Big test: 8 e-books
The choice of readers based on electronic ink is wide enough and we will not sin against the truth if we note that in real use different readers can differ dramatically. One will be responsive, the other will not, one will have such a contrast screen that you can do without backlighting, the other without backlighting. And there may be glitches. In fact, there are many such nuances and they are not always tied to the passport characteristics of iron. We have prepared this test for those who are faced with the choice of a reader, but have no opportunity to independently test the readers before buying. And also for those who want to better understand the features and differences of various e-books and software shells based on Android and not Android. This test is notfor those who doubt what to take - a reader or a tablet - and for those who have already passed this stage and have decided what exactly E-Ink wants. So, for the test, we selected eight devices from six manufacturers. These are Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2015, Amazon Kindle Voyage, Digma S676, Kobo Glo HD, ONYX Boox Darwin, Pocketbook 626 Plus, Pocketbook 650 Limited Edition and Bookeen Cybook Ocean. Unfortunately, the new Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight Plus reader could not be tested, as well as the Gmini and Explay readers. But the eight devices we have on hand, we tried to investigate thoroughly.
The software on various readers of Pocketbook, Onyx, Digma and Amazon is identical or almost identical. We think that we will not be mistaken if we assume that with Bookeen and Kobo the situation is similar. So, if there wasn’t a specific reader on which you personally laid eyes, perhaps the test will still be useful to you in terms of software evaluation. We will touch on the characteristics, but we will try to focus on the real experience of use, because everything else is already available on the official sites of books. All stages of the test are recorded in two videos. The first (in the link, in the “Screen” section) is boring, you can see the time for paging and opening books in it without editing. The second video (at the bottom of the test) is a video version of the test, which not only talks about readers, but each established fact is also illustrated by the corresponding video sequence.
Screens
As you almost certainly guessed, we tried to take flagship, six-inch models with E-Ink Carta screens, but we were not able to get the Bookeen Cybook Muse Frontlight reader for testing, which just fits these criteria. So, the only reader test with an old-style Pearl screen is Bookeen’s eight-inch Cybook Ocean; all other readers today have six-inch screens of the latest type of e-ink carta. Is the difference between them visible? To tell you the truth, it is minimal. Yes, the Kobo Glo HD screen is the most contrasting, followed by the Kindle Voyage, then Onyx Boox Darwin, Kindle Paperwhite 2015, Pocketbook 626 Plus, Digma s676. And the 650th Pocketbook with the Bookeen Cybook Ocean. But the difference between the leader and the outsider is poorly noticeable even when comparing head-on. The fact is that the screen consists not only of a layer with electronic ink, there is still a protective layer, a touch layer, the backlight layer is implemented in different ways. Everything affects clarity. And for all readers, it is quite high.
This was shown by a microscopic test. The least influence of the layers on the clarity of the displayed material is in bukin and kobo, but in bukin the low pixel density (1024 x 768 at eight inches) is also clearly visible. The greatest clarity of the displayed material in Kobo and Kindle due to the double advantage in resolution compared to Pocketbooks, Onyx, Digma and Bookin.
Under the microscope, you can see the difference between the screens of readers with a protective glass - PB Voyage and Cybook Ocean - and other readers, the surface of the screens in which is matte. It is clearly seen that micro-damage, making the glass frosted less, hence the gloss.
Iron
All readers except digma have wi-fi, and the Kindle Voyage also has 3G. An autopsy of Kobo Glo HD revealed that 128 MB of RAM were installed in the reader. Nowhere on the net did we find this information. Digma and bukina also have 128 megabytes each, 626 plus pokebook and 256 megabyte Kindle paper, all the other 512 MB. The lowest frequency for the digma processor is only 600 MHz, for bukin 800 MHz, for all other gigahertz.
In real use, only Onyx slows down after opening a pair of heavy books or an unsuccessful application from the playmarket. Android on the reader can hardly be called a definite advantage. Also not smart bukin and digma, but in the simple reading mode even these readers do not cause any complaints. The highest responsiveness of the voyage - a light shell, optimization and powerful filling decide.
