How to choose an e-book to read - expert opinion. How to choose an e-book for reading - which readers are better Which reader to choose for reading

Since, during modern technology, few people will agree to carry kilogram paper books that you need to buy before reading, and then think where to store them, the priority issue of choice arises. What are the readers, and what you need to know about them so as not to spoil your eyesight, and how to choose the best device for studying - we will find out right now.

The article briefly and concisely describes which device reads certain document formats, what functionality is inherent in popular reader models, and which one is better to buy in order to save money and not pay with health.

1. Electronic ink

The best e-readers for the eyes are e-ink devices. What is this technology and how it differs from the rest, we will tell in the review.

The digital technique was invented and implemented by Joseph Jacobson. Back in 1990, it was called the second electronic paper. Literally a couple of years later, together with the Dutch company Philips, he managed to create the first products on the basis of technology, which were presented on the market.

Advice: Special lighting is a practical addition to devices with E-Link technology. To read day and night, buy PocketBook 631 Touch HD.

Electronic ink technology is based on the well-known physical theory of electrophoresis - when there are gel and black-and-white electrified particles “plus” and “minus” under the display. As a result of the physical reaction, it turns out that the screen of the device does not produce additional light and a flickering effect. Due to these factors, the technology is considered safe for health. The surface of E-Link screens is not made of the usual glass, but of plastic raw materials.

2. Screen types

The main component of the e-book, as well as the main article of its pricing, is the display, which can be of two types. These screens work differently, have different effects on the eyes, are called E-Link and LCD. Unlike similar rhetorical questions - which one is better - they will not say "choose according to your taste" here. There is an obvious answer to it.

E-Link Screen Subtypes

1. E Ink Vizplex- the basic class of readers with the main content for reading. Representatives of this class are not expensive and are not equipped with great functionality. Fully satisfy the requirements of readers.

2. E Ink Pearl- contrast, 50% brighter than the Vizplex class. E-Ink Pearl devices with parameters of 150-200 dpi look like yellowish newsprint. Of the benefits - fast page switching. The model is a worthy representative of this type of book.

3. E Ink Triton- displays with an image in color, which is achieved through special filters. Outwardly, they resemble newspapers of low quality. Do not affect vision.

4. E Ink Card- screens with a black and white polarity of 15:1. Compared to Vizplex and Pearl, they have a clearer and better picture. Of the minuses - only some models are equipped with such technology.

Electronic ink has only recently appeared in color. The technology involves the distribution of light filters in the display around the entire perimeter. The color on such readers is displayed in variegated colors, and the picture looks more like a printed product.

Advice: Make sure that anti-glare is installed on your device. This is all the more important for active users who spend a lot of time with the mechanism. So, with a dictionary (another advantage) is equipped with this feature.

4. Touch screen

• Resistive sensor Consists of upper glass surface and lower membrane (plastic raw material). This type of sensor only responds to pressure with a flat object. The resistive sensor can be five-wire or four-wire. The first option is more convenient - not a resistive coating is embedded in it, but a conductive one. This allows you to control the device even if its screen is cracked.

• Capacitive sensor type consists in the reaction of the device to the conducted current. During touching, the electrodes direct their energy to the desired point, thereby carrying out control. Capacitive sensors are resistant to dirt and liquid solutions, they are distinguished by long-term operation. The screen of the model, which reads more than 15 formats, is characterized by just this type of sensor.
• infrared type sensitivity is based on an infrared grid, which, in the event of touching an object, is interrupted for a short time at one point. In this way, it is calculated where the touch occurred. Infrared-based control is one of the best. Such screens respond immediately and rarely glitch. The PocketBook 631 Touch HD Black has exactly this type of sensor.

5. Management

Developers of electronic ink provide several control options: and push-button. There is also a combined control, which simultaneously has a sensor and hardware buttons. The choice of control type is based on individual needs. So, it is more convenient for men to use the stylus. Of course, mechanical buttons are more optimal - they are easy to replace, performance does not depend on temperature. What can not be said about touch control - in cold weather, the system can fail.

Advice: A good book reader can be recognized by its functionality, top-end devices have not only access to the Internet, but also a library, calendar, audio players, and support simple games. An inexpensive model belongs to a number of such devices.

