Photo by jivedanson
I did a lot of research for eReaders available in Canada before I decided on the Kobo. The Kobo comes with and without wi-fi. The one I have is the one with wi-fi so what I'm about to talk about will reflect that one. Some pros and cons of the Kobo:
Pros:
Appearance: It comes in a few different colours - white front with lilac (purpley colour), metallic silver or grey quilted back, or black front with black quilted back.
Wi-fi: Allows you to purchase books wherever you are, although I cannot say I've used it before.
Preloaded books and storage: I believe there are about 100 preloaded classics on your Kobo and it can store over 1000 books.
It's light: You can just about carry this anywhere. It feels like you're carrying a real book.
Availability: It's available in Canada, US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Battery Life: On Kobo's website, it says that the battery life lasts 10 days or 10,000 page turns. I'm not a hardcore reader and found that the battery life was amazing since I'll only read at night a few nights during the week.
Cons:
Speed: It takes time to start up (device and book) which is perfectly fine with me but I've been hearing other people complain about it so I thought I'd just put this in here.
Book accessibility: I personally haven't had this problem because I usually read books I buy immediately so it's already sitting on the main screen. However, I have read about other people's comments and concerns and they have stated that it's annoying to find books because you have to know the title to find it rather than the genre/category.
Built-in dictionary: I thought the built in dictionary was so awesome and all until I tried it on a word I was genuinely curious about. "No dictionary entry found" Oh... well okay. I've just tried this on a couple of words and it seems it knows really easy words which is not helpful at all.
Screen: The screen isn't really a screen. As in, it doesn't light up so if you want to read in the dark (because well, your mother doesn't like you staying up like me), then you'll need to buy an additional book light. The one offered on the Kobo and Chapters website costs $16.99 CAD.
D-Pad/Navigation Pad: I remember when I first showed my friends my Kobo, they started poking at the screen. "I-it's not a touch screen" ".... Oh." When I was shopping around for eReaders, I too wanted an eReader with a touch screen but I've found that you have to be careful since touch screen sensitivity varies from device to device. Make sure to check it out in a store if possible to see if you will like it.
Kobo Customer Service: Again, I haven't personally run into a situation where I have to fight with Kobo's Customer Service but I read some Kobo Facebook discussion threads and many people were complaining that the Kobo Customer Service teams take a while to get back to them and generally aren't really helpful.
Overall verdict: If you just want something to carry all the books you want to read or if you commute/travel a lot and want a light device to read your books, this is a good eReader for you. Despite some of the cons, I still really like my Kobo. Just take good care of it (this goes for anything, really) and everything will be okay!
Other options:
Nook or Nook Color:
I've heard really good things about this eReader. It's almost like an iPad! The Nook and Nook Color is only available in the US. If you live in Canada (or any other countries), you wouldn't even be able to get your hands on it since the Barnes and Noble website won't even deliver anywhere else but US. The black and white Nook goes for $149 USD and the Nook Color goes for $249 USD. It is a touch screen device with the ability to connect through wi-fi and surf the web.
Sony eReader: Daily, Pocket or Touch:
I didn't really research deeply into this product because I was pretty turned off by the price. The prices vary from $199.99 - $249.99 CAD. They're all touch screens, comes in a few different colours and accepts a variety of eBook formats.
Amazon Kindle:
Alright, I'll be honest, Amazon has released so many versions of the Kindle that I was seriously confused at first. I've learned that they have it in three versions: one with wi-fi, one with wi-fi AND 3G and a big one with only 3G. I believe it only accepts certain eBook formats, specifically ones you can buy right off the Amazon website. The Kindle doesn't have a touch screen or colour but it does have a tiny keyboard. This one is a pretty popular option so I'd recommend readers who are looking for an eReader to look into a Kindle.
So that's it! Do your research when purchasing your eReader and I hope you enjoyed this review!
xoxo
ABOUTME
Hi, I'm Tracy - welcome to my blog! I like to talk about Asian dramas and Korean Pop. Feel free to leave a comment or connect with me via my social media links. Enjoy your stay
0 comments:
Post a Comment