Opening speed of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Ka) in mobi format (41 MB)
8. On Digma s676 in 26 seconds. Reopening 20 sec.
7. Onyx Boox Darwin in 22 seconds, reopening after opening another book for 58 seconds.
6. Kobo Glo HD - 15 seconds, but only in pristine condition after a reset to factory settings. After a couple of weeks of use, she refuses to open such a large book, flying out closer to 30 seconds.
5. Pocketbook 626 Plus - 9.5 seconds, reopening 2 seconds.
4. Pocketbook 650 LE - 8.5 seconds, but reopening 2 seconds.
3. Bookeen Cybook Ocean - three and a half seconds.
2. Kindle Paperwhite 2015 - 2 sec.
1. Kindle Voyage - 1 sec.
The speed of turning over is the highest for Kindle, on Pocketbooks a little slower, Buken and Cobo slower, digma even slower, and turning over to Onyx boxes Darwin is the slowest. Flipping
speed
8. Onyx Boox Darwin - 1.9 s
7. Digma s676 - 1.267 s
6. Bookeen Cybook Ocean - 867 ms
5. Kobo Glo HD - 767 ms
4. Pocketbook 626 Plus - 700 ms
3. Pocketbook 650 LE - 667 ms
2 Kindle Paperwhite 2015 - 567 ms
1. Kindle Voyage - 533 ms
This stage of testing is fixed on video (access by reference).
Memory
For the system and your books, all readers except onyx have 4 gigabytes of ROM. Onyx has more - 8 gigs.
Installing your memory card is supposed to be in onyx, pocketbook, bukin and digmu. But in the Kindle and Cobo there. However, in Cobo, the role of the ROM is played by the slow MicroSD card. By flashing a larger memory card, you can install a quick 32 gigabyte card here. With a loss of warranty, of course.
The camera is only in the Pocketbook 650 Limited Edition - it can be used to scan texts and barcodes from books. And only in the 650th there is a mini-jack for headphones - the reader can read your books aloud.
Design and covers
All devices are similar in design, but the digma s676 reader has physical buttons that are duplicated on the right and left, which makes it equally convenient for both the left and the right hand. PocketBook 650 Limited Edition is the same Pocketbook 650 Ultra, but in a different color and cover. The physical buttons here are already on both sides - front and back. Not subscribed. Ports are hidden under the plugs. In general, all readers have physical buttons except bukin, kindlov and kobo, bukin and voyage have touch buttons. Bukin has more sensitive touch buttons, but if you accidentally grab it, the reader will turn over several pages. The screens of all readers are touch-sensitive, but with gloves on, only Kobo and Amazon readers can work.
Kindle Voyage Transformer Cover
The designs of Bukin and Voyage resemble a stealth fighter. Both have a protective glass, which other readers do not have. They say that Amazon readers are generally the most tenacious, but it must be understood that a non-flexible screen based on electronic ink is inferior in any case to the survivability of the LCD. And it’s better not to drop them. The branded cover for the Kindle Voyage itself costs almost like a whole reader - four and a half thousand rubles - magnetic, keeps excellent, looks great, allows you to put the reader on the table and locks and unlocks it yourself. However, the buyer of the most expensive test reader will hardly think about such trifles as saving at the best, but about prices later. Onyx Boox Darwin and Pocketbook 650 Limited Edition have a complete cover. In the second case, it is magnetic and, unfortunately, tries to fall off at the most crucial moment - it seems the manufacturer forgot to put double-sided tape in the box with the device. Plus, she does not know how to automatically lock the screen. There is no auto-lock in the bukin reader. All others have autolocking supported.
Software
In terms of supporting formats, digma, onyx, bukin, kobo and poketbooks support all the main formats, including fb2, the list of formats in the Kindle is limited - the recommended format is mobi, they do not hold compact fb2 files, and mobi usually takes up more space. Cbr comic files are fully supported only by kobo and partially supported only by digma, it opens them as image archives. But onyx can put any cbr-reader from the playmarket and get some kind of format support.
