Kobo Desktop

Kobo Desktop is an e-book reader and digital store manager that allows PC users of all ages to effortlessly access their digital books and quickly discover new reading material via integrated access to the Kobo Bookstore.

Built directly by the developers at Kobo, this lightweight, fast, and the feature-full eBook reader can transform modern PCs into incredible libraries of engaging, informative, and immersive reading content, accessible at all times on both desktop, laptop, and tablet PCs of all sizes.

And the best thing yet, the Kobo Desktop app features an automatic synchronization feature, enabling users to effortlessly continue reading when switching from mobile Kobo eReader apps to their desktop, and the other way around.

Kobo Desktop is distributed online as an automated installer that can quickly be deployed on any modern PC. To get it up and running, users are only required to create or log in using their Kobo credentials, after which they can start expanding their eBook libraries. The main dashboard of the app features a simple-to-use interface that promotes easy discovery of all its tools.

The three main tabs are present in the top left corner that engage main viewing modes – “Browse Kobo” for discovering new books in the popular online eBook store, “My Books” for listing all previously purchased books, and additional tabs for each book that is currently in the process of being read. My Book tab page lists books in either large thumbnail or list mode, with additional sorting options allowing for filtering by genre, time, or purchase, or even by custom search keyword.

The reading experience is powered by a highly customizable service that can transform the way Kobo Desktop is rendering eBook text. Users are empowered to take control over the text size, font, alignment, margins, line spacing, page layout, and many other theming options. This can especially be useful for users with vision issues, or that require a specific reading environment to be most immersed and open to retaining information. One of the most commonly used theming options is switching the reading environment into Day, Night, and Sepia modes, which can dramatically reduce eyestrain during long reading sessions.

The presence of an integrated shopping experience elevated this app above other eBook reader applications, enabling users to quickly discover new reading sources, and even expand their library with similar content they were unaware it was published. For example, the Kobo app can scan a user’s library of books, and quickly offer related books that are currently performing well on its eBook store.

In addition to the native and free-to-use Windows PC app, Kobo eReader can also be downloaded for iOS and Android devices, enabling users to share their eBook purchases across all supported devices with automatic syncing of bookmarks and reading positions. 

PROS

• Free and easy to use
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Syncs with Kobo e-readers
• Supports multiple file formats
• Advanced reading customization options

CONS

• Limited e-book selection compared to other stores
• Limited library organization options

The Kobo Desktop app is optimized for all modern versions of Windows OS.