PocketBook e-books: buy or pass by?

In addition to world-famous companies, less well-known brands, in particular PocketBook, are also involved in the development and release of electronic books on the modern consumer market. Despite the minimal “promotion” of his label, PocketBook has already “got” a sufficient number of fans of its products. Should I consider buying the gadgets of this brand or is it better to choose the “beaten track” (Sony, teXet, and so on)? What e-book options does the PocketBook consumer offer when purchasing a device of their own production? And also what models of devices deserve the attention of the buyer? Will we discuss it?

About company

In 2007, in Kiev (Ukraine) as a result of the "merger" of two functioning organizations, the PocketBook brand was formed. The main focus of the product line of this brand was devices that replace paper publications - electronic readers. Having released the debut model on the consumer market in 2008, Pocket Buk will distribute its products exclusively in Russian and Ukrainian territory until the end of 2009. Later, Package gadgets will begin to be delivered to Germany, and in 2011 the company will gain a new name (PocketBook International) and a new owner. It is with the sale of the brand to Swiss entrepreneurs that the active expansion of the lineup of electronic readers of the company in question begins.

A lot of competition forced the owners to come up with new "moves" and introduce modified "chips" in the already presented models of devices. For example:

• providing the widest possible range of interface languages ​​available to the user (27);
• built-in dictionaries, allowing not only to translate, but also to receive the interpretation of an unknown word;
• the ability to work with 18 file formats (the largest number of all e-books presented today, including + from other manufacturers).

Poket beech is extremely invested in its products not only by finances, but also by innovative ideas, thoughtful technologies. What has awarded the initiative manufacturer its gadget? What technical components deserve special attention of the buyer when choosing the device of this company?

About product

An e-book from a Swiss manufacturer is traditionally delivered in a compact cardboard box that does not differ in its strength. The color scheme, as a rule, is sustained in classical tones: black, white, gray. On the front side of the box there is an image of the purchased device, on the back - the most important technical components of the gadget are listed. The basic equipment offered to the buyer of PocketBook includes:

• the e-book itself;
• USB - cable for “charging” the battery and transferring files from the computer;
• technical documentation;
• warranty card.

For comfortable use of the device, the user will need to subsequently purchase a separate adapter for connection to the outlet when replenishing the battery capacity and a protective cover. These accessories are not required, which is why they are not provided in the basic kit from the manufacturer.

It is impossible to name the overall size an e-book from PocketBook. Its dimensions, weight and thickness are maximally adapted for the convenient location of the reader in the hand of the reader during prolonged use of the device. In general, the appearance of the device inspires confidence and is no different from the design of the gadgets of world famous brands. The latest models are equipped with a plastic case made in Soft Touch technology, minimizing the possibility of "slipping" the book out of hand. In addition to the display and the company logo, on the front side of the device (depending on the model, side or bottom) there are functional buttons for turning pages, switching to the context menu, adjusting the screen backlight and returning to the main menu.The power button, memory card slot and USB cable input, depending on the particular gadget, are located on the upper or lower end of the case.

In addition to mechanical and touch controls, some line-ups from Pocket Book are equipped with an audio output for playing books in audio format. To listen to music, the sound quality will not be good enough, given the other main focus of the device’s functionality - reading. Thanks to the touch screen surrounded by a minimal set of buttons and functional “holes”, the management of the e-books of the brand in question is intuitive, clear and simple even for the novice “virtual reading enthusiast”.

The variety of screens in their size is due to the need to match the goods to any customer request. So, modern models are equipped with touch screens from 6 to 8 inches, with a multi-touch function. The last option is used for comfortable and quick work with the gadget. The sensitivity of the sensor is “excellent”, which adds even more positive emotions from the operation of Pocket Book. Some devices have a built-in LED backlight with fairly uniform illumination of the display when reading in the dark.

According to the Swiss manufacturer, e-books have the possibility of long battery life, up to a month on average, using the minimum set of available options and a short daily reading. The voluminous 1300 - 2500 mAh battery, when used carefully, will ensure reliable operation of the gadget without the need for frequent "recharging".

You can traditionally download books to your purchased device in several ways:

• download through the company’s online store installed on the reader (BookLand), in the desired format to the user's choice;
• download files downloaded to a computer via a USB cable;
• Using the browser, download the necessary content.

Considering the built-in memory of e-books from PocketBook (4 GB), sufficient for storing a large number of files, as well as the ability to use memory cards up to 32 GB in size, there is no need to worry about the possible choice of “what to delete to download”. Most reader models are equipped with 128 MB standard memory for products of their segment (256 MB in some devices), which is an average indicator of the “speed” of the gadget’s direct functionality.

