The electronic "reader" PocketBook 626 Touch Lux2 is called by experts one of the most technologically advanced in the Touch line. The model is distinguished by a stylish design, the highest screen quality and functionality. The most common market modification of the device is PocketBook 626 Gray. Feedback from users and experts about the new product is diverse, but in general comes down to a positive assessment of the gadget.
Despite the fact that some functions present in previous models were excluded from the device, the brand's inherent style and performance remained, as experts admit, at the level. The same opinion is also shared by users who are willing to leave feedback on the operating experience of the device.
What are the most notable features of the PocketBook 626? Reviews of owners who have studied the capabilities of the device - what is their degree? Is the device praised or criticized more?
Specifications
The Reader is equipped with a 6-inch display made by E-Ink Pearl technology, a processor with a frequency of 1 GHz, 4 GB of flash memory (expandable to 32 due to additional microSD modules). The device is able to recognize almost all common formats of electronic documents and pictures. There is support for WiFi. The device is running Linux.
The above characteristics of hardware, experts say, are more than enough to perform basic user tasks. "Readers", unlike their "brothers" in the form of tablets, laptops and smartphones, are devices that are not designed to run games and do not require high-performance applications.
Users who left reviews on the capabilities of PocketBook 626 reviews also find the totality of its technical characteristics as completely consistent with the tasks assigned to the reader. At a fairly affordable price (about 6-7 thousand rubles) of the device, its hardware characteristics, as the gadget owners, as well as experts believe, are in no way inferior to those of competitive solutions.
Appearance
The e-book has a stylish design with a minimum of frills and external controls. The body material in the main modification is gray, matte plastic, quite resistant to fingerprints. There is also a white version - PocketBook 626 White. Reviews about the design concept of this modification of the gadget, left by experts and owners, are also very positive.
The buttons on the case are plastic. This appeals to so many users who thought that the rubber counterparts of these controls that were used in previous models were not a very good idea. Users who have left reviews regarding the operation of PocketBook Touch 626 believe that plastic is a material that provides incomparably greater comfort in controlling the device, as well as a noticeably faster reaction of the device to external commands. In addition, according to many experts, this material blends better with the elegant "reading room" style.
Key functions are standard - "Return", "Forward" and "Home". The buttons are pressed very easily. The build quality of the case is evaluated by both experts and users as very high. There are no gaps, creaks and backlashes. At the bottom there is a slot for a USB cable.
Many owners of PocketBook 626, whose reviews are quite common, note the minimalist design of the device. There are no extra buttons, access to the basic functions is opened through a few simple steps. The same opinion is also shared by many experts who tested the capabilities of the reader. The case of the device is very thin (8 mm), and therefore any case for PocketBook 626 will look great without violating the harmony of proportions.
Screen
Display "reader" was awarded by experts and users of the highest rating. Many noted a really working anti-glare mechanism, convenient adjustment of the backlight level. Regardless of the light, you can always choose the optimal brightness of the screen. E-Ink technology brings the quality of the screen font closer to the “original” paper font, which reduces the strain on the reader’s eyes. Regarding the PocketBook 626 display, user reviews and expert reviews are extremely laudatory.
Some experts who have studied the capabilities of the device complain about the insufficient sensitivity of the display to touch in page scrolling mode. But their opponents note that in practice this function is used relatively infrequently - in most cases, you can get by using standard keys or using the gesture to scroll through the contents of the screen.
Software
As we noted above, the PocketBook 626 reader is controlled by the Linux OS. One of the most remarkable features of this operating system is the frequent release of updates (and this, as experts admit, is connected with the desire of developers to improve the quality of device management every time). There are no problems, according to experts and users who tested the device, in order to update the software via WiFi.
Screen control
A key component of PocketBook Touch 626 reader software is the screen management software interface. It, according to experts and users, is arranged quite conveniently. One of its main elements is the "Recent Events" menu, by opening which you can find recently viewed or downloaded files in the system. The icons are located in the lower area of the display (they can be minimized if necessary). Another useful element of the screen interface is the status bar. With it, you can open the calendar, make the necessary backlight settings, view tasks, and also see the battery level. The status bar also shows the progress of the synchronization process, as well as the status of the WiFi.
The PocketBook 626 wireless module, as users and experts admit, works without failures, keeps communication excellent. Its presence, they believe, significantly expands the functionality of the device, allows you to use it not only as a tool for reading media, but also as a good solution for online social communication using applications such as ReadRate. Of course, users can also go online and work in them using the built-in browser.
