Kobo is making the leap from e-reader connoisseur to low-end tablet player and will compete head on with Google’s Nexus 7.Much of the Arc’s appeal comes from how it manages user content. Favourite webpages, news articles, eBooks, movies and pictures can be pinned to Tapestries, while a first-of-its-kind Discovery Ribbon observes your likes and recommends additional content that may be of interest.
In their press release, Kobo claims the Arc “is the only tablet that learns about the interests of its user, rather than tracking payment and browsing history, to suggest more of the content they love.”
Competition between the Arc and the Nexus 7 is close as, apart from the Nexus’ quad core processor, the specs are almost identical.
The Arc comes installed with Android Ice Cream Sandwich (with a Jelly Bean upgrade in the pipe line), is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor, a front-facing 1.3MP camera and WiFi. Kobo are particularly proud of their 7 inch 1,280×800 screen as it packs a 215 pixel per inch density, and based on their tests, is coated with glass “more resistant to damage than any other tablet currently available in the market.”
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When it is released in November, it’ll be available in white and black, with colourful SnapBacks in blue and purple. 16GB, 32GB and 64GB memory capacities will be available for $249.99, $299.99 and $349.99 respectively.
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