As a publishing company, we’re big fans of traditional print media. Who doesn’t love flicking through their favourite glossy mag, or dog-earing their place in a great novel? But, as our readers will know, we’re also super keen to embrace any digital developments as they come up, including new apps, social media changes, plus different ways of accessing online content, from eReaders to e-magazine platforms and more.
That’s why we raised an excited eyebrow when we heard about the recent launch in Singapore of Rakuten Kobo’s range of eReaders. The company has always been an innovator when it comes to digital reading, and the Kobo Clara HD, Libra H2O and Forma continue that trend. These are three devices that will help turn casual readers into bookworms, or inspire those who don’t do much reading at all to start to really love books. Could be the perfect Christmas present then?
What we like about Kobo
#1 You can carry a whole library with you
Once you’ve got your Kobo, you can browse the millions of eBooks available on the Kobo Bookstore and buy your favourites. But that’s not all. You can also borrow a huge number of titles without paying a cent. How? Through OverDrive, a free Rakuten service that’s used by Singapore’s NLB (National Library Board).
OverDrive lets you borrow electronic books from the NLB’s digital library by downloading them onto your eReader. Again, there’s a huge range of titles available, and all you need is a library card and a Wi-Fi connection to browse, borrow or place a hold on books. And you can do all of this directly from your Kobo itself, as it’s the only product of its kind with OverDrive built in to the actual device.
#2 You’ll have zero water worries
If you ask us, some of the most pleasurable places to read also happen to be the wettest! We’re talking pool, beach and bath, for example. A paper book can be hassle in these laidback locations (soggy pages!), but you also don’t want a device that doesn’t fare well with water. Happily, both the Forma and Libra H20 eReaders are waterproof. And we don’t just mean drips and splashes. In fact, they’re rated IPX8, which means they can handle a full hour in two metres of water! (Fancy a read while snorkelling?!)
#3 It’s light and bright for your eyes
Kobo screens are glare-free, with ebooks reading just like print on paper. The front light technology directs light at the page, not your eyes, which helps provide a comfortable reading environment. Worried about blue light affecting your sleep? No need. A feature called ComfortLight Pro reduces the amount of blue light coming from the device throughout the day, allowing for late-night reading sessions that segue easily into sleep.
Also…
What else? Well, all Kobo eReaders have fully customisable displays. So, you can choose the type and size of font, plus line spacing and more. The Forma and Libra H20 are especially designed for comfort – they’re ergonomic, with easy one-handed use of the page-turn buttons, a choice of landscape or portrait mode, and a lightweight design. Each Kobo has enough memory to hold thousands of titles at once, so you’ll never run out of something to read. Oh, and the Kobo Forma offers Dropbox support, which means you can add documents from your computer or smartphone with a tap and read them on your eReader.
Available for purchase at selected Challenger and Courts stores, Mustafa, PariSilk or online at hachi.tech and courts.com.sg. Suggested Retail Price: Kobo Clara HD (S$199.90), the Kobo Libra H2O (S$279.90), and the Kobo Forma (S$399.90)
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