top 5 eBooks of 2015

PocketBook 614 Basic

The 614 Basic is one of the most popular models among buyers. After all, this is the cheapest PocketBook reader with a 6-inch screen (only a 5-inch Mini 515 is more available). This means that this model has a good price-quality ratio, and there are very few worthy competitors with a comparable price, for example, Amazon Kindle 2014.

According to many criteria, the device corresponds to more expensive competitors. It has a simple menu in Russian, a large amount of memory (4 GB) and a microSD card slot, good battery life, the availability of dictionaries and applications (calendar, calculator, etc.). Another important nuance is the support for almost all book formats, including the popular FB2 and DOC with DOCX. The ability to read any books and documents without any file conversions, etc. — this is the advantage of PocketBook over all Kindles. And for models from noname manufacturers, PocketBook wins in stability and corresponds to expensive devices like the Ultra 650.

"Readers" rarely break down like, for example, laptops, and with careful handling they can serve their owners for years. However, still troubles happen and in this case the help of one of the service centers will be useful. PocketBook and AirOn gadgets, unlike Amazon, have warranty service in our country. Finally, we note that PocketBook releases new firmware for its devices and supplements them with detailed instructions, free dictionaries and collections of books in different languages. In general, PocketBook makes efforts to ensure that the owners of 614 Basic enjoy the purchase and can count on help in case of any problems.

On the other hand, the 614 Basic does not have a touch screen and its backlight. By the standards of 2015, this can be considered a disadvantage, because other readers in our TOP 5 have such options. And if you can argue about the benefits of a touchscreen in an electronic "reader", then the built-in backlight, according to customer reviews, is a really useful function. After all, if it is available, you can comfortably read in the dark and not disturb your loved ones, including the light in the room, or where the lighting is poor. The 614 Basic screen is inferior to more expensive models in our rating in terms of resolution, and therefore accuracy in displaying characters. However, the difference is noticeable with a direct comparison of "readers" and if you buy your first e—book, you will be satisfied — reading on a PocketBook will be more comfortable than on a smartphone or tablet.

We recommend 614 Basic to those who are looking for an inexpensive model with a simple menu, support for popular file formats and good service support. The model will be a particularly good choice for those who decided to buy their first reader in order to personally evaluate the advantages of such devices, but are not ready to spend money on buying a more advanced model.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Gen 7 2015

In 2015, Amazon's range of e—readers consists of three lines — Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Voyage. We have included two new items in our TOP 5: Paperwhite deserves attention because of its excellent price-quality ratio, and Voyage is the company's flagship product with the most advanced features.

Paperwhite almost does not differ from the models of previous generations in design and ergonomics. The case is made of the same matte plastic with a soft-touch coating, and the control is touch-sensitive, without special buttons for flipping pages. The changes are only in details like the colour of the logo. And noticeable changes concern the display and software — the screen has a higher resolution of 1448x1072 pixels (the previous version has 768x1024), support for the Russian language has improved (you can, for example, search for words in the text, word hyphenation is correctly placed), the text output method has been improved and the Bookerly font created for Amazon devices is used. And there are still few text settings, for example, you can choose one of eight font sizes.

The owners of Amazon readers agreed that it is not worth changing the 2013 or 2014 Paperwhite to a new model. And if you are going to buy a new "reader", then you should include this novelty in the list of candidates. After all, it has a great screen (almost like Voyage), and it costs less than competitors. However, there is one point that should be taken into account.

Amazon readers have a drawback peculiar only to them — they do not support the FB2 format. Judging by the reviews, many owners of electronic "readers" consider this a disadvantage, but it does not spoil the overall impression of their readers for Kindle owners. Because there are two ways out of this situation. Firstly, you can use file converters that convert FB2 books to MOBI, AZW3 and other formats supported by Amazon. For example, the freely distributed programs Calibre and FreeLib. Secondly, in online stores, books are often laid out in several formats. It is significant that in "LitErs" many publications are presented in mobi (Kindle) format, which is suitable for Amazon readers. Finally, we note that recently books in Russian have become available in the official store of the company, although the assortment is not very large.

AirOn AirBook City Light Touch

AirOn is a trademark under which smartwatches, e—books and accessories for gadgets are produced. In 2015, the range of AirBook readers consists of two models: City Light HD and Touch. The second model is of the greatest interest — it has a touch screen with backlight. Although, at first glance, City Light Touch may seem like a morally outdated model. After all, it is similar to the readers of previous generations because of the mechanical buttons on the sides of the screen. However, this deceptive impression and the presence of buttons should be evaluated as an advantage — the owner will be able to scroll through the pages both by touching the screen and using buttons. In our rating, only the expensive Amazon Kindle Voyage has such a feature.

Against the background of the rest of the TOP 5 participants, this model is very light in weight and a case included. The weight of the device is 160 grams, which is the lowest among all readers with a 6-inch screen presented on our market (as of autumn 2015). Complete with a "reader", buyers will receive the necessary accessory — a case. Let it not be a chic leather case (but made of black suede), but it will come in handy to protect the screen from scratches. And for those who are willing to pay extra for a cover that makes the reader look like an ordinary book, the company offers a branded accessory made of artificial leather.

