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.'"

French books in Kobo e-book reader

[pbasch]

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.

Re:No Android App

[MightyMartian]

They use Adobe's ebook DRM scheme, so I just use ePUBee [epubee.com] to yank it out.

Re: Focus all you want...

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:No Android App

[Anonymous Coward]

They've had a kobo app for Android forever...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kobobooks.android

Kobo is an anagram

[erroneus]

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.

Re:No Android App

[Reese Raymond]

Kobo has an Android app [google.com].

Linux access

[dpilot]

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.

Re: Focus all you want...

[PRMan]

He likes Amazon's Customer Reviews.

Re:DRM?

[Anonymous Coward]

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?

Re:No Android App

[Shrubbman]

I won't even seriously consider them until I can read their books on my tablet and phone. I was an early adopter of eBooks, buying my first Rocket eBook reader back around 1998, so I don't have anything against dedicated devices, but there's no longer any need, and I already carry a phone and a tablet which both work great as eBook readers... and with all three of the eBook reader apps I use I can even bounce back and forth between devices, reading on my tablet when it's handy or on my phone when the tablet isn't nearby.

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.

Re:No Android App

[Nerdfest]

They do have an Android app [google.com]. They've had it for years.