Read On is having a "one trillion minutes read" contest (on the Kobo, natch), and is giving away thousands of dollars worth of e-books to schools and community organizations for every 10 million minutes read. And let me remind you of the success enjoyed by both Foursquare and the Reading is Fundamental campaign. You earn badges and unlock goodies as you reach certain plateaus. Read On gives you achievement-based rewards and feedback on your reading prowess. Kobo gets this, and so it has added a social game-like twist with its Read On campaign (there are even stickers in the box). All the manufacturers are doing it, but social integration on an e-reader isn't just about incorporating the ability to share on Twitter, Facebook and via e-mail. Second, Kobo has also come up with a formula to make what is a very solitary pursuit into a truly social activity. And that's a great thing if you ever want to change your brand of reader, since your investment isn't held hostage to a particular device from a single company. However, the books you buy for the Kobo Touch can be sideloaded onto other readers and reader apps on tablets. All of those booksellers use different proprietary formats which keep you indentured to their readers and apps. It's important to note that you can not load books you've purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Apple onto the Kobo Touch (even though it has a USB port and an SD card slot). The device is a bit rough around the edges compared to its more high-profile cousins, but it does boast two big differentiating features that won me over.įirst, the e-reader's native file format is the same one offered by Kobo's storefront, the relatively open EPUB format, which uses Adobe's DRM. ![]() Apples-to-apples, the Kobo Touch has enough going for it to recommend it as an alternative to the Nook and Kindle. Still, the Kobo Touch is a legitimate contender for the hearts and minds of people wanting a dedicated e-reader. epub files on Kindles, Amazon makes it so that you will visit the Kindle Book store whenever you need something new to read.With touchscreens making their way into the e-reader market, the timing is right for the arrival of Kobo's touch-equipped device.īut the Kobo Touch remains an also-ran to Barnes & Noble's Nook and Amazon's Kindle, both of which are much more popular. epub book files, which are by far the most available ebook file type, especially if you are accessing free books from libraries and the public domain. On the downside, you’re pretty limited as to where you can buy your ebooks, as Kindles are only compatible with Kindle ebooks (.azw files). If you want even more, Amazon also offers Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that offers unlimited access to more than a million books for just $13.99 a month (kind of like Netflix, but for bookworms). If you are a Prime member, it does make the most sense, given you not only get access to Amazon Prime video, but also Prime Reading, which includes a regularly-updated selection of more than 1,000 ebooks available at no extra cost. you’re a Prime member or own Amazon Echo smart speakers), then it’s natural to gravitate towards the Kindle. If you’re already deep into the Amazon ecosystem (i.e. They both serve the same purpose, but do it in different ways. Think of it like iPhone vs Android - they’re both great, it’s just a matter of preference.Īs I mentioned previously, choosing between a Kindle and a Kobo is a lot like choosing between iPhone and Android. Both do essentially the same thing (allowing you to read ebooks), but with a different user interface, different digital bookstores and different perks. While there used to be a few more players in the ereader space, these days, there are really only two options: Amazon’s Kindle or a Rakuten Kobo. They’re usually about half a centimetre thick or so, have a screen between the size of six and eight inches and weigh less than 200g, making them perfect companions for commutes and holidays. ![]() Size-wise, most ereaders are slightly wider than a small paperback (think Penguin Classics), meaning they fit easily in one or both hands. Plus, because they don't rely on light or colour, ereaders can last weeks (even months, depending on how often you use it) on a single charge. As such, you can read it in bright daylight and, unlike your phone, it will be clear and easy to read. ![]() Ereaders work by utilising electronic paper rather than a traditional LCD that you might find on a regular tablet.Įlectronic paper reflects the light around it without the need for a backlight (though most modern ereaders include one anyway, for night reading).
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