[bobstro]

I've had my Kobo Mini for a few months now. It's my 2nd eInk reader, coming from a B&N NOOK Simple Touch previously. The NST has gone to my wife, and I picked the Mini up on sale. It has become my "beach mini", used for outdoor reading while on vacation.

I'm quite pleased with the little thing so far. I've done quite a bit of reading with it outdoors, and found the display ideal. The device is small enough that it slips into a pocket or bag easily. It's cheap enough that losing it isn't the end of the world. As a result, I'm a lot more likely to take it with me and get some reading done.

I sideload books using Calibre exclusively, and have found everything straightforward. I've got about 250 ebooks on it now. I haven't made any attempts to organize these on the device yet, but expect to try that with Calibre soon.

When it comes to cases, I find that they tend to ruin the feel of the nicely-designed devices. They add edges, bristly velcro or bulk that takes away from the pleasure of using the device. As a result, I've recently shifted to using slipcases for my handheld devices. I may add a stiffener board to protect the screen from pokes in my travel bag. I may add a skin to protect against minor scratches. Otherwise, I'd rather maximize my enjoyment using the device for the 1-2 years I expect to get out of it rather than enjoy it less and put it away for the last time unscratched in the future.

One drawback to going case-less is that you don't have anything extra to grab onto, which can be a problem if reading one handed. On my NST, I found a cheap, simple enough solution that doesn't add bulk:

[IMG]http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g402/bobstro/Mobile
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I can rotate my hand to any position without worrying about my reader slipping into the sand:

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This is the economy version (available for a limited time for $29.95. Order in the next 10 minutes, and I'll include a 2nd absolutely free!) A wider elastic band would work even better. Anybody who can sew can probably put little corner pockets on to avoid slipping.

Unfortunately, while playing around with options, I did have my first negative experience with the Mini. After removing and replacing the rear cover, I noticed that I've developed a small crack on one corner of the bezel:

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Snapping the cover back in bows the bezel outwards, and I believe that is when it split. It doesn't affect anything, but just knowing it's there bugs me. I may apply a skin over the front.

I've been following the release of the new B&N NOOK, and was surprised to hear that my "little" Mini has more storage available for sideloaded content. The ability to upgrade the internal microSD card for even more Kobo and sideloaded content means the Mini is better suited for heavy readers in at least one important aspect.