The AirOn outperforms the Kindle in terms of functionality, for example, it has a built-in audio player and a memory card slot. And the key advantage of this model over Paperwhite 2015 is the support of almost all popular formats of e-books and documents (including FB2, PDF, DJV, DOC, DOCX) and the ability to read files from ZIP and RAR archives.

City Light Touch has an E-ink Pearl HD screen with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. Its resolution is lower than that of the Kindle Paperwhite 2015, but higher than that of the PocketBook 614 Basic. Readers with a Carta-type screen display text a little better, but they are more expensive and among them only Paperwhite 2015 has a cost comparable to City Light Touch (but the Kindle is inferior in capabilities).

The owners of the "reader" make claims to its software part. Someone complains that the book turns on and off slowly, others are dissatisfied with the slow speed of page turning and menu navigation, and someone thinks that other readers have a more user-friendly interface. However, installing fresh firmware improves the situation (you can download it on the company's website).

We recommend this reader to people who want a book that opens any files without first converting them, with buttons for turning pages and screen illumination.

PocketBook Ultra 650

Readers are inferior to tablets in functionality at a comparable cost — the main argument of those who prefer devices with iOS, Windows and Android. Although with each generation, the reader's capabilities are increasing. Apparently, PocketBook decided that the introduction of Wi-Fi and the browser is not enough, and equipped their reader with a 5 MP camera with flash and autofocus. According to the manufacturer's idea, the camera is useful for "scanning" documents into the device's memory (a special programme is available). However, as observers and buyers note, the camera is frankly unsuccessful. After all, it is inconvenient to use the E link screen as a viewfinder (it is monochrome and updates with noticeable delays), and the quality of the images is suitable only for fixing documents.

In general, the idea is questionable, especially considering that each of us has a phone with a camera in his pocket. If you forget about the camera, then the rest of the reader will only please customers. So, the device's screen perfectly displays text, the touch layer reacts normally to touches, and the backlight, as noted in one review, is similar in perception to reading with a desk lamp. Even if the screen is not as high resolution as the Kindle, in fact this difference is not critical. But the Ultra 650 is distinguished by numerous text display settings. For example, you can choose the distance between paragraphs and set margins on the left and right. By the way, the frame of the device is very thin and when you hold it in your hand, your finger can cover a small part of the screen. In this case, the option to increase the indentation is just useful.

The reader, like the 614 Basic, supports almost all current book formats and is very convenient from the point of view of downloading them from a PC. This is the advantage of PocketBook over Kindle. In addition, this model is equipped with an audio player, which is useful for creating a musical background when reading or listening to audiobooks. By default, apps, ABBYY Lingvo dictionaries and a couple of simple games like Sudoku are installed on the device. It is important that the interface in this model has been redesigned — it has become more convenient than the previous Pocketbooks, and it works faster, for example, page turning has been accelerated.

The PocketBook Ultra 650 costs almost twice as much as the 614 Basic. If we recommend the first model in our TOP 5 to economical and not demanding users, then the Ultra 650, on the contrary, is suitable for those who have already appreciated the convenience of reading on electronic "readers" and want to purchase a first-class model. If you forget about the camera, then it has no significant drawbacks, and the list of advantages is not small. Including official service and good support from the manufacturer. Although, do not forget about competitors, in particular the Kindle Voyage.

Amazon Kindle Voyage Gen 7 2014

Kindle Voyage is the flagship among Amazon readers. Considering that it entered the market together with the excellent Kindle Paperwhite 2015, the question arises — what is the best flagship and is it worth paying extra for these differences? And the difference in price is almost twice!

Voyage has a lot in common with Paperwhite 2015, in particular, it does not support the FB2 format and is not officially available on our market (although the menu is Russified, and there is something to read in Russian in the Amazon online store). The interface, reading settings and much more are very similar. However, Voyage also has a number of advantages over Paperwhite 2015.

Firstly, the flagship is lighter and thinner: its weight is 180 g (compared to 205 g for the compared model), and the thickness is only 7.6 mm (one and a half mm thicker than the iPad Air 2). Secondly, it has separate PagePress buttons for flipping pages back and forth. This method was standard before the advent of readers with touch screens. Owners of this model can use both ways of flipping pages. It is convenient that there are two pairs of buttons — on both sides of the screen, which means they can be used while holding the gadget with both right and left hands.

Thirdly, the flagship has the same claimed battery life as another Amazon rating participant — up to six weeks without recharging when reading for half an hour a day. And the difference is that Voyage charges faster — in 3, not 4 hours. Finally, the flagship has a slightly better screen with comparable parameters. As observers note, this is noticeable when comparing the two devices, but the difference is not big. In addition, the reader can change the backlight level itself depending on the lighting. There is no such option in Paperwhite. Another nuance is that the screen and the sides around it are on the same level. Visually, the device looks almost like a tablet with a flat front panel, however, it is necessary to protect the screen from damage more carefully.

To summarize, let's say that Kindle Voyage is the choice of people who want to buy a reader with the best screen, despite the high cost and certain features of Amazon devices. According to some owners and experts, this is the best reader currently available on the market.... and the most expensive. It has a lot of differences from Paperwhite 2015, but it is impossible to say unequivocally that it is worth paying extra for them. After all, in terms of price and quality, the middle-class model wins over the flagship.