As reported this morning, Borders has launched Kobo, an eReader with a 6-inch screen that can store up to 5000 eBooks. It is available now through its stores and online for $199.
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Group Managing Director of REDgroup Retail and owner of Borders Australia, dave Fenlon said that the launch of Kobo ‘would change the way we read forever’.
“Through our partnership with global eBook retailer Kobo, we are bringing a whole new level of choice, control, and flexibility to Australian book lovers,” said Fenlon.
The Kobo eReader supports the ePub and PDF format and connects to the Borders desktop application, which will give users access to over 2 million eBooks. Fenlon said that the library will increase in the next coming weeks and months.
The Kobo eReader holds up to 1000 eBooks and can be expanded to 5000 with the insertion of a memory card. It operates using eInk technology, allowing the device to last for up to 2 weeks (or 8000 page turns). It weighs 221 grams and features a six inch display screen with 5 adjustable font sizes.
During our short hands-on with the device, we were able to read a chapter of Iliad comfortably and increase/decrease the font size and adjust the font instantly. Unlike other eReaders, the Kobo comes with 100 free eBooks. Titles include: Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Emma, Treasure Island, Iliad, The Count of Monte Cristo, Alice’s Adventure In Wonderland, The Sea Wolf, Beowulf, The Prince, War and Peace, The Prince And The Pauper, and many more.
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“With its use of eInk, light weight frame, one button navigation and storage capacity, the Kobo eReader is the perfect choice for those looking for a device purely for reading,” added Fenlon.
In addition to the launch of the Kobo eReader, Borders also unveiled a new eBook platform that allows a user to download eBook directly from its website and read them on iPhones, Blackberrys and Android smart phones, iPad, PC, notebook, or on other eReaders.
“If you use multiple devices to eRead, our eBook platform will let you read the same book seamlessly across all of them. Left your iPad or eReader at home? Soon our unique technology will allow you to bookmark your place and take you to that same page on any compatible device you have enabled for Borders’ eBooks,” concluded Fenlon.
