BEA 2010: Kobo
There's not much in the way of real news to report here, but I was told that the new Kobo apps were coming "real soon now". Also, Kobo isn't planning on a second ereader. Right now they're focusing on getting the apps out the door, expanding to more countries (hint, hint), and improving the user experience.
But I did finally get my hands on the Kobo ereader. I have to say that I'm impressed with the device. It's a lot more pleasant to use than I was expecting, and I can see that Kobo put some real thought into making it comfortable to use. The rubber button and backside really changes the feel of the ereader.
That was my impression, too — like Wagner’s music “It’s better than it sounds” … the Kobo is unexpectedly pleasant to hold and use. It’s very basic (that’s a GOOD thing).
But having lived with it for a month, I do find I’m less keen on the two fonts — the Kindle serif is easier on the eyes. And, maddeningly, I do find the s-l-o-w-n-e-s-s with which pages turns and menus appear to be surprisingly annoying. The time it takes to start up or load a book — I can live with that. But navigating the menus … hmmmm.
And then there is the ePub “locked at tiny” font problem — which remains unfixed several weeks later. That should not have been allowed out the door and I’m astonished they will allow that to flow through into new markets after Canada beta tested it.
Plus the software interface. Yah, ok: once you have it installed, and agree to use it as is, it works fine. But one login for the store, another to fire up Adobe DRM manager, then plug in the USB cable and start tagging and dragging content around … it’s getting perilously close to rocket science, particularly for a device which prides itself on “basic”.
And don’t get me started on the 100 free books. You can’t delete them; you can’t manipulate them. Jane Austen and Jack London are one thing … but does everyone want the Communist Manifesto or the On The Origin of Species or Japanese Fairy Tales forever locked into the library? Why not ship with these on board and let me delete them as I choose, able to reload them from my Kobo account later if I so choose? It’s annoying unnecessary clutter.