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Kobo Glo vs Nook GlowLight
Last updated: July 09, 2023
Kobo Glo and Nook GlowLight are both e-readers that offer a dedicated reading experience, but they have key differences in terms of features and ecosystem.
1. Display and Design: The Kobo Glo features a 6-inch E Ink Pearl display with a resolution of 1024x758 pixels, providing a crisp and clear reading experience. It also includes an adjustable front light, allowing users to read in various lighting conditions. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, also offers a 6-inch E Ink display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. It provides a front light that is evenly distributed across the screen. In terms of design, the Kobo Glo has a sleek and compact design with physical page-turn buttons, while the Nook GlowLight features a simple, minimalistic design with a touch-sensitive screen.
2. Content and Ecosystem: Kobo Glo is part of the Kobo ecosystem, which offers a wide range of e-books, including bestsellers and independent titles. It supports multiple file formats, such as EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, allowing users to easily sideload their own e-books. Additionally, Kobo Glo provides access to the Kobo bookstore and supports borrowing e-books from public libraries. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, is part of the Barnes & Noble Nook ecosystem. It offers a selection of e-books, magazines, and newspapers through the Barnes & Noble bookstore. The Nook GlowLight supports EPUB and PDF formats, but it does not have the same level of compatibility with other file formats as the Kobo Glo.
3. Additional Features: The Kobo Glo offers some additional features to enhance the reading experience. It includes features like customizable fonts, adjustable font sizes, and the ability to highlight and make notes in e-books. It also provides access to Kobo Reading Life, a feature that tracks reading statistics and awards achievements. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, provides features such as adjustable font sizes, font styles, and the ability to highlight text. It also offers access to the NOOK Readouts feature, which provides personalized book recommendations and excerpts.
1. Display and Design: The Kobo Glo features a 6-inch E Ink Pearl display with a resolution of 1024x758 pixels, providing a crisp and clear reading experience. It also includes an adjustable front light, allowing users to read in various lighting conditions. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, also offers a 6-inch E Ink display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. It provides a front light that is evenly distributed across the screen. In terms of design, the Kobo Glo has a sleek and compact design with physical page-turn buttons, while the Nook GlowLight features a simple, minimalistic design with a touch-sensitive screen.
2. Content and Ecosystem: Kobo Glo is part of the Kobo ecosystem, which offers a wide range of e-books, including bestsellers and independent titles. It supports multiple file formats, such as EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, allowing users to easily sideload their own e-books. Additionally, Kobo Glo provides access to the Kobo bookstore and supports borrowing e-books from public libraries. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, is part of the Barnes & Noble Nook ecosystem. It offers a selection of e-books, magazines, and newspapers through the Barnes & Noble bookstore. The Nook GlowLight supports EPUB and PDF formats, but it does not have the same level of compatibility with other file formats as the Kobo Glo.
3. Additional Features: The Kobo Glo offers some additional features to enhance the reading experience. It includes features like customizable fonts, adjustable font sizes, and the ability to highlight and make notes in e-books. It also provides access to Kobo Reading Life, a feature that tracks reading statistics and awards achievements. The Nook GlowLight, on the other hand, provides features such as adjustable font sizes, font styles, and the ability to highlight text. It also offers access to the NOOK Readouts feature, which provides personalized book recommendations and excerpts.
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Kobo Glo's revolutionary ComfortLight illuminates the screen with a soft, adjustable glow so you can read any eBook any time of day under the perfect light — no lamp required. Because Kobo Glo’s advanced high-res XGA Pearl E Ink screen doesn’t use a glass overlay for its front light technology, there’s never any glare, even in the brightest sunlight.
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NOOK's GlowLight illuminates your screen with a soft light that is perfect for bedtime reading. With advanced lighting technology not available on any other reader, GlowLight lets you stay up late reading in total comfort - while your partner stays asleep in the dark.
Kobo Glo vs Nook GlowLight in our news:
2023. Nook firmware update adds useful FAQ and custom book sorting
Barnes and Noble has recently rolled out a firmware update, version 8.13.160, for their Nook e-reader, offering several notable enhancements. One of the key additions is a new FAQ system within the support section of the settings screen, providing a convenient solution for addressing common queries and concerns without the need for a computer or visiting the Nook website. Moreover, the update introduces a revamped system for custom sorting of shelves, enabling users to easily reposition shelves or books within a shelf based on their preferred order. This can be done directly on the e-reader by selecting the custom option from the sorted by menu. Additionally, content and shelves now come equipped with arrow keys, enhancing the overall layout flexibility. Furthermore, users can now conveniently sort and view all their notes and annotations made in ebooks directly from the search bar, eliminating the need to manually locate them by opening the respective book.
