Kobo E-Reader
| Editor's Rating | |
|---|---|
| Overall | |
| Usability | |
| Design | |
| Value for money | |
The Kobo E-Reader weighs around 200 grams and has a 6 inch display, which is just like most of its rivals. It is possible to view the fonts in five different sizes, which can help those who need glasses to be able to read. The difference with the Kobo E-Reader and many of its rivals is that fact that all of the buttons are on the side of the device rather on the front. The only thing below the screen in the navigation pad.
The device has a 1 GB hard drive and there is also a slot to fit an SD card for more memory. There are also USB ports to be able to connect your external hard drive or flash drives if you really need a lot of space. The USB ports also allow you to connect other devices to your E-reader, including your computer to allow to transfer E-books onto the device. You will need to do it this way because there is no WiFi or 3G available.
The Kobo E-Reader does come with Bluetooth, which means some devices can be connected wirelessly. However, this is only for the short range and you will need to ensure that all devices that you want to connect have Bluetooth.
The Kobo E-Reader has a vinyl cover at the back, which aids with the comfort of the device. It is also small and light enough to allow one handed holding – something that you cannot do with a normal book – and the battery life is long enough to turn 8,000 pages. It is possible to read documents that are saved as PDF or as ePUB.
The Reviews
It is important to look for the positive and negative aspects of a device to ensure that this is something that is worth spending your money on. It also helps those who are looking for something specific.
First of all is the size, which is small and light. It is perfect for carrying around with you and is comfortable to hold, whether you want to use one or two hands. The size means that you can carry it around without really thinking about it and it will help with cutting down on the weight of books, especially textbooks.
For the size of it, a 1 GB hard drive is good; this can hold around 1000 E-books. Coupled in with the fact that there are USB ports and a slot for a SD card, you can have plenty of books carrying around with you. You will probably never read them all anyway!
The price is great for what the product has to offer. Kobo takes into account that its rivals are able to offer much more and has set the price according to that. It is affordable for everyone, especially students who could benefit the most from it.
The battery is also excellent. The fact that there is no Internet means that the battery life is not drained as quickly as many other products. It can handle 8,000 page turns which could give you a few weeks without the need to recharge.
The whole device is simple to use. You will not need to check the guide book to find out how to use it. However, here come the bad points. The device is slow to use, which makes quick page turns impossible. It is also not great to use for games or video.
The lack of Internet on the device can be limiting to some people. It means that software is needed. However, this software is very similar to software such as iTunes. All of the books are stored and different shelves can be made up with your favorite reading – almost like a playlist. The Kobo E-Reader can easily be updated through connecting it to your computer.
While the screen is easy to read, it does not light up so reading in the dark will mean having a light source nearby. The fact that the keys are all on the side can confuse people. It is possible to knock them accidentally. The functions are minimal but this is all taken into consideration with the price.
You cannot add notes to your books, which is something that students usually like to do with their textbooks. It also does not allow you to highlight anything. Students will still need pen and paper in their lectures or classes.
There are so many different types of formats that books can be saved in, the fact that it only saves in PDF or ePUB can be limiting. However, this is much better than some of its rivals, which do not accept PDF forms; the most popular when it comes to E-books. Besides, PDF is very easy to save an E-book in even if it has been downloaded in another form.
Those who are left handed could also be put to a disadvantage. The navigation buttons are towards the right of the E-Reader, which is perfect if you are right handed. With those buttons being the only ones on the front of the device, surely it would have been better to place them in the middle.
In Conclusion
The Kobo E-Reader is a great device if all you want to do is read. There is a lot of space available and the SD slot will allow for extra space. However, this is not for students who want to be able to make notes. Nor is it for those who want to be able to download books while on the go and easily access the Kobo store from the device rather than needing to connect it to the computer.