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Aesthetics
The look and feel of an ereader is a big deal to me. I'd been looking into getting one for a long time, but none particularly stood out. The Sony's already look dated (and are sluggish to use), the Barnes & Noble Nook is down right ugly (and only available in the US), and although the Amazon Kindle is not too bad looking, it is let down by having a keyboard on the front (plus buying one means helping them get an even bigger grip on the market).
The Kobo Wireless eReader, on the other hand, is lightweight, simple, sleek and almost elegant... As far as eReaders go, anyway.
There is a five way directional button on the bottom right, and 4 more buttons on the left edge. That's it. It's not trying to be showy, it just wants to let you read. The back has a quilted design, which helps to improve grip, and is just lovely to hold. Aesthetically it is great. Light weight, too. No faults.
Usability
To read on the Kobo is wonderful. This was my first real eInk experience other than display models of the Sony and the Kindle, so I can't compare it to much. However, I found it a real joy to use. In normal light it is easy to read, and as it gets brighter it only gets better. Sunlight is no problem for the screen. There is the occasional touch of glare sometimes, but nothing that hinders the experience. If you don't have much light, though, it can be tricky to read comfortably in smaller text sizes. Thankfully all you need do is hit up or down on the d-pad to adjust the size. Ideal!
There are some problems though. The Kobo is quick at turning pages, similar speeds to the Kindle I believe, but in the menus it can be sluggish. This is the same when turning it on and opening new books. The load time can be a pain. There is a sleep mode which allows for quick start up to your current read, but this is not so good for the battery.
The battery itself is good, but not great. As I write this I've been reading for about 4 days without charging, and it is on 3/4s full. Not bad. But sometimes I've noticed the power drop dramatically in just a couple of days. I've heard that the battery needs to get used to being drained and powered up, and once it has it will last longer. I hope so, but only time will tell.
Back to actual reading on the Kobo, turning pages can be an effort. Or at least more of an effort than it could be. As I mentioned before, there is only a Dpad on the front of the Kobo. This is your only means of turning pages, and whilst it is fine for the most part, I feel it would have been nice to have a button on either edge of the device, for easy pressing in any holding position. As it is, when holding it in your left had you really need to stretch to press it. Once again, nothing massive, but it would be nice to have more options for turning pages.
Store
The Kobo store is the only place I have found for UK buyers that rivals Amazon, both in terms of range and price. Waterstone's and WH Smith both have a decent selection (and occasional bargains), but you only need to look at the prices of the bestsellers to see the difference.
The Kobo Wireless has, as the name suggests, direct access to the Kobo store. Visiting the store is as simple as pressing one of the side buttons. Sadly browsing the store on the Kobo is not quite as simple. As mentioned before, the Kobo doesn't have a physical keyboard. Whilst this is great for the look of the device, it does cause problems when browsing the store. The Dpad does a fine job of keying in letters on the virtual keyboard, but I don't recommend it for anything other than finding a specific book. If you want to have a good rummage for books then a laptop and the main Kobo website is much more enjoyable.
The one danger of an eBook store is the sheer overwhelming number of books. It can take hours just to choose one book to purchase, because there is just so much choice!
Summary
In the few short weeks that I've had my Kobo Wireless eReader it has really changed the way I read. It's lightweight, portable and there are thousands of books at the tips of your fingers.
I still read books – I adore the feel, smell and look of a nice hardback as any true reader does – but I've found myself reading paperbacks and wishing I had them on my Kobo. I think that sums up my feelings quite well!
Highly Recommended.
JA
Note: Thanks to the Kobo for sending the Wireless eReader for review.
Find out more about the Kobo eReader and the brand new Kobo Touch on the Kobo Website
Order your Kobo Wireless eReader from WH Smiths UK
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