Kobo Touch $129

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Arthur Slade

I certainly want one now. But since I own a Kindle and an iPad, that might be a little bit of overkill. I may wait until version two comes out, in case there are any "touch" kinks.

I have a 650. There are no kinks in the IR touch.

[Suzanna]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Unless Kobo has a bug free version of ADE on the new Touch model, Kobo is the one that will have to eat crow. Given the remaining bugs in the original Kobo and the wifi Kobo, Sony has nothing to worry about.

Sony just posted a three *billion* dollar loss and are being priced out of the market. I'd say they have a lot to worry about. (And yes, I realize those were due to other matters, but the cumulative effect is undeniable.)

I have a brother and sister who both have Sonys. One got it free from work, and the other got it as a gift that several people pooled together to buy for him. He never would have paid the over $250 price tag that it is here in Canada (and you can no longer even get the 6" model here.)

Sony has said in the past that they have no intention of joining a race to the bottom. With less expensive models coming out all the time that do the same thing (both the Kobo Touch and the new Nook), I'd say they definitely have a lot to worry about. Your average person doesn't know a thing about ADE bugs. (Hell, I do, and I *love* my Kobo!) I know my three siblings (the third has a Kobo because she bought an eReader on her own and couldn't afford the ridiculous price of a Sony) have no idea about any of that stuff. And as for not having features like an MP3 player - my brother is a huge fan of audio books, but he doesn't use his Sony for that. He uses his iPod.

[elemenoP]

You know, when I saw JSWolf had made a comment on this thread, I knew before I even clicked on it that it would be about the bugs on Kobo's ADE implementation.

Maybe I am here too often....

eP

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Gosh! ...

Then I will remove it from my wish list. Same thing with Nook Touch. I do not understand why they refuse to implement landscape on epub.

Probably for the same reason they don't have audio players. It's not necessary for reading a book.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

You know, when I saw JSWolf had made a comment on this thread, I knew before I even clicked on it that it would be about the bugs on Kobo's ADE implementation.

Yah, no kidding.

And, as Sao also pointed out, Sony is in no mood to invest in products which are marginal to its main brand when its current financial situation is intense. Good for Sony for releasing this touch technology first in an e-reader, and for pacing Amazon in releasing Pearl e-ink. But it has been contracting its business in the past year, withdrawing from markets and sales channels, and not expanding the platform to embrace tablets and smartphones.

This is a thread on Kobo Touch and everything we can see suggests it will do well with its implementation. As the market continues to grow, there is certainly room for more than one player and platform. But as 2010 proved, it's not enough to simply show up -- you have to push the envelope and continue to give your current future customers ongoing improvement. Kobo is clearly doing that.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Probably for the same reason they don't have audio players. It's not necessary for reading a book.

You do realize that sometimes books have long lines that are easier to understand when not broken up?
Technical books for example.
Not to exclude the possibility that someone uses a large font - one of the key features of eBooks after all - and might want to have more than 3 words per line.

I fail to see why landscape mode would be such a huge investment of time to develop. It's one of the little things that wouldn't hurt anyone but make lots of people happy.

As for audio players: maybe not necessary, but nice to have. I'm reading on my way to work - and listening to music. So I have to carry two devices.
MP3 playback is a matter of a chip nowadays. There isn't really much reason not to include it - at least I don't see what technical reasons there could be. We KNOW the EB600 had this.
It's a matter of philosophy though. (And perhaps money, but I think an MP3 chip is about what, 10 bucks top?)

[Canuck_in_Japan]

I'd prefer to save $10 and not bother listening to my e-reader. Landscape mode would be a bonus however although I think I can count the number of times on one hand that I've ever used it (Calvin and Hobbes comics)

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

)MP3 playback is a matter of a chip nowadays.

