I've been lurking the forums for a while now, and after much research on this website as well as on other places around the internet, I purchased the Kobo Glo in black from an independent bookstore. I would like to start this review by noting that large retailers such as Best Buy do not have the Kobo Glo available for purchase; however, you can use the directory of the American Booksellers Association to find a local, independent bookstore that carries the Kobo Glo.
Today, I drove almost an hour, round trip, in order to get my hands on this device. The box reminds me of a chocolate box because of its simple removable lid. Inside is the device, a manual, and a cable for transfer and charging. There is no adapter for a wall socket.
My experience with setup was frustrating. The device points the user to
www.kobosetup.com however, when I attempted to download the setup software, my speeds were INCREDIBLY slow. Note that unlike the previous generations of Kobo readers, you cannot skip the setup process. I attempted to use the alternative setup: a wireless setup. Unfortunately, this process is extremely unreliable. Not only is it incredibly slow, taking more than an hour, it is also very unreliable, prone to crashing. After two hours, the wireless setup had crashed and failed twice, and in my frustration, I decided to attempt the
www.kobosetup.com method again. This time, the Kobo servers seemed to be working, and I was able to setup the device quickly. Simply plug it in and run the downloaded setup software.
Let me start the review of the Kobo Glo's performance by mentioning that any videos or pictures do the device absolutely no justice. I have seen many videos and pictures of the device, but I had to hold it in my hand to understand how superior it was. The screen on the Glo uses the XGA technology. The only resolution and pixel density that can compete is offered by the Kindle Paperwhite, but aside from all the graphical glitches I've been hearing about, I also don't believe the Paperwhite actually uses an XGA display. In comparison to the Kindle DX, my previous eReader, the contrast and GTG ratio of the Kobo Glo is noticeably superior. In videos and pictures, the Kobo Glo's light seems harsh compared to its competitors, but in practice, I find that the light far exceeds my expectations. It is gentle on the eyes and relatively uniform.
The reading experience of the device is excellent. Because of the 1Ghz processor, page turns are incredibly fast, almost instant. However, in exchange for fast, partial refreshes, there are artifacts. These are noticeable if you look very closely (I am 18 years old and 20/20 if you are curious about my eyesight) but not intrusive on the reading experience. In the settings, the number of page turns before a full refresh can be changed; however, the drawback is that more battery will be consumed. The rubberized body makes the device easy and comfortable to hold, and I enjoyed the overall experience.
I have heard that Kobo devices supposedly have software/firmware issues, but I have not experienced any. I am currently reading
The Bostonians by Henry James, downloaded from Project Gutenberg. I have used the device between three to four hours today and have encountered no issues. I am not sure how the device performs using Adobe Digital Editions, but the latest version of Calibre works flawlessly.
In closing, I would like to assure you that I am not working for Kobo. I think the device is deserving of the glowing review. However, bear in mind that these are my experiences and opinions, and I am sure that there are people here who are bound to disagree. Feel free to discuss.