Kobo Glo

Kobo Glo

Kobo Glo

Kobo Glo is an eBook reader producer by Kobo Inc., which is a company based in Toronto. It is a front-lit, touch-based eBook reader with a built-in light to enable reading in poor lighting, in the dark, or at night. The Kobo Glo competes directly with the eBook readers from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Key Information

The Kobo Glo’s back panel features a large diamond pattern. On the top is a sliding power switch and a button for the built-in edge lighting that lets you ready the Kobo Glo in the dark (called ComfortLight). To turn pages, simply swipe or tap the sides of the screen. The Kobo Glo has 11 built-in fonts, and allows users to adjust font size, line spacing, and margins. Users can also align text to the left or center, or turn on justification. The Home screen allows for books to be sorted alphabetically by author or by title and displays large cover images. These images can be zoomed in on or panned around. The Home screen also lets users make a custom list of books. A Reading Life app keeps track of reading speed and popular reading times and also delivers awards based on certain accomplishments. Users can also add notes to a passage by pressing, holding, and dragging it. The Kobo Glo has a built in dictionary that lets you bring up definitions by pressing and holding words. A new Kobo Glo can be purchased online from Amazon for around $120-$180 depending on the seller. It can also be found on eBay for around $80, plus shipping.

Tech Specs

The Kobo Glo has the following dimensions: 4.5 inches x 6.2 inches x 0.4 inches. It weighs 6.5 ounces. It has a 1 GHz Processor. The display has a resolution of 1024×758 with a 16-level grey scale. It has a responsive touchscreen and offers glare-free, fingerprint-resistant reading. It has 2 GB of storage. The battery lasts up to 70 hours with continuous usage with the ComfortLight on. It comes in the following colors: Pink Sunset, Silver Star, Black Night, and Blue Moon. Its only connectivity is Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Micro USB (does not offer 3G).

Pros

  • the Kobo Glo has an evenly lit screen which is lighter and smaller than the Barnes & Noble and Amazon equivalents
  • it is very sturdy and easy to hold in your hands, which makes it the perfect reader to take on airplanes or bus trips
  • it offers superb font controls, including the ability to select your font and change the margin measurements
  • it is extremely user-friendly and is very good value
  • it incorporates reading metrics, such as measuring your reading speed and at what times you read the most
  • it comes with a SD-card slot

Cons

  • it doesn’t have 3G capabilities unlike some other eBook readers, which is a big drawback; in order to purchase apps or go online, users will need a wireless connection or find a hotspot
  • it doesn’t offer any audio features, so audiobooks are not a possibility
  • it has a slightly higher price than competing models (although it can be found online for under $100)
  • the touchscreen can be unresponsive at times
  • Kobo’s selection of e-books falls behind Barnes & Noble and Amazon
  • It has a basic and simple design