![]() ![]() “We plan on building on this in upcoming software releases. “We recently have been focusing on the core reading experience, where we’ve improved the experience of knowing where you are and navigating within the book,” shared Mantha. “At Kobo, we’re constantly striving to make reading lives better,” said Mantha. And, Mantha added, “Unlike a tablet, battery life is measured in weeks, not days.” “The Eink screen delivers a paper-like feel in all lighting conditions, whether it’s bright outdoor sun, or at bedtime, where brightness and blue light can be minimized,” said Mantha. The screen is different, as well, according to Mantha. In contrast, an iPad Mini, with a slightly smaller 7.9” screen, is 308g, which is 56% heavier,” explained Mantha. With its 8” screen, it’s only 197g in weight. ![]() “The Kobo Forma is focused on and optimized for reading. They are also physically different in size and weight. ![]() So, how does the Kobo Forma compare to a tablet?ĮReaders are for reading, without the distractions of social media, notifications, email, games, etc., to start. “Data and privacy are managed in compliance with the strict European Union GDPR consumer data privacy regulations,” stated Mantha. “While reading a book, long-pressing a word brings up its dictionary entry, as well as the ability to highlight or add notes and annotations,” shared Mantha. What’s more, Kobo Forma “enables the user to initiate a Google or Wikipedia search of the word, facilitating research and deeper understanding,” explained Mantha. With this in mind, integrating with cloud storage was the obvious solution and since Dropbox is the market leader, it made the most sense to work with them first.” ![]() “We wanted to reduce the friction of that experience and mobile workflows. “We’ve known for some time that a significant segment of our user base likes to move content from their computer to their eReader using a USB cable,” began Ramesh Mantha, VP of Product Devices at Rakuten Kobo. For folks who like to read on the go, it could be a nice digital companion to pack for a trip.Ramesh Mantha, VP of Product Devices at Rakuten Kobo. The Kobo Forma is out in Singapore now for S$369, a slight discount over the sticker price of S$399. So, say no to disruptions, if you have been annoyed with Amazon of late. That’s handy if you are doing research and want to keep all the articles, for reading later on a plane ride.įinally, as a direct pitch to Kindle users, Rakuten also promises no advertisements. Another feature, called Pocket, lets you save Web articles for reading later. Plus, the close integration with Dropbox lets you browse stuff on the cloud easily. This means you can read a lot of your own documents along with the e-books on the Kobo store. It supports 14 file formats, such as EPUB, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, TXT and HTML. The good news for the Kobo Forma is that it offers flexibility. The Kobo store isn’t as populated with the format as Amazon’s Kindle. To be fair, the downside here is the lack of audio books, if you’re a fan of those. I’ve been a Kobo service user since I was using an early Samsung tablet several years ago, so I’ve liked the interface all this while. What about the e-books available? Well, the Kobo store is well stocked with millions of titles, whether you’re looking for recipe books or the latest bestsellers. With the separately available SleepCover (at S$69), the e-reader is an elegant, practical gadget to have when catching up on a book or two. This means it can get wet, say, when you are reading at the poolside in Bali or simply browsing recipes at the kitchen, and not get damaged.įor me, the device has few faults in its design. What I particularly like is the IPX8 rating that the Rakuten device comes with. Speaking of that, it helps to have up to 32GB of storage that will store thousands of books (though the Singapore store seems to only have the 8GB version on sale at the time of writing). Certainly, the device is well made and practical for folks who find themselves unable to put down a good e-book. That’s good enough for most users to use the device for weeks. Weighing just 197g, it is easy to carry in one hand, whether you’re lounging in the sofa or cramped in an economy seat on a plane.ĭespite its slim profile, the Kobo Forma sports a 1,200mAh power pack. The next thing is the lightweight construction. But the Rakuten Kobo Forma, out last month in Singapore, wants users to consider it as a viable alternative.Īmong the first things you’d notice about the device is the relatively large 8-inch screen that provides sharp text and great contrast for a comfortable reading experience. Talk about e-book readers and the first gadgets that come to mind are often Amazon’s Kindle devices. ![]()
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