360 PB360 user seeks upgrade advice

KingsGambit · 07-24-2011, 09:14 AM

Hi all, I joined this forum in June last year, though it seems a lot longer. I've had my PB360 since then and have used it often since and can't remember the time before I had it (hence why it seems longer!). I got wonderful advice then and am hoping to presume for a little more now.

Unlike then, I'm now no longer a complete noob

I have my PB360 customised with fonts, dictionaries, themes and my eBooks are nicely organised and tagged in Calibre. This time I'm thinking of an "upgrade" and wanted opinions and advice on the PB360+ and the PB602.

I've read reviews of the PB360+ but would love to hear from actual owners what they think. In particular, are the improvements over the model I already have enough to justify buying the upgraded one? I understand it has more RAM and a better CPU...will this improve on loading times and page turns (a minor bugbear of my model)? I don't mind buying it if it means a better reading experience.

My second question...as much as I love the petite dimensions of the PB360, I think I would do with a bigger screen. As such, I was also looking at the PB602 with a 6" screen. I would hope that a bigger screen means more on screen and thus fewer and less frequent page turns. Is it a good reader? Will my wrist-flick page turns/font changing/ambi-dextrous reading still work? Does it use the same interface?

As a last and unrelated (to the above) question...the battery life on my PB360 is appalling. It's quoted 7000 page turns seems like an incredible fantasy in light of the fact that if I begin a 1000-page book on a full charge, I usually need another before I'm done with it. I have no idea what is causing such a drain though I suspect the accelerometer. I was under the impression that if I locked the device it should (in theory) use no power whatsoever.

Many thanks for all advice and tips in advance.

fjtorres · 07-24-2011, 01:45 PM

v[QUOTE=KingsGambit;1672726]H I was under the impression that if I locked the device it should (in theory) use no power whatsoever.

/QUOTE]

No, the PB360 does consume power while locked, especially if the motion sensor is active.
To maximize battery life turn the reader off.
Since boot time is reasonably fast, you shouldn't be greatly inconvenienced, especially if you set the boot image to "last page", which lets you start reading before it finishes booting.

As to the 6in vs 5in debate, it'll depend on the reading app and the settings; with fbreader and coolreader you should be able to get more text on a screen by tweaking settings, with adobeviewer not likely.
On the other hand, if you run coolreader3 in 2 column landscape on the 902 you can get a lot more text per screen. Easily double or more.

If you're generally happy with the 360, but want a new toy anyway, maybe you want to look for a complement not a replacement...?

anjirlly · 07-24-2011, 01:55 PM

Powering down my 360 (vs. "sleep") for anything more than a quick break from reading really enhanced battery life for me.

I lucked into a refurbed Sony 950 at a firesale price, and I have to say that TWO extra inches of screen real estate (5" vs. 7") make an appreciable difference in the number of page turns. However, for reading on the go I still prefer the lighter weight of the 360, and I really appreciate the fact that the smaller screen and integrated cover require fewer precautions.

rogue_librarian · 07-24-2011, 02:52 PM

I have a 360 as well, and am quite happy with it. I never thought I'd say this, but I am not sure that my next device will be manufactured by Pocketbook. The current lineup plus the seemingly constant software issues leave me underwhelmed.

So, my suggestion would be to get another 6 months or so out of your PB, see what the fall lineup looks like.

KingsGambit · 07-28-2011, 09:25 AM

Thank you all for the above. The power-saving tip to turn it off and set it to boot with "last page read" already seems to be paying dividends. It isn't really inconvenient though still a little annoying that locking it doesn't cut-off all power usage as is supposed to be the case with all eink devices.

I think the tip about a complementary device is probably right. I mentioned the devices seperately just to see what they were like individually. I'm considering both upgrading the 360 to the + version and buying a bigger one. My reading habits are such that I believe I would benefit greatly from a bit more screen real-estate and extra size/weight (within reason) would not be an issue. I would keep the 360 for it's size and portability but at home think a larger one would be more suitable (though I've managed fine with 5" to date).

Any comments or experiences with the 602? What software issues do you mean rogue_librarian?

rogue_librarian · 07-28-2011, 10:58 AM

To be honest, I didn't follow this too closely, but the 6xx and 9xx lines didn't look as though quite ready for prime time yet (or, then. They might have well fixed this since then.)

rkomar · 07-28-2011, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingsGambit

Thank you all for the above. The power-saving tip to turn it off and set it to boot with "last page read" already seems to be paying dividends. It isn't really inconvenient though still a little annoying that locking it doesn't cut-off all power usage as is supposed to be the case with all eink devices.

"Locking" just locks the buttons, but the computer continues to run underneath and draw a significant amount of power. Flipping pages is only one (and maybe not even the most significant) way for the e-reader to use energy. Turning it off is the only way to cut-off most power usage.

troll05 · 07-28-2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingsGambit

Any comments or experiences with the 602? What software issues do you mean rogue_librarian?

