The hit on Borders’ E Ink reader at launch was that distinct the Kindle, Nook, or Sony entries, it had no wireless entrance. The new Kobo Wireless adds which to the brew, along with three tone options, as Gadget Lab’s Charlie Sorrel reported this sunrise.

The brand-new Kobo additionally keeps the pricing low: $139, matching to a Wi-Fi-only Kindle, $10 reduction than a Wi-Fi Nook. Kobo’s e-books have been additionally priced competitively compared to a Nook as well as Kindle stores. Finally, a Kobo costs $40 less than the likewise multi-colored Sony’s Pocket Edition. Like the initial Kobo, the Sony has no network capacity — but importantly, it does have an optical touchscreen.

Ultimately, a big problem I foresee with a brand-new Kobo isn’t the network gap though the interface gap, quite as it adds the capability to browse as well as buy books online. One reason a initial Kobo didn’t have an on-board bookstore was which adding which functionality to the device typically commits a manufacturer to together with a little key hardware. But check out the design of the Kobo from a front as well as discuss it me what you don’t see:

That’s right — still no keyboard, just a big five-way controller symbol.

Now, the Kobo’s store and library navigation look really good, as well as I’m certain most people will conclude a combined capability to wirelessly browse best-sellers as well as genre categories. But the key advantages of selling in the digital bookstore for many of us have been:

1) the gigantic selection, bigger than any earthy bookstore;
2) a capability to search for as well as fast find JUST the book you wish to buy.

Text entrance on a Kindle as well as Nook have been not illusory, but they work. And you can search for as well as buy e-books upon a web site or regulating the desktop application, though which negates many of a benefits of being able to buy over Wi-Fi. Without 3G, you can’t buy books anywhere; but the built-in web browser, I don’t unequivocally see much other make use of for Wi-Fi connectivity.

Those are the trade-offs which Borders has selected for Kobo — as well as the tradeoffs you’d have to import as the Kobo Wireless owners. Me, if I had my heart set upon prohibited pinkish, I’d spend a additional scratch as well as get a Sony. If I’m giving up on network entrance and content entrance to browse virtual bookshelves, I at least wish to be means to flick through them with my fingertips rather than regulating the Nintendo controller.

Update: Kobo CEO Mike Serbinis chimed in in a comments to this post to note which on the company’s brand-new readers, “there is the virtual set of keys to search for authors, titles, etc. It’s easy to make use of, as well as keeps a industrial pattern purify & elementary and focused on understanding vs typing, or incidentally hitting the symbol that does occur often upon alternative devices.”

All images around Borders.com.