Kobo has announced a version of its eReader app will be preloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook from the start. RIM said picked the fellow Canadian firm since Kobo has an international e-bookstore and was adept at customizing for specific countries. The bookseller in turn said that a WebKit browser made it an ideal fit since it uses the same engine for many of its existing apps, including those on the iPad.
All of the customization and sync features from other devices will carry over, Kobo said, though it would have a unique social component. Kobo on the PlayBook should support BlackBerry Messenger as a platform to allow chat and other real-time discussion of books. Watch the video below to see it in action.
The bookstore already has access to about 2.2 million titles, one million of which are public domain or otherwise free.
The tablet is due to ship to the US in early 2011. The Kobo hardware in the US can be found at Borders books stores.
