Kobo releases Vox e-reading tablet, based on Android 2.3 | Hacker News Reader

Kobo releases Vox e-reading tablet, based on Android 2.3

blog.kobobooks.com

14 pointssharkbot9 comments

Too bad. There are no pictures. It's just a press release.

Since the press release is on the Kobo books website, I'd expect something to entice me other than a page full of text, especially since they state that the device is available for pre-order today.

$199 is a steep enough price for me to want some more details before I pre-order. Hell, they didn't even put hyperlinks in the press release.

Here's a direct link to the Kobo Vox:

http://www.kobobooks.com/kobovox

The page don't work on a iPad... Fail.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first non-eInk device that Kobo has released. They've switched to an AFFS+ screen, an LCD technology, which means that they're sacrificing battery life (they claim 7 hours, compared to weeks or months on their prior devices) and passive illumination (which is easier on the eyes in low light) for refresh time and colour gamut.

I was previously unaware of "AFFS+" screens, and I didn't find a lot of visuals on them. However, I did come across a Flickr set which claims to be a set of photos of an AFFS+ screen outdoors (which is 50% of my interest; the other is whether it is available in a matte display).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51608380@N05/sets/7215762661863...

now that the spec has been released and (somewhat) settled, I wonder if Kobo will support epub3.

I wonder the same thing.

In the "tech specs" page, it says the supported file formats are:

Books: ePUB, including fixed layout and enhanced ePUB. Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP Audio: MP3, AAC, .3gp, mp4, m4a, flac, ogg, wav, mid. Video Formats: 3gp, mp4, webm

What does "enhanced ePUB" mean? Is it the same as EPUB 3?

The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) recently voted to elevate EPUB 3 to a final IDPF Recommended Specification. http://idpf.org/epub3-a-final-recommendation

"Based on HTML5, EPUB 3 adds support for rich media (audio, video), interactivity (JavaScript), global language support (including vertical writing), styling and layout enhancements, SVG, embedded fonts, expanded metadata facilities, MathML, and synchronization of audio with text and other enhancements for accessibility."

"rich media (audio, video), interactivity (JavaScript)" Great - an ebook format that is going to require virus scanning everytime want to read a book.

I wonder how well this type of screen would work with a stylus as a note taking device.

An Android tablet with more limited functionality for more money than other Android tablets!

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