kobo Glo Pro Reviews

At $130, the Kobo Glo costs $10 more than the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, $10 more than the Kindle Paperwhite with ads, and $10 less than the Paperwhite without ads. Its biggest win is that the Glo’s light is evenly distributed across the screen, something neither the Nook nor Kindle can claim. Text washes out somewhat with the light on, though not so much that it completely ruins the reading experience. The Glo doesn’t offer as many extras as B&N or Amazon do inside of books, but is solid on the basic features that e-book readers want. Plus, owners aren’t limited to one major bookstore (plus a handful of smaller ones) like they are on the Kindle. Overall, the Kobo Glo is a decent e-reader with good features and an average design. It doesn’t score a definitive win over the Nook or Kindle, but it is competitive in a way previous efforts from the company weren’t.

The Glo isn’t a bad e-reader, and Kobo has an impressively well-stocked e-book shop ready to fill it. Its UI is up to the job. But though e-readers are now as cheap as chips, they don’t have to feel like they cost almost nothing to make. Unfortunately, the Glo does. So does Kobo’s Mini, but its unique 5in size offers some compensation. Not so the Glo, which delivers the same features as a host of rival e-readers but in a less attractive outfit.

Once again, Kobo has produced a solid little reader. The Glo's got the features that helped make the last-generation Touch a nice device, this time coupled with a front-light technology that might well be the best in its class. The UI is nothing to write home about, Reading Life isn't quite the selling point the company seems to think it is and it's still not as comfortable to hold as the Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight. And then there's the fact that the reader's coming to market after a nice headstart by Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both of which are priced $10 less (with ads, in the case of the Kindle Paperwhite). Still, the Glo's bright, evenly lit display provides for a great reading experience, making it worth considering despite the premium.

The Kobo Glo is a bit of a challenge to rate. From a hardware standpoint it seems very solid, with an impressive built-in light and a high-resolution display that allows for crisper text and is especially useful for reading at smaller font sizes. I particularly liked the interface and some of the extra customization options for font rendering and screen refreshes. But while the Kobo Store certainly has a good selection of books, it doesn't offer the breadth of books offered by Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Also, both Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's stores are simply better, with a more appealing interface and a much greater number of user opinions posted for each book. At least in the U.S., even as good as the hardware is, the Kobo is a little hard to recommend over the $119 Kindle Paperwhite with Special Offers (yes, it has ads) or the $119 Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. But certainly overseas where Kobo is at its strongest and expanding rapidly -- or for those in the U.S. who want to mix and match EPUB stores -- this is a very good e-reader option that will hopefully continue to improve over time as Kobo tweaks its store and adds new features and performance enhancements.

The Kobo Glo is an impressive ebook reader with solid edge-lighting and a surprisingly robust app ecosystem.

The ComfortLight is perfectly executed at the first time of asking on the Kobo Glo, and makes a great option on an e-reader whose all-round quality and versatility comes at the price of occasionally needing a computer. A top quality reading experience awaits; stuff it in a Christmas stocking and watch a loved one's face light up - literally... though they probably won't talk to you for the rest of the day.

Not as well made as the Kindle Paperwhite, and PDF handling is poor, but the price is very tempting