don't buy pocketbook reader

[mtravellerh]

No reader is assembled in Europe or USA. It would be way too expensive.

[chuckz]

After taken apart my PB 301+ I witnessed a sturdy assembly (well, putting it all back was easy and nothing broke - except the glass display/circuit board assembly when I tried prying them apart, based on the Web pictures, but my system was different with the glass glued to the circuit board).
All the buttons went right in place, the case holding tabs snapped OK, not fell off (had happened with other electronic devices).
The glass had initially a little crack starting from an edge: this could be an original glass manufacturing defect (the glass I think goes through thermo-processing, etc.)
It might have developed in a weak spot due to a pressure from a button (mine was close to a button). Or just by itself - being one of a bad lot.
I would not blame the assembly.

A little travel on the Web shows cases like that with different devices: you finished reading at night, wake up in the morning, open the book and see horrible screen streaks. Then you start believing in little green people :-)

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

No reader is assembled in Europe or USA. It would be way too expensive.

Dittobook was trying to do that with the D9 but it never launched

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...es-production/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCS_IoTm1No

edit- their book store is still open http://www.dittostore.com/

[Billi]

Originally Posted by chuckz

A little travel on the Web shows cases like that with different devices: you finished reading at night, wake up in the morning, open the book and see horrible screen streaks. Then you start believing in little green people :-)

Yes, the moment that you hit that glass substrate too hard that it breaks and the moment that it actually shows can be hours or days or even weeks apart. That makes it hard for disappointed owners of broken readers to understand that they must have done something wrong.

[chuckz]

The wrong is so far not with us, but with the technology.

My conclusion: I would certainly buy another PB reader similar to the 301+ as soon as it hits the US market (being careful not to fall into another "Kindle" trap - the cheaper Kindle Touch was cheap for a reason, it's much much inferior for serious readers than the Kindle 3).
I hope Pocketbook won't make the new model a nicely packaged toy - chasing the competition.
Whatever I took for granted in the PB 301+ (multiple formats, scaling, landscape mode with its own scaling, customizable fonts, ergonomics) lacks in the competition.

- EZ reader: pros: fonts selection, scaling, landscape, reads multiple formats
cons: small screen, buggy software, not much development.

- Kindle Touch: pros: ergonomical, scaling
cons: bad resolution, no landscape, scaling is not remembered for the next page!

- Kindle 3: pros: ergonomical, scaling, landscape, good resolution, selectable fonts (normal, condensed, sans - at least that)
cons: scaling too rough - 100, 150, 200%

- iriver Story HD: pros: good resolution, multiple formats, landscape
cons: landscape scaling absent, portrait scaling very small.
No font selection (even condensed or sans can't be selected)
What spoils the good resolution in my view: the screen is a little darker in the background.
Firmware updates don't make much sense: a year ago people were complaining about the lack of zoom in the landscape mode, and the recent (October) firmware still did not address the problem.
OK, I don't want to hijack this thread - the conclusion that I made after this accidental crash course in e-readers: I would buy a Pocketbook model again, if they keep making devices for a serious reader.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by chuckz

My conclusion: I would certainly buy another PB reader similar to the 301+ as soon as it hits the US market

Today I got chance to play with PB360+
Very nice machine. Very light 5 inch reader, that doesn't feel cheap in your hand. The same fantastic snap-on lid that the original PB360 had, but without embossed ornaments - I like that. Once I extracted extensions.conf from the inside of machine, installed third-party FBReader and CoolReader it is as close to perfect as they get.


It is my understanding that PB611 has the same type of firmware.

[DragonClif]

I had an Onyx M92 e reader that I had the same issue with. I only owned it for two months after paying $389 for it. Suddenly, one day it wouldn't turn on and my screen looked exactly like yours. I feel your pain. I contacted the the sales rep that had sold it to me and he also said something similar that it sounded like a cracked screen from some kind of impact. I had treated the reader very gently. I just don't see how I could have possibly cracked it. I could see no physical signs of damage or impact. He refused to help me. I could not return it as I was past the 14day return period. He wouldn't even send me any information on how or where I could get the screen replaced. Needless to say, I will never do business with him again. WARNING: Avoid buying anything from all_cycle_world on eBay. I am still in search of 9 INCH E-INK E-reader to replace the Onyx M92. I have been trying to locate a PocketBook Pro 912 without any luck so far.