Kobo Vox colour e-reader, brings music, web, Angry Birds gives Canadians an answer to the Kindle Fire

Canadian e-reading enthusiasts were left out with Amazon’s release of its Kindle Fire, which isn’t available for sale in Canada but Kobo is stepping up to fill that gap with its new Kobo Vox. The Toronto-based creator of the popular Kobo e-book readers and Kobo online bookstore has just launched the Kobo Vox ($199.99), which essentially fuses Kobo’s people-pleasing e-reader experience with a standard seven-inch Wi-Fi tablet powered by Google’s Android software.

Priced to match the Kindle Fire, the Wi-Fi-connected Kobo Vox offers the same ability to watch movies, play games and connect to the Internet that made the Kindle Fire such a hit when it was announced in September. But unlike the Fire, the Vox offers content that’s available in Canada. But Vox users can also use the new reader for web browsing, e-mail, Facebook, streaming music, playing Angry Birds and a whole lot more, with thousands of free apps available for download.

Kobo Inc. CEO Michael Serbinis gave us a guided tour this week of the Vox, which will feel immediately familiar to existing users of Kobo e-book readers and apps, as well as anyone who has used an Android tablet. Developed on Android 2.3, the Kobo has on-board storage for up to 8,000 books, expandable storage up to 40,000, and unlimited access to the Kobo cloud and to more than 15,000 free apps.

Tap a small icon at the bottom of any e-book page, and Pulse will show you stats including how many Kobo users are reading the same book at that very moment, and how many like or dislike the particular page you’re on. As well, users will be able to leave comments and reply to remarks left by others, creating a sort of immediate virtual book club.

The headphones phase out sounds like traffic, air conditioning or other background noise leaving you with quality sound for your music or whatever else you’re listening to.

The BlackBerry Playbook buy two, get one free sale runs until the end of this year, but only through RIM’s value added business resellers. It may be too early yet to see the PlayBook headed for the bargain bin, but RIM has put out this offer after news that the PlayBook’s software upgrade will be delayed until February. With the lowest priced 16 GB Wi-Fi PlayBook selling for $500, the three-for-two sale drops that price to about $330 per device.

The offer also throws in an extra accessory for each PlayBook, with customers able to choose a leather sleeve, a charging pod or a high-speed HDMI cable. Check for BlackBerry value added resellers through the website.

Like Kobo’s other readers, the Vox uses the razor-and-blades model – Kobo makes their money on digital book sales, not the device itself – and Serbinis admits some people might decide to buy one just to have a $200 tablet, without purchasing a single book.

Amazon recently announced the Kindle Fire, a $199 e-reader that also runs Facebook, Netflix, Angry Birds and other Android apps. It’s due to go on sale Nov. 15 via www.amazon.com – at least, for folks south of the border.

Amazon won’t be shipping the Kindle Fire to Canada any time soon, and resourceful shoppers who bring one across the border won’t be able to use Amazon’s video- and music-streaming services, which are only available within the U.S.

We’re not completely shut out of the new line of Kindles, though. The latest entry-level Kindle ($109, including shipping) is available now at www.amazon.ca.