PocketBook Touch 2 - reader with E-Ink Pearl and sensor
Very often tablets created by Chinese brands appear in our reviews. But the birthplace of the hero of this review is Ukraine. After all, it was there that PocketBook was founded in 2007 by a group of enthusiasts from a large printing company.
So, today we will examine in detail the new model PocketBook Touch 2 of the popular manufacturer Obreey Products, which added the E-Ink Pearl HD screen, equipped with backlight, to its reader. And besides, it is touch-enabled with multitouch support. The commercial name of the 623rd model is “PocketBook Touch 2”. Reader appeared April 25, 2013, but went on sale recently. I propose to meet her in our today's review.
The device uses a processor with a clock frequency of 800 MHz. The amount of RAM is 128 MB, the amount of internal memory is 4 GB (all system data is in this memory, so initially 3.28 GB is available to the user).
')
Screen: 6 "E-Ink Pearl HD (1024 Ă— 758), 212 dpi, with backlight
Processor: Freescale 800MHz
Operating system: Linux with proprietary software
RAM: 128 MB
User Memory: 4 GB + MicroSD slot with card support up to 32 GB
Optional: Wi-Fi, microUSB, 3.5 mm stereo jack
Book formats: PDF, EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, DOC, DOCX, TXT, DJVU, RTF, PRC (MOBI), HTML, HTM, CHM, TCR
Image Formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
Audio Format: MP3
Battery: 1000 mAh
Dimensions: 175 Ă— 114.5 Ă— 9.5 mm
Weight: 198 Grams
Well, traditionally PocketBook supports a large number of formats, including FB2 (including ZIP), DJVU, and so on.
The book comes in a compact and beautiful cardboard packaging. But she quickly hesitates and most likely you will soon send her to the trash.
On the reverse side of the box there is a technical specification in various languages, and four main advantages of PocketBook Touch 2 are highlighted. There you have all the information about production, certifications and a QR code that leads to the site with electronic books.
In the bag is the device itself, and just below - the rest of the accessories.
In addition to the book itself, you will find a Micro-USB cable and a quick start guide.
Three colors are available: black, white and silver. I would take a black device, since the white frames distract me from reading. The front panel is made of matte plastic. The screen substrate is made of glass. The case is completely devoid of metal elements.
The back is covered with soft-touch spray for a comfortable grip of the device with one hand. There is also a variety of technical information and a modest company logo.
Both the frame and the back are resistant to dirt, the prints on them are almost invisible. And here is a comparison of dimensions with the flagships of 2012.
On the front panel, in addition to the six-inch touch screen, we see the page turning arrows, the return button to the main screen and the context menu. Buttons "forward" and "back" merged into one key. All buttons have a soft stroke, while clicking you hear a slight click, there are no complaints about them.
At the bottom there are all the connectors of the device: 3.5 mm for headphones, next is the microUSB port for connecting to a PC and charging and a slot for microSD memory cards. Nearby are a miniature reset button, recessed into the case so that it can only be pressed with a paper clip. A bit away is the power key. For some reason, this key was placed below, which is quite inconvenient for pressing any of the hands. In the middle of the bottom panel is the LED indicator, it displays the energy mode of the device.
The side is completely empty. The thickness of the device is small - 9.5 mm. There is a thickening in the lower part of the body, which gives additional convenience when using.
All corners of the PocketBook Touch are rounded. With the bumpers around the display here, fortunately, everything is in order. The bumpers are almost at the level of the touch screen: pressing the pictograms in the corners is convenient! Ergonomics is also on top: almost everything is thought out to the smallest detail. The size, weight and shape of PoketBuk allow you to comfortably hold it in your hands.
Build quality is high, nothing to complain about.
The screen size of PocketBook Touch 2 is 6 inches. It is made on the new technology E-Ink Pearl HD and has a resolution of 1024 x 758 pixels. A distinctive feature of this screen is the minimum power consumption and maximum visual resemblance to plain paper. In addition, the screen supports 16 grayscale, which allows it to display complex texts and illustrations.
