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Specs:

Our Analysis:

How I conducted my analysis of the COOL-ER:

I have to admit, I didn’t get the Cool-er myself in order to review it; I just didn’t think it was worth it. I started out by reading a few reviews online and quickly saw them all pointing to the same conclusion. So instead I compiled my own review from over 10 different websites about the Cool-er.

What I thought of the COOL-ER:

The thing about the Cool-er is that there is nothing about the Cool-er. It used to be regarded as a low price tag eBook reader back when the Kindle 2 cost around $360. But today, there is a $10 difference between the Cool-er and the eBook reader market leaders, the Kindle 2 and the Barnes & Noble Nook. This means the Cool-er has lost its edge. It can no longer be regarded as a low price tag eBook reader, and that makes all the difference.

The Cool-er first came out in July 2009 when the eBook reader market was peaking. Since then things have calmed down a bit. But at that time the Cool-er was introduced as a lighter, smaller, and more elegant eBook reader. Much of this is still relevant today, but the fact is that while Amazon and Barnes & Noble were constantly updating their devices to make them better, nothing much changed with the Cool-er.

The device itself has a nice “iPodic” design. It’s available in eight different colors, it’s extremely light because it is made out of plastic, and the 6" eight greyscale display supplies a good reading platform. But the fact that the device is made from this light plastic also makes it feel kind of “cheap.” It isn’t sturdy at all, buttons are rather hard to push, and it scratches easily.

Page turning on the device is also somewhat slow. The Cool-er seems to lag behind other eBook readers with its refresh rate, although you’d probably get used to it after a while. Other hassles include the fact that instead of a normal headphone jack (3.5mm) it comes with a non-standard jack (2.5mm), although you get an adaptor inside the box; if you’re working with a MAC, although it is compatible, it will give you some small glitches.

On the bright side—the Cool-er comes preloaded with several eBooks so you can read right out of the box. The device also supports multiple file formats including PDFs, but this has come to be somewhat of a standard today in eBook readers. There is also a dedicated online eBook store for the Cool-er, but the problem is that books cost about $5 more than they would on Amazon. This is because Amazon is actually losing money on their eBook sales in order to gain the advantage over Barnes & Noble and now the iPad.

The last thing I think is important to mention about the Cool-er is that it has no wireless capabilities, no Wi-Fi, and no 3G. Since 2010 wireless capabilities have become somewhat of a must in all eBook readers, not only because you want to be able to buy a book straight from your device, but also because you don’t want the hassle of connecting the device to a PC every time you want to load a book or two. Therefore, the fact that the Cool-er still doesn’t have wireless capabilities and carries the same price tag as the Kindle 2 or Nook scratches it out in my book.

Online expert opinions of the COOL-ER:

For this review I went to five different expert websites—CNET, Gizmodo, PC Pro, Top Ten Reviews, and PC Magazine. Most expert websites basically said that for the same price tag today they can get a much better, more capable eBook reader, so why waste the money. If the Cool-er had cost around $100 less they would be able to recommend it. Right now, even the Sony PRS-300, which costs $199 but has only a 5" screen, seems like a better alternative.

What customers who bought the COOL-ER thought about it:

Most customers who rooted for the Cool-er wrote their review almost a year ago (around July 2009), when the new and cheaper versions of the Kindle 2 and the Nook weren’t available yet, so it’s hard to give an objective point of view. But what they did like about the device was its light weight and the fact that you can get it in different colors.

Customers who were against the Cool-er said that the device seemed to freeze up on several occasions (K. Cunztadt and “FishBlobCat”—Amazon UK reviewers). Other users complained about terrible customer support (Dusty PU—CNET reviewer) and the cheap looking controls.

The verdict:

A definite “No.” It’s not that the Cool-er isn’t a decent eBook reader, it’s just that at the same price I can get a MUCH better eBook reader today. Interead, which created the Cool-er, doesn’t seem to be keeping up with the eBook reader market pace for some reason, and if they continue in this way they will slowly vanish. The only surviving advantage of the Cool-er is the fact that it is available in eight different colors. No offense—but that’s not enough to get me to pick you as my eReader….

 

Our Sources:

In order to compile this analysis I have used reviews for the following websites:

and also Gadget Speak and Geekie Gadgets.

*Prices are only estimates and may vary from time to time, eReader central does not guarantee the stated prices.