602 is a great device for leisure reading

FW 2.1.1 is rock-stable and CR3 / FBreader180 are great pieces of software.

I can't say I have serious "softwere issues", but I use it solely for reading, not to browse the web or listen to music

Size and weight is OK, and with a nice cover (I recommend the hemp cover from tuff-luv) it's near perfect.

Biggest advantage for me is the possibility to organize your library, I know of no other reader who has got this level of organization for large amounts of books (presently 1600 on device, every single one found in less than one minute without using search function)

07-24-2011, 09:14 AM	#1
KingsGambit E4 Posts: 13 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: London, UK Device: None	PB360 user seeks upgrade advice Hi all, I joined this forum in June last year, though it seems a lot longer. I've had my PB360 since then and have used it often since and can't remember the time before I had it (hence why it seems longer!). I got wonderful advice then and am hoping to presume for a little more now. Unlike then, I'm now no longer a complete noob I have my PB360 customised with fonts, dictionaries, themes and my eBooks are nicely organised and tagged in Calibre. This time I'm thinking of an "upgrade" and wanted opinions and advice on the PB360+ and the PB602. I've read reviews of the PB360+ but would love to hear from actual owners what they think. In particular, are the improvements over the model I already have enough to justify buying the upgraded one? I understand it has more RAM and a better CPU...will this improve on loading times and page turns (a minor bugbear of my model)? I don't mind buying it if it means a better reading experience. My second question...as much as I love the petite dimensions of the PB360, I think I would do with a bigger screen. As such, I was also looking at the PB602 with a 6" screen. I would hope that a bigger screen means more on screen and thus fewer and less frequent page turns. Is it a good reader? Will my wrist-flick page turns/font changing/ambi-dextrous reading still work? Does it use the same interface? As a last and unrelated (to the above) question...the battery life on my PB360 is appalling. It's quoted 7000 page turns seems like an incredible fantasy in light of the fact that if I begin a 1000-page book on a full charge, I usually need another before I'm done with it. I have no idea what is causing such a drain though I suspect the accelerometer. I was under the impression that if I locked the device it should (in theory) use no power whatsoever. Many thanks for all advice and tips in advance. Last edited by KingsGambit; 07-24-2011 at 09:16 AM.

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07-24-2011, 01:45 PM	#2
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	v[QUOTE=KingsGambit;1672726]H I was under the impression that if I locked the device it should (in theory) use no power whatsoever. /QUOTE] No, the PB360 does consume power while locked, especially if the motion sensor is active. To maximize battery life turn the reader off. Since boot time is reasonably fast, you shouldn't be greatly inconvenienced, especially if you set the boot image to "last page", which lets you start reading before it finishes booting. As to the 6in vs 5in debate, it'll depend on the reading app and the settings; with fbreader and coolreader you should be able to get more text on a screen by tweaking settings, with adobeviewer not likely. On the other hand, if you run coolreader3 in 2 column landscape on the 902 you can get a lot more text per screen. Easily double or more. If you're generally happy with the 360, but want a new toy anyway, maybe you want to look for a complement not a replacement...?

07-24-2011, 01:55 PM	#3
anjirlly Groupie Posts: 155 Karma: 58410 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: SE Michigan Device: Kindle on Android phone; PB360; Sony 950	Powering down my 360 (vs. "sleep") for anything more than a quick break from reading really enhanced battery life for me. I lucked into a refurbed Sony 950 at a firesale price, and I have to say that TWO extra inches of screen real estate (5" vs. 7") make an appreciable difference in the number of page turns. However, for reading on the go I still prefer the lighter weight of the 360, and I really appreciate the fact that the smaller screen and integrated cover require fewer precautions.

07-24-2011, 02:52 PM	#4
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	I have a 360 as well, and am quite happy with it. I never thought I'd say this, but I am not sure that my next device will be manufactured by Pocketbook. The current lineup plus the seemingly constant software issues leave me underwhelmed. So, my suggestion would be to get another 6 months or so out of your PB, see what the fall lineup looks like.

07-28-2011, 09:25 AM	#5
KingsGambit E4 Posts: 13 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: London, UK Device: None	Thank you all for the above. The power-saving tip to turn it off and set it to boot with "last page read" already seems to be paying dividends. It isn't really inconvenient though still a little annoying that locking it doesn't cut-off all power usage as is supposed to be the case with all eink devices. I think the tip about a complementary device is probably right. I mentioned the devices seperately just to see what they were like individually. I'm considering both upgrading the 360 to the + version and buying a bigger one. My reading habits are such that I believe I would benefit greatly from a bit more screen real-estate and extra size/weight (within reason) would not be an issue. I would keep the 360 for it's size and portability but at home think a larger one would be more suitable (though I've managed fine with 5" to date). Any comments or experiences with the 602? What software issues do you mean rogue_librarian?

07-28-2011, 10:58 AM	#6
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	To be honest, I didn't follow this too closely, but the 6xx and 9xx lines didn't look as though quite ready for prime time yet (or, then. They might have well fixed this since then.)

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