The display is matte, there is an anti-reflective coating. The update rate is quite high, but blinks that help clear the screen of residual information are present. Of course, the device blinks not with each flipping, but only after a while. The number of pages after which the book clears the screen can be configured in the device menu.
The most important thing in the device is of course the touch display. It is capacitive, it reacts easily at the first touch, it is not necessary to repeat. I can say that he is quite responsive. There is also support for multitouch, you can zoom text, images and pages in the browser with the usual tweak.
The backlight of PocketBook Touch 2 is different about the one we used to see in our smartphones, tablets, navigators. Its peculiarity is that it allows you to not get tired eyes. And this is because the LEDs are not hidden under the display, but on the sides. It is because of this that the light is soft and diffused. With the help of the drawn scale you can adjust it according to your desire.
But there is one drawback - in the lower part of the display there always remains a dark and dingy strip, the feeling that we just had a dirty finger on the screen.
After turning on and downloading PocketBook Touch 2, the Main menu is displayed on the screen (you can also change to the last open book, this is all regulated in the settings). The main menu consists of the Recent Events section and the application panel. In the Recent Events section, which can be customized and filtered to your liking, the latest actions are displayed, namely, the last opened and last downloaded books, as well as the events of friends on ReadRate and recommendations of books. The application bar can be minimized and then only the buttons of quick transition to the Library and the Book Store company store will appear on it. At the bottom of the screen is the status bar, which briefly displays service information. In read mode, the status bar displays the current page and the total number of pages in the book.
The library is roughly the file manager of your e-book. In this section, you can select only those that are currently reading or just favorites. Or display all the books on numerous pages in one list, you can group by folders, authors, series, genres, formats and dates of creation. Sorting is available by file name, book title, date of opening or modification, series and author.
There is a music player that is designed to listen to audio files in .mp3 format. The sound is certainly not for listening to cool music with different bass, but just for audio books. ABBYY Lingvo, a separate application, is used here as a dictionary. Made it very convenient and responsive to the input word. “Live search” is available, i.e. results are shown during input, though. Selecting the Search item opens an on-screen keyboard with which you can enter a phrase in the file name, title, or author. After entering the search query, the Library will open, displaying the found books.
In the Settings section, you can change the device interface to your liking, as well as view system information. The Settings item is so extensive that it lists all its features for a very long time. You can only download that in PocketBook Touch 2 it is difficult to find an element that cannot be changed by the user.
Moreover, you can customize everything for yourself, from the interface language and the appearance of the windows to individual FB2 Reader or Adobe Viewer reading programs. And all this can be saved in different versions for each individual profile, as in PoketBuk Touch 2 profiles switching is available.
There are also additional applications. There is a powerful calculator, games, browser, calendar clock and image viewer.
The calculator supports a wide range of mathematical operations. The Photos item opens the Library in the image viewing mode (saved in the Photo folder). The picture can be set as a Screen Saver when starting or shutting down. Well, simple games, such as chess. You can play together or against the computer.
In PoketBuk Touch 2 there is an "experimental browser." But for surfing with this picture quality, you could hardly have used it. There are other disadvantages, namely the slow opening of the pages.
The capabilities of PocketBook Touch 2 when reading e-books have not changed much. Added only integration with social services. The reader works with ePub, PDF, TXT, FB2 formats and supports Microsoft Office formats.
Pressing in the center of the screen brings up the read menu. Here you can go to the page, open the content, make a note, find a phrase, turn on the dictionary, flip the image or turn on the text-to-speech function.
With the help of social networks and ReadRate, you can share book quotes with friends, add comments, tell what you read and read what you liked and did not like.
In addition, in the FBReader settings you can change not only the font size, but also its type, line spacing, margins. As well as encoding and hyphenation. You can also change the page refresh mode.
