8+ Readers in comparison

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by richman

Mgmueller!
I was wondering if you were able to look at a pocketbook 360 yet? Some people are saying it seems like the best one out right now. Even if you just played with it in store , and gave a brief FIRST impression, that would be helpful to me. Since you are in position to compare them with the others you own.

I've thought about it.
But most likely I won't buy any 5" unit.
I've got Cybook Opus. I like it, but I never use it. (True for 2/3rd of my readers).
5" simply doesn't do it for me. Even when traveling, I don't have any problems taking iRex 800 or any other of my "bigger" readers with me. So the smaller size doesn't have any advantage, but lots of disadvantages for me.
My most likely next purchases: Alex (already ordered), iPad/WePad or something in that area, Que and Skiff.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I've thought about it.
But most likely I won't buy any 5" unit.

If you insist on 6" there is always PocketBook 301. The same features as PB360, minus accelerometer, minus lid, plus audio capability, and, of course, 6" screen.

Then there is PocketBook 302 with touch screen ...

[richman]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They are, by the way, based in Ukraine, not Russia .

Yeah, but I didn't know how to spell Ukraine until you wrote it! That is why I said "based out of Russia" (meaning not in Russia but OUTside of Russia) ... figured you guys wouldn't notice!
Thanks Harry for showing me how to spell Ukraine!

[mgmueller]

...and a Spring Design Alex.
So far, I'm a bit underwhelmed of both:

Briefly, for the moment:

PocketBook 360:
- The buttons for turning pages are horrible, like I feared based on the pictures.
- You can use FBReader (pre-installed) instead of ADE. Then you can turn pages by briefly moving your wrist instead of pushing any buttons. But FBReader doesn't do DRM. So, either you feed your reader with DRM-free or deDRMed material. Or you stick to ADE and have to use the buttons.
- The protective cover is phantastic of course. You can fix it to the backside of the reader, while reading. So you'll never loose it.
---> So far, I don't get the fuzz about it. I don't see any significant advantages to Cybook Opus.

Spring Design Alex:
I'm not sure, yet. It's a mixed package.
- It's not ugly. But it doesn't match the design quality of Sony 900, which has similar measurements (although having a bigger screen) or nook, which has similar features.
- I'm struggling with lots of details (so do others). For example, I don't see the cover graphics on the LCD display.
- It doesn't appear in ADE. Not important to me, but strange enough considering it's aiming for ePUB and PDF mainly.
- It's very easy and convenient, to download content from the web. There even are pre-defined shops and you can purchase DRMed content on the fly without problems.
- I don't find any swipe gesture (*) on the LCD for turning pages. I don't like the buttons for turning pages very much (prefer them very much to the ones on PocketBook 360 though).
- I'm not sure about the contrast on the eINk display. It seems "dimmer" than others. So far, I don't think it can compete to the contrast of nook.

(*) you can touch the file format symbol (PDF, EPUB, ...) for going a single page forward. But you have to leave the display active. On nook, you can swipe in both directions without the LCD being on.

Meaning:
Of those 2, which I've got at the very same time, I prefer Alex.
Alex is a nice enough unit. But if I compare to my nook, which is $ 259, I'm not sure whether Alex is worth the $ 399.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

PocketBook 360:
---> So far, I don't get the fuzz about it. I don't see any significant advantages to Cybook Opus.

- The third party version of fbreader has many other interesting features, not just "wrist pageturn".
- There are interesting themes available for PocketBook. A new theme does not bring just new icons, it can redefine how the books are displayed in the library view. See this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80518 and try theme sherlock, sheep and cleanlook
- You can remap any button to any function (it works mostly in fbreader, it does not work in menus, so you do not saw off the branch you are sitting on).
- You can rotate it upside-down so those horrible (;-)) pageturn buttons are on the other side, so you can use it with either hand.
- It has dictionary that can be created / improved by user
- There are many readers that you can rotate 360 degrees and use them ;-), but PocketBook 360° can also be rotated 90°, 180° and 270°.
- There are third party programs for PocketBook, such as games and even a Linux Terminal
- It is very open to hacking, tinkering and tweaking
- You can add your own fonts without hacking. There are quite a few readers out there where you can't do that. You can even use other fonts besides ttf, such as ttc, otf.
- It can display many, MANY different languages in wide variety of encodings, not just Latin1 (Kindle and Sony I am looking at you!) outside pdf. You can even display chinese, korean, hebrew, arabic, ...
- it has two different applications for displaying pdf files with things like persistent zoom and text reflow

If all you want to do is to read DRM protected epubs, then it offers very few advantages to Cybook Opus. If you strongly dislike the way the [non-DRMed] epubs are presented in Adobe Digital Editions, the PocketBook does have things to offer.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kacir

If all you want to do is to read DRM protected epubs, then it offers very few advantages to Cybook Opus.

Oh, I don't agree, I'm afraid. Among the benefits are:

- Searching within a book.
- Setting bookmarks.
- Dictionary lookup.
- Text highlighting/clipping.

For me at least, those are all significant benefits.

I agree, by the way, that the "wing" buttons are horrible. I turn pages with the 5-way nav control.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Oh, I don't agree, I'm afraid. Among the benefits are:

- Searching within a book.
- Setting bookmarks.
- Dictionary lookup.
- Text highlighting/clipping.

For me at least, those are all significant benefits.

I agree, by the way, that the "wing" buttons are horrible. I turn pages with the 5-way nav control.

As always: Everything depends on your demands.
No doubt, it has tons of features.
But quite frankly, most of them I'll never use. For example, I very much prefer highlighting or searching on a touchscreen unit.
So I'll mainly use PocketBook 360 for "casual reads". And in that area, I guess, benefits compared to Cybook Opus are slim.

