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Criteria
Comments
Rating
- Display / readability You've seen one e-ink you've seen em all, but the quick refresh and higher contrast is always welcome with each successive generation. Some minor ghosting.
- Battery life No comments
- Store and selection of titles Let's face it: Kobo's store is no Kindle--not even close. Nonetheless, Kobo's got plenty enough to offer, and new titles/blockbusters hardly seem an issue.
- Ease of use In probably one of its advantages over the leader in this space, Kobo's barebones but stylish UI makes it a pleasure to use. The eReader Touch dominates here.
- Document support No comments
- Storage capacity The 1GB of on-board storage is plenty for most documents, but the included microSD slot puts Kobo eReader Touch in its own class.
- Durability It's early days with testing my Kobo, but it feels solid: no creaking, no cracking. Just a dense piece of consumer electronics in a smooth, rubberized package.
- Design and form factor Small but substantial, smooth but effective rubberized texture, intuitive touch UI.
- Portability (size / weight) The Kobo is a strange mix of a slim aesthetic and a dense feel. It's not at all unwelcome, but it does take some getting used to.
Detailed review
I've said this a few times to people and I mean it: this thing is adorable and simply feels /right/.
Kobo has managed to create a device which feels like it was designed to take advantage of the strength of e-readers in general: replacing the paperback.
What the company has constructed is one of the most simple and beautiful hardware experiences I've seen built around an e-ink screen: and by stressing this simplicity in design and UI, it overcomes much of the hardware and power limitations from which it (and most other e-ink display-using devices) suffers.
Read. Get achievements. View stats. Tap. Touch. Drag.
Get your hands on one, if you can find a Borders, and try. I think you're bound to be impressed.
The only two things keeping success out of Kobo's reach, unfortunately, are:
- Amazon's dominance in the space--that enormous library with which few electronic book distributors can compete, and
- Lack of 3G/wireless.
Although for me (and I imagine many other people here) the lack of 3G is no problem, it amounts to a missed opportunity: Kobo is so simplistic, so intuitive and attractive, that I honestly could not forsee my grandmother having a problem with its operation. Yet without 3G, her access to the store would be entirely non-existent-- a glaring problem.
Regardless, the Kobo eReader Touch is a device that caters to both of my halves: the tech enthusiast/experimenter and the consumer who just wants things to work. If you're willing to let yourself fall into the ecosystem (which is small, but solid) you might just end up being very satisfied.
Oh, and while far from perfect, it whoops Kindle's PDF handling.
Kobo has managed to create a device which feels like it was designed to take advantage of the strength of e-readers in general: replacing the paperback.
What the company has constructed is one of the most simple and beautiful hardware experiences I've seen built around an e-ink screen: and by stressing this simplicity in design and UI, it overcomes much of the hardware and power limitations from which it (and most other e-ink display-using devices) suffers.
Read. Get achievements. View stats. Tap. Touch. Drag.
Get your hands on one, if you can find a Borders, and try. I think you're bound to be impressed.
The only two things keeping success out of Kobo's reach, unfortunately, are:
- Amazon's dominance in the space--that enormous library with which few electronic book distributors can compete, and
- Lack of 3G/wireless.
Although for me (and I imagine many other people here) the lack of 3G is no problem, it amounts to a missed opportunity: Kobo is so simplistic, so intuitive and attractive, that I honestly could not forsee my grandmother having a problem with its operation. Yet without 3G, her access to the store would be entirely non-existent-- a glaring problem.
Regardless, the Kobo eReader Touch is a device that caters to both of my halves: the tech enthusiast/experimenter and the consumer who just wants things to work. If you're willing to let yourself fall into the ecosystem (which is small, but solid) you might just end up being very satisfied.
Oh, and while far from perfect, it whoops Kindle's PDF handling.
good review!
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