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Kobo CEO Says Not Selling Washing Machines Key To Overtaking Amazon
DavidGilbert99 writes "Kobo, the Canadian-based ebook company is number two in the market, behind the behemoth that is Amazon. So what does the CEO Michael Serbinis think is the one thing which will allow them to overtake the e-commerce giant? 'We don't sell any washing machines, we don't sell radios. We are not focused on the next server farm to offer data services. It is a question of focus.' Serbinis goes on to tell IBTimes UK: 'From an organization standpoint at Kobo, this is all we do. Everyone at Kobo, all we focus on is creating a great experience for book-lovers.'"
Maybe because they're Canadian, I found that Kobo was the only e-book reader was the only one that provided a decent, free, French dictionary. As a native English speaker reading books in French, this is a great feature. I also really like Kobo's interface. Will they be "the best"? I don't know... that's such an American obsession. Maybe they'll just be really good.
They use Adobe's ebook DRM scheme, so I just use ePUBee to yank it out.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
For me the value and Amazon is almost entirely in the user reviews that's why I go there; it's what makes me keep coming back. unless you're huge like Amazon you will have that kind of feedback from users all you really have in the product description and that's it.
They've had a kobo app for Android forever...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kobobooks.android
I don't know why I am just now seeing it. I've always disliked the name and thought it was meaningless. But then I just realized it's "booK" with the letters all mixed up.
Kobo has an Android app.
Forget the android app, how about Linux access?
A week or two back, after seeing the Iain Banks announcement on Slashdot, I decided it was time to buy "The Hydrogen Sonata" and went to the Kobo store to get it. I don't have Windows or Mac in the house, and use Calibre to talk to my Kobo.
I knew it would have DRM, but figured that Linux didn't have to understand it, as long as the Kobo could. But the Kobo store wouldn't even permit me to download any sort of file at all - it would ONLY work through an Adobe Digital Editions plug-in. Looking on WineHQ the current version of A.D.E. doesn't run on WINE.
Happily Kobo refunded my money, though it took a little doing. I'd rather they sell me a file that can be read on my Kobo, even if not on Linux. It would have seemed to me that the Kobo would generally appeal to the same type of people who prefer the politics of Linux - but they've cut me out of their store.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
He likes Amazon's Customer Reviews.
Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
Isn't it the *publisher* that decides whether or not to use DRM? In which case the distributor (Kobo , Amazon, B&N, Diesel or whoever) have to offer DRM or DRM-free according to the publisher's wishes?
Um.... did you even bother to check? Because yes Kobo DOES have an Android app, I've got it on both my phone and my rooted Nook Color.
They do have an Android app. They've had it for years.