New Touch HD - Any love for it?

church mouse · 09-26-2016, 03:40 AM

As someone who is interested in ereaders from the non-Big 2 (Amazon/Kobo), I see Pocketbook have a new 300dpi reader and wonder if there are yet any owners with reviews/feedback on it?

I found one German language review which was quite favourable.

The recent falling £sterling exchange rate means it would currently cost me £140+ (which seems to be about £30 more than a Tolino Shine 2HD).

LucyOne · 09-28-2016, 02:38 PM

Mine is coming tomorrow. I'll write something after some testing.

church mouse · 09-28-2016, 02:54 PM

With the apparent death of the Kobo Glo HD, I look forward to reading your review of the Touch HD.

I am happily using a Tolino Vision 3HD at the moment, which seems to be at a similar price level to the Touch HD.

eMole · 09-29-2016, 02:52 AM

It's not yet widely available. The only useful video I found was a russian promo. Without the Kobo Glo HD and the Boyue T63 locked to chinese JingDong probably the Kindle Voyage (?) is the only one with similar screen.

church mouse · 09-29-2016, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eMole

It's not yet widely available. The only useful video I found was a russian promo. Without the Kobo Glo HD and the Boyue T63 locked to chinese JingDong probably the Kindle Voyage (?) is the only one with similar screen.

In the UK, I can get (via Germany) the Tolino Shine 2 HD and Vision 3 HD, and a poster elsewhere on this site has acquired the new Kepler Pro from a Dutch distributor. (Though, the Kepler is rather more expensive).

I own a Vision 3 HD and like it - though it's reading software is more limited than a Kobo. The Shine has the same 300dpi screen, but is infra-red.

The initial reports on the Kepler Pro on this site seem to suggest it may have a design flaw in having no "back" button/method.

It will nice nice if this Pocketbook offering is good, so that we 6" reader lovers can keep our options open.

eMole · 09-29-2016, 08:34 AM

This Touch HD is also infrared, not capacitiv.

LucyOne · 09-29-2016, 04:02 PM

I got my Touch HD today and have already done a bit of reading. Recently I had wanted to switch from my Touch Lux 2 to a Touch Lux 3 Ruby Red due to the lower weight and Carta screen. Unfortunately, I got three devices with crooked screens so I gave up on that model. The HD finally has a straight screen with very even lighting. The lower half is a tiny bit darker, but it's hardly noticeable if you don't pay close attention. The Ruby Red had a slightly brighter screen with lights off, though, with colour being a bit yellowish, the HD is more greyish. Nevertheless, in bright daylight the screen really does look like the page of a book without the lighting being noticeable.

Responsiveness of the infrared screen is great. The device reacts really fast and I haven't had a single typo yet. It also opens large PDF files really quick and it's much faster to move around in the file. This is great for me as I have a lot of PDF books.
Unfortunately, there are still quite a lot of bugs in the Adobe reading software, one of them being a pop-up menu asking for syncing with the cloud, even if you're not connected to the cloud. The German reviews also reported user fonts not being applied, line height not changing, wrong reactions to tapping for page turn, as well as the device freezing when too many books are open.
Also, the menu item 'open with' is not available anymore. It might be implemented in the future, though, hopefully with the support of Coolreader.

That was one of the first things I did, installing Coolreader. It works fine, even though some parts of the user interface are very small because of the higher resolution. This also results in the dictionary having a very small font size. I still prefer it because I can adjust the lighting by swiping up and down.

One of the main reasons I wanted to buy a new device was that I was looking for something lighter and easier to hold. The HD only weighs 180 g and the rounded corners fit really well into my hands so I'm really happy with the ergonomics.

Some minor problems I have noticed so far: The SD card doesn't go all the way into the slot, it sticks out a tiny bit. Also, the device wasn't properly recognised on my PC without the original USB cable. In the end, I got it to work with the cable of my Touch Lux 1, so I have a backup cable, but other cables I tried caused an error.

On the whole, I think you get much more value for money with the HD compared to the Tolino Shine 3HD. The Pocketbook has the Send-to-Pocketbook email service, it connects to Dropbox, and you can use an SD card for extra storage. Then there are the buttons and customisable touch zones if you use Coolreader. Plus, it has the best library with the ability to browse folders, genres, tags, authors etc. And of course, the TTS and audio feature.
For now I'm just waiting for a lightweight sleepcover (works with a magnet right above the right menu button) and a software update which fixes the known bugs and doesn't bring new ones.

DaleDe · 09-29-2016, 04:31 PM

I have created a wiki page PocketBook Touch HD for this product.

Dale

rkomar · 09-29-2016, 07:11 PM

I have no problem reading on my Touch Lux (1), so I'm of two minds about replacing it even with something with a much better screen. @LucyOne, would you say that you are really pleased with getting the Touch HD even though you still have your Touch Lux 2?

