If you are looking for an eBook or eBook to be able to take your entire library of books anywhere, you need to take a look at the PocketBook brand. The Swiss company specializes in manufacturing this type of product, being able to design high quality eBooks like the one we had the opportunity to test, the new InkPad Color.
This new model is characterized by an offer that very few electronic books offer: a color screen with electronic ink. While not exactly the cheapest eBook of all, InkPad Color has some tools and features that make it special.
I had the opportunity to test this new PocketBook color device for several weeks in order to be able to tell you what are its advantages and also its disadvantages (if any).
Design and display
Starting with the aesthetic side: the InkPad Color does not disappoint. Its design is completely in line with the brand’s other models: we continue to see the PoketBook logo at the bottom with the physical buttons. The chin with rounded edges is also maintained.
However, the InkPad Color has a premium touch in its design that sets it apart from other models. The bezels that surround the screen have been slightly refined and although these remain in black, the chin and the back cover stand out in Moon Silver color, that is to say silver.
We have already seen this contrast of two colors in the brand’s previous models, as is the case with its little brother, the 6-inch Color model.
Speaking of inches, the InkPad Color’s screen is 7.8 inches, one of the company’s largest (leaving out the InkPad X and its 10.3 inches) which also ships. with front lighting, which makes reading much more comfortable in places with different lighting.
Despite its large screen, the device weighs only 225 grams. If we add to that the delicacy of its thickness, we end up with an ultra-light e-book, easy to carry without bulging or weighing too much and, above all, very comfortable to hold in the hands while you read for hours. .
Now, we’ve already seen that the Inkpad Color is pretty and light in terms of design, but what about its screen?
As for the specifications, we are faced with an electronic ink panel or E-Ink technology Kaleido with a resolution of 1404 x 1872 and 300 pixels in black and white and 468 × 624 when we see something in color. It is capable of reproducing up to 4,096 colors.
We remember that e-books are normally black and white. The truth is I loved being able to read the magazine on Thursday and see all of his comics and thumbnails in full color, that detail makes a big difference (especially if you love comics), and might be more than enough reason to justify it. the price difference compared to cheaper black and white e-books.
Based on my personal experience, I have found that if I choose the option to automatically adjust the brightness, it tends to look quite dark. However, being able to choose the brightness that I want myself, I find incredible quality. As you would expect with this type of device, the screen is seen clearly and sharply, even outdoors or in bright environments (which does not happen with other devices such as mobile phones). or laptops).
Performance and software
If we now look inside the InkPad Color, we see that it comes to life thanks to a Dual-Core processor (2 × 1 GHz). It only has 1GB of RAM, maybe that’s why the device sometimes takes a long time to react to touch controls or even buttons.
For some reason, the screen flickers when you change books, turn the page, or open another app, which can be a bit annoying at times. However, you get used to it and as you read you don’t notice any type of flicker.
You can easily download books by connecting the device to a computer and uploading compatible files or from the Pocketbook store in the same eBook.
Regarding the compatible formats, there is a wide variety of formats, from electronic books to audio books or even images.
The InkPad Color operating system is Linux 3.10.65. The interface that allows you to use the device is not as intuitive as I would have liked, however, after using the eBook for several days, you get used to it.
Basically the system is divided into the following categories:
- Library: In this section you will see all your books. You can search your library by author, genre, format, etc.
- Audiobooks: Audiobooks you downloaded are stored in this library.
- Store: This is the PocketBook store. You can browse to see which titles you want to download (paid). The truth is that it was difficult for me to find titles in Spanish or more popular titles.
- Ranks: If you take notes in one of your books, they will be stored in this section.
- Applications: Here you will find the different applications available.
The Applications section gives you access to various functions included in InkPad Color. You can browse the internet if you press ‘browser’ like you would on your mobile or tablet, but it is quite slow to navigate from page to page.
There are other apps like calculator, dictionary, audio player and even a games section, all classic games (chess, solitaire or soduko), but extremely addicting (in my own experience).
