the highlighter setting was also inconvenient. I’d accidentally hit it and awkwardly have to erase the highlight without interfering with my notes. It took a while to adjust. I thought I could avoid the button by holding the stylus in a specific way, but that led to the nib warping and becoming misaligned. This particular issue is largely cosmetic in nature but irked me since I didn’t think I put much pressure on the stylus to cause this.
I had a couple of problems with the screen too. The palm rejection wasn’t great, and creates new pages while I’m still writing. I also ran into minor glitches where the screen didn’t recognise the stylus and ended up freezing or creating random ink lines. I don’t annotate my books often, but I tried highlighting a couple of lines to give it a try. Cue my struggle to remove unintentional highlights that weren’t intuitive to erase. Not fun.
Is it replacing my old notebooks? Probably not.
This is my first ever e-notebook, so I don’t have a basis for comparison. But despite some of the quirks that I encountered, I enjoyed my experience with it. I’m big on the note-taking capabilities and had a lot of fun using them. But I can’t imagine this replacing traditional writing for me. It’s handy for planning, and I’m not going to lie, it does make me feel very official when I’m at work or in meetings. But knowing that these pages are saved on a cloud means a lack of privacy, so I probably won’t be journaling in it again.
The Kobo Elipsa 2E’s size is definitely not for everyone, especially for people who prefer something more compact and convenient. Personally, I quite enjoy it as an e-reader. The large screen means that even if I magnify the text, the visual space makes it comfortable to read. For the audiobook, I find it quite unfortunate that I can’t switch over to the notebook function while still having the book playing in my earbuds. I also wish there was a speaker, although I know this would compromise the sleek design.
If you’re someone who reads a lot and you’re looking for a dedicated e-reader, this won’t be my first recommendation. There are smaller e-readers in Kobo Rakuten’s collection that probably better suit your needs at a fraction of the price. But if you want a multi-functional tool that lets you take notes and pore over literature in both written and audible forms, it’s quite handy. As for me, I’ll be using mine for a long while.
