If a market for cheap, entry-level e-readers didn’t exist, Kobo would have no trouble kickstarting one with its no-frills 5-inch Kobo Mini. It weighs in at just a little over 130 grams and measures 10mm thick, and features a touch-enabled 5-inch e-ink display, 2GB internal storage, Wi-Fi, and up to a month of battery life on a single charge. It may not have the fastest processor or the biggest e-book library, but for easy reading on the go without spending too much money, it can definitely get the job done.
It supports a wide variety of digital content formats such as EPUB, PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TXT, HTML, CBR, and even CBZ. It also comes with 7 different font styles at 24 font sizes, and exclusive weight and sharpness settings. The built-in dictionary helps ensure that readers never feel lost. And with exclusive Kobo Everywhere technology, e-books can be stored and retrieved safely from a cloud storage folder.
One of its biggest features is undoubtedly its tight social networking integration. Unlike other e-book readers, it works well with Facebook and Twitter, so users can share things like book passages wherever and whenever they want. While it doesn’t have a lot of extra features, it certainly has all the ones that matter for those who don't want their reader to get in the way of the reading.
Need to Know: Kobo Mini
1. Accompanying Kobo eBookstore offers almost 3 million books, newspapers, and magazines to its users. (The Good)
2. Battery life lasts up to a month with Wi-Fi turned off. (The Good)
3. Its processor has been slowed down to conserve power but this also results in slower performance. (The Bad)
4. Lacks 3G wireless connectivity. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Dave McClintock, Computer ShopperIn the final analysis, though, we have to look at what we're getting for the money. Since the Kobo Mini costs about as much as similar 6-inch e-readers, you're not getting a discount for opting for the smaller 5-inch screen. So the question then becomes: Is the reduced size and weight of the Kobo Mi...
- David Carnoy, CnetI suppose elsewhere in the world where there's less choice -- Kobo has a big international presence -- if you were looking for a modestly priced, very compact e-reader with a touch screen, the Mini would seem more compelling. As it stands, though, it's a likable product that's a bit of an in-between...
- K. T. Bradford, Digital TrendsThe Kobo Mini comes with a budget price tag yet doesn't come off as cheap.
- K. T. Bradford , Digital TrendsThe $80 Kobo Mini comes with a budget price tag yet doesn’t come off as cheap. Yes, to get to that price point there are sacrifices in quality — you won’t get the crispest screen or the fastest performance. But this is not a crappy dollar store eReader, it’s a good option for...
- Jamie Carter, Pocket-lintNicely priced at £59.99, the Kobo Mini is a possible stocking filler for frequent travellers, commuters and anyone who likes to travel light, though in strict hardware terms it's certainly convenience over quality.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Kobo Mini Manual (PDF)
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