It appears that PCMag has updated their reviews and ratings!!!
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/ebook-readers#
The Kobo Clara HD now is rated at 4.5 stars, and earned the Editor's Choice award!
It shares the EC award with the Kindle Oasis 2017 and Kindle Paperwhite.
They updated the review date of the Clara HD to September 11th 2018, and added a section to the review reflecting the Overdrive support.
Quote:
It used to be awkward to borrow library books with Kobo, but a September software update changed everything.
If your library uses Overdrive, you can enter your library card number in the device's Settings and then see your local library integrated into the Kobo store. You can browse the library's virtual shelves or search, right on the device. If a book is available, you'll see a Borrow with Overdrive option, and it will be wirelessly downloaded. You can also use your library or Overdrive's site to browse and download books, and they'll sync automatically. If a book isn't immediately available, you can place it on hold. On the home screen, you see exactly how many days you have left before you have to return it.
There's one minor failing: If you're a member of multiple library systems (like I am), you can only sign into one at a time on the device. Still, though, this is great. It's better than the Amazon interface, which requires you to use your library's site to send the book to your e-reader. I downloaded Nancy Isenberg's "White Trash," and the formatting and internal linking was perfect.
Comparisons and Conclusions
Some people are library readers. I think more people should be library readers. If you're a library reader, your Kobo becomes a magic extension of your library system.
The Kobo Clara HD is an easy, light, and simple way to read ebooks. It slips into a pocket, its 300ppi screen is sharp, its battery life is terrific, and its color-changing front light won't keep you up at night. Unlike Barnes & Noble, which is in dire corporate financial straits, Kobo is owned by very stable giant Rakuten, which also owns the company that rents out all of your library's ebooks. And Kobo has the best Overdrive library reading experience of any e-reader.
That said, Amazon and Apple own 92 percent of the ebook market in the US, and Amazon has also become one of America's largest publishers. You can't read Amazon or Apple ebooks on this e-reader. That means we can't kick Amazon's Paperwhite out of the Editors' Choice category entirely. But now it has to share with Kobo.
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