Amazon has the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has the Nook, so that leaves Borders to pair up with the Kobo eReader. Available now for pre-order, the Kobo eReader will ship on June 17th for a price tag of $149.99. The eReader will ship pre-loaded with 100 classic eBooks while also allowing for purchases from Borders’ eBook store. The Kobo does lack both WiFi and 3G, which means all file transfer are done via Bluetooth, which is somewhat behind competition. The device itself is only 0.1-inches thick, weighs 200g, has a 6-inch E Ink display, 1GB of internal storage, and an SD card slot for additional memory. As for the battery, it should last up to 8,000 page flips.
Press Release:
KOBO™ EREADER COMING TO THE U.S. IN JUNE
$149.99 eReader Now Available for Pre-Order on Borders.com
TORONTO — March 7, 2010 — Kobo, a global eReading service, today announced that the Kobo eReader is available for pre-order in the U.S. at Borders online at www.borders.com/koboereader, and will ship in time for Father’s Day.
The new Kobo eReader offered through Borders is a stylized, easy-to-use, affordable eInk device that comes pre-loaded with the Borders eBook app. Consumers can easily access over a million eBooks, including today’s bestsellers, through USB or wirelessly through Bluetooth. The Kobo eReader also comes pre-loaded with 100 classic books and can store up to 1000 eBooks. Its soft, quilted back allows for an enjoyable book-like reading experience.
“The Kobo eReader is the eReader for everyone and is now available in the U.S. – launching at Borders,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo. “At $149.99 the Kobo eReader is roughly $100 less than the other eReading devices out there, so it provides a great way to start eReading without breaking the bank. We couldn’t be happier about partnering with a brand like Borders which shares our commitment to technological innovation, high quality, and customer value.”
Kobo has developed a strong global following for their eReading service, which includes free apps for the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Palm Pre and Android. Through the “Powered By” program, Kobo also offers applications to partners allowing them to offer eReading on their own devices. eReader application is in sync with a user’s Kobo account and any Kobo-enabled device for continuous reading.
For information specific to the new Kobo eReader, visit www.KoboeReader.com.
