Ebook Reader

PocketBook Pro 912

--Apos 03:41, 7 January 2012 (CET)

A word in advance

An e-ink device is for reading eBooks in natural and bright lightning conditions!

It it NOT a

• Tablet PC
• Organiser
• Email checker
• Web-Browsing device
• Multimedia device for playing music, whatching photos, ...

It mainly is for reading TEXT, taking notes, navigation with table of contents, searching text documents ...

The e-ink technology has its limitations, but it biggest advantage is

• natural reading in natural and bright light conditions
• no refresh rate of the display is good for the eyes
• very (!) long battery life (weeks of reading possible)

A description of the device that I bought I already made in this thread (in language german) at mobileread) and here more actual. A Youtube video you can find here.

I like the device because of its excellent hardware quality and intuitive handling through the hardware buttons and stylus. But the most important thing is: the Linux firmware is completely open source. Surely it it possible to hack even a Kindle, but all Pocketbooks make it easy to add software and compile it on your own. Without any restrictions, despite the one that you need the skills to do so ;) The software might be better on other devices, but this is a matter of time. Development cycles for hardware are short term (speaking in years) and I like to use my device more than 2 years in terms thinking of electronic waste! A time when others throwed a away their KiXXX-devices, because there is no way to fix a serious software bug. I know what I am talking about, using and working with Linux and IBM/Lenovo machines (which are not the nicest ones, but you can always repair them easily) for years now.

The disadvantages are:

• hight price,
• slower hardware (500 MHz, 256RAM)
• the display is not "state of the art" (type Vizplex)

But I can honestly say: it suffices my needs completely. There is always a reason to look abroad ;)

After a couple of weeks now of extensive usage I can say that reading documents on an e-ink device is really much more relaxed, than reading on a computer monitor. What I like most is, that I am reading in natural light conditions, the more light the better. An e-ink device is nothing for a café inside with shimmering light. But reading outside, in even the sun, at home with a good reading lamp - that's a lot of fun. What make me really smile is: I am carrying around all my literature and I don't have to worry about power consumption (if one does not use the wireless LAN or Bluetooth function extensively).

Unfortunately there are some drawbacks, especially when it come on PDF-files (see the article Ebook Conversion. You need at least an 10 e-ink (which are the biggest ones at the time of writing) to be able to read them. I am talking about A4-size books, most of the time you need to crop them or you have to read them in landscape mode of the reader, half a side by half a side.

I am looking forward when 14 or 15 devices will come to the market at real book size. With weight under 400 grams, good display resolutions and fast hardware. Until then, we have to deal with the high prices, slower hardware. But as always with new technologies, then we have to live with this compromises for a certain amount of time.

Picture gallery

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  Tuff-Luv leather cover with "book stand

• 

  Pocketbook 912 within the cover

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  Stylus holder and special buttons

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  External connections, speakers and SD-card slot

Videos

Short intro

This video shows some features of the reader. The quality is not that good, due to the use of an old digital camera. If you like to sponsor me a new one: feel free ;) By the way, this is my first Youtube video ever made and uploaded ;)

{{#widget:YouTube|id=OksWzxZ1knU}}

DIY bookend with Velcro stripes

Warning: removing the Velcro stripes can damage your cover! So think before you glue!

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Fbreader software

Tried the fbreader180. The features are really good, but the integration with the PocketBook 912 Pro is disappointing:

• No TTS
• No Notes

So I stay with the stock, but a little buggy fbreader and will wait until it becomes more mature.