PocketBook has just announced the launch of the Inkpad X (or InkpadX). The e-reader will be available in November and offers a 10-inch screen for a featherweight. What do you think about it?
Hadware level: only good stuff!
This e-reader is equipped with a dual core processor of 1Ghz, 1GB of RAM, a 10.3-inch E-Ink Carta screen with a resolution of 1404×1872 pixels (227 PPI) 32GB of internal memory, a Bluetooth connection and the ability to read audiobooks and audio files in MP3, M4B and OGG format. Of course, there is also wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi) and – more rarely – a USB-C connector and a motion detector that automatically switches to landscape mode.
This e-reader is a good device for readers of specific formats: people interested in comic books, newspapers and PDFs in A4 format or scanned books are in mind.
This e-reader has a front light with temperature control, which is a success on the Pocketbook Inkpad 3. Will the lighting be as even on a screen larger than 10 inches? In any case, the “SMARTlight” technology allows reading in all light conditions, and it is possible on the Inkpad e-readers to define user profiles that automatically adjust both the intensity and the color of the lighting according to the time of day. It is also possible to switch to manual mode with just a few hand movements and thus adjust the lighting to match exactly what you want.
It will therefore be possible to connect headphones or a headset in Bluetooth or with the USB to 3.5mm Jack converter to listen to eBooks or music while reading. There is of course the possibility to have the texts read by the e-reader (Text2Speech synthesis).
Software level: Always Pocketbook OS!
At the software level, this e-reader is equipped with the Pocketbook OS, which equips all the e-readers in the range. As usual, Pocketbook is quite responsive to updates, which can be found on the manufacturer’s site. For e-readers purchased from a retailer (Vivlio in France, for example), it is still possible to install the official brand software, but this implies losing the possibility of using the integrated library, in favor of the international library by default. Will Vivlio (or any other importer) be able to keep up to date quickly? That remains to be seen!
Anyway, the Inkpad X supports most eBook formats natively, without the need to install a jailbreaker or a third party reader (even if it’s easy and it’s one of its strong points; we’ll come back to that!). So you can read the following formats: ACSM, CBR, CBZ, CHM, DJVU, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, EPUB (DRM), FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PDF (DRM), PRC, RTF, TXT. At the audio level, as we said above, we are on the other hand limited to MP3, OGG, M4B formats.
In my opinion, Pocketbook offers a potentially very interesting e-reader. Contrary to competitors who offer products in this format, such as Boyue, Onyx, or Remarkable, Pocketbook doesn’t try to turn its e-reader into a digital notebook that allows you to take notes with a stylus: here we have a large format e-reader, designed to… read! Unlike smaller e-readers, this format allows you to read comics, newspapers and PDFs in good conditions.
THE perfect e-reader for PDF reading?
If we considered in our article dedicated to reading PDF documents that the Inkpad 3 e-reader offered good value for money, the Inkpad X is a bit more expensive: it can cost about 400 euros on Amazon. Although a bit expensive, it is still a 10-inch e-reader, and as such it can be interesting for big PDF readers who would not be satisfied with the 8-inch Inkpad 3 but would not need to go to a very large format reader like the Onyx Boox Max 3.
Indeed, the default reader does very well with PDF, and to wish for more, it would be possible to install the alternative Koreader, which offers interesting possibilities for PDF reading, especially when the files are imperfect (scanned books with two pages of book on one PDF page that it is more pleasant to divide in two for reading, for example). With a larger screen, there is no need to try to optimize each screen pixel; it becomes possible to display book margins on PDF format. It will therefore no longer be necessary to try to resize PDF documents to optimize their display: the original PDF reader should therefore be sufficient for most uses, and alternative readers should be stable, not being pushed into their corners…
I will update this article once I get some feedback from users or have had the opportunity to test the e-reader, which I hope to be able to do quickly… In the meantime, if you have any questions or have had the opportunity to test it do not hesitate to leave a comment below!
Maak een beter Retina scherm oid zodat je ook foto’s van de sd kaart kan bekijken.
Dan is het niet alleen een leesboek maar ook een digitaal fotoboek.
Bouw een speaker in of vermeld welke headset ingeplugd kan worden.
Doe meer spelletjes wordfeuth /dammen ect. meer kaartspelletjes.
Laat ook meer extern geheugen toe dan kan het ook concurrentie aan met een Ipad.
Maak ook een deal met Readly zodat met een abonnement magazines gelezen kunnen worden net als met een Ipad.
Google translation:
Make a better Retina screen or something so that you can also view photos from the SD card.
Then it is not only a reading book but also a digital photo book.
Build in a speaker or state which headset can be plugged in.
Do more games wordfeuth / checkers ect. more card games.
If you also allow more external memory, it can compete with an iPad.
Also make a deal with Readly so that you can read magazines with a subscription just like with an iPad.
Indeed but in that case it’s a tablet: there are already a bunch of great tablets! Eink devices are more minimalist, which can be seen as a drawback but also as an advantage: it makes focusing on the text one is trying to read more easy!