Between 7 and 8,000 books, not counting reports and work documents, all packed into a single object weighing less than 200 grams... In a stagnating e-reader market this year, Kobo is banking on its new Forma e-reader and its ergonomic, hard-wearing XXL screen to stand out from the competition, starting with Amazon's Kindle.
Just released, the new ebook from the Canadian firm boasts an 8-inch high-definition touch screen, the largest on the market. The chassis has an asymmetrical, curved design to make it easier for both right- and left-handed users to hold. At 8.5 millimetres thick, the left-hand side hides the battery and lines up the buttons for page navigation, but the case then tapers to around 4.2 millimetres.
The thinness of this e-reader is explained by the flexible plastic layer of the screen instead of the glass layer that usually covers it. The result is an ebook that weighs 197 grams in the hand, 3 grams more than Amazon's large-format Oasis e-reader, which weighs 194 grams for a 7-inch screen. Reading comfort is also ensured by the ability to read both horizontally and vertically, by increasing the font size as required. The same latest-generation Carta E Ink electronic ink technology is used in the e-readers of the major players on the market, but Kobo has opted for ComfortLightPRO technology to reduce exposure to blue light, with the screen lighting automatically adapting to the brightness of the environment, day and night. So it's easy to read on a plane at night.
Ultra-light and easy to grip, this reading light is also hard-wearing. The plastic coating also makes it easier to withstand accidental drops or knocks in an overloaded suitcase. The little extra? Its waterproofing, with IPX8 certification. In other words, the e-reader is not only splash-proof, but can even be dropped in the bath or swimming pool.
Its 8GB capacity means you can store books in Epub or Mobi format, as well as documents in PDF, Txt, RTF or HTML format, and photos or diagrams in Jpeg or Gif, for example. All these formats mean that an ebook reader is not just for reading books, but also for professional documents that can be easily transferred over WiFi. Beware, however, of the lack of security apart from the e-reader password. The Forma has no Bluetooth connection for listening to books in audio format. However, its light weight and the size of its HD screen mean that you can read for six weeks without having to worry about recharging it.