6. Formats

An important criterion for choosing an e-book is the supported formats. How many of them should be, we will tell in the article. It is no secret that on the Internet you can see more than ten formats of books. Such an indicator sets certain criteria for readers, the more files it accepts, the cooler it is. The most common formats include:

TXT is a format that almost all e-books support. The text in such media does not imply additional pictures and formatting. This is due to the fact that a small amount of information is placed in the file - a canvas of text. Initially, there were several formats in the global system, one of which was TXT. Almost all book readers read this file.

The next on the list is DOC, everyone has heard about it. This format is needed for an e-book if you read articles, scientific papers that require direct contact with the text. Only new models of readers designed for editing read such files - in this regard, devices are the best.

There are also such formats - EPUB, TXT, HTML, CHM, PDF, FB2 - almost all devices support them, but there are also author's formats of developers: epub and java.

7. Internet

If you look at the situation from one side, you might think: why should highly specialized devices connect to the network? The answer is obvious: download literature. However, not only for this, the device needs the Internet, with its help they use an online dictionary, simple online games, and find information. Having gone online, the user opens Office documents online and edits text, downloads games, videos, pictures with files. A good example of such a book is

Why was electronic paper invented at all? Its main advantage is that it consumes almost no energy. Electricity is required only when updating the image, and the rest of the time the letters are saved by themselves. In some ways, this is similar to flash memory - it is also non-volatile. From one battery charge, the reader can work for weeks or even months, the bill goes to thousands of read pages of text.

The disadvantages of electronic paper are as follows: only a black and white image (color prototypes are still being prepared for mass production and are still standing like a starship wing each) and the inability to show animation - the response time is too long. But there is no need to pay attention to such a parameter as the number of displayed shades of gray - these are more marketing games and a reserve for the future.

Recently, readers began to appear on ordinary LCD displays - the same ones that are installed in computer monitors and most phones. As a rule, LCD electronic readers are inexpensive devices, and matrices for them are far from the best. Yes, and their battery runs out after 5-6 hours, because you have to constantly highlight the screen. But the eye is pleased with the color menu, and, in addition, you can watch colorful pictures and even videos - if the reader's processor pulls. Usually pulls at least standard quality video.

Finally, quite exotic - hybrid readers with two screens: one on TFT and one on electronic paper. The first one shows the menu and beautiful book covers in the library, and in the reading mode it turns off and passes the baton to economical electronic ink.

In addition to the type of display, you will have to decide on its size. The 6-inch diagonal has become the de facto standard. These readers are convenient to carry, they are compact and lightweight. 9-inch models are quite rare, but they are worth chasing in two cases: firstly, if you want to read technical literature in formats like PDF or Deja Vu (reading such books from a small screen will ruin your eyes), secondly, if you read mostly at home.

Control

Until recently, the vast majority of e-books were controlled using hardware buttons: a pair of keys for turning pages and a navigator for navigating through the menu. And although in fact this set is enough, we have irreversibly entered the era of touch control, all cool phones respond to finger touches - so e-book manufacturers decided to keep up.

Here, too, there is plenty to choose from: sensors are resistive, capacitive, inductive and infrared. The former react to anything, from a stylus to a sleeper, but noticeably miss, and therefore it is not very convenient to work with them with your fingers. Capacitive screens, on the other hand, respond to touch only with fingers and some special styluses. But in winter, in order to turn the page on such a screen, you have to take off your gloves.

To work with a screen equipped with an inductive sensor, a special stylus is required, but the bonus for this finicky is better image contrast (due to the fact that the sensor itself is installed behind the display).

Finally, the trickiest technology is infrared. In this case, the sensor is installed not on top of the screen and not even under it, but along the edges: there are emitters on two adjacent sides, and sensors on the other two. By touching the screen surface with your finger, you interrupt part of the rays of this grid, and the reader calculates the coordinates of the point of pressure. Therefore, the infrared sensor reacts to any objects, as long as they are opaque.

Do not forget, however, that 99% of the actions performed with the reader are page turning, for which hardware buttons are enough. The presence of a touch screen will be an important feature for those who want to use additional functions: dictionaries (it is easier to highlight the word of interest with a stylus), notes, word search, etc.

