After my latest question on this board, someone asked me for my impressions about the Poke Pro.
I realize that most users of this board choose Boox for its larger devices, but since I already wrote that review, I thought I might post it here as well...
I got my Boox Poke Pro on Monday, so this really are just my impressions after a few days of use.
This Boox is not my first (I also had the i62HD, and a very bad experience with the T68), but over the last few years I used an (epub) e-reader that was somewhat 'tied to a bookstore' (although I sideloaded all my books).
The Boox Poke Pro is my first 6inch device, my other ereaders all had a somewhat larger screen.
I was afraid that this smaller screen would put me off, but I have to admit that the light weight of my new device seems to be its major advantage...
- Compared to my other device, there seems to be less contrast between text and background. I took a picture, and you see that the Boox' background is just a tad darker. (The led lights are switched off on both devices).
In the pre-installed Neo reader (v2), you can adjust the contrast (here: highest contrast), and I also made the text just a little bit bolder than normal, and then it's quite good to read, especially with a bit of illumination.
But I bought this reader because I wanted to read books from Scribd in E-ink, and although I had no problem installing this app, it doesn't allow enough customization: the text is never completely black, but dark grey, and so the contrast isn't really good enough. (Of course, the lack of customization is not a boox problem, but inherent to the Scribd app.)
(Sorry, didn't bother to change the font to a sans serif font).
- Just as with the Boox T68, the use of the keyboard is rather difficult. When you tap in the middle of a 'key', chances are (very) high that you get another letter typed. Most of the time you have to tap just below the key, to have the right symbol (and when typing complex passwords, this turns out to be a rather cumbersome operation).
- All in all, the screen isn't very responsive. Often I have to tap more than once for a pageturn (and as I'm a very fast reader, and there is less text on a screen than on my previous devices I have to turn pages very often, and this gets annoying).
- I don't know yet how to evaluate the battery. When I got it it was about 95% charged, but I charged it fully immediately.
I had several days off this week, so I have been reading more than average, and since the text is less crisp than on my other device I always had the lights on, and I'm now at no more that 53% charge, where I'm used to charge my other reader less than once a month. (Power save mode was on for my Boox). But as said, probably it's just because I have been reading more than average, and I have been tinkering with the device quite a lot...
- I like the fact that I can install many android apps, and that I can arrange my homescreen just as I like, but to be honest... my reading experience is better with my older device.