LucyOne · 09-30-2016, 01:57 AM

It's noticeably faster and the screen response is more accurate so yes, that's a big plus. And I wanted a lightweight device. The TL 2 weighs 208 g, the HD 180 g, also a big difference if you have small hands. If you're perfectly happy with the TL 1, I'd say stick with it. But if you read a lot if PDFs it might be worth the change.

DaleDe · 09-30-2016, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LucyOne

It's noticeably faster and the screen response is more accurate so yes, that's a big plus. And I wanted a lightweight device. The TL 2 weighs 208 g, the HD 180 g, also a big difference if you have small hands. If you're perfectly happy with the TL 1, I'd say stick with it. But if you read a lot if PDFs it might be worth the change.

Another plus is that it has audio, missing on the TL2 and TL3.

Dale

NASCARaddicted · 10-12-2016, 05:41 AM

I plan on updating from a Pocketbook Touch (without Lux) to the Pocketbook HD. I just need to save some money.

What about the FW flaws that are mentioned in some tests? Like, the Reader wants to communicate with the cloud to update the reading progress every few pages? Any news about this?

But overall, I am kinda surprised about Pocketbook and their promotion itself. I mean, I posted something in the german Pocketbook part of this board, about a new ebook-Reader. There, they said they would come up with a new device (the HD) but besides that? NOTHING. I thougt they would announce it bigger. At least start a new post. But either I missed it, or it just ain't there.

LucyOne · 10-12-2016, 07:43 AM

The firmware flaws are still there but they're working on them. I use CoolReader with the Touch HD and only notice the flaws when reading a PDF file.

There have been some tests on German e-reading sites and a press release from Pocketbook. You haven't missed anything.

bampuhov · 10-16-2016, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LucyOne

I got my Touch HD today...

That was one of the first things I did, installing Coolreader. It works fine, even though some parts of the user interface are very small because of the higher resolution. This also results in the dictionary having a very small font size. I still prefer it because I can adjust the lighting by swiping up and down.

Hi LucyOne,
I hope that you have gained some experience with coolreader on the Touch HD device already. Since I got the Touch HD too, I hope you can help me out to load a dictionary in Cool Reader.

I get either of 2 error messages when I click onthe icon.
- "No dictionaries were installed"
or
- "Error at opening dictionary"

Can you guide me activate an english-english dictionary on the Coolreader?
I would appreciate any advice
Thanks

LucyOne · 10-16-2016, 06:47 AM

Hi,
you need to make sure that the dictionaries are activated in the PB system menu. Go to languages -> dictionaries and check all the dictionaries you want to use. Then they should work in Coolreader.
I also have my own English dictionaries installed. I think the official dictionaries do not work with CR in the last official PB firmware. But they plan to implement that.

09-26-2016, 03:40 AM	#1
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo H2O, Boox Poke 2	New Touch HD - Any love for it? As someone who is interested in ereaders from the non-Big 2 (Amazon/Kobo), I see Pocketbook have a new 300dpi reader and wonder if there are yet any owners with reviews/feedback on it? I found one German language review which was quite favourable. The recent falling £sterling exchange rate means it would currently cost me £140+ (which seems to be about £30 more than a Tolino Shine 2HD).

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09-28-2016, 02:38 PM	#2
LucyOne Librocubicularist Posts: 617 Karma: 11908623 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Germany Device: PocketBook InkPad 3 & Touch HD 3, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Paperwhite 5	Mine is coming tomorrow. I'll write something after some testing.

09-28-2016, 02:54 PM	#3
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo H2O, Boox Poke 2	With the apparent death of the Kobo Glo HD, I look forward to reading your review of the Touch HD. I am happily using a Tolino Vision 3HD at the moment, which seems to be at a similar price level to the Touch HD.

09-29-2016, 02:52 AM	#4
eMole Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 546310 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: PocketBook Touch HD, PocketBook Era	It's not yet widely available. The only useful video I found was a russian promo. Without the Kobo Glo HD and the Boyue T63 locked to chinese JingDong probably the Kindle Voyage (?) is the only one with similar screen.

09-29-2016, 08:34 AM	#6
eMole Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 546310 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: PocketBook Touch HD, PocketBook Era	This Touch HD is also infrared, not capacitiv.