PocketBook are known for their "limitless" capabilities in working with file formats. They can play: PDF, PDF (DRM), EPUB, EPUB (DRM), DJVU, FB2, FB2.ZIP, DOC, DOCX, RTF, PRC, TCR, TXT, CHM, HTM, HTML, MOBI and ACSM.

The menu of readers of this brand also does not raise questions. Depending on the selected model, the "home page" contains information about the latest user actions; uploaded files; available options (browser, dictionaries, applications, search, advanced settings, and so on). Having opened the necessary book, the user can “adjust” the font, scale, style as desired, as well as make bookmarks, notes and use dictionaries, holding the finger on the necessary word to find out its translation or interpretation.

Summarizing the above, we can highlight the main disadvantages and advantages of using PocketBook readers.

Advantages:

• design;
• screen with E-Ink technology;
• backlight control;
• the presence of built-in dictionaries;
• A large number of supported formats.

Disadvantages:

• “Poor” basic equipment;
• inflated cost;
• imperfect display quality.

Top models

614 Plus

• Display Type: E-Ink Carta
• The presence of a sensor: yes
• Screen Feature: 6 inch
• Weight: 170g
• Processor Specifications: 1000 MHz
• RAM capacity: 256 Mb
• The amount of internal memory: 8 GB
• Memory card slot: yes
• Formats that can be played on the device: TXT, DOC, PDF, fb2, ePub, DjVu, RTF, MOBI, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, HTML, CHM, ZIP
• Battery capacity: 1300 mAh
• Additional options provided by the manufacturer: page turning buttons

641 aqua 2

• Display Type: E-Ink Carta
• The presence of a touch screen: yes
• Size: 6 inch
• Gadget Weight: 180g (+ - 5g)
• CPU Frequency Index: 1000 MHz
• RAM: 256 MB
• Gadget memory available for filling in files: 8 GB
• Support for various types of memory cards: yes
• The file extensions allowed to work on the device are: TXT, DOC, PDF, fb2, ePub, DjVu, RTF, TCR, MOBI, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, HTML, CHM, ZIP
• Battery capacity: 1500 mAh
• Additional built-in options: mechanical buttons for paging, built-in LED backlight display, Wi-Fi module, waterproof

626 Plus Touch Lux 3

• Screen Type: E-Ink Carta
• The ability to control touch (sensor): yes
• Display size: 6 inches
• Weight in grams: 208
• Processor Performance: 1000 MHz
• Memory for the correct operation of the gadget: 256 MB
• The number of GB available for personal use by the user: 4 GB
• The ability to use media with add. memory: is
• File extensions supported by the device: TXT, DOC, PalmDOC, PDF, fb2, ePub, DjVu, RTF, MOBI, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, HTML, CHM, ZIP
• Battery Capacity (mAh): 1500
• Additional options provided by the developer: mechanical buttons for turning pages, LED - display lighting, Wi-Fi, a large number of pre-installed applications

615 Plus

• Screen Type: E-Ink Carta
• Display size: 6 inches
• Weight: 170g
• CPU Frequency: 1000 MHz
• RAM: 256 MB
• Built-in memory: 8 GB
• Memory card slot: yes
• Supported formats: TXT, DOC, PDF, fb2, ePub, DjVu, RTF, PDF (DRM), EPUB (DRM), DOCX, PRC, TCR, CHM, MOBI, ACSM, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, HTML, CHM ZIP
• Battery Capacity: 1300 mAh
• Additional functions: page turning buttons, integrated backlight

625 Basic Touch 2

• Screen Type: E-Ink Carta, Touch
• Display size: 6 inches
• Weight: 180g
• CPU Frequency: 1000 MHz
• RAM: 256 MB
• Built-in memory: 8 GB
• Memory card slot: yes
• Supported formats: TXT, DOC, PDF, fb2, ePub, DjVu, RTF, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, HTML, CHM, ZIP
• Battery Capacity: 1300 mAh
• Additional functions: page turning buttons, built-in Wi-Fi module

Having determined the main characteristics of PocketBook e-books, as well as having examined the top models of readers of this company, we can conclude about the quality of the product and thorough work on it by Swiss manufacturers. This judgment allows us to state not only the possibility of considering the device for purchase, but also the necessity of this, due to the ideal price-quality ratio of the PocketBuk electronic gadget.