Introducing the latest E-Reader news the new Kobo E-Reader!
Kobo whom is owned by Indigo Books and Music, is an leading e-book content distributer with claims of over two million books and over two-hundred-fifty-thousand PDFS on its site. They have only been around for a few years, but they have launched store and book applications for major platforms such as the I-Phone, Blackberry, PC, MAC, Sony E-Reader and more! The Kobo E-Reader is set to be sold at all Indigo locations in Canada in May. The Price tag is one big factor to look out for in this e-reader is a paltry $149.00 US.
With this entry level pricing, the Kobo E-Reader is not trying to compete with Amazon or Sony, but at a new market of budget conscious customers. You will not be able to use WI-FI on it, or 3G. You will be able to load books on it via the traditional USB device, and it will come pre-loaded with 100 public domain books. It will also support the new industry standard ePub format. The Kobo will feature a very minimalist buttons layout, and a directional keypad. Unlike say the Kindle 2 with its multitude of buttons. The screen is around 6 inches and fits nestled into the case.
The Kobo eReader is by its economical entry level price is not for the technologically inclined, with its bare bones aesthetic.
Kobo hopes to aim their target demographic at the casual reader, or people that may buy them at impulse buys when they are in the book store.
The Market in Canada is not as competitive in the states, but with the rise of the Apple I-Pad and its I-Bookstore and the Amazons entry into the market with its Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, along with many Sony E-Readers available at many of its Sony stores, it seems Canadians are getting more choices and variety. This is important because Canada is a tech savvy market place, sure they have new Android choices such as the Entourage Edge, Barnes and Noble Nook, or access to many of the new Tablets when they are released, but they market is not as competitive doing the daily errands like they are in the United States.
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Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.