Kobo/WH Smith UK tie up now live!

lecoeur · 10-19-2011, 07:01 AM

For all the 'doubting Thomas's' who thought(like me) Oh Yeah, that'll happen in the fullness of time-meaning next year sometime. We were wrong. The WH Smith e-bookstore is live and run by Kobo NOW. Way to go Kobo.

unashamed link to my page on WH Smith.

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndS...t=%5ceb_eBooks

Apparently there will be over 10,000 books added next week(s) including some of mine,and also price updates as things kinda backlogged whilst integration was going on.

lecoeur · 10-21-2011, 12:34 PM

An interesting article in today's bookseller says that they are actually going to advertise the Kobo on TV which'll be a first for a non amz/apple device.
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/wh...ship-kobo.html

Suzanna · 10-21-2011, 12:49 PM

The ebook store works the same way it does here in Canada when you're searching for an ebook on Chapters/Indigo. Instead of going to a Chapters/Indigo branded store and hiding the fact the store is being hosted by Kobo (the way it was done in the U.S. with Borders), it takes you to the Kobo store where you can purchase your ebook. I think that was a wise decision. There was a lot of confusion about the Borders setup in the U.S.

lecoeur · 10-24-2011, 08:18 AM

mmm... things not going quite as smoothly as one would hope with WhSmith. According to several sources, the Kobo is not well displayed in many stores/and or even charged up and after some guy purchased a Touch he was told to enjoy his kindle!

Early days, hopefully the staff will step up to the plate and shift gazillions.

taming · 10-24-2011, 08:45 AM

It seems to me that management would have to do a really good job assuring its bricks and mortar store employees that it is actually in their best interest to enthusiastically support e-reading devices. It could really look like every device sold would be step toward a bookstore employee losing his or her job. It's somewhat like the transition here as grocery stores installed self-service tills.

Witty Username · 10-24-2011, 08:57 AM

I hope WH Smith customers are aware that in the Kobo store it is not possible to buy more than 1 book in a transaction. Each book purchase has to be processed individually as there is no 'basket' to hold items until you choose to checkout.

I have emailed WH Smith customer services to voice my frustration and to point out that I am unlikely to buy any more ebooks from them as this purchasing system is tedious in the extreme.

Gilmartin · 10-24-2011, 09:26 AM

I went into my local WHS again this morning, intending to play around some more with the Touch. They had 2 Touches on display- 1 was displaying a "please charge me" type message, the other was displaying the Reading Life screen with a "please wait updating". Seems to me it was frozen/hung there as tapping the screen and the home key did nothing?

taming · 10-24-2011, 09:32 AM

Everything freezes when it is out of juice.

Gilmartin · 10-25-2011, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

Everything freezes when it is out of juice.

Thanks- looks like the floor staff need to be trained to charge these units. They do a pretty good job of pushing cut price chocolate to their customers, so shouldn't be too difficult for them to plug in a charger

Gilmartin · 10-25-2011, 06:54 AM

On the subject of WH Smith- am I alone in considering it bizarre that while WHS are the largest distributor of magazines and newspapers in the UK; there are no newspapers/magazines for Kobo in the UK?
OK, the Kobo site does say they're coming "later", but when?

FJames · 10-26-2011, 12:21 PM

Review here: http://www.reghardware.com/2011/10/2...e_book_reader/

Gilmartin · 10-26-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FJames

Review here: http://www.reghardware.com/2011/10/2...e_book_reader/

That link's dead ?

PeterT · 10-26-2011, 03:29 PM

Not for me it's not... WHSmith Kobo Touch wireless e-book reader

Conor · 10-26-2011, 06:22 PM

Three on display in the Eastbourne branch. Two uncharged Touches and a working cheaper one. Over 30 empty boxes so they do seem serious about selling them. Several cases for sale too, although the one that opens struck me as very expensive. £29.99 and that was described as half price. Hand-stitched yak leather I imagine.
Before Kobo they had one Sony and one Samsung reader on display, with no indication they had any for sale.

Gilmartin · 10-26-2011, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Not for me it's not... WHSmith Kobo Touch wireless e-book reader

Thanks, its fine now. nice review.

