Pocketbook what formats it reads. E-book review: which pocketbook to buy

Interface software PocketBook Touch

The PocketBook Touch device came to me on board. At first I experimented with reading books of different formats on this version: I almost finished reading one interesting book Fb2 format, experimented with EPUB and MOBI books, tried to read PDF books (including large books, 70Mb and 100Mb in size) and DjVu, everything is on the level!

At the same time, I read what has already been written about this device (starting from Habr and continuing with links in the comments to reviews of this and other reader models). Looking for useful information I went to, and also got to, where I found version 4.0 in the list of available firmware. On the support page of the PocketBook Touch device, in addition to the firmware itself, I also noticed that it was written specifically for this version, I also found it here (which I successfully used). Everything is described in detail, clearly and understandably, I will only add one thing, in paragraph 9, instead of the inscription “Please connect power cable”, after which you need to connect the device to the computer, I had a picture that shows a reader connected to a computer.

Below I will try to describe the most interesting things related to the capabilities of the PocketBook Touch reader working with firmware version 4.0. I took pictures of the interface programmatically (in the reader itself, and not with a camera), so the screen shade will be a little whiter than it actually is. But the interface elements will be in the right places for them.

When you turn on the reader, you will see below - toolbar, above - list of recent events. By clicking in the upper right corner of the events, you can customize the displayed events as you like.

From the list of recent events, it is convenient to open the latest books that you read in PocketBook Touch.
The developers added as events interaction with the social feature of book lovers - . The idea is interesting, but I this stage it is more convenient to interact with the Internet through a bunch of FireFox +, I clearly lack the Internet capabilities within the E-Ink reader (I mean the browser for accessing the Internet and the PocketNews RSS feed reader - PocketBook Touch applications). I will not describe the capabilities of the PocketBook Touch related to the Internet in this review, I will only say that turning on WiFi drains the battery quite well (much more noticeable than normal reading from the device).

The most important thing in the reader is, of course, the section Library. The developers have provided convenient ways to group and sort books. Everything is clear and understandable, experimenting, you can choose for yourself exactly the display mode that suits you. See the available sorting options below:

A useful feature of the library is the search. You can use a word or phrase to find the right book, the exact location of which on a flash drive or in the built-in memory you forgot.

In the fourth firmware version for PocketBook Touch, developers have added a graphical menu in addition to the text reading menu. The arrangement of tools in the case of a graphical menu seems to me more convenient, in addition, a search appeared in the graphical menu, which makes it possible to find the necessary information in books or articles in text format (TXT, Fb2, EPUB, MOBI). You can select the appropriate view mode as follows: Settings -) Appearance -) Reading menu. For clarity, I give the difference between interfaces below:

I'll tell you a little about the features of how PocketBook Touch works with different formats e-books.
I'll start with text Fb2, MOBI and EPUB.

Fb2 and MOBI

In this PocketBook model, Fb2 and MOBI formats open in FBReader. The available book display settings are the same and look like this:

In PocketBook Touch for books in Fb2 and MOBI formats, you can select any of the available fonts, set the font size, set the line spacing, select the margin size, and set up some other display settings.

By touching the touch button Font, you will be able to select font options from the following options:

And the page of the book for different types of fonts will look like this (set the font size to 22, Normal):

EPUB

This PocketBook Touch format with 4th firmware opens by default with the Adobe Viewer application. There are fewer settings here than for the Fb2 and MOBI formats, but the most important thing can still be customized for yourself:

I noticed that with the same parameters Font / Font Size selected for the book in Fb2 format (opens FBReader) and for the book in EPUB format (Opens Adobe Viewer) do not match (in my case, the 16th DejaVu Sans font size in Adobe Viewer is much larger, than the 22nd DejaVu Sans font size in FBReader).

Working with PDF and DjVu, book rotation, scaling

Experimenting with books in PDF and DjVu formats (including small print), for me personally, a good option for solving the problem of fitting a book to a reader (so that the font is large and easy to flip through) is the following:

Other useful features of PocketBook Touch

Adding a note on an arbitrary book page (does not work for books in DjVu format):

Key customization:
Settings -) Key Assignment

Turning off the light indication (during all operations, except for charging the device via USB, the light will not light):
Settings -) Appearance -) LED indication

Read more about the useful features of the device in the topic dedicated to.

This is where I will end my review of the PocketBook Touch device.
Summarizing, I will note the strong and weak sides devices.

Strengths of the PocketBook Touch reader:

• support for a large number of e-book formats;


• thoughtful navigation system (flipping through the pages of the book is really very convenient);



• high speed of work;


• a good set of fonts for displaying books in text formats (Fb2, MOBI, EPUB);


• flexible custom library;


• integrated dictionaries from Lingvo.

Weaknesses of the PocketBook Touch reader:

• the charger is not included in the standard package;


• Text-to-speech voice modules need to be improved;


• there is no way to open images from an arbitrary folder of the built-in memory or memory card (but I would like to).

This concludes my short review of the PocketBook Touch reader, I hope that the information provided here will be useful to someone. I really liked the device, convenient and practical, to save the resource of the eyes, that's it!

