Along with the opening today of its online ebook store, Whitcoulls has launched the Kobo dedicated eReader, giving Kiwistheir first retail experience of an e-Ink ebook reader.
The Kobo eReader will be stocked in about 30 of Whitcoulls' stores as well as being for sale online at whitcoulls.co.nz. It sells for NZ$295 including GST which is a little higher than we'd hoped it would be. In the US, it sells for US$149, in Canada C$149, and it's a$199 across the Tasman in Australia. But even at $295, itrepresents very good value compared to other offerings and it's a price that should encourage a lot of Kiwis to jump on board. The Kindle for instance still unavailable to New Zealand buyers retails for US$259 which is about NZ$430 with GST added.
The Kobo/Whitcoulls service is more than an eReader and you don't actually need this eReader to read the Kobo ebooks. One of Whitcoulls/Kobo's distinguishing features is its support of the industry standard ePub format along with a wide range of reading devices from PCs and Macs (not recommended for in-depth reading) to iPhones, iPads, Blackberries and Android smartphones.
Whitcoulls launched its iPhone/iPod Touch app (link opens iTunes) today and will shortly roll out support for Blackberries, Android smartphones and, in time for its July New Zealand launch, the iPad.
Despite all this choice, if you can justify the cost, a dedicated ebook reader will add plenty to your ebook reading enjoyment.
Whitcoulls and Kobo have been smart in opting for a basic specification with a good price point rather than loading the Kobo eReader with lots of expensive features that don't always add a lot to the reading experience.
Don't let its budget price fool you. The Kobo is one of the best ebook readers around, functionally, ergonomically and style-wise. It has a quality feel, weighs in at 221 grams making it ideal for one-handed reading. Try doing that for long periods on an Apple iPad.
Its 6-inch/15 cm e-Ink screen operates crisply with nice typography including a choice of a serif and a sans serif typeface plus five type sizes. The black and white e-Ink display gives it a stable paper-like appearance, much easier on the eyes than the more common backlit LCD/LED displays, and offers great readability in natural light conditions, including outside in sunshine. Add a long battery life measured in weeks rather than hours and you've got a compelling feature set for comfortable reading.
One of the best usability features of the Kobo eReader is its "D-Pad" (short for "Directional Pad"). It's a large round button which you press on the right or left edge to turn the pages forward or back. A neat feature is that pressing the D-Pad at the top or bottom will increase or decrease font size.A minor criticism is that the Kobo works best when held with the right hand but is a little less comfortable when held in the left. Many ebook readers solve this with an extra set of page forward/page back buttons on the left.
To read more on Amazon's Kindle go to Amazon Kindle review or Kindle reviews or go to Wireless reading device.
