Kobo has just launched a new firmware update (4.8.10956) for all of their e-readers that increases the speed of your page-turns with a new rendering engine. You can turn this feature on by going to the reading settings menu and choose to turn pages by tapping or swiping, or by swiping only.
This new system is great, it allows you to tap your finger rapidly on the screen or gesture and it will change the pages very quickly. You can also hold your finger down on the screen and it will also turn the pages. The text is basically unreadable when the the pages are being rapidly turned, will have to release your finger from the screen in order for everything to be fully rendered.
The rapid page turn engine works with KEPUB ebooks, which are books you have purchased directly from Kobo. It does not support CBR/CBZ or classic EPUB support. It is also incompatible with sideloaded EPUB books.
The rapid page-turn engine was first unveiled on the Kobo Aura One Limited Edition and was a major selling point. During our hands on review I demonstrate exactly how it works and outline some of the pros and cons.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
