For me, there is absolutely nothing that beats putting real pen to real paper. There’s also nothing that beats folding a paperback book, smelling the pages—and if you’re Team Jess from Gilmore Girls, maybe also writing in the margins. But sometimes, and I say this as someone who held out on using an e-reader until it became my job, digital comes in handy.
It’s nice to bring a single lightweight device to the beach or on the train—no need to pack several different books or plan ahead what you want to read. More e-readers are adding the ability to jot down notes, too, which makes them even more alluring. I can take notes and organize them digitally without having to rip out and waste paper. This second-generation Kobo Elipsa 2E does all of that with a large screen and an included stylus. The downside? It’s pricier than much of the competition.
Margin of Error
Photograph: Kobo
Start up the Elipsa 2E and you’ll be greeted with two types of notebooks. There’s a basic notebook with 20 different background styles—suited for drawing, daily planners, and simple note-taking on a college-ruled page. Then there are Advanced notebooks that don’t have multiple background styles but can convert handwriting to text, with the ability to insert drawings, diagrams, and equations on one page. These also have quick-edit functions like crossing out a word to automatically erase it. Both types of notebooks are easy to use, and I like that you can search for words or phrases to find content quickly.
Kobo’s first-generation stylus was battery-powered, but the new model is rechargeable, which is a nice upgrade. It sticks to the top of the Elipsa magnetically, so you don’t need to worry about losing it. The other end of the stylus is a dedicated eraser, which is something you have to pay extra for on the Elipsa’s nearest competitor, the Kindle Scribe.
Screenshot: Medea Giordano via Kobo