Not quite. Even if so, a chip is a real expense, and an engineering and hardware design issue, so this would be the last feature to claim should be thrown in.
But it's not just a chip, it a headphone jack and maybe speakers, an amplifier (ok, possibly on the chip) and the power to drive it, a case to allow for the jack or speakers, and then the software also.
I can see why audio would be a appropriate feature on a reader, but I can also see why it'd be the first to go if you want to make a reader that is simple and cheap.
Lack of landscape, on the other hand, is a foolish omission that needlessly diminishes the reading experience for some content.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

If I want to just hold it with my left hand can I turn the pages with a funky little move or do I need to perform a swipe (how far across the screen for it to register as a page turn I don't know)??

From the videos you don't actually need to swipe, just a tap will do to turn the pages (although it appeared a swipe will work if you're used to that). I'm curious to see how one hand is going to work with the touch. I'm not a huge touch fan and I find the original 2 Kobos work great one handed and using the side of the knuckle of my the thumb to press the button. Can't wait to try it and see anyway.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

You do realize that sometimes books have long lines that are easier to understand when not broken up?
Technical books for example.
Not to exclude the possibility that someone uses a large font - one of the key features of eBooks after all - and might want to have more than 3 words per line.

These 6" ereaders are designed for average users and these users overwhelmingly read novels in portrait mode; regardless of features others may want (audio players, landscape mode, folder organization, etc). You want landscape and I want audio, but the manufacturers think otherwise. So that's that.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Rizla

That was a cheap shot at Sony (from a Kindle owner...). Kobo and Nook have blown both Sony AND Kindle out of the water. Sony tech is current with these new devices (though over-priced) while the Kindle is last years tech and looks hopelessly outdated.

Well, not really. Seems like the new kobo with IR touch and pearl screen is very close to the more expensive wifi-less 6" Sony. I can see some people may prefer the kindle still because of the amazon store or they like non touch. This kobo seems to take dead aim at the Sony touch, even if that is not its target.

Of course the Sony may have better firmware. But from the videos i've seen, the Sony UI is over complicated and takes too many steps to do simple things.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Barty

I can see some people may prefer the kindle still because of the amazon store or they like non touch.

...or because it handles audio books
...or because of the physical keyboard
...or because of the 3G option
...or because of the Internet features
...or because of the games available
...there's more. Kindle is a different class of device.
Far from outdated or obsolete in any sense, if Amazon races to the bottom to catch B&N and Kobo in term of style and simplicity, I'm hoping they remember that the Kindle is a runaway best seller the way it is, and maintain a full featured device in the lineup.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by robko

From the videos you don't actually need to swipe, just a tap will do to turn the pages (although it appeared a swipe will work if you're used to that). I'm curious to see how one hand is going to work with the touch. I'm not a huge touch fan and I find the original 2 Kobos work great one handed and using the side of the knuckle of my the thumb to press the button. Can't wait to try it and see anyway.

But if you are holding it with your left hand and tap the screen with your left thumb it will turn back a page, not forward. If you are holding it with your right hand you are fine. I tend to hold my reader with my left and the right I use to hold my coffee or sleeping child. Might work with a slide up or down on the screen (think scrolling) which in that case it will be ok.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

But if you are holding it with your left hand and tap the screen with your left thumb it will turn back a page, not forward. If you are holding it with your right hand you are fine. I tend to hold my reader with my left and the right I use to hold my coffee or sleeping child. Might work with a slide up or down on the screen (think scrolling) which in that case it will be ok.

Perhaps the 'tap' can be set so that the a left tap will go forward in the book and a right 'tap' will go back, like the 'slide/flick' on a Sony.

[corona]

Originally Posted by ApK

...or because it handles audio books
...or because of the physical keyboard
...or because of the 3G option
...or because of the Internet features
...or because of the games available
...there's more. Kindle is a different class of device.
Far from outdated or obsolete in any sense, if Amazon races to the bottom to catch B&N and Kobo in term of style and simplicity, I'm hoping they remember that the Kindle is a runaway best seller the way it is, and maintain a full featured device in the lineup.

Invert this list and you've just named all the reasons why I like my Kobo so much.