I express my deep gratitude to the management of the online store, for believing in me, having allocated a reading room at my disposal for tests and experiments. This is my first review on near-computer hardware, before that I described only software. Thank you all for your attention and patience. Good luck choosing useful devices!

Provide the reader with the opportunity to enjoy their favorite literature, listen to music, connect to the Internet.

When choosing, pay attention to appearance products, screen, functionality. Reading should be enjoyable and safe for health.

Pocketbook Inkpad 84 - with audio output

Model with a capacious battery and built-in memory, allows you to listen to audio files. heavy, so it is uncomfortable to hold it in your hands.

Characteristics:

• touch screen E-Ink (8 inches);
• processor power - 1 GHz;
• device memory - 4 GB, memory card - up to 32 GB, operational - 512 MB;
• connection to Wi-Fi;
• listening to audio recordings;
• supports 16 book and 4 graphic formats;
• dimensions - 195.5 × 162.8 × 7.3 mm;
• weight - 350 grams.

Pros:

• reading basic electronic formats;
• the extended memory is sufficient to store the electronic library;
• battery capacity;
• duration of work - up to 8,000 pages;
• ease of use.

Minuses:

• uneven illumination;
• great weight.

Pocketbook 630 - with multi-touch screen

The body of the product is made of plastic with a light texture pattern. A device with a multi-touch screen, Internet access. The model is compact and functional.

There is a backlight, the screen displays pictures with contrast. The fonts are clear, smooth page turning. The book works without recharging for about two weeks.

Characteristics:

• multi-touch 6-inch screen;
• processor clock frequency - 1000 MHz;
• 4 GB - main memory (extension - 32 GB), operational - 256 MB;
• reads 18 text formats;
• weight - 155 grams;
• dimensions - 110x151x8 mm;
• Wi-Fi is connected.

Pros:

• functionality;
• clear and contrast image;
• stylish design;
• compact body;
• The screen brightness is adjusted automatically.

Minuses:

• available in one color only;
• slippery surface.

Pocketbook 631 - with infrared screen

Suitable for storing text files, digital library and audio files. A device with a screen of 6 inches, good RAM, a powerful processor.

The display provides maximum proximity to the format of the book, so the eyes do not get tired when reading. Compact dimensions and lightness of the device.

Characteristics:

• reads 18 text formats, images, audio files;
• weight - 180 grams;
• memory: main - 8 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB, operational - 512 MB;
• display 6 inches;
• processor power in 1000 MHz;
• dimensions - 175x114x9 mm;
• WiFi connection.

Pros:

• functionality;
• efficient processor;
• fast response programs, smooth page turning;
• equipped with a built-in dictionary;
• excellent clarity and contrast, balance between black and white;
• uniform LED illumination;
• the screen does not fade under the influence of the sun;
• user-friendly interface;
• elegant design.

Minuses:

• there is no camera;
• without a speaker, you can listen to books and audio only with headphones.

Pocketbook Touch 2 - with a duration of 8 thousand pages

Electronic book with high screen resolution, built-in backlight, increased memory capacity. The model provides comfortable reading of the main electronic formats, differs in functionality (built-in dictionaries).

Fast and easy page turning. The book accurately imitates paper, allows you to read at any time of the day or night.

Characteristics:

• support for 12 book and 4 graphic formats;
• dimensions - 175 by 114.5 by 9.5 mm;
• weight - 198 grams;
• memory - 4 GB, maximum capacity - up to 32 GB;
• USB, WiFi
• listening to audio recordings;
• diagonal - 6 inches, screen E-Ink Pearl.

Pros:

• duration of work - up to 8 thousand pages;
• high memory properties;
• support for MP3 files;
• comfortable reading in sunny weather;
• ease of use;
• contrast and sharpness of images.

Minuses:

• weighty product;
• does not support all text formats.

Pocketbook Touch Lux - with listening to MP3 files

An e-book with a 6-inch screen that supports basic text, graphic formats. The product is equipped with a USB cable, manual, warranty card. Stylish design and sophisticated body lines.

Characteristics:

• reading 16 book and 3 graphic formats;
• listening to MP3;
• screen E-Ink Pearl (6 inches);
• memory - 4 GB expandable up to 32 GB, RAM - 128 GB.
• kit (USB cable, manual, warranty card);
• connection to Wi-Fi;
• dimensions - 175 x 114.5 x 9.5 mm;
• weighs 198 grams.

Pros:

• the ability to listen to audio recordings;
• equipping with 5 modes of reading PDF-files;
• carefully designed user menu;
• work for about a month without recharging;
• increased screen scrolling speed;
• equipped with LED lighting.

Minuses:

• hefty device.

Pocketbook 615 - with a 6-inch display and HD resolution

Compact and mobile device gives a clear and contrasting image. The model supports the main formats, reads images, connects to USB, there is a backlight to illuminate the work area.

The downside of the product is that it is not possible to connect to Wi-Fi. Guarantee, compliance technical parameters quality.