Bukin, poketbooks, kobo and onyx have the function of reformatting text from pdf files to a readable form. It works identically. Kindles and digma can display pdf only in its original form. All readers allow you to change fonts and their size, line spacing, margin size. Interfaces are localized on everyone except kobo. All readers have dictionaries, except digma. None of the readers have a dictionary open as a separate area of the screen. And it closes with its window either part of the text, as in a pocket or Kindle, or the entire text, as in onyx. In our opinion, it would be more convenient if the dictionary were opened as a separate frame at the bottom, reducing the area of the displayed text, and it would not have to be minimized. So it would be easier to read a text with an abundance of unfamiliar words. But, in fact, on the Kindle, this is not a problem, - Due to its high performance, the dictionary opens and closes almost instantly. And by the way, this is a lingua, like a pocketbook.
Everyone except the digma has an intellectually formed library. It’s most convenient to look for something in the library of a pocketbook. The least convenient in the kobo library, due to the lack of a Cyrillic keyboard. Onyx also distinguished itself, the search in the library of which for some reason works case-sensitive. If the book you are looking for is capitalized, and you enter the name with a small one, the book cannot be found. But there are two libraries at once - one of its own and one that is built into the program reader. The second, in our opinion, is better.
Everyone except the Kindle and Cobo has a file manager or file manager, which makes the Kindle and Cobo the least convenient for those who are used to keeping their entire library of several thousand volumes on the reader. Especially if not every volume is marked up with who the author is, what title and so on. Finding something without a file manager can be difficult. The most convenient again at the poke. Second place is onyx. Digma and bukina are simpler.
You can upload your books on usb to all readers of today's test, but on kobo and amazon you need to drop files into specific directories, otherwise they will not be picked up. Kobo's root. Kindle in documents. The onyx USB interface turned out to be much faster than other readers. The write speed is about 8.5 megabytes per second, the read speed is all three hundred megabytes per second. Average.
Amazon Kindle and Kobo Reader Software Shells
Kindle and cobo readers should be perceived as customers for Amazon and Kobo branded stores. Add the account, card at the beginning, buy the electronic books you are interested in and read them. It is also possible to download your own collection of books, but far from everything is supported - fortunately, there is a wonderful Caliber program that can convert Fb2 into formats understandable to overseas readers. To call up the menu, click on the area at the top. As you can see, according to the control logic, kobo and amazon are very similar. But there are differences. Kindle Russified, Kobo - no. In the Kindle store you can buy domestic books. In the kobo store - no, not even a Cyrillic virtual keyboard. For Kindle owners at Amazon, some content is free. In the kobo store we could only find paid literature. But in the shell of Kobo there are achievements. Another interesting feature is reading statistics.
Shell Bookeen Cybook
The software part of the French reader Bookeen Cybook Ocean compares favorably with its flagship twin brother Kindle Voyage, not only with fb2 support and the presence of a file manager, but also with the Liters store integrated into it. Otherwise, additional features are not provided, not even a browser, the required settings are at least, but everything you need is at hand. We chose the font, size, margins, backlight intensity, enjoy reading.
ONYX Boox Shell (Android)
ONYX Boox Darwin software shell is an adaptation of Android for devices with screens based on electronic ink. Just do not flatter yourself. Most programs from the Play Market are not adapted for electronic ink, even applications of popular legal libraries may be installed, but inappropriate advertising videos will block the screen, and physical buttons will not scroll. Therefore, it is better to download books to the reader and still use the standard OReader (this is the version of AlReader for Onyx). All the necessary settings are made from the menu, here you can very flexibly customize the displayed text style - the font set is good - and, in general, everything is quite clear, understandable and convenient. In reality, we have only two complaints about this shell - firstly, sometimes it’s buggy and freezes, Android for the reader is hard. Secondly, it slows down and loads very slowly. Therefore, it is better for the reader, in general, not to allow themselves to turn off, and keep it in standby mode. Fortunately, the battery allows.
