PocketBook recently released a new e-reader, the PocketBook 740, or Inkpad 3, which follows the Inkpad 1 and 2. Will this be THE multipurpose e-reader with its 7.8-inch Carta screen?
Hardware
This e-reader has a 7.8-inch Carta e-Ink screen and has a “natural light/comfort light” system that allows you to change the lighting to yellow lights to help reduce LED’s blue lights. We were a little skeptical of this idea when Kobo used it in their Kobo Aura One (no screen harmony, green marks on the bottom of the screen, etc.); Pocketbook did a much better job of putting this system into action. A system that allows you to adjust the brightness and lighting temperature depending on the time of day is available: it’s a neat option for those who want to read at night without any other lighting.
Furthermore, this model has a MicroSD slot in which you can put a 32GB card so that you can store even more ebooks, which could be useful for those reading large PDFs or comics and mangas.
You can also plug in headphones so you can listen to MP3 files while reading or listen to a recording of Epub eBooks. The result isn’t bad, and this option could be useful to some users.
Software
The PocketBook Inkpad 3’s operating system is a bit old-fashioned compared to Kindle’s or Kobo’s. However, we have an e-reader with an efficient interface that gets the job done and allows users to focus on the essential: reading.
The Inkpad 3’s strong point is its ability to read all file types easily, out of the box. Compared to Kindle and Kobo models, it is very easy to install outside software like Koreader, which is useful when it comes to reading PDFs. Actually, this software offers a great PDF reading experience, as it allows you to select bits of text and customize the margins. This, along with the large screen size, currently makes this one of the best e-readers when it comes to reading PDFs.
While Kobo e-readers can also open various file types, they excel when it comes to their brand’s format: kepub. Here we don’t have that: all file formats open easily without having to spend time converting them. The ability to have your e-reader linked to a smal bookstore rather than the market’s giants is interesting, as you can buy digital books right on your device from various shops and aren’t chained to any big company.
Value for money: really good!
Priced at 199 euros incl VAT at Decitre.fr (180 without VAT for those outside of EU – they do ship worldwide for less than $20 and are a serious company, being one of the biggest french library!) and just a bit more on Amazon (not available in all countries all the time), this e-reader clearly offers one of the best price/quality ratios on the market. For users that read a lot of PDFs, as for those who are looking for a multipurpose e-reader that’s able to read multiple file formats, this is obviously the perfect device in this budget. It’s competitively priced compared to the other e-readers in this price range, which are often poorly adapted for reading PDFs (like Kobo’s Forma), except for if you’re willing to go to the next level, and therefore the next price range, like with the Onyx Boox Note Pro for example. (If you’re interested in this subject, read our article: PDF reading – which e-reader to choose?).
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