Characteristics:

• memory characteristics: built-in - 8 GB, extended - up to 32 GB, operational - 256 MB;
• reads 18 text and 4 graphic formats;
• processor power - 1000 MHz;
• weight - 188 grams;
• 6" HD display;
• size - 115x174x8 mm;
• equipped with USB.

Pros:

• mobility, compact size;
• easy control;
• the ability to make notes in the margins;
• stylish design;
• high clock frequency of the processor;
• ease of use.

Minuses:

• no Wi-Fi;
• There is no automatic screen rotation feature.

Pocketbook 840 - for working with large format text files

A device with an 8-inch screen allows you to read not only text information, images, but also audio files. The advantage of the book is the clarity of the transmission of pictures to the smallest detail, 16 shades of gray.

The product is equipped with a backlight. Additional features include ReadRate, DropBox, Book Store, RSS News and more.

Characteristics:

• processor at 1000 MHz;
• display - 8 inches;
• size - 163 by 196 by 7 mm;
• weight - 350 grams;
• supports 16 text, 4 graphic formats;
• base memory - 4 GB, extended - microSD (up to 32 GB), operational - 512 MB;
• black color);
• connection to Wi-Fi;
• set (instruction for use, USB).

Pros:

• functionality;
• used to work with large format files;
• illumination of the working area;
• 8-inch screen clearly transmits pictures;
• listening to audio files;
• enlarged area for turning pages.

Minuses:

• the display can be easily scratched;
• long inclusion after a full discharge;
• hard button movement.

Rocketbook 626 - with LED lighting

With convenient touch control, anti-reflective screen, LED-backlit make the reading process pleasant and easy.

The display displays texts and pictures brightly and with contrast, it is possible to read books in the dark. Model with a powerful processor and extended memory of 32 GB.

Characteristics:

• reads 16 book and 4 graphic formats;
• device memory - 4 GB, expansion - up to 32 GB;
• RAM - 256 MB;
• processor clock frequency - 1 GHz;
• weight - 204 grams;
• dimensions - 174 × 115 × 8.3;
• display - 6 inches, E-ink;
• connection to Wi-Fi;
• equipment (warranty card, manual, USB cable);

Pros:

• increased battery capacity;
• capacity, the possibility of expanding memory;
• multi-format;
• LED lighting allows you to read books in the dark;
• smooth page turning;
• thin body, the book fits easily in the palm of your hand;
• convenient structure of the back panel, soft touch coating;
• ease of use.

Minuses:

• does not read audio files;
• reaction to touch with a delay of 1-2 seconds.

Pocketbook 624 - with a multi-touch screen that uses Film Touch technology

Provides convenient storage and reading of text and graphic information. Super-thin plastic film provides comfortable and safe reading, the device is equipped with the necessary accessories.

Characteristics:

• support for modern text and graphic formats;
• built-in memory - up to 32 GB;
• weight - 190 grams;
• 6-inch screen with Filn Touch thin touch film;
• connection to Wi-Fi;
• RAM - 256 MB;
• processor - 1000 MHz;
• set (operating book, USB cable).

Pros:

• the device is integrated with Dropbox, allows you to instantly synchronize content;
• The protective film has minimal impact on the optical properties of the screen;
• thin and light model;
• reduction of time for turning pages;
• user-friendly interface and touch control.

Minuses:

• inconvenient to work with the PDF format;
• after a while the book starts to freeze.

Pocketbook 515 - light and compact

A book for active people who are constantly on the move, reading in parks, the subway, at lunchtime. The compact device fits in your pocket and can be operated even with one hand.

Convenient key layout and a functional five-way joystick provide ease of use of the e-book.

Characteristics:

• supports 15 text and 4 graphic formats;
• processor power - 1 GHz;
• memory specifications: 4 GB, microSD;
• RAM - 256 MB;
• weight - 130 grams;
• 5-inch E-Ink display;
• color options (black, black and white);
• kit (instruction for use, USB).

Pros:

• capacious battery;
• high processor power ensures smooth page turning;
• support for 15 text and 4 graphic formats;
• equipped with an anti-glare screen E Inc;
• compactness, lightness;
• ease of use.

Minuses:

• lack of backlight;
• no wifi, mp 3 player.

Pocketbook 614 - with anti-glare screen

There is no flicker on the screen, so when reading there are no problems with the viewing angles of the reader, the process is not affected sun glare. The case is thin, has a streamlined shape, so it is easy to hold it in your hands.

Characteristics:

• RAM - 256 MB;
• processor - 1 GHz;
• support for 16 text and 4 graphic formats;
• dimensions - 174.4x114.6x8.3 mm;
• weight - 188 grams;
• memory - 4 GB, memory card - 32 GB;
• 6-inch non-touch display;
• complete with USB, brief instructions;
• color (white, dark gray).

Pros:

• anti-glare screen allows you to read even on the clearest day;
• the ability to store and read files of different formats (book, graphic);
• does not cause eye strain;
• memory expansion with microSD cards up to 32 GB;
• the model is easy to hold in hands, streamlined body shape;
• works without recharging for a month;
• simple control.

