14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion announced earlier this week its first tablet PC, the BlackBerry PlayBook, and some new info on it has emerged, namely the fact that it should land on shelves with an application from Kobo, a global eReading service.
Through this eBook application, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will offer access to Kobo's store of over 2.2 million books.
The announcement comes shortly after another official unveiling, which included the fact that Kobo plans an industry-first social eReading application aimed at leveraging the new BlackBerry Messenger Social Platform.
The Kobo eBook app on the BlackBerry PlayBook should come with features like:
- Integrated shopping. The Kobo store offers more than 2.2 million titles and the catalogue includes bestsellers, new releases and over 1 million free books. International stores feature region-specific content and pricing. - Choose library view. See your collection of books in a list, or on Kobo’s beautiful virtual bookshelf. - Customizable reading options. Personalize text size, font and style. Switch between day and night reading mode or customize a specific brightness setting. - Switch views. Kobo will automatically switch from landscape to portrait view as the BlackBerry PlayBook is turned. - Read anywhere. Kobo also offers free reading applications for BlackBerry smartphones, computers and other devices, which all sync together across a users account. Kobo members can pick up and read on any device without ever losing their place. - Social shopping and shared eReading will be introduced upon availability of the BBM Social Platform. Watch a video of what Kobo is planning at www.blog.kobobooks.com/BBM.
On top of that, the application should offer users the possibility to easily find books via extensive categories and recommended reading lists, while offering easy navigation through quick scrolling through a book, tapping to turn pages, or the use of the Table of Contents to jump between sections.
The company also announced that it offers support for open standards, including EPUB, PDF, so that users can buy once and enjoy their purchase anywhere, or read free from the more than 1 million free titles from Kobo or in eBook libraries.
“We are thrilled to be extending our extensive relationship with RIM into the tablet space. Readers will love the elegant design, crisp display and portable size and weight of the BlackBerry PlayBook, which is perfectly suited for long reading sessions,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo.
“I am also excited by the possibilities of the BlackBerry Tablet OS, which will allow us to bring today’s bestsellers and classics, as well as other rich content, to BlackBerry PlayBook users,” he continued.
BlackBerry PlayBook comes with a 7-inch screen, which makes it ideal for eBooks, the company notes, adding that the slate should also offer comfort and convenience for readers.
On top of that, the new BlackBerry Tablet OS comes with a WebKit browser engine, which is preferred by Kobo for the delivery of feature-rich and high-performance eReading applications.
“The new BlackBerry PlayBook is a multitasking powerhouse for apps and content services and, together with Kobo’s eBooks app and service, it will provide users with an exceptional eReading experience,” said Jim Tobin, Senior Vice President, Value-Added Services, Research In Motion.
“Kobo is an excellent partner for RIM given the global nature of both our businesses and because Kobo provides a great customer experience, including regionalized apps, content and pricing.”