Kobo Vox - Preliminary Review

We had to return our first Vox due to a small manufacturing defect, so I haven't has as much time to play with it as anticipated.  Here are some things to be aware of - with a proper review coming after I've had the chance to read a book off the device.  The technical language was proofed by my husband (who's a computer engineer) but any mistakes in typing this are my own.

If you have questions, write them in comments.  I'll run them by my husband if I don't know the answer myself, so it may take a day or so for answers.

1) Here are the official Vox tech specs.  The screen has a resolution of 1024 x 600, and measures 7" on the diagonal.  It has a significantly higher dpi than the iPad making text appear crisp and clean.  The device weighs a little under a pound.  It's fairly heavy considering its size, weighing more than an average hardcover novel but less than the iPad 2.  While the Kobo website mentions the device has 8 GB storage space, the usable portion of that is about 6 GB.  It does have a micro SD slot that can be used to expand the storage space.

2) The screen upon starting feels a little squished, especially for reading on the Kobo app.  If you reduce the preset font size, that feeling goes away.  The quilted back is comfortable to hold though the device is thicker and heavier than the original kobos.  As someone pointed out on a forum (sorry, no link), having the wide border means you don't have to worry about hitting the touch screen portions by mistake while reading.

3) The Kobo app loaded onto the device DOES NOT read pdf files.  This was a surprise as the original Kobo does read pdf files.  We loaded adobe pdf reader on the device without difficulty, though it scrolls pages vertically.  I also added another e-reader app, Aldiko, which reads both epub and pdf (with side scrolling).  This app also has more options than the kobo app for background and text colours as well as adding bookshelves to help sort your books.

4) In terms of the Kobo app for reading, page turn speed is good but it takes a few seconds for pictures to load.  You can add notes and highlights to epub files provided it's in portrait mode (not landscape mode - due to a positioning bug) but anything with a fixed page layout, such as cookbooks or childrens' books, you can't add notes or highlights to with the current software.  You also can't add bookmarks beyond the automatic one that pops up when you stop reading.

5) The Vox doesn't charge when connected via USB to a computer, only when using the included power adaptor.  Also note that the Kobo Vox uses a micro USB connection (the original Kobo used a mini USB connector).  When you connect via USB it treats information as downloads on an internal memory card, from which you then must import your books to your reader apps.  If you delete them from this (the Kobo app will ask if you wish to do this) it's not possible to take them from the Kobo app to put them elsewhere, so if you are curious about other readers, don't delete them or, like us, you'll find yourself reinstalling your books. 

6) The device doesn't come with flash player preloaded, so you need to download it (which is easy but see point 10 below). 

7) Hitting the power button simply suspends the device (as per other devices).  To turn it off you have to hold the power button for several seconds.  It then takes about 1 minute to boot from an off state.  In suspend the device wakes itself up periodically to check things - THE SCREEN WILL TURN ON, as will videos, if you leave the device running in flash player.  The screen turns off automatically after the check and it returns to sleep mode.  Expect to charge the battery every night if you want to use it during the day for reading/web surfing.

8) When you first turn the device on you must set it up via wi-fi.  There is no way to skip this step.  Make sure you broadcast your SSID as it was unable to connect to our access point when our SSID was not being broadcast and you're not given the option to manually configure a connection during the set up phase.

9) The onscreen keyboard is large and easy to use.  The only problem we've found so far with it is that in a few cases it won't go away once we've finished typing and hit enter, and it covers whatever button we needed to press next.  There's no button for hiding the onscreen keyboard. Turning the device on its side (landscape mode) revealed a different text entry area with a 'done' button that could be used to complete the text entry and hide the keyboard.

10) This is an open android device, so you can install apps from any open android store (that includes SlideMe.org and the Amazon appstore*).  You cannot download apps from Google Marketplace as the Kobo is not a supported form factor for android 2.3, hence Google will not authorize the device for use with its marketplace.  In order to download from non market sources you need to enable it on the device (hit the 'all apps' button, go to 'settings', 'applications' and then check the box for 'unknown sources').
[* One of my co-workers** mentioned that she was unable to buy things from the Amazon appstore on her Vox, so I've removed the link.  **My husband pointed out that the Amazon appstore is only open to US customers, hence why Canadians can't access it.  You can download the Kindle app from SlideMe.org, if you want to read Kindle titles on the Vox.]

