Kobo vs Kindle vs Nook: Battle of the Books
Three heavyweights enter the ring: Kobo, Kindle, Nook. Besides sharing silly – if catchy – monikers, these competitors are also the three foremost e-readers on the market. Each is backed by a big-name bookstore hoping to capitalize on current trends toward easy accessibility and technological advancements.
Let’s meet the contenders:
Kobo (an anagram of ‘book’) is the young up-and-comer, partnered with Borders. Released in July 2010 at a price of $150, Kobo was presented as a cheaper, simpler alternative to more expensive e-readers and tablets. This marketing scheme was ineffective as a sustainable competitive advantage, as competitors quickly responded with lowered prices; however, Kobo succeeded in eliciting substantial consumer interest. Realizing the importance of social media to modern consumers, Kobo recently released the first social e-reader app. The new app enables readers to keep track of their reading stats and interact on Facebook.
Kindle is the e-reader pioneer. Sleek and light-weight, the original $400 version revolutionized the way people think about books. Kindle’s main advantages are its first mover status and connection to Amazon.com, which allows readers to browse consumer-reviewed books and download them straight to their device using Amazon’s 3G “whispernet” technology.
Finally, there’s Nook, the underdog. The original Barnes & Noble Nook boosted in-store support, but received criticism due to the product’s lack of availability and suffered from comparisons to its predecessor: According to PC Magazine, “on the original Nook, page turning took twice as long as page turning on the Kindle.” A slight difference, but significant in the close-fought battle for e-reader supremacy.
It remains to be seen if Kobo will KO the competition with its emphasis on the social aspects of reading, or if Kindle and Nook’s longstanding advocates will ensure their continued domination, but one thing is certain: the Battle of the Books wages on.