Pocketbook Shell (2015)
The Pokebook shell surprisingly combines the greatest functionality of all considered today and high responsiveness, speed and load. Convenient notes and a bunch of tools for highlighting - a screenshot, marker, pencil, eraser - is useful for studying scientific texts and working with textbooks. Internal navigation through the book - no complaints - content, bookmarks, notes, everything is convenient and at hand. Selected text can be tagged, sent to a search engine in the built-in browser, or thrown off to friends as a quote. The drop-down menu at the top is a direct android (in fact, no). Menu below - a set of toys and applications for reading, drawing, calculator, browser. Installation of add. software is not supposed, but all the regular work flawlessly. On the sleep and shutdown window, you can put not only the cover of the book, but also your picture. The key assignment can be changed, and you can assign an action to hold the key. There are user profiles so that you can give the reader a drive to a friend, each user of the pocketbook has its own bookmarks, its own reading progress. Developed networking opportunities - there is Bookland's own online store with very liberal prices, but books can also be downloaded from dropbox or by mail - as well as uploaded to the device itself. Judging by the name, you might think that Pocketbook Sync allows you to synchronize several of your readers, but in reality it serves to autoload certain purchased books to you on all devices. The readrate service is designed to help you search for books that are similar to the ones you like, and give your own ratings for what you read, but so far it’s not too intelligent. We would like so that recommendations are given on the basis of what you have read and those ratings that you personally set out to books. There is an RSS reader. And even support for third-party stores - through the OPDS online libraries. The library - it’s also a file manager - is an acceptable compromise for those who like to arrange books by daddy themselves, and for those who are already used to various intellectual sorting systems. Here on top there is a special button that gives you a choice of how to display your books - by authors, in bulk or in your file system.
Digma Shell
The digma shell is easy to use, functional and conceptually close to the pocketbook shell, albeit in some ways inferior to it. The low responsiveness of the interface can really only hinder when scrolling with your finger in the file manager, when you release your finger at the wrong time and accidentally open an unnecessary book. But there is a format. Dictionaries are supported, but you must install it yourself. You can put your picture on the standby screen. There is an extra. software for viewing images, notes and two games: gobang and sudoku. There are all the necessary settings, but the functions of the buttons cannot be reassigned. In reading mode, there is one not quite obvious thing: to open the menu, you need to click on the bottom of the screen - in many other readers this would lead to a transition somewhere in the center of the book. So until you collapse the menu, the bottom of the screen will be hidden. And when paging, it seems that part of the text is simply lost. If this happens, just collapse the menu. By the way, the only book in which we found out of the box the auto-read function. And also the most affordable option from those considered today.
Overall rating
Kindle Paperwhite software - 6
Kindle Voyage - 6
Kobo Glo HD - 4
Onyx Boox Darwin - 6
Bookeen Cybook Ocean - 7
Digma s676 - 7
Pocketbook 650 LE - 9
Pocketbook 626 Plus - 9
Why did we downgrade?
The lack of Russification -2 points for Kobo Glo HD.
The lack of a file manager -2 points for Kindle and Kobo books.
Various software inconveniences -1 point for Onyx Boox Darwin.
Software part glitches -1 point for Digma, Onyx, Kobo books.
Lack of support for FB2 -1 point for Kindle books.
The lack of an app store -1 point for all but Onyx.
Lack of browser -1 point for books Bookeen and Digma.
Slow turn-on speed -1 point for Onyx.
Prices
On the test day, Digma s676 cost from seven thousand rubles, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2015 from 8 thousand, ONYX BOOX Darwin from ten thousand rubles, Kobo Glo HD from 11 thousand rubles, Pocketbook 626 Plus from twelve and a half thousand rubles, Bookeen Cybook Ocean from 13 thousand rubles, PocketBook 650 Limited Edition with cover and Kindle Voyage (without cover) from 15 thousand rubles. Cover Amazon Origami another 4,500 rubles. However, we consider it important to note that Bookeen has its own six-inch Cybook Muse FrontLight reader with a Carta screen and a 1000 MHz processor, the price of which is only 9,000 rubles. Once again, we express our disappointment that we were not able to get it for the test. Given the quality of implementation at the Ocean level, but adjusted for a more interesting cost, higher pixel density and a Carta-like screen, in terms of price / quality, Muse FrontLight would most likely prove to be one of the test leaders, if not the leader. So, if you personally had experience using this book, we would be grateful if you share it in the comments.
However, more current prices are always available on the Market .
Test video version
All other stages of testing are fixed in the video version of the test.