Minuses:

• there is no way to read audio and video files;
• low functionality, intended only for reading books.

Pocketbook basic - for novice readers

Such a device is suitable for readers who are taking their first steps in electronic reading. The model is simple and affordable in operation, able to work without recharging up to a month.

A reader with a strict design and thin body, the screen is visually similar to a sheet of paper. The product supports major formats and is equipped with a MicroSD slot.

Characteristics:

• support for 15 book and 4 graphic formats;
• processor - 800 MHz;
• dimensions - 122.6x176.4x9.7 mm;
• weight - 180 grams;
• 6" E-Ink Vizplex display;
• main memory - 4 GB, microSD slot;
• USB connection.

Pros:

• battery lasts for reading 8000 pages;
• there is no flicker, tiring eyes;
• multi-format;
• convenient arrangement of keys;
• the fastest access to information;
• 5 modes of reading PDF-files;
• ease of use.

Minuses:

• there is no way to listen to audio;
• without wifi.

To choose correctly, pay attention to the features of the screen. All presented models have an E Ink display, which allows you to read books in bright sunlight, such screens do not flicker in the sun, there are no glare.

In addition, the displays do not tire the eyes and do not lead to a decrease in vision.

But under normal lighting, books become more difficult to read, so best models equipped with a special LED backlight, providing comfortable reading in the dark. Among such products are Pocketbook 626, 840, 630.

Be sure to pay attention to the clarity and contrast of image transmission, because pictures are often present in the text. All screens are equipped with the function of displaying 16 shades of gray.

One of the important factors for comfortable reading is the size and weight of the e-book. The thinner and smaller the case, the easier it is to carry the device with you.

If the mobility and compactness of the book plays an important role for you, then look at the Pocketbook 515 and 630 models.

Among the devices presented are products with 6 and. They are considered standard, so choose portable Pocketbook 630, 631.

An important criterion is the ease of operation of the device. Pocketbook Inkpad 84, Touch 2, Touch Lux will provide quick response programs.

All devices have a high duration of work - 8 thousand pages, so they are recharged with active reading once a month.

The main criterion that allows you to evaluate the quality of a book is the number of supported formats. The most functional are devices that read 18 text formats and images.

In the segment of compact e-books, PocketBook has a 360 model and several of its modifications, until recently it was the only one. In general, this is a good book with additional features like useful applications, but for all its advantages, PocketBook 360 has a number of disadvantages - firstly, the price, and secondly, it is far from the most compact dimensions with a small screen diagonal. With the release of the new PocketBook 515 electric book, the company eliminates both shortcomings.

Design, body materials

The front side of the book is made of matte gray, white or dark blue (navy blue) plastic. The back is completely black, with the exception of the “PocketBook” logo, the plastic here resembles a velvety surface, the material is very pleasant to the touch, due to which it is convenient and comfortable to hold the book in your hand.

In terms of design, PocketBook 515 is simple - there are no decorative inserts or original solutions, minimalist design: one visible key below the screen, medium thickness bezel, solid colors, that's it. The book looks, for my taste, nice, it is unlikely that someone will not like it because of its appearance, rather, it simply will not evoke any emotions or, on the contrary, will be to your liking.

There is only one element that confuses me in the design of the book - the light green rim around the navigation button. It is clear that this is a reference to corporate identity a company in which gray and light green colors occupy the main place, but, in my opinion, PocketBook would do well with a version of the book with a white or black rim. It seems like a trifle, but for some buyers it can play a role.

How the book will look in white and dark blue colors, you can see in the photo below.

Dimensions

All the “salt” of the PocketBook 515 is in the dimensions of this book – it is very compact. The dimensions of the book are 142.33 x 100.02 x 7.20 mm, weight - 131 grams. For comparison, below are the dimensions of the last 5 ”book - PocketBook 360.

• PocketBook 515- 142 x 100 x 7.2 mm, 131 grams
• PocketBook 360 Plus- 146 x123 x13.8 mm, 180 grams

The book easily fits in a jeans pocket or even in a shorts pocket, it weighs a little. You can hold the PocketBook 515 with one hand and turn the pages with it, for this you will not need to reach somewhere with your finger, the keys are located exactly under the thumb of the right or left hand.

Below are pictures to evaluate the dimensions of PocketBook 515 in comparison with smartphones, phones and e-books with 6” screens:

Comparison with Apple iPad mini

Comparison with Meizu MX2

Comparison with Nokia 105

Comparison with HTC One

Comparison with Amazon Kindle 5

Comparison with Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch

Control

The controls in the PocketBook 515 are a four-position navigation key under the screen with a central press, two buttons located flush with the body to the left and right of it, as well as a key to turn on and lock the book on the bottom.

The buttons to the left and right of the central one are for turning pages and navigating through the menu. The left button is "Back", the right button is "Forward". For the same purpose, you can use the navigation key. The navigation block as a whole is convenient: the button is pressed moderately tight, with a distinct click, so that pressing is felt with a finger. But the keys on the left and right, designed for paging, are more rigid, they have a short stroke and a barely perceptible click, it is clear that this is done so that there are no accidental clicks, but, in my opinion, they could be less tight, These buttons take some getting used to. On the other hand, you can always use the navigation block to turn pages.