Internet

I'll start with the main thing: the ability of a Russian user to access the Web from an electronic ink reader is almost certainly not useful. Browsing the sites looking at the E-Ink screen is a great test of patience. The only use of the Wi-Fi or 3G module in such a reader is access to the bookstore. But so far no one has been able to do this in a digestible form on the domestic market. Standing apart are some Kindle E-Ink readers, which are equipped with a 3G module and are able to access the Internet around the world, allowing you to download literature from the Amazon store - mostly English.

Formats

At first, reader manufacturers preferred their own formats (using, of course, book converters from other formats), but then they found the strength to follow the path of openness. Getting reading on the Web, you are guaranteed to come across a whole zoo of file types: EPUB, TXT, HTML, CHM, PDF, FB2, DOC, RTF, etc. Historically, the FB2 format is the most popular in Russia. Some readers can work with archived books in FB2, but with the current amount of flash memory, this is not so important.

Non-fiction roams the web most often in the form of scanned pages saved in PDF and Deja Vu formats. First of all, this applies to books published before the beginning of the 2000s.

Additional functions

Many readers have an audio output and can play music. The functions of the player, as a rule, are severely curtailed, but they are enough to simply accompany the reading with an unobtrusive background music.

Video playback is the lot of readers with an LCD screen, including tablets-readers (we'll talk about them a little later). Few models can cope with a heavy video stream, and, in addition, you have to put up with selectivity in file formats. If you really want to watch movies on the road often, then it is better to pay attention to tablets and specialized media players.

If you would like to learn a foreign language by reading foreign literature in the original, you should pay attention to whether there are dictionaries in the reader. Also in this case, it makes sense to choose a model with a touch screen - using the buttons to move the cursor to the right words on the page is too tiring.

Tablet Readers

This is a special class of devices that appeared recently. Some manufacturers exploit it to put on a good face on a bad game. Weak tablets that are not capable of winning in the competition are called readers and sent to conquer the market. In fact, they are no more electronic readers than any other tablets. However, some models are still being finalized specifically for working with literature. Firstly, it concerns the software stuffing: they are preinstalled with applications for reading books in different formats. By the way, virtually unlimited format support is an indisputable plus of reading tablets. Secondly, such devices may have additional hardware buttons for turning pages.

Popular Models

iPad mini

Compared to the "full-sized" iPad, the iPad mini is much smaller and lighter, and therefore, in my opinion, better suited for the role of an e-reader. A very smart e-book.

Many years have passed since the appearance of the e-book. The first mass-produced device of this kind with a monochrome LCD screen was released back in 1998. However, e-books were not very popular then. The industry began to develop since the advent of displays made using electronic ink technology (E-ink). This was in 2007. Since then, e-books have become noticeably better and have received many additional features that are available to users today. In this article, we will detail what you need to consider when buying an e-book.

Screen

When purchasing a "reader", first of all, you should pay attention to the screen size and type of display. The choice is small: it's either LCD or .

The LCD screen is good because devices with such a matrix can also be used as universal multimedia tablets. Such gadgets can become not only an e-book in its essence - other possibilities will be much wider. For example, with their help it is convenient to watch videos, you can play or use the device as a navigator. But usually liquid crystal panels are in devices of related categories: it turns out something like a classic inexpensive tablet with a color screen of very average quality. Although buyers of such solutions are attracted by their relatively low price and abundance of features.

But if, first of all, convenience and comfort for the eyes when reading are important, then it should be considered exclusively. An important fact: in terms of autonomy, books with E-Ink screens are rapidly moving forward, the difference will be very impressive. In addition, displays of this type, unlike or AMOLED displays, create less strain on the eyes. Therefore, such devices are suitable for those who have vision problems.

The E-Ink screens themselves were designed to mimic a familiar paper book, offering a similar experience when reading from an electronic device. Unlike conventional LCD screens, electronic ink displays do not use a matrix gap to create an image, but a reflection. Thus, power consumption when displaying information is drastically reduced. After all, the data, when they are displayed on the screen, does not require additional energy. In fact, in "readers" of this type, it is consumed only while turning pages. Against the background of the LCD screen, which constantly requires energy, this is a noticeable difference.