The scale of the PDF file varies in width, normal, columns, layout, and as a percentage.
The capacity of the built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery is 1000 mAh. You can not remove or replace it, and in the event of failure, you will have to contact the service center. However, this is a very frequent situation on the market of electronic readers. Usually, the battery life of readers is measured in flipping. This approach is adopted because the lion's share of the charge is spent just on updating the image, while it is not spent at all on maintaining it. According to the manufacturer, one battery charge is enough to read 8000 pages. But this is provided the Wi-Fi module is turned off. Despite his presence, the Internet here will have to use infrequently, and, therefore, it can be disconnected from time to time as unnecessary. The device is fully charged in about three and a half hours.
The previous version of the model was tested in Germany from the Stiftung Warentest . The experts checked the reader’s reading time for 2 hours a day and came to the conclusion that the Pocket Touch lasted 46 days in this mode. I think that the results of the new version are not very different, so you can rely on the previous ones. In general, I am sure that the device will not be discharged after several days of use, and for some even after several weeks. It all depends on the intensity of reading.
Accordingly, I had pleasant impressions about the book, it is good in everything. Here and a nice design, many different settings, a fairly fast system and there is Wi-Fi. A long time of work and there is a usual microUSB connector for charging, which is also nice. Recommended price from the manufacturer - 6,990.00 rubles. PocketBook Touch 2 will be a good choice for those who just read books - it will be especially useful for those who like to read in the dark or in low light.
E-Ink Pearl HD high resolution display
Touch screen with multi-touch support
LED lights on the edges of the screen
Availability of Wi-Fi module
4 GB of internal memory and microSD support
A huge number of supported formats
Flexible configuration of many functions
Black bar at the bottom of the display when the backlight is on
Slow operation of a standard browser
Poor grade
Not quite convenient location of the power key
If you do not have an account on Habrahabr, you can read and comment on our articles on BoxOverview.com
So, today we will examine in detail the new model PocketBook Touch 2 of the popular manufacturer Obreey Products, which added the E-Ink Pearl HD screen, equipped with backlight, to its reader. And besides, it is touch-enabled with multitouch support. The commercial name of the 623rd model is “PocketBook Touch 2”. Reader appeared April 25, 2013, but went on sale recently. I propose to meet her in our today's review.
â–Ś TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The device uses a processor with a clock frequency of 800 MHz. The amount of RAM is 128 MB, the amount of internal memory is 4 GB (all system data is in this memory, so initially 3.28 GB is available to the user).
')
Screen: 6 "E-Ink Pearl HD (1024 Ă— 758), 212 dpi, with backlight Processor: Freescale 800MHz Operating system: Linux with proprietary software RAM: 128 MB User Memory: 4 GB + MicroSD slot with card support up to 32 GB Optional: Wi-Fi, microUSB, 3.5 mm stereo jack Book formats: PDF, EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, DOC, DOCX, TXT, DJVU, RTF, PRC (MOBI), HTML, HTM, CHM, TCR Image Formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF Audio Format: MP3 Battery: 1000 mAh Dimensions: 175 Ă— 114.5 Ă— 9.5 mm Weight: 198 GramsWell, traditionally PocketBook supports a large number of formats, including FB2 (including ZIP), DJVU, and so on.
â–Ś PACKING
The book comes in a compact and beautiful cardboard packaging. But she quickly hesitates and most likely you will soon send her to the trash.
On the reverse side of the box there is a technical specification in various languages, and four main advantages of PocketBook Touch 2 are highlighted. There you have all the information about production, certifications and a QR code that leads to the site with electronic books.
In the bag is the device itself, and just below - the rest of the accessories.
In addition to the book itself, you will find a Micro-USB cable and a quick start guide.
DELIVERY SET
- PocketBook Touch 2 eBook
- Micro usb cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty card
- Packaging
â–Ś DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, CONTROL ELEMENTS
Three colors are available: black, white and silver. I would take a black device, since the white frames distract me from reading. The front panel is made of matte plastic. The screen substrate is made of glass. The case is completely devoid of metal elements.