A nice feature of the book related to management is that in the settings you can set key assignments for two profiles when working with PDF and DjVu formats, as well as when working with the rest. There are actually a lot of customizable actions for the buttons: a quick left or right key press, holding each of these buttons, the same for each position of the navigation button and the center key. Total - 14 actions.

Display

The sample that I had in my hands has an E-Ink Vizplex screen installed, however, according to our information, the book will go on sale with an E-Ink Pearl screen. Display diagonal - 5", physical dimensions - 101x76 mm, resolution - 800x600 pixels. The top layer of the screen is glass, there is an anti-reflective coating, in the sun the book really remains readable.

The image on the screen can be rotated by calling the quick settings menu in reading mode. The font and its size can also be selected in the settings, more than a dozen font variations are available, the sizes change in a wide range.

In general, I liked the display even on the test PocketBook 515, the screen is good for such a small one, the most important thing is that the font on it is perfectly readable at any size, and if you immediately set the font type and several sizes for yourself for different situations, then the impressions from screen will be only positive.

The screen in the book is not touch.

Working hours

The declared operating time of PocketBook 515 from one battery charge is up to 8000 pages. Built-in battery capacity - 1000 mAh, standard Li-Ion battery is used. I read with PocketBook for a couple of days for 3-4 hours, of course, during this time the charge level remained almost unchanged, the book sat down by about 3% of the maximum charge. Count exact time The work of the book from one charge, I think it makes no sense. Unlike smartphone manufacturers, who often indicate the operating time in different modes very roughly and inaccurately, book manufacturers are in a simpler situation, with a book like the PocketBook 515, you can basically only read, so the declared operating time for this scenario is most likely will be about the same in reality. In practice, this is several weeks of work of the book with daily reading.

You can charge the book either from the network or by connecting it to a computer and selecting the appropriate mode. The second option when connecting to a PC is file transfer.

Loading books, memory

When connected to a computer and selecting the "Communication with PC" mode, the book is defined as an ordinary removable disk. Then you can throw books into it both in the root of the device and in any folders, or create your own folders with books.

The convenience is that it is very simple - no need to tinker with the modes. No need to remember the name of a special folder where to load books. Moreover, all the books that have just been loaded into the device are displayed in the library in a special block “+N new books”, so if you load ten books into PocketBook 515 at once, they will not be lost in the library of a couple of hundred books, you can immediately find them in this block.

The PocketBook 515 uses a built-in flash memory, the declared capacity is 4 GB, about 2.8 GB is available to the user, memory cards are not supported, so this amount cannot be increased. The question of whether a memory card is needed in an e-book or not, in this case, I think, does not matter, even 1 GB is enough for hundreds of books, and even more than two or more gigabytes.

Supported formats

Declared support for the following formats:

PDF, PDF (DRM), EPUB, EPUB(DRM), DJVU, FB2, FB2.ZIP, DOC, DOCX, RTF, PRC, TCR, TXT, CHM, HTM, HTML, as well as images in JPEG, BMP, PNG formats .TIFF.

There are no problems with opening books in PDF and DjVu formats, books of 15-20 MB and more open quickly, but reading books in these formats on a 5 ”screen is, of course, inconvenient, so it makes little sense to use PocketBook 515 to work with them.

Everything is fine with the rest of the formats: flipping is fast, although not instantaneous, there is a slight delay. I can compare the swiping process to my Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble. So, in it the book is scrolled more comfortably and quickly, but in PocketBook I cannot call this process tedious, everything is within reason.

The speed of the book, in general, is not bad, although you expect more from the declared characteristics (processor frequency 1000 MHz and 256 MB of RAM), namely, an instant reaction to user actions. But I repeat, the speed of the book suited me, a couple of hours of getting used to it - that's all.

Menu

The main screen of PocketBook 515 is a list of books, which displays the latest downloaded and opened books. Below there is a library icon, there is already a division into folders, you are free to make any number of them in the device’s memory, and here they will be displayed alphabetically. Inside the folders are already books. For each book, the cover (if available), title and author, as well as the format and size of the book are displayed.

On the library page, if you press and hold the central key, you can call up the context menu, here you can configure filtering, the format for grouping and sorting books, and the view of the library view. There is also a book search function here, it can be useful when the number of books in your device exceeds a couple of hundred, for example.

In addition to the reading function, there are others in PocketBook 515 - a built-in dictionary, several toys, a calendar, notes, a calculator and a photo viewer. In my opinion, all this can be useful to someone someday, and it's even nice that there are such things here. But in general, an e-book is a device for reading, and the main thing is that it is convenient to read from it, PocketBook 515 has no problems with this, the rest is not so important.

