Why is Kobo Going For Large Screen ONLY?

[filmo]

For a long time after Borders failed there was no stores in USA stocking Kobo readers. This was great for me because I didn't buy a Vox. It also prevented me from buying any new Kobo readers that I could not see in a store. The only Close independent book store that was listed as selling Kobo within 300 miles did not stock Kobos. When Kobo Mini was on sale for $49 I again searched on line and found local Family Christian store that stocked Kobo Mini that I bought. Later I was at Best Buy and saw 2 airmen looking to buy e-reader or tablet and gave a demo of my Mini. That was just what they wanted and didn't know it existed. By that time it was sold out again not available. No wonder you couldn't sell Kobo Mini, they didn't exist in your biggest market. USN is putting e-readers designed and bought by USN aboard submarines. This is a great idea. Kobo readers including Mini with front light should be in every US military store and mail order catalog. Not having them there shows incompetence.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by filmo

For a long time after Borders failed there was no stores in USA stocking Kobo readers. This was great for me because I didn't buy a Vox. It also prevented me from buying any new Kobo readers that I could not see in a store. The only Close independent book store that was listed as selling Kobo within 300 miles did not stock Kobos. When Kobo Mini was on sale for $49 I again searched on line and found local Family Christian store that stocked Kobo Mini that I bought. Later I was at Best Buy and saw 2 airmen looking to buy e-reader or tablet and gave a demo of my Mini. That was just what they wanted and didn't know it existed. By that time it was sold out again not available. No wonder you couldn't sell Kobo Mini, they didn't exist in your biggest market. USN is putting e-readers designed and bought by USN aboard submarines. This is a great idea. Kobo readers including Mini with front light should be in every US military store and mail order catalog. Not having them there shows incompetence.

Minor nit: US is not Kobo's biggest market. The impression I get is that Kobo does not want to spend the resources to get into a pissing contest with Amazon in the US and are concentrating on the international markets where they can compete and stay financially afloat.

Regards,

David

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

I have heard from numerous Kobo employees and retailers that the Kobo Mini ONLY sold well when it was deeply discounted (such as when it was on sale for $49 in Canada); there simply wasn't a market for it at a profitable price, sad to say.

Kobo's E Ink product line consists of 6-inch and 6.8-inch devices, both of which sell well, with the 6-inch devices selling the most (and the 6-inch size is also the best-seller for their competitors).

My father, even though he had no use for such a tiny device bought one because it was on for $24.99 in NFLD.

regards

Jack

[paola]

Originally Posted by booklover6

A smaller Kobo than the HD, with Carta Screen, under $150, sign me up! I do prefer a smaller size.

me too! But, I have to say that, as fond of my Mini as I used to be, I hardly use it now that I have the Aura - it is small enough to fit my jacket pockets even with the sleep cover on, and although I've read anything, including pdf textbooks, on the Pocketbook 360, and on the Mini with koreader, a 6" is obviously much more comfortable than a 5" device. So I am no longer sure I'd go for a lighted Mini...

[Anak]

Here too. I prefer a 6" reader with a higher dpi (> 212 dpi) and carta screen.
H: 960 px
V: 1280 px
DPI: 266.67 (same as Aura HD/H2O)

But I'm not sure if the yield will be optimal for e-ink (manufacturer) if they cut the produced panels to 6" sizes. It seems to me that the 6.8" screen is a compromise to improve yields instead of producing (round number) 7" panels.

[RobertJSawyer]

If you get the el-cheapo third-party Kobo Aura case off of eBay (which works as a sleepcover, and is actually quite nice; I find it more comfortable than the official Kobo Aura Sleepcover), the Kobo Aura in that case is almost exactly the same size as the Kobo Mini in the official Kobo Mini Sleepcover.

One of many eBay dealers for the third-party Kobo case:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Magnetic-Auto...item3a8de06d42

[JSWolf]

The following is the most useless item that could eve be sold for the Kobo Aura H2O.



http://www.ebay.ca/itm/WATERPROOF-SL...-/321503636646