Touch HD vs. Kepler Pro vs. C67ML vs. inkbook prime vs. suggestions?

[iacchi]

My Boox 60 hasn't survived my last trip home (the screen broke, despite the thick cover), so now I have to find a new ereader. I've already found four candidates, but I'm open to more suggestions (I know about the JDReader or however you want to call it, but it doesn't convince me).

A few caveats:

• It needs to support multiple formats (at least ePub and mobi) (so no Kindle)
• It must not require device registration (so no Kobo and the like)
• It has to ship to Australia (I will go back to Europe eventually but for the next 9 months I'm still down under)

I will use the device for reading books (as in novels). I don't care about audio or pdf reflow, I have a Boox Max for big pages. I also don't care about TTS and not too much about dictionaries. I also mainly use it in bed, with the device on the bed. I don't care too much where the page turn buttons are then (I prefer the device to have them, though, and the ones of the Kepler are in a very odd position for my reading style) and if really worth it I can do without. Also, I won't use it much probably, but I'd like to have a light built in, just in case.

So far, I've found these four options:

• PocketBook Touch HD, sold through eBay here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/POCKETBOO...-/361879511943 at AU$254 (with the decent shipping option)
• Onyx Kepler Pro, sold through BangGood here: http://www.banggood.com/BOOX-Kepler-...p-1102860.html at AU$269 (with the decent shipping option)
• Onyx C67ML, sold through BangGood here: http://www.banggood.com/ONYX-BOOX-C6...p-1065830.html at AU$192 (with the decent shipping option)
• InkBook Prime. For this the only option I've found is to ship it to Italy through Amazon and then have my family ship it to Australia, for a final cost of about 180 € (~AU$255)

Some considerations that I've made:

Touch HD
Pro: a friend of mine has a different model and says pocketbooks are good, nice big page turn buttons in front.
Con: doesn't come with a cover, I don't know how flexible the reading app is in terms of options.

Kepler Pro
Pro: metal back, has cover, has android with play store
Con: buttons position, tiny bit more pricy, bit oldish android version (but my boox max with the same version works fine)

C67ML
Pro: has cover, has android with play store, android is 4.2 (I don't know why it's not the same in the kepler and the max...)
Con: -

Prime
Pro: best CPU of the lot, android
Con: worst screen of the lot (212 ppi as opposed to 300 for all the others), no play store (app installation limited? can I install apk?), no cover

I'm also a bit uncertain about the flat glass of the kepler and the prime. On one side, it looks nicer and maybe more robust? On the other side, do I get more reflection in direct sun light compared to a matte glass like (I think) the one of the other two models? Does the light work better/worse with the flat glass?
Other questions:
is 212 ppi noticeably different compared to 300 ppi? What about the difference in cpu power? Is it worth the less dense screen?
How is the light on the various devices?
Has anyone actually tried the inkbook and can give some opinions?
Is the kepler worth the $80 more compared to the C67ML?

Keep in mind that I tend to run these devices to the end of their lives. I switched from my PRS-500 (despite the buggy one-before-last firmware) to the Boox 60 just because I got it as a present.

I will thank anyone who can answer some of the above questions, give some advice and propose other devices if they have any.

[church mouse]

I can provide a couple of general observations, if not specifics.

To my eyes there is a definite improvement in sharpness with a 300pi screen (I have a Tolino Vision 3 HD) compared to 212dpi (I have an Energy Sistem Ereader Pro HD), however that reduced dpi does not prevent my Pro HD being my daily e-reader.

Both the Tolino and the ProHD have flush screens and I have never experienced any issues with reflections. (Sunshine in England is less of a problem!)

In Europe the Pro HD is comparative in price to the Inkbook Prime and comes with a 3 year warranty. I did consider trialling the Inkbook Prime but got put off by the lack of Play Store (I already have some paid apps). Also, the Prime has a fairly small battery compared to some other Android readers - though Inkbook assured me that their new page refresh technology meant battery life should be the same as their previous reader despite the reduction in battery size. I decided to stick with my Pro HD as it is nearly as light as the Prime, has the same screen dpi, has the Play Store installed and works really well for me (I have AlReader and Jotas's version of CoolReader installed as these are optimised for e-ink and work in full-screen mode with correct button mapping).

[LucyOne]

Originally Posted by iacchi

Touch HD
Pro: a friend of mine has a different model and says pocketbooks are good, nice big page turn buttons in front.
Con: doesn't come with a cover, I don't know how flexible the reading app is in terms of options.

I am a fan of Pocketbook and my current model is the Touch HD. It has a very nice screen with built in lighting (not too bright, perfect for my taste) and the reading app is quite flexible. You can use your own fonts and de-/activate status bar and page numbers. I prefer reading with CoolReader installed (very easy to do), because you can adjust the light by sweeping up and down and you have endless formatting and display options.
There is a sleep cover available for the Touch HD. If you can do without the sleep function, the device also fits into Touch Lux covers, the flat ones with the four corners.

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by iacchi

Kepler Pro
...
Con: buttons position, tiny bit more pricy, bit oldish android version (but my boox max with the same version works fine)

Speaking as a K-Pro owner -- the buttons are quite conveniently placed -- if you read with the reader inverted (either use a reading app that can do this -- e.g. Alreader, or an app that does this independently). I was extremely happy with it, until a firmware update borked it, and I had to return it for repair.

I agree that it's a tad pricey (I wanted Android, 300ppi & flush bezel, and didn't think the JDReader was ready for English, so had little choice). I haven't had any problems with it being an older version of Android in terms of availability of apps (I suspect that most apps that can deal with eInk won't be demanding the features of the latest/greatest Android version).