When taking notes in a book, you can choose different colors to underline, add comments, or use the pencil to draw whatever you want directly on the book. Plus, all the notes will be saved in the book’s synopsis so you can find them easily if you need to.
Considering the fact that the type of format used by e-books usually does not take up too much space, the 16 GB of internal storage will be more than enough, especially since it can be expanded up to 32 GB if you insert a micro SD card.
Specifications and connectivity
PocketBook generally offers a large battery in its eBook models, so it wasn’t going to be any different on the InkPad Color. One charge can last up to a month. The truth is, I’ve been using the eBook for a few weeks now and haven’t had to load it yet.
At the bottom of the InkPad Color we find the button to turn the screen on or off, in addition to the slot to insert the microSD card in case you want to expand the storage memory and the USB-C charging port.
One point in favor of this e-book is its connectivity to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. If you connect it to a Wi-Fi network, you can sync it or surf the internet to download books directly from it. device (although, as we explained earlier, it is quite slow).
The InkPad Color is capable of reproducing audio, which you might have guessed if you’ve ever read the “Audiobooks” section that appears on the Home screen. To listen to audio, you will need to use a Bluetooth headset.
In my case, I also wanted to test them with a bluetooth speaker, as this can be an alternative if you don’t want to have to wear headphones to have to listen to the narrations. It worked flawlessly.
You can control the volume, pause, or skip to the next book from the controls of the same eBook.
Pricing and availability
Color ink can be purchased for $ 295.75 from Amazon Europe. In the PC components we have found other models of PocketBook, but not yet the Inkpad Color, the same as in MediaMarkt.
As we said at the beginning of this article, it is not the cheapest price, nor the best value for money. However, it is one of the few e-books in color ink that can make a difference to many and many.
Verdict
The InkPad Color isn’t perfect, especially for its price. However, it has some points very much in its favor, such as the ability to read color comics, play audio (with headphones) or the good quality of its screen.
The most expensive model of Amazon’s famous Kindle currently costs $ 219.19, almost $ 100 less. Now, is it worth paying an extra $ 100 for this model? Depends.
It depends on how much you enjoy reading color comics. Personally, I find the InkPad Color design much more sophisticated than any other eBook we’ve tested, which also scores points in its favor.
In addition, the previous model, the PocketBook Color, also offers color electronic ink and costs 199 dollars. This can be a cheaper alternative if you are looking for a color book. Of course, the screen is smaller, it is reduced to 6 inches compared to the 7.8 of the InkPad Color.
InkPad Color also offers a lot of internal memory, so you probably won’t need to expand with an SD card (unless you end up storing over 10,000 books). The screen scores points, with the front light making it very comfortable to read regardless of whether you are in bright outdoor environments or not.
Now, if your budget is tight and more importantly, if you want to read books (not comics), you don’t need to invest in the InkPad Color. PocketBook offers much cheaper models to meet different needs. I recommend you visit all of your options if you are unsure whether color is your priority.
Technical specifications
- E Ink Kaleido Plus color electronic ink display
- 7.8 inch screen
- 1404 × 1872 (grayscale) 468 × 624 (color)
- Front light
- Loudspeakers
- Bluetooth / wifi
- Internal storage: 16 GB (expandable up to 32 GB with micro SD)
- Memoria RAM memory: 1 GB
- Weight: 225 grams
- Dimensions: 195 x 136.5 x 8 mm
- Dual-Core processor (2 × 1 GHz)
- 2900 mAh battery (lithium-ion polymer)
- Battery: one month lifespan
- USB Type-C
- Operating System: Linux 3.10.65
- Compatible libros format: ACSM, CBR, CBZ, CHM, DJVU, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, EPUB (DRM), FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PDF (DRM), PRC, RTF, TXT
- Supported image formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
- Audiobook formats supported: M4A, M4B, OGG.ZIP, MP3, MP3.ZIP
- Colors: Moon Silver
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