The Tolino Alliance released a new lineup of ebook readers this week, and what’s interesting is they’re all Kobo clones but they run Android-based software instead of Kobo’s software.
There’s the Tolino Page 2, a 6-inch entry-level model that appears to be a clone of the Kobo Aura 2, except it has 8GB of storage space instead of 4GB.
The Tolino Vision 5 is a 7-inch ebook reader with page buttons and waterproofing—it’s a Kobo Libra clone.
Lastly, the new Tolino Epic 2 is a Kobo Forma clone, with an 8-inch plastic-based E Ink screen with a flush front and a waterproof design.
It’s odd to see Kobo’s devices being sold under a different name and with different software installed. But this isn’t anything new. Ever since Kobo partnered with the Tolino Alliance they’ve been using Kobo hardware for Tolino ereaders.
Tolino ebook readers are available in Germany and other parts of Europe, but they are not sold in North America at all. The new models are available now from authorized retailers.
Very interesting. I would like to know more about the “tolino epos 2” the copy of the Kobo Forma.
I’m wondering if they also cloned the stupid PWM for brightness settings 😀
As bad as I thing a flush screen is on a reader, flush + plastic screen surface sounds like a terrible idea to me. Any news on the Android version installed?
Would jump at one, except i’m not interested in buying any more devices with micro-USB.
I had the Tolino entry-level reader and the housing for it was a plastic piece of junk but the OS was a lot of fun and worked well. I can’t imagine a single one of them lasted more than two weeks without breaking. I returned two of them.
I started up with a Sony Touch Edition PRS-600 ereader back in 2009. It was wonderfully built with a metal casing and with MP3 music/audiobook support. Thereafter I bought the Kobo Aura H2O first edition. Was my favourite until it started freezing a lot. Living in Norway with the nearest service shop in Canada, I regretfully had to give it up and I bought from Germany a Tolino Vision HD 3. This is the one I use hazzlefree today. It’s a wonderful ereader though I have to sideload ebooks from Kobo (well, Rakuten Kobo owns also tolino nowadays), or from Amazon (converted via Calibre). This process only takes a few minutes. It is also possible to download straight to the ereader if you buy from the German bookstore and use their cloud solution or copy a book bought elsewhere and upload it to the same cloud. I also buy from every norwegian bookstore in epub format and transfer the book in seconds using USB.