Still, I'll choose PocketBook 360 over Cybook Opus. Since the firmware update on Opus (which brought lots of advantages of course) I simply hate the library view: Filenames instead of metadata? What the.....?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I simply hate the library view: Filenames instead of metadata? What the.....?

There again, you see, I actually prefer that. I have a folder for each author (or series), and the fact that it displays filenames makes it so much easier to rename files to indicate the order of books in a series, for example.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There again, you see, I actually prefer that. I have a folder for each author (or series), and the fact that it displays filenames makes it so much easier to rename files to indicate the order of books in a series, for example.

I can see the benefit of that method.
Still, I'd prefer this as an option: Filenames or metadata, maybe even definable per folder or something like that.
I mainly have originals, purchased from various bookstores. I keep the original filenames, for not loosing track. (Still, I've bought at least 50 doubles over time by accident).
I strip them all from DRM and convert and manage them via "calibre". But I only use them on the readers, not able to handle the original format. For the readers being able to handle the original format, I'm kind of stubborn: I've paid for it, I want to use it. It's frustrating, if the purchased titles don't show the correct metadata (author names like "company name" or "24/7" or "some guy" - I hate that), but for now I just delete those "incorrect" files (from the readers, not from my backup of course) and stick to my other books.
And I use my readers quite differently. I'd never use iRex 1000 for "casual reads", too bulky and uncomfortable. But it's perfect for checking a contract or proposal or other "professional documents". I'd never use nook for demands like that, but I love it for my brief "Stieg Larsson" or "Simon Scarrow".
I can see, that PocketBook 360 would have the perfect set of features, if you want to have a flexible solution on a single reader. But when separating demands, I see less advantages over, let's say, Cybook Opus.
But for now, I'll choose PocketBook 360 over Cybook Opus. At least as long as Cybook Opus does show filenames instead of metadata.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There again, you see, I actually prefer that. I have a folder for each author (or series), and the fact that it displays filenames makes it so much easier to rename files to indicate the order of books in a series, for example.

Concerning the order of books within a series:
I did that on iRex iLiad "on the fly". There are 2 lines for comments. Into the first one, the author's name is added, if readable from the metadata. The second one was freely available (first one could be overwritten as well) and I've added the order of titles, ratings and things like that. I loved it and still miss it. Would hope for such features on every (touchscreen) unit.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by kacir

- The third party version of fbreader has many other interesting features, not just "wrist pageturn".
- There are interesting themes available for PocketBook. A new theme does not bring just new icons, it can redefine how the books are displayed in the library view. See this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80518 and try theme sherlock, sheep and cleanlook
- You can remap any button to any function (it works mostly in fbreader, it does not work in menus, so you do not saw off the branch you are sitting on).
- You can rotate it upside-down so those horrible (;-)) pageturn buttons are on the other side, so you can use it with either hand.
- It has dictionary that can be created / improved by user
- There are many readers that you can rotate 360 degrees and use them ;-), but PocketBook 360° can also be rotated 90°, 180° and 270°.
- There are third party programs for PocketBook, such as games and even a Linux Terminal
- It is very open to hacking, tinkering and tweaking
- You can add your own fonts without hacking. There are quite a few readers out there where you can't do that. You can even use other fonts besides ttf, such as ttc, otf.
- It can display many, MANY different languages in wide variety of encodings, not just Latin1 (Kindle and Sony I am looking at you!) outside pdf. You can even display chinese, korean, hebrew, arabic, ...
- it has two different applications for displaying pdf files with things like persistent zoom and text reflow

If all you want to do is to read DRM protected epubs, then it offers very few advantages to Cybook Opus. If you strongly dislike the way the [non-DRMed] epubs are presented in Adobe Digital Editions, the PocketBook does have things to offer.

Thanks, I'll check out the themes (although I'm absolutely fine with the original layout).
Like I've stated in my response to HarryT: It all depends on your personal demands.
Personally, I prefer to do the things you describe on a touchscreen unit (eagerly awaiting the firmware update for iRex 800). The 5" readers (Cybook Opus and PocketBook 360) I'll use for "casual reads". And for that I won't use most of the features you describe. But still, I'll choose it over Cybook Opus (at least for now, given the existing firmware on Cybook Opus).

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by kacir

If you insist on 6" there is always PocketBook 301. The same features as PB360, minus accelerometer, minus lid, plus audio capability, and, of course, 6" screen.

Then there is PocketBook 302 with touch screen ...

I've intensively thought about PocketBook 302. But I guess I'll check out the version with the non-reflective screen. I wouldn't have problems with reflectivity on the level of Sony 900. But some described it as being way more "disturbing".

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I've intensively thought about PocketBook 302. But I guess I'll check out the version with the non-reflective screen. I wouldn't have problems with reflectivity on the level of Sony 900. But some described it as being way more "disturbing".

A friend of mine has purchased PB302 very recently and he generously let me to play with it for a few days.
The screen wasn't shiny/glossy. I think, somebody(*) has installed a matte protective foil on display. It looks great.
The contrast is a little bit worse than on my PB360, but you can only see that if you view the devices side-by-side.
There are many features that I did not manage to test, but the touch interface feels SO natural.

(*) factory, European distributor, or the company that made the final sale

[pilotbob]

mg...

if you feel you are neglecting any of your devices and want to send them to a good home... the pilotbob orphanage for ebook readers has room to take them.

BOb

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

mg...

if you feel you are neglecting any of your devices and want to send them to a good home... the pilotbob orphanage for ebook readers has room to take them.

BOb

I've had similar generous offers from quite a few colleagues and friends.
But thanks a lot, I'll keep your friendly offer in mind.