If the E-ink screen is so good, why isn't it widely used? Logical question. There are several reasons for this. The main disadvantage is color reproduction. Books show 8 or 16 shades of grey. This is more than enough for reading, but if we are talking about some other tasks (for example, games or Internet surfing), such a screen will not cope with them - the user will be uncomfortable. Displays of this type really do not like low temperatures. They are categorically not recommended to use in the cold, although such a device tolerates a walk down the street in a pocket of clothes. But in winter, while waiting for a tram at a stop, it is better not to get a book in order to avoid irreversible consequences.

In addition, the response time of such displays is low. If you put your own aside and start reading on such a reader, then some sluggishness can unpleasantly surprise him. But it's a matter of habit. In addition, while reading this shortcoming can be experienced. Engineering minds are trying to solve this issue, the response time is improving decently every year, so the priority function - reading - is implemented well. But as for all kinds of multimedia, the low response time clearly makes itself felt.

In general, it’s not worth it to demand a certain direction from the gadget at once. There are tablets for this, where the filling is more powerful, and the screens are of a completely different quality.

There are currently devices with E-Ink Pearl displays on the market. It is extremely difficult to find models with E-Ink VizPlex screens for sale - this is already quite an old technology. Screens of the first type have a number of significant advantages: they have significantly increased contrast - this figure is about 50%, energy consumption has decreased, at the same time such displays have become less harmful to the environment during the production process.

Lovers of colorful illustrations will love e-readers with third-generation E-ink Triton displays. A key feature of such a screen is the ability to display 4096 shades of colors in addition to the usual 16 shades of gray. The disadvantage of such screens is the price. It is quite high, but you get all the advantages of electronic ink and the brightness of colors at the same time.

Another point worth paying attention to is the backlight of the screen. Today on sale there are such models with E-ink displays. The backlight will come in handy if you will be using the device in places with insufficient lighting, such as in a car, bus, or a dimly lit room. This function is necessary for those who like to read at night and at the same time do not want to disturb their family. It is clear that it is difficult to do without illumination in such conditions.

Control

To navigate through the text in some models, you can use . This feature makes it easier to scroll through long documents, but at the same time, the touchscreen is always duplicated with buttons that will help you perform a similar operation.

Given that the screen sensitivity of many models of e-books is far from the best and is often inferior to tablets, the absence of such an option (touch control) in most situations will not have a significant impact on the convenience while reading.

It is also worth noting that flipping imitates a regular book, that is, this is not the standard scrolling that everyone is used to in tablets, this is exactly flipping from one edge of the screen to the other horizontally. But even here it all depends on the tasks. For example, if you plan to use a book to learn a foreign language, then touch input will help you highlight a word or piece of text in order to make it easier to translate it.

If we take general cases, then push-button control will provide a completely comfortable life. A touchscreen for such devices is rather an optional addition, but when choosing a book, you still need to focus on mechanical buttons: you need to make them convenient and comfortable to press.

A big plus of the device will be duplicated buttons on both sides of the screen. This will allow you to comfortably use the book, no matter which hand you hold it in.

For most users, the image flip option may be useful. It doesn't matter if it's automatic or manual. In this case, it will not play a significant role. But if you have a habit of reading your favorite book while lying on the couch, you should pay attention to this option when choosing.

If the usage scenario involves searching for information in the text, activating the built-in web browser or dictionary, it is better to buy a model with a full QWERTY keyboard. Entering characters from the virtual keyboard is long and tedious, it is much easier to use the hardware typing method.

Data transfer

There are 3G enabled e-readers on the market. If this function is useful for, then its presence in the "reader" is a moot point. Browsing the Internet from a black and white screen, which is characterized by a low response speed, is not very convenient. And for other tasks, this function is not required, because the book still cannot work as a means of communication for receiving and sending messages.

