TOKYO, January 24, 2013 - Kobo Inc., a subsidiary of Rakuten, Inc., today announced that it has added a viewer feature to the domestic version of “Rakuten Kobo Desktop App,” its application for personal computers. The new feature makes it possible for Rakuten Kobo eBooks to be read on personal computers.
The Rakuten Kobo Desktop App has been available since July 2012. Up until this point, use of the app has been limited to setting up Kobo e-readers, purchasing eBooks from the Rakuten Kobo eBookstore, and searches. The latest update makes it possible even for those who previously wanted to read eBooks, but could not do so because they lacked access to an e-reader, smartphone, or tablet computer, to enjoy e-reading to their heart’s content via the Rakuten Kobo service.
The desktop viewer supports color publications, making it perfect for full color comics, photography collections, and other colorful eBooks. And since the text size used by the viewer is adjustable, this update makes it possible for variety of age ranges to enjoy their books at the text size they prefer.* Furthermore, Rakuten has put substantial effort into increasing the viewer’s ease of use, even adding bookmark and cross-device synchronization functions. Users can access the viewer via the Rakuten Kobo Desktop App, which can be downloaded from the Rakuten Kobo website.
Following upon the release of its new e-reader, the Kobo Aura, along with the Japanese market introduction of the Kobo Arc 7HD tablet in December 2013, the new viewer serves as a continuation of Kobo’s multi-platform strategy by which the company is making it possible to enjoy books on whatever platform a customer prefers. With the addition of this feature to its desktop app, Kobo is addressing the needs of its customers and expanding the variety of platforms on which eBooks can be read to e-readers, smartphones, tablet computers, and now personal computers.
Details are as follows.