Kobo Vox eReader
| Editor's Rating | |
|---|---|
| Overall | |
| Usability | |
| Design | |
| Value for money | |
Though the devices for reading electronic books with close to a tablet PC functionality were present on the market before, only the launch of Kindle Fire allowed Amazon company to make a bid for success in the segment of “purebred tablets”. But in spite of positioning Kobo Vox eReader device, produced by Kobo company, as a solution for reading e-books, for the price and functionality this device can compete with the Kindle Fire. The device came into the market on the 28th of October. In any case, the price of a new device is $199.99, for which a consumer receives a seven-inch color touch-screen display that supports 1024 x 800 pixels and is multi-touch. The colors completely pop on the unit. The apps which are worked up by Kobo company are optimized for fitting the eReader’s screen. The display is without glare, and this enables a user to read outdoor even in sunny weather. The screen provides fairly wide viewing angles for comfortable reading of two ore more persons. Kobo eReaders are equipped with a simple drive that a user inserts the card into. It does not have a protective clasp made of rubber or anything else so dust does not get into it.
The tablet is endowed with 8GB of solid state drive which allows a user to download over 5,000 books and 20,000 songs. The memory can be expanded by means of microSD memory cards such as up to 32 GB. The device runs on Google Android 2.3, and there are no limitations which are inherent in Kindle Fire. Android 2.3 gives you an access to more than 15,000 apps and completely at no cost. To communicate with the outside world an adapter of the wireless network is used. But working at 800 MHz, Processor Freescale iMX51 makes Kobo Vox eReader more similar to the Nook Color, than to Kindle Fire. The device allows scrolling through different menus quickly and apps are downloading almost instantly. If the local wireless connection of the Kobo Vox eReader’s user is good, the speed of content downloading will be high. The tablet is available in four colors and weighs about 400 grams which means that the device is compact and suitable for traveling. The amount of RAM is 512 MB. Charge of the standard battery should last for 7 hours. Kobo company issued a firmware update as part of the initial Vox setup routine after configuration WI-FI.
There are physical home touch panels on the front of the device which options include Back, Settings, and Home. It’s convenient for physical pressing the buttons in case of necessity. From the back side Kobo Vox eReader is clean. There is a possibility to adjust the eReader’s parameters of reading which include night reading mode, brightness setting and orientation, 42 sizes, and 7 font styles for preventing the eyes from tiring. Some additional features of the device include automatic last page read bookmark, annotations, highlighting, dictionary look-up, etc.
The Kobo team emphasized that Kobo Vox eReader is integrated in social networking by means of Facebook, Timeline, and Ticker which provide social interaction and a possibility to share the impressions from reading to other people. It is also possible to watch movies, and play music by means of the integrated music and video player. A user has an access to music from RDIO without any limitations. If you shop more than 2.2 million books, you get one million without charge. The customers can use all these books from the Kobo’s ecosystem. The users of Kobo Vox eReader can also read plenty of Zinio® magazines and PressReader™ newspapers. They refer to 3rd party applications. With the newly-bought eReader an owner receives 7 newspapers, 3 glossy color books and 12 magazines as a present from Kobo company. The users of Kobo Vox eReader are offered to try social reading with Kobo Pulse™ which can combine elements from Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. When you launch the pulse, a solid one page social media screen is displayed.
As for the main home page of Kobo Vox eReader, it compiles the last four books which were read by a user and quick links to a user’s library, the store, Pulse, and Reading Life. The user’s library has a “shelf” where all bought books are located. Bookmarks appear on the books which the owner of the gadget is reading at the moment. It’s also possible to mark the place where you stopped reading and organize collections of the books. The MicroSD cable enables you to download your books from the PC. Kobo Vox eReader natively reads EPUB files. Getjar facilitates the installation of applications. At the same time Kobo eReader sieves not suitable applications. With this device the user gets an opportunity to download on the eReader all content which he wants regardless of the used resources.
