PocketBook Touch Lux 3 – Test competitor Kindle Paperwhite 3

We are testing the third generation already a very good reader for e-books – PocketBook Touch Lux 3. The new edition focuses on what in this type of devices the most important: on the screen.

Currently, e-book readers are in quite a difficult situation because they are faced with the tablets, which are increasingly equipped with superwyraziste and colorful displays. Therefore always I looked at these devices with a slight indulgence – in terms of functionality, they are not able to compete with the tablets, even the simplest, and the comfort of reading on screen type E-ink has never been so strong argument to distract supporters tablets from their devices based on Android or iOS-e. 

A new screen

Although competition continues to grow from strength to strength, electronic paper is a technology in which still investing to continue to develop it, and the reader PocketBook Touch Lux 3 is an example of how dynamic this branch of the market. The device appears shortly after his predecessor because of one major upgrade hardware: E-ink screen Carta, or the latest installment of electronic paper. Unlike tested by our predecessor, which had a display E-ink Pearl, 6-inch screen PocketBook Touch Lux 3 (E-ink Carta) offers significantly higher contrast and durable, cover glass. Both devices have the same high resolution (1024 by 758 pixels) resulting pixel density factor equal to 212 ppi. From the point of view of people who value books more than other media such parameters ensure smooth fonts for an even more similar in character to a real book.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

Without prawienia unnecessary clichés, reading e-books on PocketBook Touch Lux 3 is really a great pleasure and I did not notice that the screen quality stood out from the Kindle Paperwhite 2. The contrast is very good viewing angles exemplary and screen coating protects against formation glare. On the other hand, the refresh rate is one of those features which our reality filled matrix IPS is difficult to accept.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

It's a matter of habit, I guess, that the screen sometimes hard to keep up with the rapid leafing through the pages or scrolling text, but one should boast. PocketBook allows you to set the refresh rate of the screen, which makes the penetration previous pages disappear once and for all. Once created an advertising spot of Amazon, which compared Kindle iPad showing that E-ink screen is much more convenient when reading in full sun and the screen, which does not shine let you forget about the fact that even while reading ślęczymy before kind of monitor . The problem is that the backlight is useful, for example. While reading not only in total darkness but also with scant lighting, whenever my parents would say: "Light the wearing overhead light, because it'll ruin your eyes." Backlight Touch Luks 3 It is very strong, so we get a wide range of adjustment, but I think that rarely reach for the peak.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

remains the question of touch, which relied heavily while navigating through the system. Cards e-books much easier rolling over using physical buttons, but the choice of settings and change the intensity of the backlight requires detachment from buttons and delve into the screen. In these operations, the digitizer no problem with the interpretation of commands. Sensitivity not up to the level of the tablet, but the tragedy is not there.

System and Accessories

A lot of room to use the touch screen provides operating system. The basic interface elements are: sliding from the top bar with shortcuts to Wi-Fi (802.1 b / g / n), activation of synchronization, task manager, settings, search engines, and control backlight and beam ejected from the bottom, where we find additional items. The manufacturer is not idle and expanding the reader with additional programs – barely struggling with a web browser or web sites not exact notebook for creating freehand sketches. There will be a game – sudoku, solitaire and chess, we have a photo gallery, calculator, dictionary and an RSS reader.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

I like, however, is that rather than distract us from reading various applications, the reader PocketBook Touch Lux 3 creates a peculiar bond between book and reader, which clearly missed me while reading e-books on your tablet or phablecie. No notifications and mobile Internet is one thing, but just knowing that this device is to read a book lets you focus on the text. The strength of the software is developed system of data synchronization. Similarly to Amazon's services, PocketBook offers the possibility of creating individual e-mail address to which we can podsyłać files, but apart from that the device can be synchronized with Dropbox, and when connected to a computer (PC or Mac), the reader is visible as a data warehouse.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

Whichever path synchronization process runs smoothly, and the system each option gives information about the path of the folder location. We also alone delve into the folder structure by selecting the "Books" that appears on the main screen. Very it enhances the work of the reader, because it allows you to maintain order in the files. In addition to clear rules of operation, the system turns out to be friendly because of the possibility of personalization – change the wallpaper off and mapping keys or assign his reader function keys according to our needs. This makes it easier to control basic functions such as backlight or such. Capture screenshots.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

Reading

Reader supports a number of basic file extensions books and paintings, including ePub, mobi, doc (x), DjVu, htm (l), jpeg or png. As I mentioned earlier, there will be problems with using the content covered by collateral Adobe DRM. While reading the book, we can adjust the size and font (quite a rich library, though not all have Polish characters!), Fix the margin width and spacing, and set hyphenation. For PDF files, you can also set the display – adjust the display to the page width, reduce the proportions to fit a single page on the screen, set them in a number column.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl

using typical file books – ePub or mobi – the reader gives us the opportunity to emphasize and highlight text, the English-speaking checking words in dictionaries (Webster 1913 or ABBY Lingvo Dictionary KD) or in any of the open documents, we can add bookmarks. In fact, not missing anything here that you can comfortably read a book, but I would like to see the ability to create flashcards with words selected as Kindle'u. This allows the grinding of a foreign language, and they often reach for reading the English, the lack of PocketBooku for me is disappointing.

Housing and workmanship

On the other hand, the device size and quality, is one of those things that fit with its intended purpose. PocketBook Touch Lux 3 is slightly thinner than its predecessor, but generally retains the same, very compact size.enclosure is made from pleasant to the touch plastic, which was covered and the front page where you run around the screen wide enough frame so that he can rest there thumb. On the back, at the bottom of the reader you will find a small bulge with a clearly accentuated streak. This allows a firmer grip when carrying the device in one hand. Additional equipment? There is a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), a micro USB port and switch, all located on the bottom edge. At the top we find two small holes – probably used to attach the box from the manufacturer, while the front we find even the four main buttons – two options and two scrolling.

Summary review and evaluation

It's hard to do anything to fault when a reader to 500 zł represents such a level asPocketBook Touch Lux 3. We have here an excellent ergonomics of use with a compact and nice housing in the lead, with comfortable keys and precise touch screen equipped with its own backlight. Besides, the display itself is a stamp of quality branded products PocketBook – the latest technology and high resolution are the main advantages of the matrix. The system has a great work culture. I did not mention it before, but during testing it was possible to update that greatly improved the operation of the software. Perhaps unnecessarily so many applications installed, but on the other hand, the producer generosity manifests itself in a rich range of possibilities for data synchronization and support for multiple file formats. PocketBook Touch Lux 3 is worth to buy and no one should drive on this model.

PocketBook Touch Lux 3 / photo. TabletManiaK.pl