[Prestidigitweeze]

Reading various posts stating that Kobo is the only one of the three major e-reader companies to implement the front-lit screen and actually "do it right," I feel as if I'm reading MR in a parallel universe. I was quite inclined to ask my GF to buy me a Kobo Glo as a Christmas present before reading a few MR threads on the topic. Lots of people have reported returning or exchanging Glos due to white pixels, screens gone dead, perpetually drained batteries and various travails involving the software -- and that's not even addressing the fact that there seems not to be a vital Kobo community creating alternative firmware or rooting the Glo for Android, which is distressing given the alternative options for Nooks, Kindles and Sony Readers.

All of this is not intended to be anti-Kobo -- I very much wanted an epub reader with a higher resolution screen, front-lighting and a faster processor. But I've been reticent because of the various complaints I've read, combined with the shipping cost and the prospect of having to send my Kobo back to Canada even to be looked at if something went wrong. For the mome, I've decided to wait until things get sorted to consider the Glo.

I love Kobo Books; it's the site I use most for buying content. But when the other new e-readers aren't plagued with serious stability issues, why would I want to buy a Glo and add faraway customer service and possible software glitches and failures to the challenge of finding a front-lit e-reader without lighting defects?