09-29-2016, 04:02 PM	#7
LucyOne Librocubicularist Posts: 617 Karma: 11908623 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Germany Device: PocketBook InkPad 3 & Touch HD 3, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Paperwhite 5	I got my Touch HD today and have already done a bit of reading. Recently I had wanted to switch from my Touch Lux 2 to a Touch Lux 3 Ruby Red due to the lower weight and Carta screen. Unfortunately, I got three devices with crooked screens so I gave up on that model. The HD finally has a straight screen with very even lighting. The lower half is a tiny bit darker, but it's hardly noticeable if you don't pay close attention. The Ruby Red had a slightly brighter screen with lights off, though, with colour being a bit yellowish, the HD is more greyish. Nevertheless, in bright daylight the screen really does look like the page of a book without the lighting being noticeable. Responsiveness of the infrared screen is great. The device reacts really fast and I haven't had a single typo yet. It also opens large PDF files really quick and it's much faster to move around in the file. This is great for me as I have a lot of PDF books. Unfortunately, there are still quite a lot of bugs in the Adobe reading software, one of them being a pop-up menu asking for syncing with the cloud, even if you're not connected to the cloud. The German reviews also reported user fonts not being applied, line height not changing, wrong reactions to tapping for page turn, as well as the device freezing when too many books are open. Also, the menu item 'open with' is not available anymore. It might be implemented in the future, though, hopefully with the support of Coolreader. That was one of the first things I did, installing Coolreader. It works fine, even though some parts of the user interface are very small because of the higher resolution. This also results in the dictionary having a very small font size. I still prefer it because I can adjust the lighting by swiping up and down. One of the main reasons I wanted to buy a new device was that I was looking for something lighter and easier to hold. The HD only weighs 180 g and the rounded corners fit really well into my hands so I'm really happy with the ergonomics. Some minor problems I have noticed so far: The SD card doesn't go all the way into the slot, it sticks out a tiny bit. Also, the device wasn't properly recognised on my PC without the original USB cable. In the end, I got it to work with the cable of my Touch Lux 1, so I have a backup cable, but other cables I tried caused an error. On the whole, I think you get much more value for money with the HD compared to the Tolino Shine 3HD. The Pocketbook has the Send-to-Pocketbook email service, it connects to Dropbox, and you can use an SD card for extra storage. Then there are the buttons and customisable touch zones if you use Coolreader. Plus, it has the best library with the ability to browse folders, genres, tags, authors etc. And of course, the TTS and audio feature. For now I'm just waiting for a lightweight sleepcover (works with a magnet right above the right menu button) and a software update which fixes the known bugs and doesn't bring new ones.

09-29-2016, 04:31 PM	#8
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	I have created a wiki page PocketBook Touch HD for this product. Dale

09-29-2016, 07:11 PM	#9
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,986 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I have no problem reading on my Touch Lux (1), so I'm of two minds about replacing it even with something with a much better screen. @LucyOne, would you say that you are really pleased with getting the Touch HD even though you still have your Touch Lux 2?

09-30-2016, 01:57 AM	#10
LucyOne Librocubicularist Posts: 617 Karma: 11908623 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Germany Device: PocketBook InkPad 3 & Touch HD 3, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Paperwhite 5	It's noticeably faster and the screen response is more accurate so yes, that's a big plus. And I wanted a lightweight device. The TL 2 weighs 208 g, the HD 180 g, also a big difference if you have small hands. If you're perfectly happy with the TL 1, I'd say stick with it. But if you read a lot if PDFs it might be worth the change.

10-12-2016, 05:41 AM	#12
NASCARaddicted Addict Posts: 340 Karma: 43106 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Germany Device: BeBook One, Pocketbook Touch, Pocketbook Touch HD	I plan on updating from a Pocketbook Touch (without Lux) to the Pocketbook HD. I just need to save some money. What about the FW flaws that are mentioned in some tests? Like, the Reader wants to communicate with the cloud to update the reading progress every few pages? Any news about this? But overall, I am kinda surprised about Pocketbook and their promotion itself. I mean, I posted something in the german Pocketbook part of this board, about a new ebook-Reader. There, they said they would come up with a new device (the HD) but besides that? NOTHING. I thougt they would announce it bigger. At least start a new post. But either I missed it, or it just ain't there.

10-12-2016, 07:43 AM	#13
LucyOne Librocubicularist Posts: 617 Karma: 11908623 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Germany Device: PocketBook InkPad 3 & Touch HD 3, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Paperwhite 5	The firmware flaws are still there but they're working on them. I use CoolReader with the Touch HD and only notice the flaws when reading a PDF file. There have been some tests on German e-reading sites and a press release from Pocketbook. You haven't missed anything.

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10-16-2016, 06:47 AM	#15
LucyOne Librocubicularist Posts: 617 Karma: 11908623 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Germany Device: PocketBook InkPad 3 & Touch HD 3, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Paperwhite 5	Hi, you need to make sure that the dictionaries are activated in the PB system menu. Go to languages -> dictionaries and check all the dictionaries you want to use. Then they should work in Coolreader. I also have my own English dictionaries installed. I think the official dictionaries do not work with CR in the last official PB firmware. But they plan to implement that.