Instead of a conclusion
Still, the software makes a huge contribution to the experience of working with e-books. Supported formats, file manager, dictionary, and individual software nuances make the reader really convenient. Of course, do not underestimate the role of the presence of a backlight, a contrasting responsive screen, a correctly selected processor, a sufficient amount of memory, and physical buttons. All of this is important. But, when comparing two readers from different manufacturers - purely by TTX - it is impossible to name the best device in advance and with full confidence. So, we hope that the data of this test will bring clarity to the “blind spot” of the software issue. Also keep in mind that the difference between Pearl and Carta exists, but it is not radical. And if, when comparing several readers based on different generations of E-Ink, the price differs by an order of magnitude,
UPD: after the test, we received a review of the current Onyx Boox readers line, Darwin 2 showed more responsiveness than Darwin. Everything is fixed on the video. There's also an opinion on Moby Dick, Cleopatra 2 and Zeus.
The software on various readers of Pocketbook, Onyx, Digma and Amazon is identical or almost identical. We think that we will not be mistaken if we assume that with Bookeen and Kobo the situation is similar. So, if there wasn’t a specific reader on which you personally laid eyes, perhaps the test will still be useful to you in terms of software evaluation. We will touch on the characteristics, but we will try to focus on the real experience of use, because everything else is already available on the official sites of books. All stages of the test are recorded in two videos. The first (in the link, in the “Screen” section) is boring, you can see the time for paging and opening books in it without editing. The second video (at the bottom of the test) is a video version of the test, which not only talks about readers, but each established fact is also illustrated by the corresponding video sequence.
Screens
As you almost certainly guessed, we tried to take flagship, six-inch models with E-Ink Carta screens, but we were not able to get the Bookeen Cybook Muse Frontlight reader for testing, which just fits these criteria. So, the only reader test with an old-style Pearl screen is Bookeen’s eight-inch Cybook Ocean; all other readers today have six-inch screens of the latest type of e-ink carta. Is the difference between them visible? To tell you the truth, it is minimal. Yes, the Kobo Glo HD screen is the most contrasting, followed by the Kindle Voyage, then Onyx Boox Darwin, Kindle Paperwhite 2015, Pocketbook 626 Plus, Digma s676. And the 650th Pocketbook with the Bookeen Cybook Ocean. But the difference between the leader and the outsider is poorly noticeable even when comparing head-on. The fact is that the screen consists not only of a layer with electronic ink, there is still a protective layer, a touch layer, the backlight layer is implemented in different ways. Everything affects clarity. And for all readers, it is quite high.
This was shown by a microscopic test. The least influence of the layers on the clarity of the displayed material is in bukin and kobo, but in bukin the low pixel density (1024 x 768 at eight inches) is also clearly visible. The greatest clarity of the displayed material in Kobo and Kindle due to the double advantage in resolution compared to Pocketbooks, Onyx, Digma and Bookin.
Under the microscope, you can see the difference between the screens of readers with a protective glass - PB Voyage and Cybook Ocean - and other readers, the surface of the screens in which is matte. It is clearly seen that micro-damage, making the glass frosted less, hence the gloss.
Iron
All readers except digma have wi-fi, and the Kindle Voyage also has 3G. An autopsy of Kobo Glo HD revealed that 128 MB of RAM were installed in the reader. Nowhere on the net did we find this information. Digma and bukina also have 128 megabytes each, 626 plus pokebook and 256 megabyte Kindle paper, all the other 512 MB. The lowest frequency for the digma processor is only 600 MHz, for bukin 800 MHz, for all other gigahertz.
In real use, only Onyx slows down after opening a pair of heavy books or an unsuccessful application from the playmarket. Android on the reader can hardly be called a definite advantage. Also not smart bukin and digma, but in the simple reading mode even these readers do not cause any complaints. The highest responsiveness of the voyage - a light shell, optimization and powerful filling decide.
Opening speed of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Ka) in mobi format (41 MB)
8. On Digma s676 in 26 seconds. Reopening 20 sec.
7. Onyx Boox Darwin in 22 seconds, reopening after opening another book for 58 seconds.
6. Kobo Glo HD - 15 seconds, but only in pristine condition after a reset to factory settings. After a couple of weeks of use, she refuses to open such a large book, flying out closer to 30 seconds.
