Kobo Touch Edition software updated no comments
A few days ago Kobo updated the software of the Touch Edition eReader to version 1.9.5. This update is all about font selection and page layout. There are now 7 fonts on the Touch Edition as well as a suite of page layout tools. You can also load your own fonts onto the ereader.
I have the Kobo Touch Edition ereader and was working on a review of it when the nexus issue waylaid that with all of the work I have to do to regenerate the pages of the site. This is the second update since I have had the ereader and it does add some important features.
Prior to this version of the software the Touch Edition only had a pair of buttons to adjust the font size larger or smaller. This has been replaced with a slider, which is much better as it gives you some sort of visual gauge of the relative size of the font size currently selected — if that makes any sense. The largest font size is about the same size as the Kindle’s largest — a little larger than the largest font size of the Nook Touch. The new font style choices are much appreciated as I was not that stoked with the original two.
The Kobo Touch Edition is a good ereader, but I can say after my use so far that I prefer the Nook Touch as it is more attractive, navigation is easier and the touchscreen at times seems to be more responsive. The battery life of the newest Kobo ereader can’t touch the Nook either — with Wi-Fi on I had to recharge the Kobo after less than two weeks. If Kobo keeps aggressively pushing out updates with improvements like this latest one the Touch Edition is going to be getting better quickly however.
Even if all other things were equal, the Nook Touch still has one insurmountable advantage (in North America anyway) over the Kobo Touch Edition: With the Nook Touch you can buy and read ebooks from Kobo and other ePub sellers as well as Nook Books; with the Kobo Touch Edition you can buy from other ePub stores besides Kobo, but you cannot read Nook Books. This is because B&N flavours their ePubs with their own special DRM sauce.
On the other hand the Kobo ereader, like the Kindle, has the advantage of being available internationally with ebookstores featuring local content in some regions.
I am becoming really used to having a touchscreen on my ereaders. The chiclet keyboard and five-way controller of the Kindle seem rather tedious in comparison. Every time I pick up the Kindle now I find myself trying to touch the screen to make things happen, which doesn’t seem to work very well. Can’t wait for a Kindle Touch Edition.
