You'd be forgiven if you haven't heard of Kobo's Android-powered Vox eReader (http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/19/kobo-pits-its-vox-against-the-fire-and-nook-as-first-social-e-reader/) before — it has a tendency to get glossed over in favor of bigger names like the Kindle or the Nook. Kobo's hoping to remedy that with another retail push, and this time they've inked a deal to get those Vox readers into Best Buy stores (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kobo-expands-retail-footprint-throughout-the-us-announces-kobo-vox-to-be-sold-at-best-buy-139350928.html)across the country.
The Vox is probably best known for its Pulse (http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/27/kobo-pulse-aims-to-offer-new-twist-on-social-reading/)social reading service, which comes off as something like a virtual book club. It allows users to interact with each other while reading through the month's bestsellers, with a bright visual indicator to let readers know how active a particular page is.
Being Android-based, users are also able to pore through and download apps, but forget about unfettered access to the Android Market — Vox readers can choose from a curated selection of about 15,000 apps. (http://www.kobobooks.com/kobovox_apps)
I'm sure Kobo is glad to have nabbed another big physical retail deal, but I wonder how much good it'll do them in the long-run. Best Buy counts the Kindle and Nook families among their wares, and the Vox is likely to be a tough sell against known quantities like the immensely-popular Kindle Fire. I'd definitely give the Vox the style advantage with its four arguably handsome color variants, but a pretty paint job does not a bestseller make.
Still, the Vox has enough going for it (http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/26/dont-count-kobo-out-as-the-ereader-race-rumbles-on/) that it's worth at least a second glance from consumers, and that's probably exactly what Kobo wanted out of this deal.
TechCrunch