5. Pocketbook 626 Plus - 9.5 seconds, reopening 2 seconds.
4. Pocketbook 650 LE - 8.5 seconds, but reopening 2 seconds.
3. Bookeen Cybook Ocean - three and a half seconds.
2. Kindle Paperwhite 2015 - 2 sec.
1. Kindle Voyage - 1 sec.
The speed of turning over is the highest for Kindle, on Pocketbooks a little slower, Buken and Cobo slower, digma even slower, and turning over to Onyx boxes Darwin is the slowest. Flipping
speed
8. Onyx Boox Darwin - 1.9 s
7. Digma s676 - 1.267 s
6. Bookeen Cybook Ocean - 867 ms
5. Kobo Glo HD - 767 ms
4. Pocketbook 626 Plus - 700 ms
3. Pocketbook 650 LE - 667 ms
2 Kindle Paperwhite 2015 - 567 ms
1. Kindle Voyage - 533 ms
This stage of testing is fixed on video (access by reference).
Memory
For the system and your books, all readers except onyx have 4 gigabytes of ROM. Onyx has more - 8 gigs.
Installing your memory card is supposed to be in onyx, pocketbook, bukin and digmu. But in the Kindle and Cobo there. However, in Cobo, the role of the ROM is played by the slow MicroSD card. By flashing a larger memory card, you can install a quick 32 gigabyte card here. With a loss of warranty, of course.
The camera is only in the Pocketbook 650 Limited Edition - it can be used to scan texts and barcodes from books. And only in the 650th there is a mini-jack for headphones - the reader can read your books aloud.
Design and covers
All devices are similar in design, but the digma s676 reader has physical buttons that are duplicated on the right and left, which makes it equally convenient for both the left and the right hand. PocketBook 650 Limited Edition is the same Pocketbook 650 Ultra, but in a different color and cover. The physical buttons here are already on both sides - front and back. Not subscribed. Ports are hidden under the plugs. In general, all readers have physical buttons except bukin, kindlov and kobo, bukin and voyage have touch buttons. Bukin has more sensitive touch buttons, but if you accidentally grab it, the reader will turn over several pages. The screens of all readers are touch-sensitive, but with gloves on, only Kobo and Amazon readers can work.
Kindle Voyage Transformer Cover
The designs of Bukin and Voyage resemble a stealth fighter. Both have a protective glass, which other readers do not have. They say that Amazon readers are generally the most tenacious, but it must be understood that a non-flexible screen based on electronic ink is inferior in any case to the survivability of the LCD. And it’s better not to drop them. The branded cover for the Kindle Voyage itself costs almost like a whole reader - four and a half thousand rubles - magnetic, keeps excellent, looks great, allows you to put the reader on the table and locks and unlocks it yourself. However, the buyer of the most expensive test reader will hardly think about such trifles as saving at the best, but about prices later. Onyx Boox Darwin and Pocketbook 650 Limited Edition have a complete cover. In the second case, it is magnetic and, unfortunately, tries to fall off at the most crucial moment - it seems the manufacturer forgot to put double-sided tape in the box with the device. Plus, she does not know how to automatically lock the screen. There is no auto-lock in the bukin reader. All others have autolocking supported.
Software
In terms of supporting formats, digma, onyx, bukin, kobo and poketbooks support all the main formats, including fb2, the list of formats in the Kindle is limited - the recommended format is mobi, they do not hold compact fb2 files, and mobi usually takes up more space. Cbr comic files are fully supported only by kobo and partially supported only by digma, it opens them as image archives. But onyx can put any cbr-reader from the playmarket and get some kind of format support.
Bukin, poketbooks, kobo and onyx have the function of reformatting text from pdf files to a readable form. It works identically. Kindles and digma can display pdf only in its original form. All readers allow you to change fonts and their size, line spacing, margin size. Interfaces are localized on everyone except kobo. All readers have dictionaries, except digma. None of the readers have a dictionary open as a separate area of the screen. And it closes with its window either part of the text, as in a pocket or Kindle, or the entire text, as in onyx. In our opinion, it would be more convenient if the dictionary were opened as a separate frame at the bottom, reducing the area of the displayed text, and it would not have to be minimized. So it would be easier to read a text with an abundance of unfamiliar words. But, in fact, on the Kindle, this is not a problem, - Due to its high performance, the dictionary opens and closes almost instantly. And by the way, this is a lingua, like a pocketbook.
