![]() ![]() ![]() The "home" screen looks a little blah, and though it's simply laid out, it just doesn't seem inviting. The Kobo Touch Edition just doesn't have the slick interfaces and navigational cues found on the Nook Touch (or Nook Color) and the Kindle. So now that we've gone through the upsides, what are the downsides? Well, in a word: polish. Furthermore, the scheme for highlighting passages is arguably easier to use than the highlighting feature on the Nook. You can also look up words in the built-in dictionary by holding your finger on a word. In other words: you're not locked into Kobo hardware to enjoy your books. So you can sync your Kobo library with any of those devices you may own, and access the content there as well. On the plus side, it's important to note that Kobo, like Barnes & Noble and Amazon, does offer apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad), as well as Android (phone and tablet), BlackBerry (phones and PlayBook), and even WebOS (Palm Pre). There's also a social media element with the requisite Facebook and Twitter tie-ins, though Barnes & Noble does a better job with social features in the Nook with its Nook Friends feature. Kobo also has something called Reading Life, which tracks your reading stats and, in a nod to the game-ification of e-reading, doles out awards as you attain certain achievements. There are myriad iOS and Android news apps (and browser-based news sites) available. However, with fewer than 40 periodical choices so far, the Kobo falls behind on its selection compared with what's available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. News junkies can subscribe to a smattering of newspapers and magazines on the Kobo. What's good about this Kobo? Well, as we said, it has a compact, elegant design, with only a couple of buttons (since this is a touch-screen e-reader, there's a built-in virtual keyboard), and it matches up pretty well with the competition from a features standpoint. Price: $129.99 (comes with $10 Kobo gift card).Multiple languages available (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Dutch).Two fonts, with more than 15 font sizes to choose from.Comes in black (with black back) and white (with lilac, blue, or white back).Dimensions: 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches by 0.39 inch.Supports EPUB, PDF, Adobe DRM (e-book library lending).Battery charge lasts up to two weeks (more with wireless switched off).MicroSD card expansion slot (add up to 32GB card).Wi-Fi wireless connectivity (802.11 b/g/n). ![]() 6-inch Pearl e-ink screen (same screen as e-ink screens on Kindle and Nook).Touch screen with Neonode "responsive" zForce infrared touch technology (Kobo is calling it "Real Touch").It also has E Ink's latest-generation Pearl e-ink screen. As its name implies, Kobo's new e-reader has a touch screen and uses the same Neonode infrared technology that's found in Sony's touch-screen e-readers and the new Nook Touch. ![]()
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