Monday 2 January 2012

Kobo Vox Review

I received a Kobo Vox as a Christmas Gift! I am so happy! I had originally requested the Kobo eReader Touch, but when I saw the Kobo Vox was being released, I changed my wish list.

I am happy with the size and weight of it (much lighter than Under the Dome by Stephen King) and it is a pretty powder blue. The Wi-Fi capability is nice as I can download books from the Kobo site anywhere I have a connection. There are many apps to choose from as well which include scheduling, office features, games and other fun stuff.

The Kobo Rewards is a neat feature as it gives you rewards for reading at different times of the day, starting a new book, downloading a certain number of books and much more. It is an incentive to read, even if it doesn't have any monetary value. I have several of the badges already and I have only had it for a week. There is also a Share button linked directly to Facebook when any badges or activity is completed. You always have the option of sharing...it is not posted automatically.

Kobo also has many eBooks available for free or less than $5.00. It only takes a few seconds to download them into your library. To make purchases you will need to set up an account with them; I use my PayPal account to buy books, but I do believe using a Chapters Gift Card or credit card will also work.

The battery life isn't the greatest, especially when surfing the web or playing games. If the Kobo is being used for reading alone and no other apps are running in the background the battery will last several hours. Playing games quickly decreases that life. I haven't figured out exact times on it, but that will vary with each time I use it. Sometimes I read for awhile then play a game or go online. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how much time I would get out of each activity.

I have yet to try the highlighting features available within the books. I have used the built-in dictionary a few times and it seems to work well. There are other features I know I haven't come across yet, but I also haven't taken a lot of time to try the different things. One thing I was a bit disappointed about was it doesn't read PDF files, but there is an app available for that feature. I was getting frustrated with it until I read through the manual again and found out why I couldn't read the PDF files I had installed. The manual is in the library and I suggest new users read through it first.

It does come with Scrabble installed, which is one of my favorite games. The only thing about the game that disappoints me is it requires an internet connection to play. I presume if I were to purchase the full version I should be able to play it anywhere, with or without a connection.

The Kobo Vox retails for $199.00 and in my opinion is worth it. It is an affordable eReader with a few extras.

How many of you have the Kobo Vox? What about other eReaders? Please feel free to share your opinions on any you have.

Thanks and have a great day!

Diane

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