Conclusion

The PocketBook 515 goes on sale, tentatively, in early August, the cost is 3,000 rubles. Now a little about alternatives for PocketBook 5151 - there are two of them. The first is books from famous companies like Sony, Amazon or Barnes & Noble. There is no choice here, from what is on sale, this is only the Sony PRS-350 for 5,000 rubles. An excellent book in a compact metal case, in all respects a real thing! But - almost twice as expensive, with an old type screen, and it is already difficult to find it on sale. Option two - books from B-brands. This is the world of Texet, Ritmix, Inch, Digma, Oysters, Wexler and so on. There is already a choice various options in terms of workmanship both in terms of case, design and materials, and in terms of software, ease of reading from a book, but in general, everything is about the same level. At a price, such books cost in the region of 2,000 - 3,500 rubles.

There are several factors on the side of the PocketBook 515 in this comparison. The first one is brand awareness, after all, PocketBook is one of the leaders in the e-book market, if we talk about Russia, the CIS, and Europe. Many people prefer to buy things from well-known companies in their field - this factor can play a decisive role. The second is that unlike B-brands, in which books often have problems with software and general stability, as well as speed of work, books from PocketBook are more predictable and stable in this sense. Of course, PB can also have problems, but serious glitches or freezes with a large number of downloaded books are unlikely. Hence the conclusion - PocketBook turned out to be a good compact book, pleasant in terms of appearance, in a solid case, with a good screen, excellent software, with a convenient library and acceptable speed, and most importantly, at an adequate price.

Artem Lutfullin ()

Pocketbook is one of the few manufacturers that have a 5-inch e-reader in their lineup. Until recently, Pocketbook 360 Plus acted as such a reader. This model has gone through several upgrades, updates in appearance and features, remaining one of the most popular and sought-after 5-inch readers for several years. Its main advantages were a successful design with an original removable cover that protected the display, as well as a low price, comfortable ergonomics and support for all formats. The new Pocketbook 515 is made in a standard form factor, which is used on the manufacturer's 6-inch models, but it retains other advantages: multi-format, even more low cost, minimum weight and dimensions. How successful the Pocketbook was in replacing one 5-inch model with another, and what the user should expect from the smallest and lightest reader on the market, we will find out in our review.

Equipment

The reader's packaging box contains only a microUSB cable, which is used to charge the e-book from a computer and transfer files. Such equipment is standard for Pocketbook readers and corresponds to market trends: both American manufacturers of readers and Japanese manufacturers represented by Sony do exactly the same. In packing electronic readers For a long time they have not put anything but a device and a cable, trying to offer the user a reader at the lowest possible price. Additional accessories, which are covers and chargers from the outlet, which the user is invited to buy separately.

Cases

Covers for the reader deserve special mention, because due to the modest size of the reader, they were also made by the manufacturer as minimalistic as possible. The attention of users is offered either a hinged cover, attached to the upper end of the reader and covering only the screen - the most fragile part of the e-book. Such a cover is made double-sided and two-color ( or ), and the user will have the opportunity to choose which side to use as the front: bright color, or more strict black.

Another variant of the cover is a case with fasteners in the form of rubber bands at the corners of the reader, made of fabric material that is pleasant to the touch. It can also be "turned inside out", that is, used as the front inside of the cover. Two colors are offered: and.

It should be noted that in the case of covers, a clear progress is obvious, since many users did not like the covers for past models in the form of "books" because of their large dimensions - they seriously thickened and weighed down the readers. The same cannot be said about the new cases for the Pocketbook 515, as they turned out to be as elegant and light as the reader itself.

Design

Externally, the model looks almost exactly the same as the 6-inch Pocketbook 613 reader. The location of the controls is absolutely identical: there is a joystick under the screen, as well as the right and left scroll keys. At the bottom there is a microUSB port and a power button, and at the top there are holes for attaching the original flip cover. Of the differences from the model: the paging keys are completely recessed to the body and in fact they are not keys - these are just places marked with the "forward" and "backward" icons, when pressed, a dull click is heard, and the paging is triggered. This original technical solution made it possible to make the buttons more reliable in operation and increase the practicality of the reader, since there are no gaps between the buttons and the body - potential places for dirt accumulation.

In addition to the traditional gray and white body colors, the 515 model is presented in blue-green "green color". In our opinion, this color scheme is very successful, since there are already plenty of gray and white readers on the market, and in this case, the user is offered the necessary dark one (such a border visually increases the whiteness of the E-ink screen), but at the same time a very original and pretty body color . The reader in aquamarine has an orange joystick, while the reader in a gray and white case has a light green one. The reverse side of the e-book in all three cases is black. On the back panel there is a special recess in which the middle finger rests when the user holds the reader in one hand, which looks like a very convenient design move.

The main advantage of the reader, for which he received a logical second name Pocketbook Mini - size and weight. The previous 5-inch Pocketbook 360 Plus was twice as thick and weighed as much as a 6-inch reader. The new reader has a weight of 130 grams, and the body thickness is 7.2 mm. The reader is only a couple of centimeters wider than the current top-end smartphones, which makes it easy to carry it in your pockets.

Screen

As we have already noted, the display on the Pocketbook Mini has a diagonal of 5 inches. At various times, there were popular models on the market that had a screen of a similar size, for example, the Sony PRS-350 or the same Pocketbook 360 Plus. Therefore, it is obvious that a 5-inch diagonal is a sought-after screen size among buyers.