It’s necessary to mention about a very useful option which is offered by Kobo company. There are three types of Protection Plans for Kobo Vox eReader: bronze, silver, and gold. Bronze Protection Plan costs $29.99. It means that in case of accidental breakage, such as falls, spills, drops, or some force-majeure, during one year plan period the company will repair or replace the broken Kobo Vox eReader. The second type is Silver Protection Plan which worth $39.99. If accidental breakage happens, an owner is entitled to get repair of the device twice or to get new Kobo Vox eReader instead of the broken one but within two year period of time, as opposed to Bronze Plan. And Gold Protection Plan is the most advanced one and costs $59.99. This Plan gives you the right for three repair and replacement of the Kobo Vox eReader in already mentioned cases within two year time period. The additional advantage of Gold Plan is VIP Customer Care from the company’s experts. It depends on a customer which of three plans to select. Each of Protection Plans will start to act at the moment when a user activates Kobo Vox eReader but not later than in thirty days after delivery. So, warranty and service system of Kobo Vox eReader is very beneficial for the owners of this device. The box includes Kobo Vox™ eReader, Welcome Guide, USB cable, and Power adaptor.
6 user reviews to "Kobo Vox eReader"
13:09 on November 24th, 2011
I purchased a VOX a couple of weeks ago. It is a great e-reader. I love how it allows you to download from the PC (much better than my wife’s RIM playbook in that regard). The visuals are great and while it is not as light as the touch, it certainly is lighter than the non-dedicated ereaders (e.g. playbooks), thus enabling you hold it like you would a book for long periods if you so choose.
The only issue I have with it is that it has a charger cable that is so short that you can’t charge and read at the same time unless you want to lie on the floor or use an extra extension cable.
13:06 on December 28th, 2011
I just bought the VOX a couple of days ago at Smiths bookstore whilst passing through Heathrow Airport. I hardly ever buy anything like this without ever doing a web search before hand. If I had done that in this case I for sure would never have bought the machine…I have never, ever come across sooo many bad reports on a device before, a lot of them from supposedly “reputable” sources as well.
Having said that I find the VOX just right for what my wife needs as an ebook reader plus a few extra features and have had none of the problems that others seem to have had.
The only negative comment I have and it is a killer unfortunately, is that the USB/adapter charger, that I had to buy with it, although separately, does not work at all. I have seen other similar comments posted on the internet since. I have been since advised that this is a hardware problem and that the device should be returned….
21:22 on January 18th, 2012
I received a Kobo Vox as a gift over the holidays and as with any new gadget there comes some glitches which they have seemed to be able to fix.
The thing is, it did not like being exposed to the cold. I have kept it in the leather cases that fit it and the screen split right down diagonally.
I’ve contacted customer service and I’m still waiting to hear back. Hopefully I can exchange it.
12:39 on February 18th, 2012
I purchased a Kobo Vox one week ago, and have already returned it to WH Smith to obtain a refund. As a e-reader, the screen is clear and the typeface well-defined, but as a gadget, it looks like a photoframe, and my wrist was beginning to ache after holding it for only 10 minutes. I know I can hold it in both hands at the same time, or continually switch hands, but if I’m going to do that I may as well read a paperback.
It seems to come in various colours in Canada, but is only available in black here in the UK at the moment. The case to fit it is only available at WH Smith, which is no doubt why they feel that they can charge the outrageous price of £35, as they have a captive audience. I asked a member of staff why it costs that amount, and she said it’s because it’s real leather. Personally, I don’t care whether it’s real leather or not – they should also make one that isn’t as a cheaper option for people like me who have no intention of paying £35 for a case – and this also had some influence on taking it back.
The battery life is also disappointing. I charged it up for 2 hours, which is recommended, and used it for less than two hours when it had been fully charged, after which I was “asked” to recharge it.
It is an e-reader primarily and a tablet secondary, which I understand, so that was not an issue; had it been, I would have paid the extra and bought an ipad. My issue is that it looks like a child’s toy, and is heavy to hold. I may buy a Kobo touch, which I know is only an e-reader, but at least it is lightweight, or I may buy a Kindle. At the moment though, I’m quite happy with the tactileness and attractiveness of good old-fashioned books.
19:38 on April 3rd, 2012
my freind my kobo vox screen cracked and i dont want my parents finding out how can i get it fixex plz i need some help .:)
17:23 on April 23rd, 2012
My Kobo ereader screen cracked within a month of purchase. It’s a piece of rubbish