But Wi-Fi is becoming an increasingly common feature for the reader. If there are plans to use official sources to download information to the device, then such a function will be really useful and necessary. However, in most cases, a wired connection is sufficient. If in the West bookstores for "readers" are well developed and such services attract the attention of users, then in our country they do not yet play a particularly important role. Therefore, it is enough to limit ourselves to the classics - copying data over a cable. It is fast and convenient, there is no connection to the Internet, which in some cases greatly simplifies life.

Of the connectors, there is usually a microUSB port, which allows you to charge an e-book, as well as transfer data to it by connecting the device to a computer. In models of older generations, you can find a less common, but still relevant miniUSB. The 3.5mm port is useful for connecting headphones while listening to the radio, music or watching videos. By the way, a number of models have a 2.5 mm jack. In this case, the owner will have to either connect the headphones that come with the kit (and they do not always differ in quality), or buy a separate adapter so that you can use your favorite headphones in tandem with the book.

The memory card slot is a very useful thing. With it, you can significantly increase the available storage space for books. Support for removable memory cards will be relevant for those who need to view a large number of PDF files.

Working hours

Due to the fact that most e-books have a screen made using a particularly economical technology, such mobile libraries work for a very long time. E-ink devices allow you to read up to 8-9 thousand pages on a single charge. Naturally, all wireless modules must be turned off in order to get such an outstanding result. Backlight also significantly affects the operating time. For charging, a universal microUSB port is usually used, so problems should not arise during operation.

Dimensions

If you need to view drawings or other technical documentation, then you should choose a reader with a screen of at least 8 inches. For normal everyday use, compact models with a diagonal of up to 6 inches are quite suitable.

The weight of the device also plays a significant role. In portable versions, this figure usually does not exceed 200 grams.

Housing materials

Metal in the body of the reader is not easy to find, most cases are made of plastic. When choosing, you should pay attention to models with the so-called soft-touch coating. This plastic is tactile like rubber and does not slip in the hands.

If a cover is supplied with the book, this is a nice bonus that will protect the reader's display from damage during transportation. Given the fragility of E-ink screens, the presence of a case in the package often plays a decisive role when choosing a device.

Filling

Many books run on Android and are similar in function to traditional tablets. Therefore, such a device can be considered a kind of hybrid: they are simpler than tablets, but at the same time they provide more opportunities than traditional books.

E-books simply have their own proprietary systems with a limited number of installed applications. You can’t put something separate, additional here, but for everyday use it’s enough that the caring manufacturer added to the gadget’s memory.

Modern books support many formats. Most models read at least a dozen types of books. The most popular include EPUB, PDF, FB2, TXT, DJVU, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF. In addition, devices work with graphics: JPEG, PNG, BMP or TIFF. Naturally, it will be much more pleasant to look at pictures on a color screen, but in principle this is not the most necessary option for a book (if it is still for reading).

The ability to run music on an e-book is an important point. This option will allow, for example, to learn foreign languages: you can hear the speech of the native speaker, make sure that the pronunciation of words is learned correctly. At the same time, you can start a melodic track to read to a pleasant soundtrack, if silence does not suit you.

By themselves, the players in the "readers" are usually quite simple. Minimum settings, you should not count on particularly high playback quality either - after all, this is not a profile option. However, a number of devices can even play audiophile FLAC, claiming to be a reference music companion. Some models can please the owner even with the presence of an FM receiver. But here everyone decides for himself what exactly to require from the reader. When buying, you can check the volume of the speakers, because in some situations you can generally refuse to use headphones paired with a book.

Many manufacturers offer models with pre-installed dictionaries - this is very convenient when reading classics in the original language or specialized texts: you can easily see the meaning of an incomprehensible word simply by hovering over it.

Some devices have a built-in browser. But as noted above, this option is more of a marketing ploy than a requested feature. However, if it is important to you, you should pay attention to it when buying.

Also an important factor when choosing an e-book may be the step of changing the font size. This will be especially true for people with reduced visual acuity. By fine-tuning the size and style of fonts, you can achieve the optimal level of reading comfort.

When choosing a reader, familiarize yourself with the logic of the menu, because the pleasure of using it depends on how clear and convenient it is for you to work with the device.

An important point is the choice of accessories. We have already touched on the topic of covers earlier. In addition to them, you can choose a variety of external lamps, stands and chargers for the device, which will make using the book more comfortable.