11) Due to its relatively slow processor it's not optimal for video games, though it's capable of handling simpler casual gaming needs.

This probably sounds like a negative list, but my point here is to help people make an informed decision as to whether or not this is the correct device for them.  I'm certainly looking forward to using this for reading on the subway and on vacation.  For me the internet connection's simply a bonus on my otherwise dedicated e-reader.  My husband thinks it works well as a portable media player, though you'll want to use headphones as opposed to relying on the internal speaker.

Consider the Kobo Vox an e-reader with benefits.

[If you want more information about apps and problems associated with the Vox (including how to solve them), check out this website.  You can also go to the MobileRead Forums for the Vox, which has a lot of Q&A help.]

Here's my review of the Kobo Vox, after reading a book on it.

Kobo Vox - Inside the Box

 I picked up the new Kobo Vox last night and decided to show you what you get with the device.  In addition to the Vox, there are 3 "Read On" stickers, the instructions and all the electronic bits you need to keep the device running. 

Upon set up the Vox did an update that added all of our Kobo loaded books via our account, and the following books: Franklin and the Thunderstorm, the Lonely Planet Europe Essentials guide, Sweet Dreams Desserts and the Kobo Vox user guide.

My husband used it this morning to watch some videos and browse the web.

Using the Kobo one handed

I got an email asking how difficult it is to use the Kobo one handed - particularly left handed.  Here are pictures of me holding it with both hands.  When I use it, I typically hold the machine in my left hand and turn pages with my right.  If you only want to use one hand, it's not hard, just accept you'll likely need a knee every now and then to hold it steady as you run your hand to different areas (which is what I'm doing at the start of the video when the Kobo leaves the screen).  Also, your hand will likely cramp, as there isn't much variance available (your thumb needs to be on the right side of the right hand button and you have to turn pages too frequently to make it worth putting your hand elsewhere).

Here's a video to demonstrate.  I start with the device on as it takes a while to get to the start screen.  And yes, I say 'scan' when I mean 'scroll'.  I was in a hurry when I made the video.  :)


Using the Kobo left handed. from Jessica Strider on Vimeo.

If you've got a question about the Kobo, feel free to ask in the comments or email me and I'll try to answer it as soon as possible (with a video if required).

Kobo E-Reader Review

As promised, here's my review of the Kobo E-Reader after having read a novel on it.

First, some of my points are no longer valid as the company has come out with a firmware update. Some of the things they're addressing, quoted from this post:

1. Font scaling
A number of people have had issues resizing fonts on epub files they have imported into the eReader, especially files from other stores/sources. Font issues have been tricky. [Warning: content of a technical nature] They are most often caused by hardcoded absolute font sizes in the epub CSS. Doing wholesale overrides of CSS can earn us bad karma with publishers. And while we can easily override some CSS elements (font face, for example, since we have a limited number of fonts on the eReader), the Adobe SDK actually prohibits override of absolute font sizes. (Grrr…) So we have had to do some crafty things behind the scenes to get around that limitation. We have tested the new release of firmware with every file that users have sent us with font resizing issues and it has worked in all cases we’ve tested so far.

2. Title Management
The biggest irritant we heard from lots of users was “I don’t care about *&@^#$# Jane Eyre! Get it out of my Library!” Totally understandable: some people feel it clutters up the Library or makes it harder to find purchased books. (Others love having a reader that is full of books as soon as you plug it in. That’s the way it goes…) There is a short-term fix in the new release while we work on a longer and more complicated one. In the short term, you’ll be able to hide pre-loaded books on the device — get them out of the way so you can look at the other books you’ve added. That definitely won’t address all issues, but it will address the biggest pain point while we work on a wider range of library management features for a subsequent release.

3. Battery Life
This was a software problem rather than a hardware one. Even when the device is in sleep mode, there is a negligible amount of activity on the device. The bug: in some situations, power consumption wasn’t tapering off as much as it should have when the device went into sleep mode. We found the bug and fixed it, so people should be able to get the 8,000 page turns they were expecting.

