Every few years, we get the chance to take a look at the latest means of e-book consumption. And while there are people who may swear by their Kindles, as far as I’m concerned (along with a lot of folks I know), the best e-readers out there come from the folks at Rakuten Kobo.
Though my e-reader experience began some of years ago with the now defunct Sony E-reader, the world has expanded significantly over the years and Kobo has really led the pack. Their latest, economical e-reader is the Kobo Aura Edition 2, and it’s absolutely the best device I’ve used so far.
If you’re used to reading books on your iPad, you likely haven’t experienced e-ink, which is what e-readers use to amazingly reproduce the print experience. Essentially, your eyes feel as though they’re reading print on paper, and the experience is definitely superior to reading via a tablet app. I’ve done a lot of both, and while tablet apps for reading definitely have their pros, especially if you’re reading a title with a significant amount of images contained or reading magazines, for reproducing a simple print title, e-readers are the way to go. The Kobo Aura also has an adjustable light built-in, so you can read in any space you can think of.
A lot of folks who haven’t made the transition to e-readers often cite the lack of tactile experience, but I have to say, I love the experience of holding the Kobo Aura. It just feels good in your hands. It’s extremely lightweight, allowing for one handed reading.
The Kobo Aura comes with 4 GB of space, so you can store up to 3,000 books. Admittedly, that may be excessive, but when I received the Aura, for the first time in my e-reading life, I downloaded all the books I’ve purchased in the Kobo store. There’s something very comforting about bringing Stephen King’s Dark Tower series with me wherever I go. You can connect to the Kobo Store via Wi-Fi, so essentially you’re carrying a bookstore with you. It’s pretty great stuff.
Ultimately, I’m a Kobo acolyte, and I’m a big fan of the Kobo Aura. Next on my list to try out is the hard to find Kobo Aura ONE, which is a larger screen, but this holiday season, for the literate one in your life, e-readers don’t get any better.