2021. Nook Glowlight 4 gets smaller and lighter design
Barnes and Noble has introduced the Nook Glowlight 4, their latest e-reader model, now available for ordering on the B&N website. This 6-inch Nook boasts 32GB of storage, features USB-C connectivity, and showcases a revamped, compact design (although specific weight reduction details are not provided). Retaining the page buttons on both sides of the screen, albeit positioned closer to the edges, the device incorporates a frontlight with adjustable color temperature, aptly named Night Mode by B&N. The Nook Glowlight 4 exhibits a 300 ppi E Ink screen, with the presumption that it employs a newer E Ink screen with improved contrast and darker blacks. Equipped with a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU, the e-reader operates on software based on Android 8.1. All these features come at a price of $149.99.
2019. Kobo boosts performance of PDF files
Kobo has recently rolled out a firmware update for their complete lineup of e-readers. This update enhances the performance of PDF files, leading to quicker loading times. Moreover, users now have the option to customize the header and footer of their reading interface. They can opt to showcase page numbers, percentage read, time remaining, or even deactivate the header, footer, or progress bar entirely.
2019. Kobo brings many of the Libra H2O features to older Kobo e-readers
Kobo has released a new firmware update for the Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Aura, incorporating several features found in the latest Kobo Libra H2O model to enhance eBook navigation. The headers and footers now provide information on both chapter and book progress, ensuring you can easily track your reading position. Additionally, a progress bar offers a visual representation of your progress within the book. For further customization, you can adjust your page layout through the Reading settings. The book scrubber has been improved, now displaying the entire book instead of just individual chapters, allowing for smoother navigation. Lastly, the addition of page previews enables quick referencing and facilitates navigation to different sections of the book.
2018. Barnes and Noble unveiled charging dock and keyboard for Nook 10.1
Barnes and Noble has recently launched the new Nook Tablet 10.1, and they have now introduced two accompanying accessories. The Charging Dock is designed to provide continuous power while you enjoy audiobooks or movies, and it is available for purchase at $34.95. By using the promo code STACKED, customers can avail of a limited 20% discount. The Smart Folio Cover with Keyboard features a magnetic clip that effortlessly attaches to your tablet, eliminating the need for pairing. This accessory enables you to conveniently take notes or work on your literary masterpiece. Priced at $39.95, it also qualifies for the 20% discount when using the same promo code as the charging dock. The Nook Tablet 10.1 operates on Google Android 8.1, granting users the ability to install their favorite apps from the Google Play store.
2018. Nook e-Readers stop working without security update
Barnes and Noble has issued a notice stating that without installing a mandatory security update, Nook e-readers will cease to function after June 29th. This means users will be unable to make purchases, download, or manage their NOOK Content directly from their NOOK Device. The security update is part of Barnes and Noble's comprehensive upgrade to enhance the security system across all their websites and servers, ensuring the protection of customer information and processing of payment data. The affected e-reader models include the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight, Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD, Nook HD+, and Nook Glowlight.
2017. Barnes and Noble released Nook Glowlight 3
Barnes and Noble has recently unveiled their latest e-reader, the Nook Glowlight 3, marking their first release in two years. This device introduces several innovative features, including page turn buttons that allow users to skip ahead a chapter with a double tap or rapidly flip through the pages of an e-book by holding the button down. It also incorporates a comfortlight system, a first for Nook e-readers, which reduces the brightness of the white screen and gives it a soothing orange hue. Powered by Google Android, the Nook Glowlight 3 boasts an advanced front-lit display system. Notably, the device is equipped with physical buttons, with two page turn buttons on both the left and right sides. The main Nook Reading app showcases excellent design, ensuring speedy page turning, while the ability to copy/paste text into the note app adds a touch of innovation.
