903 Pocketbook 903 - First impressions

catharsis · 12-30-2010, 12:02 PM

It seems the 903 FINALLY got delivered to a number of people (cheers to Pocketbook distributors for doing slave work during Christmas to deliver the units, bad for Pocketbook for not being able to keep promises and to manufacture those units in time).

I think we need a separate topic for reviewing the 903. Of course, people have just got the device, I don't expect fast answers, but my questions are:
- How good the hardware/build quality is ? (Is it big enough? Does it look heavy? Is the screen ok? Is the stylus accurate enough? How is it compared to other devices you saw/owned?)
- How good the epub support is? (Is it configurable? Does it have or can you install FBReader? What about DRM?)
- How good the pdf support is? (Is it fast enough for scanned pdfs? Are the page turns fast enough? How is it with zoom/fit to width/portrait mode? How good reflow is?)
- How good the battery is? (This of course would take time, but I'm curious: 1. How much % does the battery use per day if it's in idle/sleep mode? 2. How much % does the battery use per day if you read a reasonable amount of time as 2-4 hrs?)
- How good is it for academic use? (Mainly, how can you annotate documents (pdfs)? Can you at least install Xournal? Is it large enough to read A4 journal articles?)
- How stable is it? (Are there any hangs? Is the firmware still half-finished, are some features not implemented yet?)
- Does internet have any use on it? (Can you read rss feeds/blogs/newspapers? Can you read/write emails? Can you download files?)
- How are other features (Did you try audiobooks? How are the dictionaries and text-to-speech? How is the mp3 player? Do you use Bluetooth for anything (I know there is a separate topic on that)? Are there any other useful application for things like note taking/games/personal organizer/address book?)
- How configurable/hackable it is? (Is it easy to customize it and to write apps for it?)
- Are you happy with it or would you recommend some other eReader?

Take your time and thanks in advance for your answers.

Later edit: first impressions were already posted by LoneTech user in http://yannv.wordpress.com/2010/12/3...y-impressions/

LoneTech · 12-30-2010, 04:46 PM

I've updated that article a bit. Let me know what you want me to expand on, I'm taking a bit of a break now.

ordie · 12-30-2010, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the article, LoneTech. (I was reading it as you updated it--!) Regarding the digitizer, elsewhere you said it was "horrible", here you say "it turned out to be less supported in the firmware than I’d expected." Still worth it, though? Would you still get the 903 over the 902? That question means: do you envision yourself using the stylus to take notes, or is it simply too insufferable?

Thanks in advance.

LoneTech · 12-30-2010, 05:57 PM

I would get the 903 - because I expect the firmware to get better and SDK to get released. That would allow adding Xournal. However, as it stands right now, the notes feature is very poor for both 902 and 903 - it's just a smaller waste on the 902, since it has no digitizer. Note well that it's not the digitizer that's poor, it's the software use of it.
In its current state, however, I will not recommend buying it. Better to hold off for the SDK release.

rhari79 · 12-31-2010, 02:49 AM

Hi, Thanks for the review.
Could you please comment on the reader's performance?
how stable/responsive it feels while reading? pdf file opening/page turns/zoom

SkyDream · 12-31-2010, 03:22 AM

For me it feels slow although it has a 533 MHz CPU.
Opening a PDF always takes 20-30 seconds no matter how big the file is.

marty63 · 12-31-2010, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyDream

For me it feels slow although it has a 533 MHz CPU.
Opening a PDF always takes 20-30 seconds no matter how big the file is.

If you upgrade fw to 2.03, opening of PDF is much quicker.

SkyDream · 12-31-2010, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty63

If you upgrade fw to 2.03, opening of PDF is much quicker.

Latest Firmware 2.0.4 (D903.2.0.4 20101221_213659) is already installed.

LoneTech · 12-31-2010, 03:54 PM

I added some timings to the article. The results are extremely dependent on the contents of the files, not only their sizes, and it seems the warning it shows for some files is purely based on file size.

rhari79 · 01-01-2011, 08:17 AM

very nice.great effort you have put in to time these. thanks

marty63 · 01-01-2011, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyDream

Latest Firmware 2.0.4 (D903.2.0.4 20101221_213659) is already installed.

2.0.4 ?

SkyDream · 01-01-2011, 03:00 PM

Look here

catharsis · 01-02-2011, 08:20 AM

I found a video on Youtube posted by user KrzychAyanami, it's subtitled in Polish so I don't understand anything, but you can see how 903 works.

marty63 · 01-02-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyDream

Look here

Thanx, it is only for 903, 603...

SkyDream · 01-02-2011, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty63

Thanx, it is only for 903, 603...

