Kobo : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

They have an on-line store selling ebooks for about $4 with over 1 million free ebooks. They have an affiliate program managed by Commission Junction who will not accept me.

Three Types of Kobo e-Book Readers
Model	Appearance	Cost CurrCon Applet needs Java 1.5 or later to display prices in your local currency.	Key Features
Kobo WiFi		$80.00 USD	Controlled by a single wobbling D-pad button for scrolling in 4 directions. The button is big and easy to use. It has a quite satisfying feel. The UI could be improved with more consistency and visual feedback on whether you are supposed to use up/down or left-right scrolling. Flipping a page takes about 2 seconds. The screen goes black during the flip, which is irritating. This is more of an issue than you might think. You can read very rapidly because the length of the line is intermediate between a newspaper column and a paperback book. Your eye naturally takes in an entire line at a pop without strain. The lines are well separated. So I would estimate you waste about 25% of your time waiting for the next page to show up because you have to flip pages far more often than you do a paper book. There is also about a 5 second delay when you first start reading a book as it is loaded from slow secondary memory to primary RAM (Random Access Memory). This is quite acceptable. 2 GB holds 1,000 eBooks. Holds up to 10,000 eBooks with a 32 GB SD Memory Card that plugs into slot on the top. Black and white e-ink that works in bright sunlight. Connects with WiFi or USB. The ad copy touts that the back is quilted. You might think this means it is soft and padded. This is not so. It just means there is a diamond pattern embossed into the plastic back. Maybe the higher end models are soft. The unit is remarkably thin and light. The power button is on the top right edge. I took me quite a while to find it. It is confusing since all buttons make the light flash even when the unit is off. The screen tells you to press it to turn the unit on, but don’t tell you where it is. It comes with an onboard manual. It is all pretty straight forward. I was surprised to discover you have to manually set up the date and time, like a microwave. I guess there was not enough room in such a tiny unit to build in time discovery.
Kobo Touch		$100.00 USD	Touch pad with virtual keyboard. Wired Magazine’s 2012 Editor’s Pick for Best eReader. 2 GB holds 1,000 eBooks. Holds up to 30,000 eBooks with a 32 GB SD Memory Card. Black and white e-ink that works in bright sunlight. Connects with 802.11b/g/n WiFi or USB.
Kobo Vox		$180.00 USD	Three navigation buttons. 8 GB, expandable to 32 GB. Runs Android apps. Full open access to Android 2.3. Colour screen. Web browsing. Email. Connects with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Micro USB. Not a cell phone. No cell-phone data connectivity. Reads aloud Stephen Hawking style. Does not take voice commands.

They also have an online bookstore called Kobobooks.com that sells ebooks. The affiliate program is run by Commission Junction. The online boostoke gives you “free previews”. These are useless. They just let you look at the first 5 pages or so of a book that have no content, just copyright info, how to contact the publisher etc. Romance novels and books that could not otherwise get published predominate.

Borrowing Books

1. On the first time only, go to Adobe.com and set up an account. Your AdobeID/account will normally be your email address.
2. On the first time only go to Adobe Digital Editions and download and install the software to manage your collection of Abobe book purchases and borrowings.
3. Use your browser to navigate to your eBook library, e.g. Library to Go is the consolidated eBook library for British Columbia.
4. Login with your library account number and password.
5. Limit your browsing to ePub and pdf books.
6. Use your browser to put a hold on the ebook you want.
7. Some months later, when the library tells you the book is free for you to check out, add it to your basket.
8. Proceed to checkout.
9. Select the duration you want to check out for. It will automatically be returned after this time.
10. Download the book. Adobe Digital Editions will intercept the download.
11. With your browser, logout of the library.
12. You can now see the book and its pages inside Adobe Digital Editions.
13. To get it into your Kobo, connect your Kobo with the cord (if it is not already connected with WiFi) and in Digital Editions drag the book icon onto the Kobo reader icon. You don’t use the usual Kobo desktop software or firmware.
14. In the ordinary Kobo desktop software, do a sync, to get the book into the Kobo desktop.
15. In the ordinary Kobo desktop software, Eject.
16. Remove the cord.
17. Read the book on your Kobo.
18. When you finish reading, immediately use Adobe Digital Editions to electronically return the ebook. Nothing is actually returned. It is just erased from your Kobo. Usually there are long lists of people waiting for a book, so it is inconsiderate to hold onto the book after you have finished reading it.
19. If you forget to “return” the eBook, after the time you requested, the eBook will magically disappear from your Kobo, and it will be free for others to check out.

Video on how to borrow a book with Kobo