What sold you on the new Kobo Touch?

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Returning the 950 was probably a good decision since Sony rarely updates firmware, rarely listens to customers, and seems to have an issue with USA market/customers. The Sony firmware is certainly stable and elegant, but the KT already surpasses it in text formatting capabilites.

It was pretty tough to give up the nice screen (size) of the 950, but the reasons you cite above, along with the frequent updates from Kobo thus far are the why I ultimately decided to go with the Kobo device.

[cutterjohn42]

Originally Posted by filmo

I have 2 Kobo Wifi readers bought kobo touch first day it was available to try in local Borders 1 July. After playing with demo unit in store. I like touch screen, faster page turns and not dealing with rubber covered switch. Appreciate Kobo updates and looking forward to further updates. Kobo updates were large part of my buying decision.

I only considered Nook ST to play with android apps. Might buy one just for that anyway.

Won't be a good device to play around with Android apps on unless the apps in question have primarily static displays...

Probably least expensive option for a decent tablet would be a used/refurbed Nook Color and then slap a custom fw on it...

[msoulier]

Originally Posted by myet01

The way it handled PDFs. The nook touch re-flows PDFs which messes up tables and pictures. The Kobo handles PDFs like a PDF Reader on the computer which I like better.

I'd prefer an option myself. I don't like zooming in and finding text is cut off to the left and right, but I do want the larger font size.

[know-one]

I answered before to the topic question about how great Kobo is... But...to be COMPLETELY honest here... I was able to download for free a LOT of comics and that really was a high selling point for me.
However, I have now downloaded lots of "regular" books (epub & pdf) and I am simply "magnetized" by some reading. I have always read from a lot to a little - but this thing is giving me a "boom" to the fun of reading.
Finaly something computer-related that will make everyone read classics and so many other things - or rather - all other things!

[FJames]

I never owned an e-reader until I bought the original Kobo last year, and I never used one much until I got the Touch. I'm impressed with the rate of improvement. which made me curious about the historical development of e-readers before I got involved.

Here's a description of the early Sony Librie e-book reader from 2005: http://www.ereaderguide.info/sony_li...der_review.htm
It was available only in Japan, ran on 4 x AAA batteries, had 10 Mbytes of memory, and the proprietary e-books available for it expired permanently in 60 days. Looks a lot like a Kindle, with a small keyboard below the screen.

An early European competitor launched in 2006 was the iRex iLiad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILiad. It had a bigger screen, and WiFi connectivity. But it cost about $900. iRex was a spin-off from consumer electronics giant Phillips. They went bankrupt in 2010.

Sony's updated PRS-500 reached the international market later in 2006 at a price of $350, setting the physical model for later e-readers. But their limited e-bookstore with high prices and a proprietary format left the door open for Amazon to launch the Kindle the following year.

So it looks like we have lots to be grateful for with the Kobo Touch in 2011 .

I'm sure there were lots of other early e-readers around. Did anyone here have one?

[cutterjohn42]

Originally Posted by FJames

I never owned an e-reader until I bought the original Kobo last year, and I never used one much until I got the Touch. I'm impressed with the rate of improvement. which made me curious about the historical development of e-readers before I got involved.

Here's a description of the early Sony Librie e-book reader from 2005: http://www.ereaderguide.info/sony_li...der_review.htm
It was available only in Japan, ran on 4 x AAA batteries, had 10 Mbytes of memory, and the proprietary e-books available for it expired permanently in 60 days. Looks a lot like a Kindle, with a small keyboard below the screen.

An early European competitor launched in 2006 was the iRex iLiad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILiad. It had a bigger screen, and WiFi connectivity. But it cost about $900. iRex was a spin-off from consumer electronics giant Phillips. They went bankrupt in 2010.

Sony's updated PRS-500 reached the international market later in 2006 at a price of $350, setting the physical model for later e-readers. But their limited e-bookstore with high prices and a proprietary format left the door open for Amazon to launch the Kindle the following year.

So it looks like we have lots to be grateful for with the Kobo Touch in 2011 .

I'm sure there were lots of other early e-readers around. Did anyone here have one?

You still didn't quite go back far enough. Try googling Rocket eReader(plus they a comptetitor whose name escapes me ATM), and both were bought by Gemstar, the sold to Fictionwise IIRC when Gemstar got out of the busines. Plus around 2000 Franklin had a line of three readers called the Franklin eBookman 9XX series(one had 8MB no backlight, 16MB no backlight, and a 16MB with a backlight). IIRC the company that makes(sell?) the ectaco reader still sells the backlit model but it's price is pretty steep.

