The Kobo Arc 10 HD packs a library inside of an Android tablet and feels like it
Tablets
Hey, I'm Xiomara Blanco for CNET and this is the first look at the Kobo Arc 10 HD.
This 10-inch Android tablet is geared towards avid readers with useful built-in software that makes organizing, buying and exploring your book simple and it doesn't skimp on the Android experience, giving you full Google Play store access.
It has a headphone jack as well as micro USB and micro HDMI port on the left corner, power slider on the top right corner,
and volume buttons around the edge.
The power slider feels a bit cheap and there's always a lag when waking up the tablet.
There's a fuzzy, but decent 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and no rear camera.
I like the tablet's faceted back.
Its smooth, matte finish is comfortable and my fingertips never got tired or strain after holding it for a long time.
However, the tablet's design suffers from its heaviness and pointed corners.
Its hefty weight makes the corners uncomfortably big into your palms and
doesn't make for the coziest reading session.
The Kobo Arc 10 HD features a traditional Android home screen, the Reading Life dashboard and collections menu.
The Dashboard has a pinteresty look to it and Displays that makes the books you're reading, recommendations, and other selections in your library.
It doesn't organize in any particular way.
It's a bit messy and there's a borderline overwhelming amount of content being shared.
Swiping right to the left one more time takes you to your collections, which are like
virtual folders that allow you to save things like articles and videos for easy finding and viewing.
Books and magazines automatically sort into their respective category where you can easily make your own.
Even though it's a tablet geared towards bookworms, the Kobo Arc 10 HD could satisfy any movie buff.
It's sharp 2060 x 1600 pixel resolution displays, vibrant and saturated colors, and HD video looks crisp with rich tones.
The Kobo reader has many built-in useful tools for organizing, highlighting, noting and exploring your books.
It also includes a reading mode, which removes distractions while reading.
The Kobo Arc 10 HD houses a zippy quad-core processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM.
It performed consistently smooth and I rarely had any buggy issues with it.
Mobile games ran without a hit and it handles larger games well with moderate load times and smooth game play.
The Kobo is a great option for those who want more than just a simple e-Reader experience.
But it's uncomfortable design plus might be a dealbreaker.
For CNET, I'm Xiomara Blanco and this has been the Kobo Arc 10 HD tablet.