Visually, the quality of the image on the Pocketbook 515 cannot be claimed. Although if you look at the declared characteristics of the reader, there is something to complain about: the E-ink screen is used, but without the Pearl prefix, which we are used to seeing on the most popular models, and which is synonymous with quality for technology e paper. The reader has a screen of the previous generation, used on the Pocketbook 613 Basic New model, but since the reader has not a 6, but a 5-inch display, the pixel-per-inch ratio of the 515 model is higher than that of any 6-inch reader (200 ppi versus 166 ppi). Apparently, due to this, the text on the screen looks very clear and contrasting: the background is distinguished by good whiteness, and the letters are saturated black.

Among other advantages of the screen, we note that paging occurs with high speed, and there are practically no traces of previous pages on the display. As on previous Pocketbook models, on the 515 model, you can adjust the frequency of full page refresh, choosing from five modes: always, never, 3 pages, 5 pages or 10 pages. In the first case, the reader will refresh the image a little longer after each flip, blinking black for a second, but on the screen you will not find the slightest artifacts from past pages. All other modes give priority to paging speed, while traces of what you have read may appear on the screen.

Characteristics

Model 515 is equipped with 4 GB of internal memory, and its volume cannot be increased with the help of an additional memory card. The user has access to about 3.2 GB, which is enough for about 3 thousand books. The battery of the novelty is quite modest in capacity - 1000 mAh, but this is quite enough to provide the reader with 3-4 weeks of work without recharging with daily use for 1-2 hours.

Traditionally, Pocketbook readers support all formats of electronic files: PDF, PDF (DRM), EPUB, EPUB(DRM), DJVU, FB2, FB2.ZIP, DOC, DOCX, RTF, PRC, TCR, TXT, CHM, HTM, HTML. FB2, FB2.ZIP, EPUB, TXT and Word's DOC, DOCX and RTF formats are best compatible with the reader, but PDF and DJVU on a 5-inch screen cannot be read comfortably. Also, in the Pocketbook 515 parameter set, built-in dictionaries will be found to translate unfamiliar words in the text when reading on foreign language. English-Russian, as well as English explanatory and English-German dictionaries are preinstalled. It is possible to view photos (JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF graphic formats are supported) and use the Calendar. In addition, there are several simple toys: Snake, Kerchief, Sudoku and Chess.

Interface

After turning on the reader, the user will be taken to home page menu. The top of the screen is occupied by a list of recently open books, and below are the menu sections: Library, Notes, Applications, Settings.

The main attention deserves, first of all, the Library, which will display the downloaded books. It supports a simple file system, that is, books can be sorted and viewed through ordinary computer folders. They can be created, renamed and deleted both from the computer and through the reader itself. When you hold down the central button of the joystick, a context menu appears, through which you can customize the appearance of the Library: sort, group, customize the appearance of files, select them by title and author.

Electronic books (readers, readers) have long become familiar devices for a wide range of users. Their advantages: the availability of content (you can download the necessary book from the Internet in a matter of minutes), the E-ink screen that does not spoil your eyesight, the ability to have a collection of thousands of books in the reader, long work on a single charge, font type and size settings. Not so long ago, e-books with a backlit screen appeared - they allow you to read in complete darkness. In general, the advantages of readers can be listed for a very long time.

However, when getting acquainted with readers, users often have one problem. People who decide to purchase a reader for the first time, when faced with the concept of "e-book formats", often do not understand what it is about. The problem is especially relevant for beginners, to whom the abbreviations "FB2", "EPUB" or "MOBI" mean absolutely nothing.

The so-called formats are Various types electronic text files that are supported (reproduced) by one or another . IN digital libraries The Internet often offers a wide range of file types: FB2, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DOC, RTF, TXT and others. The choice is wide, and this poses certain problems for beginners. We will describe the main formats of e-books, tell you how they differ from each other, which readers are supported, and which format is better to choose if you have a multi-format reader that reads all formats.

Varieties of formats

1. FB2 (FictionBook)- an e-book format that was created by a group of Russian developers. Books in this file type have a structured look (that is, they contain a chapter breakdown, content, illustrations, cover). In addition, this standard stores information about the file (the so-called tags: author, title, genre), which is read by the reader and allows the user to conveniently sort files on the device. This type of file takes up a small amount, can be archived, and it also converts well to other formats. Of the features: in view of the fact that the format was originally developed for Cyrillic, texts in Russian in FB2 have word hyphenation.

The format was originally designed for Russian users, and it is practically not used abroad. That is why FB2 is not supported by the world's popular manufacturers of readers - Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But this is the main file format for readers popular in Russia from Pocketbook, Onyx and Wexler. In addition, Sony readers now support FB2 - after entering the Russian market, the company has developed an official firmware for the reader, which allows you to read books in FB2.

2. EPUB (Electronic Publication)- the world's most popular electronic format for readers. Barnes & Noble and Sony readers work with it. In terms of layout structure, this type of file resembles an archived web page containing text, graphics, embedded fonts, and illustrations.