[iacchi]

Thank you guys for all your comments, I'll wait on some about the C67ML as well before proceding (the difference in price is quite noticeable after all). I think that considering the less resolution screen and the bigger hassle to get it, I'll leave the InkBook aside, so minus one candidate.
In the mean time, would anybody like to comment on this review of the obsidian: http://goodereader.com/blog/electron...-reader-review particularly this paragraph here and how it reflects on the devices:

Many e-readers on the market have a front-lit display, which allows you to read in the dark. Unlike a smartphone or tablet, the light does not emit from behind the screen, instead there are normally five LED lights built into the bottom or top of the bezel and project light upwards. Front-lit displays are hard to get right and many companies face huge challenges in order to give people a solid experience. I have found that the best front-lit displays have the screen flush with the bezel. It helps contain the light within a fixed area. This is why the Nook Glowlight Plus, Kindle Paperwhite 2, Tolino Shine 1, Onyx Boox and Pocketbook products all have whats known as light spillage. If you are in a very dark room and have the luminosity levels between 50% and 100% you will start to notice discoloration at the top and bottom of the screen. Additionally, most of these e-readers also suffer from a blueish hue to the screen. This is why I am very bullish about screens that are flush with the bezel, you absolutely get the best lighting system currently available.

Also, I forgot to ask: how's the ghosting in the devices?

[iacchi]

Now that I think of it, can I ask you all of a favour (which might be useful for other users as well in the future), if it's not too much of a hassle? Can you take a picture of your reader with the room in the dark and the light set to a comfortable level for you? I would like to see the colour of the light itself and the brightness. I usually have the bed light on when I read, but sometime that little extra light would be nice (maybe keeping the device light at a minimum) and I would like it to be comfortable to the eye. Thanks all!

[robko]

So, take anything that Goodereader says with several truckloads of salt (and that's a general recommendation before I even read what para you were quoting). I can't comment on the devices you are looking at, but I having owned a bunch of Kobo front lit e-readers, I really don't thing flush vs recess bevel matters. It's the particular design of the device that will influence one vs another. And while you might get a realllllyyyy general idea of the colour of a particular device from pictures, a) it's hard to get a pic to reflect reality, and b) even within the same run of a particular device there tends to be a fair bit of variation one to the next.

[church mouse]

I haven't owned or seen a perfectly balanced frontlit e-reader, they have all had some amount of shading/shadowing, but none of them so much that I could not use it without it bothering me. Nor do I think there is an inherent improvement as between flush or bevel.

Of my current readers I would rank the quality of lighting spread from worst to best as Kobo Glo (bevel), Energy Sistem Pro HD (flush), Kobo H2O (bevel), Tolino Vision 3HD (flush).

Even though my 212dpi Pro HD I rate second worst it is my preferred reader. Perhaps this is suggestive that most recent improvements in the screen and lighting have been fairly small and that a pretty comfortable reading experience can be got from any recent e-reader. Or, I am just not that fussy.

Sorry, can't post screen pictures.

[LucyOne]

I read a lot in bed without any nightlight, only using the light of my e-reader. I prefer the Pocketbook Touch HD for this because the minimum luminosity level is not very bright, but still shows good contrast. My Kindle Paperwhite 2, for example, doesn't have such good contrast and so it's more difficult to read with a low luminosity level. It's difficult to capture the exact lighting on camera, you'll have to see with your own eyes.
I don't think anyone would read with luminosity levels between 50% and 100% in a dark room, this is definitely not necessary and would hurt your eyes. That's why I also wouldn't worry too much about discolouration.
You don't need to worry about ghosting, either, with the HD screens. I'd definitely recommend going for a device with a high resolution and lighting.

[iacchi]

Thank you all for all the precious comments. I'll take a few more days to decide (it's hard when there are so many good choices!) and I'll let you know the outcome. In the mean time, I'm still open to comments/suggestions

[Hrafn]

I purposefully let others weigh in first on frontlights as (i) I don't generally read in a situation where I need one (so my main experience with it on my Kepler was finding the setting to stop it automatically coming back on after being put to sleep) & (ii) no longer have it with me to take a closer look. That being said, my impression was that it was even (at least no obvious imperfections) and not too bright (at least on its 'default' level of three bars).

Never having owned an eReader with both a frontlight and a raised bezel, I cannot opine on their alleged inherent flaws but, like robko, I would take Goodereader's claim with a healthy level of skepticism.

[Hemmi]

I had a Kobo for a while and it did not require me to register the device to use it as long as I side-loaded my books on it. That's not something everyone wants to do though but I prefer it.

[iacchi]

Really? Both of my parents have a Kobo and I remember that when I set it up the first thing that it asked was to open a Kobo account and there was no way out of it. Maybe they've changed this in later versions of the firmware? Anyway, considering that this device will last me for a while, I think I'll go for a 300 ppi screen, which no 6" Kobo has.

At this point, I think it's either the PocketBook, which has probably a more refined software (although less flexible) than the onyx and a better warranty (once I go back to Europe) or the C67ML, which probably has a less refined software (and some firmware problems every now and then) although a much more open one, and costs 2/3 of the price compared to the PocketBook once I've bought a cover for it. Of the Kepler I love the metal back and the flush bezel, but I really hate the buttons where they are and all in all, when compared to the C67ML, is too pricey for the extras.

[robko]

Originally Posted by iacchi

Really? Both of my parents have a Kobo and I remember that when I set it up the first thing that it asked was to open a Kobo account and there was no way out of it. Maybe they've changed this in later versions of the firmware?

It is avoidable, but you do have to play with the database (enter some blank data) and I don't remember for sure whether it works with current firmware versions (i.e. people have figured out what you need to enter).

[iacchi]

I've decided not to wait anymore in the end and I've also decided that the pocketbook wasn't worth the $80 more that it would have costed, so I went for the C67ML
Thanks to everybody for their comments.