Everyone except the digma has an intellectually formed library. It’s most convenient to look for something in the library of a pocketbook. The least convenient in the kobo library, due to the lack of a Cyrillic keyboard. Onyx also distinguished itself, the search in the library of which for some reason works case-sensitive. If the book you are looking for is capitalized, and you enter the name with a small one, the book cannot be found. But there are two libraries at once - one of its own and one that is built into the program reader. The second, in our opinion, is better.
Everyone except the Kindle and Cobo has a file manager or file manager, which makes the Kindle and Cobo the least convenient for those who are used to keeping their entire library of several thousand volumes on the reader. Especially if not every volume is marked up with who the author is, what title and so on. Finding something without a file manager can be difficult. The most convenient again at the poke. Second place is onyx. Digma and bukina are simpler.
You can upload your books on usb to all readers of today's test, but on kobo and amazon you need to drop files into specific directories, otherwise they will not be picked up. Kobo's root. Kindle in documents. The onyx USB interface turned out to be much faster than other readers. The write speed is about 8.5 megabytes per second, the read speed is all three hundred megabytes per second. Average.
Amazon Kindle and Kobo Reader Software Shells
Kindle and cobo readers should be perceived as customers for Amazon and Kobo branded stores. Add the account, card at the beginning, buy the electronic books you are interested in and read them. It is also possible to download your own collection of books, but far from everything is supported - fortunately, there is a wonderful Caliber program that can convert Fb2 into formats understandable to overseas readers. To call up the menu, click on the area at the top. As you can see, according to the control logic, kobo and amazon are very similar. But there are differences. Kindle Russified, Kobo - no. In the Kindle store you can buy domestic books. In the kobo store - no, not even a Cyrillic virtual keyboard. For Kindle owners at Amazon, some content is free. In the kobo store we could only find paid literature. But in the shell of Kobo there are achievements. Another interesting feature is reading statistics.
Shell Bookeen Cybook
The software part of the French reader Bookeen Cybook Ocean compares favorably with its flagship twin brother Kindle Voyage, not only with fb2 support and the presence of a file manager, but also with the Liters store integrated into it. Otherwise, additional features are not provided, not even a browser, the required settings are at least, but everything you need is at hand. We chose the font, size, margins, backlight intensity, enjoy reading.
ONYX Boox Shell (Android)
ONYX Boox Darwin software shell is an adaptation of Android for devices with screens based on electronic ink. Just do not flatter yourself. Most programs from the Play Market are not adapted for electronic ink, even applications of popular legal libraries may be installed, but inappropriate advertising videos will block the screen, and physical buttons will not scroll. Therefore, it is better to download books to the reader and still use the standard OReader (this is the version of AlReader for Onyx). All the necessary settings are made from the menu, here you can very flexibly customize the displayed text style - the font set is good - and, in general, everything is quite clear, understandable and convenient. In reality, we have only two complaints about this shell - firstly, sometimes it’s buggy and freezes, Android for the reader is hard. Secondly, it slows down and loads very slowly. Therefore, it is better for the reader, in general, not to allow themselves to turn off, and keep it in standby mode. Fortunately, the battery allows.
Pocketbook Shell (2015)
The Pokebook shell surprisingly combines the greatest functionality of all considered today and high responsiveness, speed and load. Convenient notes and a bunch of tools for highlighting - a screenshot, marker, pencil, eraser - is useful for studying scientific texts and working with textbooks. Internal navigation through the book - no complaints - content, bookmarks, notes, everything is convenient and at hand. Selected text can be tagged, sent to a search engine in the built-in browser, or thrown off to friends as a quote. The drop-down menu at the top is a direct android (in fact, no). Menu below - a set of toys and applications for reading, drawing, calculator, browser. Installation of add. software is not supposed, but all the regular work flawlessly. On the sleep and shutdown window, you can put not only the cover of the book, but also your picture. The key assignment can be changed, and you can assign an action to hold the key. There are user profiles so that you can give the reader a drive to a friend, each user of the pocketbook has its own bookmarks, its own reading progress. Developed networking opportunities - there is Bookland's own online store with very liberal prices, but books can also be downloaded from dropbox or by mail - as well as uploaded to the device itself. Judging by the name, you might think that Pocketbook Sync allows you to synchronize several of your readers, but in reality it serves to autoload certain purchased books to you on all devices. The readrate service is designed to help you search for books that are similar to the ones you like, and give your own ratings for what you read, but so far it’s not too intelligent. We would like so that recommendations are given on the basis of what you have read and those ratings that you personally set out to books. There is an RSS reader. And even support for third-party stores - through the OPDS online libraries. The library - it’s also a file manager - is an acceptable compromise for those who like to arrange books by daddy themselves, and for those who are already used to various intellectual sorting systems. Here on top there is a special button that gives you a choice of how to display your books - by authors, in bulk or in your file system.