Price

One of the cornerstones when choosing a new gadget is its price. Currently, the maximum cost of an e-book is about 20,000 rubles. They ask so much for limited series of top models of readers or for models with a large diagonal that will be useful in the work of professionals.

For an ordinary user, the cost is more modest: a functional device from a well-known manufacturer will cost an average of 5,000 to 10,000 rubles. Less popular brands offer devices with limited features. Such a reader can be purchased for up to 4,000 rubles.

From fans of all kinds of electronic things, a strong voice is often heard that the paper book is dying. In a sense, she really does - it becomes a luxury item, not a necessity. There will always be books, but like many tech visionaries, we believe that a massive digital transition is not only inevitable, but has already happened. Many books today are only available digitally, and that's okay. By downloading a novel to an e-book, you, firstly, spend less money; secondly, you save your living space; thirdly, you get convenience, which, let the book lovers of material books forgive us, is objectively more here.

Therefore, my friend, if you are reading this now, and indeed if you are reading at least something or are going to read, then you need a good, convenient and moderately democratic e-book that will become your third hand in the world of information. What should she be?

The reader must be reliable

Where will you take your reader? She will not always be in your soft hands when you are drinking in a warm bed. You will take the reading room on hikes, trams, minibuses, bars, business meetings - you will take the reading room where no man has gone before. Understand, you don't need shit that will break from the first hit on the asphalt. You need a device that will work for at least five years - this is a very long time, but it is achievable if you do not exchange for small things.

It should fit well in your hands.

Comfort is important, not just readability, but also tactile comfort, which not many e-book developers think about these days. Think for yourself: what did you like about the good old books, whose pages you looked through with such impatience? That's right - a tactile sensation. And a similar feeling can be achieved through an e-book. Some books are really disgusting in the hands, others are divine. What is the reason? In the technology of coating the body of the reader, which is called SoftTouch.

But the display, namely its visualization, is an equally important component of the reader. The screen should be pleasing to the eye, and also well thought out in terms of aesthetics and safety for health. There are screens that are very hard on the eyes, others are absolutely safe for them. Easily adjustable backlight is important, as well as good resolution, which will allow you to read even crooked texts. So, before buying a reader, check the screen.

Specifications

Everything is simple here. You do not need an overly sophisticated e-book, because the main purpose of buying an e-reader is to read, and not to launch steamers or rockets to Raqqa with it. Therefore, it is important that the book perform exceptionally well in only one area - readability. In this context, a powerful battery will be extremely useful, which will help you read from dusk to dawn and from dawn to dusk without recharging. Pay close attention to the amount of memory. Books, of course, do not weigh 10 gigabytes, but many of them, especially those that contain rich illustrated material, require a lot of memory. Objective reality - do not take a book with less than 4 gigabytes of memory. Even better, if the reader will be able to install an additional memory card. Trust us, there are never too many books and in a couple of years you will need a lot of memory.

If we talk about the little things, then the reader should be perfectly adapted to the Russian language. Do not order books from AliExpress - you hardly understand from which side to read the hieroglyphs.

Promising models

The article would not be useful if BroDude did not give you an example of excellent e-books, where price and quality are 100% the same. We chose the company RITMIX (South Korea), which has established itself in the market of electronic devices for quite a long time. This giant has two models that we really liked - both for aesthetic reasons and for reasons of convenience and reliability: RBK-615 and RBK-675FL.

Let us briefly describe the technical characteristics of these books.

This is a 6-inch 758 x 1024 generation E-Ink Carta display that gives you the feeling of a real paper book. Convenience, support for nine text and five graphic formats. Comfortable backlight, fast screen loading, light body and, in addition to all the goodies, a large layer of Russian works. What else? A gift card for downloading books on the Litres.ru website, which is also available in our next example.

Approximately identical to the first model. She has the same display, the same specifications (only no backlight). And there is even a free library of Russian works, from ancient Russian legends to classical literature. But there is still a difference - a design decision. Therefore, if you want a reader with a green button, and not with a black one, then take this one. Yes, we understand that the difference is minimal, but we are talking about a good product, and a good product differs little from another good product.