2017. Kobo makes managing ebooks simpler
Kobo has recently released a firmware update for its e-readers, introducing several noteworthy features. One of the key additions is the "Manage Books" feature, accessible under the "My Books" section. This new feature allows users to select multiple books simultaneously, enabling actions such as marking them as finished or unread, removing them, or adding them to collections. The "My Books" section itself has undergone a visual enhancement, offering a cleaner layout of information, along with the inclusion of convenient Filter and Sort menus. The reading experience has also been enhanced with this update. Now, by tapping the middle of the page, users can easily access reading menus, navigate to the Table of Contents, or adjust Reading Settings. Additionally, the screen will now refresh after each chapter, as opposed to every six pages, providing a smoother reading experience.
2015. Barnes & Noble created waterproof Nook
After more than a year since discontinuing the Nook and Nook HD+, Barnes & Noble has finally given its flagship e-reader a much-needed update with the introduction of the GlowLight Plus - the company's first waterproof e-reader. Along with its waterproof feature, the Nook GlowLight Plus introduces user profiles, catering to couples or reading partners who enjoy sharing their reading experiences. Priced at $130, the new version offers a 300ppi display, doubling the pixel density of its predecessor, and boasts a sleek aluminum body that is both slimmer and slightly heavier than the GlowLight. The addition of waterproof capabilities means Nook enthusiasts can now enjoy their favorite e-books even while indulging in a relaxing soak in the tub. The Nook GlowLight Plus is now available for purchase.
2015. Kobo unveiled new e-Reader Glo HD to take on Kindle Voyage
Kobo is set to release its latest e-reader, the Glo HD, which claims to offer the highest resolution at an affordable price point. Priced at $129.99 and launching on May 1, this new device from Rakuten-owned Kobo features a 6-inch display with an impressive 300 ppi pixel density. This resolution matches that of the $199.99 Kindle Voyage, ensuring extremely sharp and pixel-free text rendering. Both the Kobo Glo HD and the Kindle Voyage utilize e-ink's Carta screen technology, delivering text quality comparable to high-resolution e-ink screens found in modern smartphones, albeit with the low-power e-paper technology that provides black and white display, ideal for dedicated text reading devices.
2013. Barnes & Noble releases new ultra-light Nook GlowLight
Barnes & Noble has unveiled a completely redesigned version of the Nook GlowLight e-reader, an updated iteration of the Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight. Priced at $119, it is $10 more expensive than its predecessor. Notably, this matches the cost of the Kindle Paperwhite with ads, whereas the GlowLight does not include ads. The Nook GlowLight offers twice the storage capacity of the older model, increasing from 2 GB to 4 GB, accommodating over 2,000 ebooks. This storage capacity also doubles that of the Kindle Paperwhite. However, it is worth mentioning that the GlowLight lacks the microSD slot present in the previous model, preventing further expansion of the device's storage. Similar to the Paperwhite, Barnes & Noble's new e-reader showcases an updated 6-inch E-Ink display with 62% more pixels, enhancing text clarity and contrast compared to the previous Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. Additionally, Barnes & Noble has improved the LED-based light source of the e-reader, ensuring more uniform light coverage across the page. While Amazon positions the light source just below the bottom edge of the screen, the GlowLight's light sources are clearly visible from just above the top edge. Overall, the GlowLight screen boasts impressive visual quality, with comparable contrast and lighting to that of the Paperwhite. E-Ink e-readers undeniably hold their place in the tablet market, and although Barnes & Noble and Amazon do not disclose specific e-reader sales figures, it is evident that both companies remain dedicated to the category, and customers continue to make purchases.
2013. B&N drops Nook GlowLight price to $99. Undercuts Amazon and Kobo
Barnes & Noble has just made an exciting announcement, reducing the price of the GlowLight to a mere $99. This price cut positions the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight as the most affordable option among premium e-readers. In comparison, the ad-supported Kindle Paperwhite is priced at $119, while the Kobo Glo costs $129.99. The Nook Simple Touch GlowLight, powered by a front-lit screen known as GlowLight, emits a pleasant glow that differs from traditional backlighting. This feature is gentler on the eyes, although it does decrease the battery life by half. Nevertheless, the battery still lasts an impressive 2 months. The reduced price suggests that Barnes & Noble may be aiming to sell off existing inventory in preparation for the release of a new model. It's worth noting that Barnes & Noble recently announced its decision to discontinue in-house development of tablets while continuing to manufacture e-readers.