Whitcoulls & Borders to sell Kobo e-readers and e-books from next month

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Whitcoulls & Borders to sell Kobo e-readers and e-books from next month

KellyP

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#60521 27-Apr-2010 12:32

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3620988/Whitcoulls-to-launch-e-books-next-month

http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/6076E824FF71E8BECC2577110010DDB5

Anyone used a Kobo before? How does it compare with a Kindle?

http://www.koboereader.com/

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#323558 27-Apr-2010 12:47

Your first link is borked ;-)

I wonder what the price of the device will be once landed here.

Interesting to see the PC World article mention about how eInk is "better" for reading than on current devices - and it included the iPad in that statement.

bazzer

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#323587 27-Apr-2010 13:19

James Bond: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3620988/Whitcoulls-to-launch-e-books-next-month

http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/6076E824FF71E8BECC2577110010DDB5

Anyone used a Kobo before? How does it compare with a Kindle?

http://www.koboereader.com/

Did you read the links you added? The Kobo eReader doesn't look to have been released anywhere so not too many people will have had a good go with one yet.

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#323596 27-Apr-2010 13:32

Could be the reason why Kindle devices are never allowed to be sold in NZ... *consipracy*

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KellyP

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#323611 27-Apr-2010 13:53

bazzer:
James Bond: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3620988/Whitcoulls-to-launch-e-books-next-month

http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/6076E824FF71E8BECC2577110010DDB5

Anyone used a Kobo before? How does it compare with a Kindle?

http://www.koboereader.com/

Did you read the links you added? The Kobo eReader doesn't look to have been released anywhere so not too many people will have had a good go with one yet.

I stand corrected. I assumed it had been released outside NZ & Canada.

KellyP

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#325524 1-May-2010 10:24

First Kobo hands on review

http://www.electronista.com/reviews/kobo-ereader.html

shermanp

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#325550 1-May-2010 12:44

wazzageek: Your first link is borked ;-)

I wonder what the price of the device will be once landed here.

Interesting to see the PC World article mention about how eInk is "better" for reading than on current devices - and it included the iPad in that statement.

I have this sneaking suspicion that it could be somewhere between $250-$300 :(

As for the screen, I personally think that e-ink is best for long term reading. I have a Sony PRS-505 (another 6 inch e-ink screen) and it's really great for reading in most lighting conditions. Actually, the lighter the better. I dare you to try sitting outside in the sun and read from your iPad...

While I already have a reader, what interests me about the announcement is the ebook store. Basically, to really take off, prices have to be in line with stores in the US/CA/UK etc. What would be best is basing the pricing off the current prices at Kobo.

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KellyP

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#328790 11-May-2010 09:23

http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/ebooks-for-publishers

Ragnor

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#329039 11-May-2010 17:59

DRM'd out the wazzoo no doubt.

old3eyes

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#329054 11-May-2010 18:38

6" screen is too small. Need a 9" like the Kindle DX.

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#329162 11-May-2010 22:07

Ragnor: DRM'd out the wazzoo no doubt.

Yes, there won't be any getting around the fact there will be DRM...

On the other hand, they will be using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) for their DRM, so books won't be limited to the Kobo reader that Whitcoulls is going to sell. If people want to get there own ebook reader from oververseas, they will be able to read their Kobo/Whitcoulls purchased ebooks on it. So long as the device supports ADE (and most do now - Kindle excluded), the books can be read on them.

And then of course, there is the fact that the Digital Editions DRM has been cracked, and it is very easy to strip the DRM from a DE protected ebook.

I find geographic restrictions to be a FAR greater nuisance than DRM is these days.

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#335199 26-May-2010 19:35

I dare you to try sitting outside in the sun and read from your iPad...

What is it with people and the necessity to be reading in the sun?

When I read I love being tucked in bed or in my favourite sofa . . .

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#335221 26-May-2010 20:30

Whitcoulls ebook store is now live

http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/ebooks/ebooks/45/

No pricing on the Kobo yet but over the ditch it's been priced by Borders at AU$199

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#335234 26-May-2010 21:02

Great! Really looking forward to this. Between iBooks, Kindle and Whitcoulls there should hopefully be a great selection of books to choose from, hopefully at decent prices too!

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#335255 26-May-2010 21:40

old3eyes: 6" screen is too small. Need a 9" like the Kindle DX.

Personal opinion but 6" is actually a really nice size - I have had a 6" reader for almost 3 years now. At first I was a bit sceptical but given that eink displays do not flex well (first reader, RIP) and the fact that 6" is a lot nicer for travel and for holding for extended periods of time (I hold mind for 45 mins on the tube twice a day) it is really a nice compromise.

For a travel ebook display IMO 6" really is the way to go.

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#335497 27-May-2010 13:53

The Whitcoulls iPhone app is now live on the App Store.

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