4. Charging Light
Used to: show nothing until it was charged and then turn red when it was done. (Yep, that makes absolutely no sense.)
New release: turns red when it’s charging (so you know something is going on), turns blue when it’s done. Should generally provide a more accurate sense of what’s going on.

There are a bunch of other things rolled up in the update (universal mac builds for PPC+Intel for the Desktop Reader, better indications when the device is off, etc.), but I wanted to flag those four since they’ve been a topic of some discussion here.

The book I read, On Basilisk Station, by David Weber, was, due to the fact I got it from a BAEN CD rather than the kobo store, a bad choice. I encountered the font sizing problem (books from other sources couldn't be resized, and showed up on the kobo on the smallest font). Several people came up with their own fixes and posted them online, so I was eventually able to fix this, but it made reading in bed less pleasant as I had to hold the kobo fairly close to my face.

The reading experience itself is good. The page turns feel slow, but only because computers have gotten so fast that any electronic device that isn't instantaneous seems slow by comparison (and e-ink readers have slower page turns than the i-pad or computer). The quilted backing is comfortable to hold and the size is good for reading (fits the hand and has a decent sized screen, regardless of text size). And if you're just reading straight through, it's a good device.

Other problems I encountered though were discovering 3/4 of the way through the book that there was a prologue I somehow missed, difficulty scrolling back to remind myself of details (I tend to check back to confirm details and remind myself of important events once new knowledge pops up, something that's difficult on the kobo since you can't jump to specific pages, only one page at a time or to chapter openings).

I also encountered a problem with the formatting beyond the sizing - which I hope this upgrade will address. The original file I uploaded (the one I couldn't change fonts on) had paragraph indentation but no page breaks. I know this is a format issue not a kobo issue, but it did cause me problems, not realizing the scene changed (I even checked it against the paperback to confirm it was a formatting error and not an idiosyncracy of this book). When I changed the format so it could be resized, the formatting got rid of the indentations (which I prefer) and started putting a space between paragraphs. On occasion there would be a double break to show scene changes, but not always. So I was more on guard, but still blindsided by scene changes every now and then.

For those of you out there who think putting digital version of books out should be easy, let me tell you, if the book isn't formatted properly it's a royal pain to read. The number of times I had to backtrack and reorient myself made the book feel very disjointed and the reading experience a lot less enjoyable than it should have been. If you want to know what does go into preparing an e-book, here's a wonderful post.

I also spent most of the time reading in a room with poor natural lighting, forcing me to use a lamp (yes, a paper book would require the same thing, but the i-pad doesn't, and so I mention it here).

If you're wondering at the speed of the kobo, I filmed a quick video showing the navigation, page sizing and page turning of the device. And yes, I say 'i-ink' rather than 'e-ink'. I'm blaming that on Indigo and Apple's fondness for 'i' words. :)



Ultimately, I still prefer paper books to electronic ones, but the problems with reading On Basilisk Station notwithstanding, now that I know what to expect I can see myself reading on the kobo again and enjoying the experience. I'll be more careful about checking for a prologue before skipping to chapter one. The page turn speed didn't bother me so much once I got into the book, and my battery lasts a good week between charges, even if it's left on between reading sessions.

For the price, it's a great reading device if you don't want to do other things with the machine. If you do want to do other things... I still prefer the i-pad. For all it's greater size, the i-pad's instant page turns, ability for colour and backlight (great for reading in darkened rooms and at night) is an excellent machine.

Kobo E-Reader

For our upcoming trip to Japan, I bought my husband a Kobo e-reader. Here's what came in the box: the reader, a usb cord and quick start instructions. Right now you also get one of three promotional books for free (in addition to the 100 preloaded books). We got Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

I'm not too keen on the screen's way of blacking out in order to refresh/turn (I don't like things that flash in my face) and my husband wishes e-readers would pre-render the next page so turns go faster. Still, it's a nifty reader and weighs less than the comparable books would.

I'll tell you after the trip how it holds up.

We chose not to get the optional holder. The reader's pretty robust and the reading screen's fairly small and, since it's e-ink, smudges don't show up that well.