Plus, while not a dedicated reader ALOT of us used our Palms to reader and got book from the Peanut Press bstore which later was bought out by Palm and became Palm Books plus the reader app.

[PeterT]

Yes ... until I bought a Kobo last year, I was still reading on my Palm TX.

I've found for years that I reading for me was easier on devices like the Palm TX, or my Sony CLIE PDA than from real books.

I've liked the ability to change font sizes, and to get more contrast.

[FJames]

Originally Posted by cutterjohn42

Plus, while not a dedicated reader ALOT of us used our Palms to reader and got book from the Peanut Press bstore which later was bought out by Palm and became Palm Books plus the reader app.

I knew that pocket e-reader apps got their early start on the Palm PDA, but it's interesting to hear about the other early dedicated e-readers. Got any links to descriptions?

Update: Here's a link about early e-readers that has some information on the Rocket eBook with a photo. It weighed 22 oz (Kobo Touch 6.5 oz.) and cost $500 in 1999, stored "up to 4000 pages".

Wikipedia has a photo of the Franklin eBookMan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_eBookMan
Looks nice, but the batteries needed changing every few hours of reading, and early versions tended to lose all the contents when changing batteries. Apparently it could run a version of Mobipocket to improve on the built-in software. They stopped producing them in 2002, but the eBookMan bookstore just closed permanently as of April 30, 2011.

[jbcohen]

I read one some thing similar to the TX Peter, I imagine that the screen on the TX was rather small for reading electronic books. I love the new tablet PCs but I have been unable to warent the cost of getting one. I might just be able to do that with the new Next Book, which is a tablet that can be an electronic reader and for just south of $100 its appears to be great for the dollars.

[vaeditor]

One feature of the KT that attracted me and that I think is important is the storage capacity. Unlike the NST, all of the storage capacity of the KT is available for your use as you see fit, whether the books you load onto it come from the Kobo book store or some other source. With the NST, you have only about 240 MB of space for books not bought through B&N. I don't care for any company dictating how I should use the space on a device that I purchase from them, especially when it involves trying to force me to buy books from their store. Bzzzzt. Sorry, try that with someone else. :-)

A Touch of Kobo blog

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by vaeditor

One feature of the KT that attracted me and that I think is important is the storage capacity. Unlike the NST, all of the storage capacity of the KT is available for your use as you see fit, whether the books you load onto it come from the Kobo book store or some other source. With the NST, you have only about 240 MB of space for books not bought through B&N. I don't care for any company dictating how I should use the space on a device that I purchase from them, especially when it involves trying to force me to buy books from their store. Bzzzzt. Sorry, try that with someone else. :-)

A Touch of Kobo blog

Vaeditor is that your blog or a blog you are suggesting? Either way thanks its an interesting read.


regards

jack

[vaeditor]

Originally Posted by jackastor

Vaeditor is that your blog or a blog you are suggesting? Either way thanks its an interesting read.


regards

jack

Thanks, yes, that's my blog. It's kind of an ongoing review of my KT.

[FJames]

Well, it turns out we all made a big mistake buying the Kobo Touch, because apparently it's impossible to hold: http://www.businessinsider.com/kobos...-review-2011-7.

[viviena]

Huh. Can't say I've ever had the problem that the reviewer felt was so important that he emboldened it, but then I know I have small hands.

I actually find the KT better to hold and operate one-handed than the old Kobo models, as I no longer have to curl my hand around the bottom right corner where the d-pad was.

[vaeditor]

Originally Posted by FJames

Well, it turns out we all made a big mistake buying the Kobo Touch, because apparently it's impossible to hold: http://www.businessinsider.com/kobos...-review-2011-7.

Talk about splitting hairs and grasping for straws. That reviewer exaggerated things I have found to be minor at worst. For example, he wrote, "Most importantly, only once you put your hands on the Kobo do you realize that it's hard to hold without letting your thumb touch the screen." This is true if holding it with one's thumb on the front of the device were the only possible way to hold it. It's not. You can also hold the KT so that it rests in the palm of your hand, thumb on one side and other fingers on the other side. You might have to use your other hand to turn pages, but you probably have to do that with other ereaders, too. But so what? Is that so horrible that you shouldn't buy the device? Ridiculous.

He also exaggerated the slowness of the device. I have not found the KT to be slow at all.

Here's an interesting quote that is not even backed up: "The power button on its top is finicky and looks like a mistake (see images)." Finicky and looks like a mistake? I have no idea what he's talking about because he didn't elaborate. The power button is smaller than I would like, but to say it looks like a mistake without even explaining why seems dishonest to me.

If these are the worst things he can find about the KT, then the KT is an excellent device.

I'm thinking of posting a response to his review on my blog. Half-truths and dishonesty just bother me.