That's what this thread is all about...903

12-30-2010, 12:02 PM	#1
catharsis Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 14 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: iRex DR800SG, Onyx Boox M92	Pocketbook 903 - First impressions It seems the 903 FINALLY got delivered to a number of people (cheers to Pocketbook distributors for doing slave work during Christmas to deliver the units, bad for Pocketbook for not being able to keep promises and to manufacture those units in time). I think we need a separate topic for reviewing the 903. Of course, people have just got the device, I don't expect fast answers, but my questions are: - How good the hardware/build quality is ? (Is it big enough? Does it look heavy? Is the screen ok? Is the stylus accurate enough? How is it compared to other devices you saw/owned?) - How good the epub support is? (Is it configurable? Does it have or can you install FBReader? What about DRM?) - How good the pdf support is? (Is it fast enough for scanned pdfs? Are the page turns fast enough? How is it with zoom/fit to width/portrait mode? How good reflow is?) - How good the battery is? (This of course would take time, but I'm curious: 1. How much % does the battery use per day if it's in idle/sleep mode? 2. How much % does the battery use per day if you read a reasonable amount of time as 2-4 hrs?) - How good is it for academic use? (Mainly, how can you annotate documents (pdfs)? Can you at least install Xournal? Is it large enough to read A4 journal articles?) - How stable is it? (Are there any hangs? Is the firmware still half-finished, are some features not implemented yet?) - Does internet have any use on it? (Can you read rss feeds/blogs/newspapers? Can you read/write emails? Can you download files?) - How are other features (Did you try audiobooks? How are the dictionaries and text-to-speech? How is the mp3 player? Do you use Bluetooth for anything (I know there is a separate topic on that)? Are there any other useful application for things like note taking/games/personal organizer/address book?) - How configurable/hackable it is? (Is it easy to customize it and to write apps for it?) - Are you happy with it or would you recommend some other eReader? Take your time and thanks in advance for your answers. Later edit: first impressions were already posted by LoneTech user in http://yannv.wordpress.com/2010/12/3...y-impressions/ Last edited by catharsis; 12-30-2010 at 01:26 PM.

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12-30-2010, 04:46 PM	#2
LoneTech Zealot Posts: 135 Karma: 7767 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: PocketBook Pro 903	I've updated that article a bit. Let me know what you want me to expand on, I'm taking a bit of a break now.

12-30-2010, 05:51 PM	#3
ordie Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 38 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: PocketBook 903	Thanks for the article, LoneTech. (I was reading it as you updated it--!) Regarding the digitizer, elsewhere you said it was "horrible", here you say "it turned out to be less supported in the firmware than I’d expected." Still worth it, though? Would you still get the 903 over the 902? That question means: do you envision yourself using the stylus to take notes, or is it simply too insufferable? Thanks in advance.

12-30-2010, 05:57 PM	#4
LoneTech Zealot Posts: 135 Karma: 7767 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: PocketBook Pro 903	I would get the 903 - because I expect the firmware to get better and SDK to get released. That would allow adding Xournal. However, as it stands right now, the notes feature is very poor for both 902 and 903 - it's just a smaller waste on the 902, since it has no digitizer. Note well that it's not the digitizer that's poor, it's the software use of it. In its current state, however, I will not recommend buying it. Better to hold off for the SDK release.

12-31-2010, 02:49 AM	#5
rhari79 Addict Posts: 375 Karma: 2200000 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Device: .*	Hi, Thanks for the review. Could you please comment on the reader's performance? how stable/responsive it feels while reading? pdf file opening/page turns/zoom

12-31-2010, 03:22 AM	#6
SkyDream Wizard Posts: 1,377 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Europe Device: PRS-650, iPod touch 4G, iPad 3	For me it feels slow although it has a 533 MHz CPU. Opening a PDF always takes 20-30 seconds no matter how big the file is.

12-31-2010, 03:54 PM	#9
LoneTech Zealot Posts: 135 Karma: 7767 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: PocketBook Pro 903	I added some timings to the article. The results are extremely dependent on the contents of the files, not only their sizes, and it seems the warning it shows for some files is purely based on file size.

01-01-2011, 08:17 AM	#10
rhari79 Addict Posts: 375 Karma: 2200000 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Device: .*	very nice.great effort you have put in to time these. thanks

01-01-2011, 03:00 PM	#12
SkyDream Wizard Posts: 1,377 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Europe Device: PRS-650, iPod touch 4G, iPad 3	Look here

01-02-2011, 08:20 AM	#13
catharsis Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 14 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: iRex DR800SG, Onyx Boox M92	I found a video on Youtube posted by user KrzychAyanami, it's subtitled in Polish so I don't understand anything, but you can see how 903 works.

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