The back is covered with soft-touch spray for a comfortable grip of the device with one hand. There is also a variety of technical information and a modest company logo.
Both the frame and the back are resistant to dirt, the prints on them are almost invisible. And here is a comparison of dimensions with the flagships of 2012.
On the front panel, in addition to the six-inch touch screen, we see the page turning arrows, the return button to the main screen and the context menu. Buttons "forward" and "back" merged into one key. All buttons have a soft stroke, while clicking you hear a slight click, there are no complaints about them.
At the bottom there are all the connectors of the device: 3.5 mm for headphones, next is the microUSB port for connecting to a PC and charging and a slot for microSD memory cards. Nearby are a miniature reset button, recessed into the case so that it can only be pressed with a paper clip. A bit away is the power key. For some reason, this key was placed below, which is quite inconvenient for pressing any of the hands. In the middle of the bottom panel is the LED indicator, it displays the energy mode of the device.
The side is completely empty. The thickness of the device is small - 9.5 mm. There is a thickening in the lower part of the body, which gives additional convenience when using.
All corners of the PocketBook Touch are rounded. With the bumpers around the display here, fortunately, everything is in order. The bumpers are almost at the level of the touch screen: pressing the pictograms in the corners is convenient! Ergonomics is also on top: almost everything is thought out to the smallest detail. The size, weight and shape of PoketBuk allow you to comfortably hold it in your hands.
Build quality is high, nothing to complain about.
â–Ś DISPLAY
The screen size of PocketBook Touch 2 is 6 inches. It is made on the new technology E-Ink Pearl HD and has a resolution of 1024 x 758 pixels. A distinctive feature of this screen is the minimum power consumption and maximum visual resemblance to plain paper. In addition, the screen supports 16 grayscale, which allows it to display complex texts and illustrations.
The display is matte, there is an anti-reflective coating. The update rate is quite high, but blinks that help clear the screen of residual information are present. Of course, the device blinks not with each flipping, but only after a while. The number of pages after which the book clears the screen can be configured in the device menu.
The most important thing in the device is of course the touch display. It is capacitive, it reacts easily at the first touch, it is not necessary to repeat. I can say that he is quite responsive. There is also support for multitouch, you can zoom text, images and pages in the browser with the usual tweak.
The backlight of PocketBook Touch 2 is different about the one we used to see in our smartphones, tablets, navigators. Its peculiarity is that it allows you to not get tired eyes. And this is because the LEDs are not hidden under the display, but on the sides. It is because of this that the light is soft and diffused. With the help of the drawn scale you can adjust it according to your desire.
But there is one drawback - in the lower part of the display there always remains a dark and dingy strip, the feeling that we just had a dirty finger on the screen.
â–Ś SHELL AND APPLICATIONS
After turning on and downloading PocketBook Touch 2, the Main menu is displayed on the screen (you can also change to the last open book, this is all regulated in the settings). The main menu consists of the Recent Events section and the application panel. In the Recent Events section, which can be customized and filtered to your liking, the latest actions are displayed, namely, the last opened and last downloaded books, as well as the events of friends on ReadRate and recommendations of books. The application bar can be minimized and then only the buttons of quick transition to the Library and the Book Store company store will appear on it. At the bottom of the screen is the status bar, which briefly displays service information. In read mode, the status bar displays the current page and the total number of pages in the book.
The library is roughly the file manager of your e-book. In this section, you can select only those that are currently reading or just favorites. Or display all the books on numerous pages in one list, you can group by folders, authors, series, genres, formats and dates of creation. Sorting is available by file name, book title, date of opening or modification, series and author.
