Kobo Launches E-reader Integrated with OverDrive

Kobo on September 30 will launch the Aura ONE, a dedicated e-reader that promises seamless searching and one-click downloading of library ebooks via OverDrive. Using a review unit provided by Kobo and a personal New York Public Library (NYPL) account, LJ explored the process.

Kobo on September 30 will launch the Aura ONE, a dedicated e-reader that promises seamless searching and one-click downloading of library ebooks via OverDrive. Using a review unit provided by Kobo and a personal New York Public Library (NYPL) account, LJ explored the process. Initial library account sign in on the Aura ONE is comparable to the current OverDrive Media Console app. The Aura ONE’s settings menu includes a dedicated listing for OverDrive, and when users tap on this selection, they’re greeted with an interstitial page advising that this feature enables users to “access your public library’s digital catalogue directly…any time” and explaining that they’ll need a Wi-Fi connection, an OverDrive account, and a library card to get started. If a user already has a library card, selecting “sign in to OverDrive” will open a search screen with a few location-based suggestions to help users find their library. After users enter a library card number and PIN code, the device is ready to download library ebooks. From there, the checkout process is essentially one-click. A simple filter bar below the search field must be set to “Show: OverDrive” rather than “Show: All” but after that, entering a title, author, or keyword into the general search field will return a scrollable list of titles licensed to the library with current availability signaled by “borrow” or “place a hold.” Tapping “borrow” completes the full transaction as advertised. Signing up or signing into an Adobe ID account is not required. Upon returning to the device’s home screen, the title’s cover art is displayed prominently in the top left corner. Users can start reading immediately. Tapping “place a hold” results in a pop-up informing users that their title is unavailable, but they can join a waitlist. Users can also search Kobo’s selection of paid ebook content and explore curated lists and suggestions based on their reading history. Tapping on a title leads users to a synopsis page where they can rate a title, check out reviews from other readers (or write their own), buy the ebook, or check to see if the title is available through their library. Although the search and one-click checkout process is very simple and straightforward, library account management features are minimal. A “books” menu lists all titles and previews currently available on the device. Library ebooks are clearly listed as OverDrive titles, along with their expiration date. Titles checked out on other devices using OverDrive Read can be synced on the Aura ONE, but titles that have been downloaded to other devices are not listed on the Aura ONE. The OverDrive feature that enables users to return ebooks early is listed as “remove” on a drop down menu, and users must also select “remove from Kobo account” to complete the return, which may confuse some readers.

User preference

Multifunction tablets have overtaken dedicated e-readers in the ebook market in recent years. The Pew Research Center’s 2015 Technology Device Ownership survey reported that tablet ownership had risen to 45 percent of U.S. adults, while only 19 percent of adults reported owning an e-reader (down from 32 percent the year prior). And OverDrive’s Media Console apps have greatly simplified the sign up and check out procedures for users of iOS, Android, PC, and even Kindle Fire devices. However, many people continue to prefer e-ink readers for the low-glare, distraction-free reading experience. And as WIRED magazine noted in a 2015 review of the Kobo Glo, “Kobo and Kindle are at this point the only mass-market e-readers, full stop.” Most competitors have exited this once robust market. With the entry-level Kindle regularly priced at $79.99, Amazon has come to dominate sales of dedicated e-readers. But as librarians are well aware, checking out a library ebook on a Kindle e-reader remains a tedious process involving, at minimum, signing into both a library account and an Amazon account, and working through a redirect to Amazon’s website to complete the checkout process. First-time borrowers also need to sign up for an Adobe ID. If these steps are completed on a device other than the Kindle, users must then “side load” the content by connecting the Kindle to a computer. The process can seem complex and intimidating, especially to patrons who are new to it. By drastically simplifying the library ebook checkout process on an e-ink device, the Kobo Aura ONE certainly seems to have found a niche in the market. And since parent-company Rakuten recently acquired OverDrive , making it a sister company of Kobo, this relationship seems likely to continue as Kobo develops new devices. Priced at $230 USD at launch, the Kobo Aura ONE’s price is in line with Amazon’s premium Kindle Voyage ($200) and new Kindle Oasis ($290). At 7.7” x 5.5” x 0.27”, the Aura ONE is similar in height and width (but not thickness) to a trade paperback, bucking the direction Amazon has been heading with smaller Kindles. Kobo has said that the Aura ONE was developed with extensive input from users, and that the larger size was a common request. Other unique features include ComfortLight PRO, an enhanced front-light system. Designed with the latest sleep science in mind, the Aura ONE gradually reduces blue light exposure throughout the day, ultimately transitioning to a reddish-orange background for late-night reading. Or, users can turn off this automatic feature and choose their own light settings. The devices are also IPX8-rated waterproof for up to 60 minutes under three feet of water, although LJ did not test this capability.