New Kobo eReader Touch Edition Offering Best-in-Class Features Now Available at Borders

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The reviews are in. The new Kobo eReader Touch Edition is the perfect choice for consumers who are looking for a book-like reading experience and want the very best features available — for less money. Now available on Borders.com and in select Borders stores beginning tomorrow, June 17 for just $129.99 ($10 cheaper than the next leading device), the new Kobo eReader Touch offers an amazing new touch experience that is similar to reading and turning the pages of a real book.  The small, lightweight design provides the ultimate in reading comfort, and fits in a purse or jacket pocket for easy travel. The new eReader offers the best combination of innovation, cutting-edge technology, readability, portability and also offers popular Kobo "Reading Life"— where users can win awards just for reading.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )

Features and More Features

• Just Like Reading a Real Book Only Better: The inexpensive new Kobo eReader, priced at less than $130, offers a comprehensive variety of features customers won't find on any other device at this price. Features include the latest generation e-Reader technology; storage of up to 30,000 books with expandable memory; a beautiful new design with a signature quilted back providing the ultimate in reading comfort; and an intuitive one-touch display that makes navigation, reading and shopping a snap.

Plus, the new eReader is available in several stylish colors including black, white, lilac and blue (blue is available at Borders after Father's Day). In addition, it's also the only international device on the market -- the German, Spanish and French versions are launching soon. Readers will be able to enjoy a localized user experience, local content, and recommendations.

• Provides the Ultimate in Reading Comfort: At just seven ounces, the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition is the smallest, most compact reader on the market. Lightweight and thin — it fits comfortably in a pocket or jacket and travels virtually everywhere.

• Designed For Readers: The new eReader is also the first to be powered by the new Freescale 508 processor, a high performance engine designed to enable fast page turning for electronic paper displays. With the intuitive touchscreen design, readers can highlight phrases, lookup words, zoom into images, increase the font size, and quickly navigate through a book as well as their entire library. The new eReader's virtual keyboard makes it easy to navigate the eReader and find the book that they are looking for. Plus, the new predictive search feature automatically offers suggestions that match their query – before they're even done typing.

• Great for Reading Anywhere:  The perfect summer and beach-reading accoutrement, the eReader features a no-glare 6-inch touchscreen powered by latest-generation Pearl eInk display that provides text that is crisp and clear, even in bright sunlight.

• A Unique Social Reading Experience: The new Kobo eReader is the only eReader to offer Reading Life, the industry's most advanced social eReading platform. Reading Life enables readers to gain insight into their reading habits with Reading Life Stats, which tracks the minutes per reading session, the number of pages they've turned, plus provides an overview of books completed in their library. Readers can get  fun and exciting awards just for reading — and connect and share those awards with their friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.

Access to Millions of Titles with WiFi

In addition to these features, readers can also enjoy access to the Kobo bookstore, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive digital libraries. With the Kobo eReader Touch Edition, customers can easily connect via WiFi or USB to access over 2.3 million books, including over a million free titles, as well as newspapers and magazines from the Kobo Store at Kobo.com, accessible via Borders.com. Notably, readers can also borrow and read books from their local libraries.

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., through its subsidiaries, Borders Group, Inc. is a specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. One can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "expect," "believe," "planning," "possibility," "opportunity," "goal," "will," "may," "intend," "anticipates," "working toward" and other words of similar meaning. One can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and plans to differ materially from those included in the company's forward-looking statements.

These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to (i) the ability of the company to continue as a going concern, (ii) the company's ability to obtain Bankruptcy Court approval with respect to motions in the chapter 11 cases, (iii) the ability of the company and its subsidiaries to prosecute, develop and consummate one or more plans of reorganization with respect to the chapter 11 cases, (iv) the effects of the company's bankruptcy filing on the company and the interests of various creditors, equity holders and other constituents, (v) Bankruptcy Court rulings in the chapter 11 cases and the outcome of the cases in general, (vi) the length of time the company will operate under the chapter 11 cases, (vii) risks associated with third party motions in the chapter 11 cases, which may interfere with the company's ability to develop and consummate one or more plans of reorganization once such plans are developed, (viii) the potential adverse effects of the chapter 11 proceedings on the company's liquidity or results of operations, (ix) the ability to execute the company's business and restructuring plan, (x) increased legal costs related to the company's bankruptcy filing and other litigation, (xi) the company's ability to maintain contracts that are critical to its operation, to obtain and maintain normal terms with its vendors, landlords and service providers and to retain key executives, managers and employees.

In the event that the risks disclosed in the company's public filings and those discussed above cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the company's forward-looking statements, the company's business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity, and the interests of creditors, equity holders and other constituents, could be materially adversely affected.

About Kobo, Inc.

Kobo is a global eReading service with more than 2.3 million eBooks, magazines and newspapers – one of the largest eReading catalogues in the world. Kobo believes consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device and has attracted millions of readers from over 100 countries across the globe. Kobo has top ranked eReading applications for iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows and MacOS, and is the eReading application of choice for leading tablets. The Kobo eReader is also available at leading retailers including Indigo, Walmart, Best Buy, Borders, WHSmith, Angus & Robertson's and Whitcoull's. Kobo's innovative Reading Life is an industry-first comprehensive social eReading experience – Kobo users can earn awards simply for time spent reading and encouraging others to read.  Kobo is backed by majority shareholder Indigo Books & Music Inc, Cheung Kong Holdings, Borders Group, Inc., and institutional investors. For more information, please visit www. Kobo.com.

SOURCE Borders