Getting a word’s definition is also a breeze - just hold your finger down on the word you want defined. of 42), which gives you a clear sense of how much longer you have to go until you reach the next chapter.Įasy highlighting and definitions: Given its touch screen, it’s a lot easier to highlight a section of text on the Kobo than it is on the Kindle. The Kobo interface - at least with the book I was reading - shows you what page you are on in each chapter (ie. And one of my annoyances with the Kindle is it’s not always clear how far you have to go until the next chapter (sometimes little hash marks on the screen indicate this, but not always).

Heck, it could even be an interesting way of showing you what books really kept your interest - showing you which ones you sped through in a few sittings rather than plodding through over several weeks.Ĭhapter page counts: I’m one of those guys who likes to get to the end of a chapter before setting a book down for the night. This is information the Kindle could easily collect, too, and I wish they’d provide it you. Reading Stats: OK, as a data geek this may be a bigger deal for me than most people, but I really liked how the Kobo kept track of how long it was taking me to get through a book and how much I read in each sitting. This is a minor thing, but tapping on the book cover is just more fun than scrolling down a list. Home screen: The Kobo Touch home shows you the cover of the last few books you’ve been reading, instead of the simple text list you get on your Kindle. Given its touch interface, the Kobo’s is much more pleasurable to use than the Kindle’s - you can more easily click on links you want to follow and you can use the touch screen to easily scroll down a page (instead of clicking down on the Kindle). Both the Kindle and the Kobo have built-in web browsers that can do this. That said, sometimes you want to quickly check something online while reading an ebook - like a fact on Wikipedia - and would rather not boot up another device. Its monochrome screen and slow response rate just weren’t meant for the lightning-fast web. So buying a Kobo instead of a Kindle saves you about $10.īetter web browser: Browsing the Internet on an ebook reader is a pretty painful experience. would bring the price of the Kobo Touch up to about $155. You will, however, have to pay sales tax - which in B.C. But with better exchange rates it’s now closer to $165.) If you buy a Kobo Touch in your local Chapters store, you obviously don’t have to pay any shipping and handling charges. But, as noted in an earlier blog post, once you add in shipping and taxes, a Kindle will set you back quite a bit more. Price: At least for Canadian customers, the Kobo is a better buy - though just barely. customers, since its Kindle selection is much better. This seems to be less of an issue for U.S. Kobo actually cheekily acknowledges this with a special section in its ebook store of titles you can’t get on Kindle.

A number of popular bestsellers - from authors like Malcolm Gladwell and Tina Fey - are available in Canada on Kobo but not on Kindle. But, at least for Canadians, it seems clear that the ebook selection for the Kobo is better than for the Kindle.

It also gives the Kobo a shorter profile than the Kindle, so it feels very light in your hands.īetter ebook selection: I’ve written about this before, and plan another upcoming post on the issue. Touching an ereader just feels like a more intimate experience than clicking on the Kindle’s physical buttons. The Kobo Touch’s screen is relatively responsive (I rarely had to click on something twice) and the only slightly annoying thing was that it made it a bit tough to hold in my left hand (since you have to turn pages by tapping on the right hand side or swiping the screen right to left). Touch screen: Maybe I’ve become conditioned by years of playing with my iPod Touch, but using a touch screen ereader is just more fun. I already own a Kindle and so thought I’d lay out what, in my view, are the advantages and disadvantages of the Kobo in comparison to the Kindle. Westcoast Homes & Design Previous Issuesįor most Canadian customers thinking of buying an ereader, chances are they’re trying to decide between either a Kobo or Amazon’s Kindle (getting a Nook in Canada is a bit of a pain and the Sony Reader is overpriced).Vancouver Sun Run: Sign up & event info.

Kobo touch ereader