There is a music player that is designed to listen to audio files in .mp3 format. The sound is certainly not for listening to cool music with different bass, but just for audio books. ABBYY Lingvo, a separate application, is used here as a dictionary. Made it very convenient and responsive to the input word. “Live search” is available, i.e. results are shown during input, though. Selecting the Search item opens an on-screen keyboard with which you can enter a phrase in the file name, title, or author. After entering the search query, the Library will open, displaying the found books.
In the Settings section, you can change the device interface to your liking, as well as view system information. The Settings item is so extensive that it lists all its features for a very long time. You can only download that in PocketBook Touch 2 it is difficult to find an element that cannot be changed by the user.
Moreover, you can customize everything for yourself, from the interface language and the appearance of the windows to individual FB2 Reader or Adobe Viewer reading programs. And all this can be saved in different versions for each individual profile, as in PoketBuk Touch 2 profiles switching is available.
There are also additional applications. There is a powerful calculator, games, browser, calendar clock and image viewer.
The calculator supports a wide range of mathematical operations. The Photos item opens the Library in the image viewing mode (saved in the Photo folder). The picture can be set as a Screen Saver when starting or shutting down. Well, simple games, such as chess. You can play together or against the computer.
In PoketBuk Touch 2 there is an "experimental browser." But for surfing with this picture quality, you could hardly have used it. There are other disadvantages, namely the slow opening of the pages.
â–Ś READING
The capabilities of PocketBook Touch 2 when reading e-books have not changed much. Added only integration with social services. The reader works with ePub, PDF, TXT, FB2 formats and supports Microsoft Office formats.
Pressing in the center of the screen brings up the read menu. Here you can go to the page, open the content, make a note, find a phrase, turn on the dictionary, flip the image or turn on the text-to-speech function.
With the help of social networks and ReadRate, you can share book quotes with friends, add comments, tell what you read and read what you liked and did not like.
In addition, in the FBReader settings you can change not only the font size, but also its type, line spacing, margins. As well as encoding and hyphenation. You can also change the page refresh mode.
The scale of the PDF file varies in width, normal, columns, layout, and as a percentage.
â–Ś BATTERY, CHARGING, TIME OF WORK
The capacity of the built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery is 1000 mAh. You can not remove or replace it, and in the event of failure, you will have to contact the service center. However, this is a very frequent situation on the market of electronic readers. Usually, the battery life of readers is measured in flipping. This approach is adopted because the lion's share of the charge is spent just on updating the image, while it is not spent at all on maintaining it. According to the manufacturer, one battery charge is enough to read 8000 pages. But this is provided the Wi-Fi module is turned off. Despite his presence, the Internet here will have to use infrequently, and, therefore, it can be disconnected from time to time as unnecessary. The device is fully charged in about three and a half hours.
The previous version of the model was tested in Germany from the Stiftung Warentest . The experts checked the reader’s reading time for 2 hours a day and came to the conclusion that the Pocket Touch lasted 46 days in this mode. I think that the results of the new version are not very different, so you can rely on the previous ones. In general, I am sure that the device will not be discharged after several days of use, and for some even after several weeks. It all depends on the intensity of reading.
â–Ś CONCLUSION
Accordingly, I had pleasant impressions about the book, it is good in everything. Here and a nice design, many different settings, a fairly fast system and there is Wi-Fi. A long time of work and there is a usual microUSB connector for charging, which is also nice. Recommended price from the manufacturer - 6,990.00 rubles. PocketBook Touch 2 will be a good choice for those who just read books - it will be especially useful for those who like to read in the dark or in low light.
â–Ś ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
E-Ink Pearl HD high resolution display Touch screen with multi-touch support LED lights on the edges of the screen Availability of Wi-Fi module 4 GB of internal memory and microSD support A huge number of supported formats Flexible configuration of many functions Black bar at the bottom of the display when the backlight is on Slow operation of a standard browser Poor grade Not quite convenient location of the power keyIf you do not have an account on Habrahabr, you can read and comment on our articles on BoxOverview.com
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/182604/
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