File manager
Other key software components include a file manager. Owners of PocketBook 626 Touch Lux2, whose reviews allow us to judge the quality of the device, talk about the interface of this application in an extremely positive way. And this is not surprising: the file manager has a large number of settings, filters, media sorting options depending on the genre, author, date, etc. There is an interface for conveniently searching for the desired file (it supports the very necessary, according to many users, input option, when the system offers whole words after entering the first few letters). To view the images there is a convenient program "Photos".
Some users did not like the fact that the PocketBook 626 e-book, unlike many previous models of the Touch line, cannot play media files, it does not have a virtual player. However, as their opponents believe, the absence of this option is not at all critical, since all the elements of the gadget's interface are ideally designed, primarily for comfortable reading books and viewing photos. Any other functions of the device would be of secondary importance, and the manufacturer probably took this fact into account. Concerning the capabilities that the PocketBook 626 e-book has, the reviews practically do not affect the aspect related to the lack of the device's ability to play audio files.
There is an application with which the device user can buy "virtual" literature. This is the BookLand online portal. By the way, many literary works can be downloaded from there for free. Using the interface of this online store, as experts and owners of the device note, is quite comfortable: there are lists of recently published books, there is a convenient search system. In order to get access to all portal functions, you need to register.
The PocketBook 626 e-book has a software module for taking notes. The user can, while reading a book, make notes with a virtual marker, sketches, write comments on what he has read (and not only for himself, but also for the purpose of subsequent publication on social networks using the ReadRate application). True, the notes service tools are fully applicable only to files like doc., EPUB, txt. Some popular formats (such as PDF) are compatible only with the function of creating bookmarks and saving selected sections of text into a separate file.
The Reader is equipped with a set of several dictionaries for translating foreign words. There is a Russian-English module. There is a small encyclopedia of dialects from Misty Albion. There is even an English-German dictionary. You can use them both by running in a separate window, or directly during the reading of a book: just select an incomprehensible word, as soon as a window pops up, in which translation options will be offered. Many users admit that for a long time they were looking for a device that would have a convenient interface specifically for using foreign dictionaries. Choosing a Pocketbook, they admit, was the right decision.
Among other useful applications preinstalled in the reader are Dropbox service (cloud file service), Sync company store, news reading interfaces, Internet browser, calculator, simple games. Users note that the manufacturer has equipped the device with more than enough software to complete the key tasks.
Device management
Among the most notable features of device management are personalization. This option means the user selects the desired action after turning on the device (it can be, for example, opening a file), the appearance of the screen saver, such as fonts or themes. You can also assign actions to individual buttons. Many users and experts, having studied the functions that the PocketBook 626 e-book is endowed with, reviews about the device, especially positively respond to the convenience of setting up gadget controls.
What other noteworthy features will the reader offer us? There are interfaces that allow you to synchronize the device with various cloud services. The creation of several personal profiles is supported (in each of which individual settings can be set). There is a function of backing up information. By choosing the optimal intervals for turning off the screen and de-energizing the device, you can optimize battery consumption.
Book reader interface
Let's move on to the main group of functions of the “reader” - those related to the immediate purpose of the device. The interface for reading books is designed, according to users and experts, quite convenient. The title of the literary work is shown at the top of the window. In the same area - search tools, bookmark function, menu components. If you use the last option, a window will open where the file information will be displayed, as well as the settings for displaying it on the screen (font type, size of fields, size of the spacing between lines, etc.). At the bottom of the interface shows the page number (as well as their total number), there is also a link to the content.
Users and experts are extremely positive about the interface serving the main function that PocketBook 626 Touch Lux2 e-book is designed to perform. Responses of owners and specialists are mainly filled with theses reflecting the usefulness and convenience of tools developed by the manufacturer of the gadget.
Battery
The device is equipped with a battery capacity of 1.5 thousand mAh. Experts who tested the device made sure that when using it for two to three hours a day with an average brightness level of the backlight and with the working WiFi module, the battery lasts about a week. If you do not use the device at all (but leave it turned on in “standby mode”), then the battery resources can last about 14 days. Users who commented on their experience in operating the “reader” generally observe similar results.
Comparison with competitors
Despite a slightly higher cost in comparison with the main competitors (experts include devices such as Amazon Kindle 5, Onyx Boox C63), the device supports more different file formats. Also, as noted by many users who have had experience not only with this device, but also with competing models, PocketBook has a control interface that is not inferior in terms of comfort.
Among the unambiguous advantages of PocketBook, experts call a powerful processor, a capacious battery and a sufficiently thin body that gives the device an elegant style. Many users note: even if you buy a PocketBook 626 case woven from thick fabric, the case will not become visually thicker. The absolute advantage of the device, experts, as well as its owners, call excellent screen quality.