Kobo ereader

[blaggard]

These have finally hit our shores and are available from WH Smith both online and in store. When I got my iPad on USA Launch the ereader software was not yet available so the choices were Kindle and Kobo, I always preferred Kobo. They have released a new Touchscreen reader at £109.99 and have a non touchscreen version at £89.99. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition is getting some favourable reviews and they are both open format.

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Kobo eBook Readers

We've been searching for the perfect partner to help you browse, buy, read and store eBooks. We found Kobo, we love it - we know you will too! These stylish and comfortable eReaders are unlike some others on the market, because Kobo is open. This gives you the freedom to read your eBooks on your Kobo eReader or another open device if you choose. Plus with free downloadable Kobo apps, you can enjoy your eBooks on your PC, Mac, smartphones and tablets. All our Kobo eReaders give you wireless access to the Kobo online store which has more than 2.2 million, including more than 1 million free eBooks for you to enjoy.



Kobo eReader Touch Edition only £109.99

Take your eBook collection wherever you go with Kobo's smallest, lightest and most stylish eBook reader. Reading has never been easier - with its intuitive touch screen navigation, just tap the screen to turn the page for continuous reading.

• Choose from over 2.2 million books in the Kobo book store, including more than 1 million free titles
• Tap to turn the page - the easy-to-use touch screen lets you scroll through your eBooks, highlight text and zoom in
• Read outside with no glare - the eInk screen reads just like paper and ink
• Take it everywhere - it's lighter than most paperbacks and fits easily in your pocket
• Read on and on - battery lasts for up to 1 month
• Choose your colour - Kobo Touch is available in Black, Silver,Lilac and Blue, all with the extra-comfy Kobo quilted back cover

• Read freely – read on any open device you choose, and download open-platform eBooks you already own to your Kobo eReader
• Store up to 30,000 eBooks with the optional extra 32GB expandable memory
• Keep track of your reading – and win awards for your efforts
• Tuck it in your pocket - at just 185g its lighter than most paperbacks, and is small enough to fit in your pocket
• Choose how you want to read with 17 adjustable font sizes and seven font styles
• Read your eBooks anywhere, any time on Free downloadable apps for your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android smartphones or tablets
• Connect wirelessly to the Kobo book store.
• Never lose your place with bookmarks that stay with you on all your devices, wherever you go
• Share your reading experience with friends on Facebook and Twitter
• Buy eBooks from almost anywhere – you can read eBooks in the ePub format bought at any eBook store on your Kobo, so you’re not tied to just one store

Battery Life	Size	Weight	What file formats does it accept?	Pre-loaded eBooks	How many eBooks does it store?	What other devices can I read my eBooks on?
Up to 1 month	165 x 144mm	185g	ePub, PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI, CBZ, CBR	15 book previews	Over 1000 books - plus up to 30,000 with optional 32GB microSD card	iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Smartphone, Blackberry Playbook, Android Smartphones, PC and MAC OS

Kobo Touch eReader (Black)	Kobo Touch eReader (Blue)	Kobo Touch eReader (Lilac)	Kobo Touch eReader (Silver)
Only £109.99	Only £109.99	Only £109.99	Only £109.99
Click here to read more	Click here to read more	Click here to read more	Click here to read more

Find out more about Kobo eReader Touch Edition


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Kobo Wireless eReader only £89.99

With built-in WiFi connection you'll always be able to buy new eBooks to enjoy on this compact and lightweight eReader. And with 100 classic titles pre-loaded, you can get started straight away!

• Choose from more than 2.2 million eBooks in the Kobo book store, including more than 1 million free titles
• Read outside with no glare - the eInk screen reads just like paper and ink
• Choose from 100 free classic titles pre-loaded on your Kobo
• Find your eBooks easily - explore your library with just a few simple clicks
• Choose how you read with adjustable font sizes and style
• Carry it wherever you go – at just 10mm thick and weighing 221g it's lighter than most paperbacks

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Compare Kobo eReaders

eReader	Battery Life	Size	Weight	What file formats does it accept?	Pre-loaded eBooks	How many eBooks does it store?	What other devices can I read my eBooks on?
Kobo Wireless eReader	Up to 10 days or 10,000 page turns	184 x 120mm	221g	ePub, PDF	100 free classic eBooks	Over 1000 eBooks - plus to 10,000 eBooks with optional 32GB SD card	iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android smartphones, PC and MAC OS
Kobo eReader Touch Edition	Up to 1 month	165 x 114mm	185g	ePub, PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI, CBZ, CBR	15 book previews	Over 1000 eBooks - plus up to 30,000 eBooks with optional 32GB microSD card	iPad, iPhone, Blackberry smartphone, Blackberry PlayBook, Android smartphones, PC and MAC OS

[JonEp]

I would be interested to see if it handles PDF's better than the kindle.

They had the promo display up and dummy boxes in my local store this week but none of the actual devices to play with ;o(

On the whole though I suspect kindle is better if only for the brilliant warranty / after-care. (which I recall someone on DF saying was second only to Apple)

I have had four replaced almost next working day for one reason or another without cost. Usually my fault dropped one and sat on another as it was in my back pocket.

Still I want a play with one.

[Stinky Pete]

I bought one of these for me birthday last year - 2 days before this post funnily enough

I wanted to replace my aged Irex Iliad, and wanted a Kindle touch. But Amazon weren't releasing it here yet, and I didn't want the basic version. The Kobo was touch and so I wanted one

And while it is a great reader - I took it back for a refund yesterday and bought a Sony PRS-T1 yesterday

The reader itself is excellent - the page turns compared to the kindle do look a little clunky, but I loved reading on it.
It is light, the rubbery back helps with holding and for nearly three months I had no complaints

I also liked the social aspect of it, where it awards you when you read in different ways, start a new book, read at night etc etc. They also have android and ios apps that do the same so you can sync your reading experience wherever you are

Anyway I bought a 32GB SD card for it as I have a lot of ebooks and would rather load a ton of them on the device than fart about swapping them over. I loaded up about 3 gig on the card and it just went mental. I assumed it was just reading the card and syncing the library so I left it overnight, and it was in the same hung state in the morning

I updated the firmware, formatted the card and realoaded the books - same story

And then it just died. It got stuck in a reboot loop, and I was completely unable to get past the language selection page

WHSmith were pretty helpful in the end, but initially not at all. I had no receipt, no box etc etc. I showed her a printout of my bank statement from the date of purchase, which by law is proof of purchase. And then she starts giving me some bullshit about needing the box etc. As far as I am concerned, they sold me a duff product, and I want my money back.

Which I got

I must say the Sony version is very nice. It has loads of extra crap I don't care about - stylus for drawing, mp3 playback. But it does what it says on the tin. The page turns are as fast as the kindle and it is just as light

The Sony ebookstore is not open in Europe yet - but this is not a problem for me with my, already substantial collection and Calibre. If I have to buy a Kobo/Kindle book I can read it on my phone or ipod, so it's an easy workaround

Most importantly it read my SD card, didn't crash and I've been reading it happily since yesterday

Don't let me put you off the Kobo entirely, just don't put a 32GB card with loads of books in it (the device is supposed to support 32GB cards, mine is a genuine Sandisk one)