10-19-2011, 07:01 AM	#1
lecoeur Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 600006 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Cardiff, Wales. UK Device: kobo touch	Kobo/WH Smith UK tie up now live! For all the 'doubting Thomas's' who thought(like me) Oh Yeah, that'll happen in the fullness of time-meaning next year sometime. We were wrong. The WH Smith e-bookstore is live and run by Kobo NOW. Way to go Kobo. unashamed link to my page on WH Smith. http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndS...t=%5ceb_eBooks Apparently there will be over 10,000 books added next week(s) including some of mine,and also price updates as things kinda backlogged whilst integration was going on.

10-24-2011, 08:18 AM	#4
lecoeur Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 600006 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Cardiff, Wales. UK Device: kobo touch	haha mmm... things not going quite as smoothly as one would hope with WhSmith. According to several sources, the Kobo is not well displayed in many stores/and or even charged up and after some guy purchased a Touch he was told to enjoy his kindle! Early days, hopefully the staff will step up to the plate and shift gazillions.

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10-21-2011, 12:34 PM	#2
lecoeur Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 600006 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Cardiff, Wales. UK Device: kobo touch	An interesting article in today's bookseller says that they are actually going to advertise the Kobo on TV which'll be a first for a non amz/apple device. http://www.thebookseller.com/news/wh...ship-kobo.html

10-21-2011, 12:49 PM	#3
Suzanna Living in the past Posts: 432 Karma: 6011289 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc	The ebook store works the same way it does here in Canada when you're searching for an ebook on Chapters/Indigo. Instead of going to a Chapters/Indigo branded store and hiding the fact the store is being hosted by Kobo (the way it was done in the U.S. with Borders), it takes you to the Kobo store where you can purchase your ebook. I think that was a wise decision. There was a lot of confusion about the Borders setup in the U.S.

10-24-2011, 08:45 AM	#5
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	It seems to me that management would have to do a really good job assuring its bricks and mortar store employees that it is actually in their best interest to enthusiastically support e-reading devices. It could really look like every device sold would be step toward a bookstore employee losing his or her job. It's somewhat like the transition here as grocery stores installed self-service tills.

10-24-2011, 08:57 AM	#6
Witty Username Addict Posts: 336 Karma: 4702571 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Somerset, England Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Touch, Kobo Libra H2O	I hope WH Smith customers are aware that in the Kobo store it is not possible to buy more than 1 book in a transaction. Each book purchase has to be processed individually as there is no 'basket' to hold items until you choose to checkout. I have emailed WH Smith customer services to voice my frustration and to point out that I am unlikely to buy any more ebooks from them as this purchasing system is tedious in the extreme.

10-24-2011, 09:26 AM	#7
Gilmartin Zealot Posts: 134 Karma: 1244690 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Device: PRS-T1, PW2	I went into my local WHS again this morning, intending to play around some more with the Touch. They had 2 Touches on display- 1 was displaying a "please charge me" type message, the other was displaying the Reading Life screen with a "please wait updating". Seems to me it was frozen/hung there as tapping the screen and the home key did nothing?

10-24-2011, 09:32 AM	#8
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Everything freezes when it is out of juice.

10-25-2011, 06:54 AM	#10
Gilmartin Zealot Posts: 134 Karma: 1244690 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Device: PRS-T1, PW2	On the subject of WH Smith- am I alone in considering it bizarre that while WHS are the largest distributor of magazines and newspapers in the UK; there are no newspapers/magazines for Kobo in the UK? OK, the Kobo site does say they're coming "later", but when?

10-26-2011, 12:21 PM	#11
FJames Addict Posts: 320 Karma: 320941 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch & Aura	Review here: http://www.reghardware.com/2011/10/2...e_book_reader/

10-26-2011, 03:29 PM	#13
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,698 Karma: 79983758 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Not for me it's not... WHSmith Kobo Touch wireless e-book reader

10-26-2011, 06:22 PM	#14
Conor Groupie Posts: 153 Karma: 1011234 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Kobo Touch	Three on display in the Eastbourne branch. Two uncharged Touches and a working cheaper one. Over 30 empty boxes so they do seem serious about selling them. Several cases for sale too, although the one that opens struck me as very expensive. £29.99 and that was described as half price. Hand-stitched yak leather I imagine. Before Kobo they had one Sony and one Samsung reader on display, with no indication they had any for sale.