Digma Shell
The digma shell is easy to use, functional and conceptually close to the pocketbook shell, albeit in some ways inferior to it. The low responsiveness of the interface can really only hinder when scrolling with your finger in the file manager, when you release your finger at the wrong time and accidentally open an unnecessary book. But there is a format. Dictionaries are supported, but you must install it yourself. You can put your picture on the standby screen. There is an extra. software for viewing images, notes and two games: gobang and sudoku. There are all the necessary settings, but the functions of the buttons cannot be reassigned. In reading mode, there is one not quite obvious thing: to open the menu, you need to click on the bottom of the screen - in many other readers this would lead to a transition somewhere in the center of the book. So until you collapse the menu, the bottom of the screen will be hidden. And when paging, it seems that part of the text is simply lost. If this happens, just collapse the menu. By the way, the only book in which we found out of the box the auto-read function. And also the most affordable option from those considered today.
Overall rating
Kindle Paperwhite software - 6
Kindle Voyage - 6
Kobo Glo HD - 4
Onyx Boox Darwin - 6
Bookeen Cybook Ocean - 7
Digma s676 - 7
Pocketbook 650 LE - 9
Pocketbook 626 Plus - 9
Why did we downgrade?
The lack of Russification -2 points for Kobo Glo HD.
The lack of a file manager -2 points for Kindle and Kobo books.
Various software inconveniences -1 point for Onyx Boox Darwin.
Software part glitches -1 point for Digma, Onyx, Kobo books.
Lack of support for FB2 -1 point for Kindle books.
The lack of an app store -1 point for all but Onyx.
Lack of browser -1 point for books Bookeen and Digma.
Slow turn-on speed -1 point for Onyx.
Prices
On the test day, Digma s676 cost from seven thousand rubles, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2015 from 8 thousand, ONYX BOOX Darwin from ten thousand rubles, Kobo Glo HD from 11 thousand rubles, Pocketbook 626 Plus from twelve and a half thousand rubles, Bookeen Cybook Ocean from 13 thousand rubles, PocketBook 650 Limited Edition with cover and Kindle Voyage (without cover) from 15 thousand rubles. Cover Amazon Origami another 4,500 rubles. However, we consider it important to note that Bookeen has its own six-inch Cybook Muse FrontLight reader with a Carta screen and a 1000 MHz processor, the price of which is only 9,000 rubles. Once again, we express our disappointment that we were not able to get it for the test. Given the quality of implementation at the Ocean level, but adjusted for a more interesting cost, higher pixel density and a Carta-like screen, in terms of price / quality, Muse FrontLight would most likely prove to be one of the test leaders, if not the leader. So, if you personally had experience using this book, we would be grateful if you share it in the comments.
However, more current prices are always available on the Market .
Test video version
All other stages of testing are fixed in the video version of the test.
Instead of a conclusion
Still, the software makes a huge contribution to the experience of working with e-books. Supported formats, file manager, dictionary, and individual software nuances make the reader really convenient. Of course, do not underestimate the role of the presence of a backlight, a contrasting responsive screen, a correctly selected processor, a sufficient amount of memory, and physical buttons. All of this is important. But, when comparing two readers from different manufacturers - purely by TTX - it is impossible to name the best device in advance and with full confidence. So, we hope that the data of this test will bring clarity to the “blind spot” of the software issue. Also keep in mind that the difference between Pearl and Carta exists, but it is not radical. And if, when comparing several readers based on different generations of E-Ink, the price differs by an order of magnitude,
UPD: after the test, we received a review of the current Onyx Boox readers line, Darwin 2 showed more responsiveness than Darwin. Everything is fixed on the video. There's also an opinion on Moby Dick, Cleopatra 2 and Zeus.