Borders has officially started selling its Kobo eReader online and through retail stores, trumping its competitors with a $199 price tag. Over two million EPUB titles are available to download as of today, with a promise to deliver “dedicated Australian content” that customers can access from a range of enabled devices.
There’s a lot of emphasis on the availability of local content on its “eBook store for Australians”, which offers 50,000 paid titles, with most priced between $10 and $15. The rest are free, but Borders did make it clear that they’re not going to consider letting customers share books with others like the way Barnes & Noble’s Nook does.
Free Blackberry, Android and iPad apps are on the way (the iPhone version is already out) so that you can download and read eBooks on whatever platform you want, including Macs. Since the eBooks sync in the cloud, you can switch from one device to another and pick up exactly where you left off.
The Kobe eReader uses an e-ink display, comes preloaded with 100 eBooks, can hold up to 5000 with an SD card and go for up to two weeks without a recharge. Even though you can’t read it in the dark, it’s not a bad deal at all for $199.
[Borders]
nicky
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 9:29 PMi looked up 2 books that i would instantly buy…Borders don’t have either of them…their online store is as useless as their staff
Cameron
Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 8:37 AMWow that borders website is crappy! Search for the same thing and you’ll get different results. Not to mention free ebooks are hard to find when they are hidden from the results…..
I think I’ll stick with Amazon. At least then I can download over the air as well.
Shogun
Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 11:41 AM@ Nicky and Camron
What are you guys on? Epubs (drm or other) are available to buy/download from many sites, including Amazon. The story here is that Borders is now stocking an Ereader that you can buy for less than $200. There isnt another Ereader close to that price here in Oz.
As to Borders’ range of ebooks and the quality of their website, well I’m sure it will improve over time.
BUT…
You dont have to buy the ebooks from Borders if you don’t want to.
Mikael
Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 2:26 PMI couldn’t find a certain eBook on their website either, but when I searched on the PC app it was the first result. I’d say the websites just got some teething problems, but the apps are fantastic (minus the fact you have to buy one eBook at a time!)so I’d try the apps before writing it off. Personally I’m very interested to see the Kobo in the flesh though.
John Lowden
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 10:27 AMAhh there is a cheaper,,,in a sense,,,way to buy a reader,,it costs around 600 bucks and it’s called an iPad ,,,the most wonderful invention I have seen sins the TV was introduced,,,,yes this is more than a reader but it does more than read,,photos,,web and Internet ,music till your ears bleed,movies ,live tv from all9ver the world,,,newspapers fro. World,,look the list goes on and on,,scanners for police,fire etc all over the world,,YouTube ,and apps,which is games and other things you’d love by the millions,,,forget a reader for 200 bucks get the iPad and have all readers in one tablet,you won’t regret it I promise,,,,,John sth morang