Kobo eReader Touch Edition could push e-reader prices low, low, low
At last, budget-conscious bookies have an e-reader.
hit shelves June 10 and at $129.99, it鈥檚 the cheapest touchscreen e-reader (besting Barnes & Noble鈥檚 Nook by $10), and the smallest and lightest to boot.
Early reviews suggest the Canadian e-book retailer is vying for the No. 3 spot in e-readers, behind Amazon鈥檚 Kindle and Barnes & Noble鈥檚 Nook.
The paperback-sized eReader Touch (Kobo says it鈥檚 designed to fit in a jeans pocket) has a clean, simple design 鈥� mostly screen with only one physical button. It uses e-ink, like a Kindle; can be read in bright light; and best of all, works like a touchscreen so readers can turn a page with the swipe of a finger.
The eReader Touch has 32 GB of storage, a micro-USB port for charging, and a battery life of up to one month, . It offers wireless access, but no 3G.
And at just 7.05 ounces (0.44 pounds), Kobo鈥檚 new e-reader is 0.33 ounces lighter than the second-generation Nook and 1.45 ounces lighter than the third-generation Kindle, 鈥渁 noticeable difference,鈥� .
For now, Kobo鈥檚 eReader Touch is available at Borders, Best Buy, and Walmart.
So far, reviewers have (mostly) raved.
鈥淭he Kobo e-Reader Touch Edition is an excellent and easy to use device,鈥� . It lauded the e-reader's 鈥渃lean, simple design,鈥� e-ink screen, and extended battery life, but said Kobo鈥檚 page loading speed and clarity of graphics leave room for improvement.
鈥淲hile Kobo claims the device is more powerful than its older version, it can still feel a bit underpowered and at times there鈥檚 a bit of lag bringing up titles 鈥� especially graphic heavy works like comics 鈥� and while navigating online at the Kobo e-book store.... [W]hile the device鈥檚 ability to display photos and graphic work like comics, isn鈥檛 bad, it鈥檚 still an e-ink device and graphics could be better.鈥�
On the technical front, PC World says the new Kobo reader offers excellent value, though it鈥檚 still a step behind its top competitors. 鈥淚t's rare to find an inexpensive product that also introduces innovation into its category,鈥� . 鈥淎nd yet that's exactly what Kobo Books' Kobo eReader Touch Edition does鈥�. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition lacks the finesse of the Nook and the Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi, but it still has much to offer value-conscious book lovers.鈥�
More good news for bibliophiles on a budget: Kobo鈥檚 e-reader is propelling e-book prices on a downward trend, with some analysts saying e-reader prices could be as low as $99 or even $50 by year鈥檚 end.
鈥淲e'll see $99 e-readers from the major players by the holidays, if not sooner," market intelligence company International Data Corporation鈥檚 Tom Mainelli .
Allen Weiner, of information tech research company Gartner, predicts prices will plummet further: 鈥淭wo things make sense: one is that the price drops to around the $50 mark and is marketed to those whose only aim is to read trade fiction and the like (perhaps an older demographic). Second, is [e-readers] are given away by book publishers to customers who sign up for book clubs that carry a monthly purchase commitment,鈥� .
Right now, Kobo鈥檚 is the cheapest touchscreen reader (its earlier edition is now available for $99), and calls it the perfect choice for an e-reading purist. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a close race, but if you鈥檙e just going to be using this device for plain old reading, the Kobo is in my opinion the best bet right now," advises Crunch Gear. "[T]he totally uncluttered and ultra-simple operation of the Kobo eReader Touch Edition makes it a perfectly good choice for an e-reading novice or purist.鈥�
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
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