In addition to Western brands, the EPUB format is supported by models of manufacturers focused on Russian market(Pocketbook, Onyx, Wexler) due to the rapid growth in popularity in our country. In addition, this e-book standard is used by the iPhone and. Apple's proprietary iBooks reader supports exactly EPUB.

3. MOBI- format of e-book readers. It is gaining distribution in Russian online libraries as the Kindle becomes more and more popular in Russia. Other readers have support for this format "for show". MOBI is similar in properties to EPUB. Amazon recently introduced another e-text format, Kindle Format 8 or KF8 (which features richer formatting), with the clarification that new and old Amazon readers will not stop supporting MOBI.

4. TXT- the format of simple text documents. You can convert text from another format to TXT with a simple "copy-paste" action. Despite the fact that this type of file is supported by almost all readers and takes up very little memory space, we would not recommend reading books on readers in it. TXT lacks formatting, markup, hyphenation, alignment. It is suitable for short text notes, but not for full-fledged e-books.

5. PDF (Portable Document Format)- format electronic documents, created by Adobe Systems. Inconvenient for use on readers for a number of reasons. Firstly, the files in this format are very bulky, as they are designed for the power of a computer, and they open quite slowly on readers. Secondly, if the file is not specially designed for the screen of a 6-inch reader, which has a format similar to an A6 paper sheet, then it will be very difficult to read A4 PDF on it (and most PDF files are presented exactly in the size of a standard paper sheet). In PDF, you can only increase the scale, but not the font size, which means that only some part of the page will fit on the screen. You will have to read the pages in parts, and this is very inconvenient.

Suitable for reading PDF, the screen size of which allows you to reproduce the page on a scale large enough for comfortable reading.

6. DJVU- a format developed for storing scanned documents - books, articles, manuscripts. A book in DJVU is actually a collection of scanned pages. In terms of reading comfort on 6-inch readers, everything is similar to the story with PDF. You will not increase the font size, only the scale. When zooming, the page will crawl out of the screen, and you will have to constantly move the area of ​​​​enlarged text for reading - there is no need to talk about comfortable reading. To read DJVU, choose readers with a 9-inch screen. However, even on 9-inch readers, DJVU's convenient reading capabilities depend on how well the book presented in this format is scanned.

7. LRF- in the past, the proprietary format of Sony readers. On new models (starting with PRS-T1) it is no longer used, as it has given way to EPUB. Very badly converted to other file types. Despite the fact that it is still presented in some libraries, it is recommended to use it exclusively for owners of older Sony models.

8. RTF (Rich Text Format)- a format for storing text documents. Belongs to the category of "computer", not "book". It is not very convenient to read in RTF on readers - these are large files, and the speed of the reader is reduced by an order of magnitude.

9. DOC(and DOCX) - text documents Microsoft office. These formats are supported by a lot of readers, but it is for reading documents, not books. Large files in this format can be large in size, and it is not easy to work with them on readers. Multipage books in DOC are best converted to FB2 or EPUB.

We have listed the main formats of e-books. We will not consider quite exotic types of files that are sometimes found on the Internet, but rather we will decide in which of the above formats it is most convenient to read books on electronic readers.

Which e-book format to choose

If you have a reader with support for all formats, then you can opt for a specific file type based on a number of factors. Let's say you're buying your first e-book and you don't have a pre-built collection of books, such as in FB2. In this case, choose the file format that is best played by your reader. Traditional "book" formats EPUB or FB2 for the reader (and for the user) are more preferable and convenient than "computer" PDF, TXT, DOC, DOCX and RTF.

In the case of 9-inch readers and the need to read DJVU and PDF, other things being equal, we advise you to prefer the latter, since PDF is a more modern format, and books in DJVU are often of poor quality.

From the point of view of ease of use, the advantages of "book" formats are obvious: EPUB, FB2 or MOBI visually look better in the menu of your reader (book covers are displayed), they are more convenient to sort (there are tags: author, title, genre), they take up much less memory places and the speed of the reader with such formats will be significantly higher.

Do you need support for all formats

In our opinion, it is not necessary to choose an all-format reader. Many users who have readers with support for all formats download books in one or two file types. All readers (including multi-format ones), one way or another, have a basic format, and in the end you will not exchange for others. For Pocketbook, Onyx and Wexler the main formats are FB2 or EPUB, for Barnes & Noble () and Sony - EPUB, for Kindle - MOBI.

In the case of Amazon and Barnes & Noble readers, if the desired book is in a format that these readers do not support, you can use a converter (for example, Caliber). This is a program that is installed on a computer and allows you to convert the same FB2 to MOBI or EPUB in a matter of minutes.

Reading books in the reader's native format is better than using additional programs installed on the reader. Our advice: take a few minutes to convert a book, for example, from RTF to EPUB using the Caliber converter. This is more convenient than reading it "in the original" using an additionally installed program (on a Sony PRS-T1 or Kindle) or facing more slow work devices (for example, on Pocketbook readers).

Remember that the main thing is the convenience of using an e-book, and not the number of formats declared in its parameters.

Enjoy reading!