Pocketbook has done something exciting. They have just released the first e-notebook or e-note. This product is designed to replace digital paper at home or in the office. It is also their first device to forgo their typical Linux operating system and instead use Google Android and its full Google Play functionality. This device has physical buttons and a WACOM screen; it can take notes, freehand draw, or edit PDF files. However, it is a bit slow and sluggish at times. Hopefully, this can be addressed in future firmware updates. It is available from the Good e-Reader Store for $419.99 and comes with a free stylus and leather case.
The Pocketbook InkPad X Pro features a 10.3-inch E INK Mobius display, which makes the device very light. The resolution is 1404×1872 with 227 PPI; the screen is also capacitive, so you can use your fingers to pinch zoom, tap and gesture to turn pages of books. The colour scheme is black around the edges, stone grey along the sides of the bezel, and black on the back platting. The back of the device is perforated, so it doesn’t leave oily figure prints on your hands.
Manual page-turn buttons and a home and settings button are on the bottom. They positioned them on the bottom since the sides are skinny. Thanks to the front-lit display and colour temperature system, you can be productive day or night. There is a series of white and amber LED lights, the brightness of which can be augmented in the quick settings menu or turned off completely. There seem to be around 36 LED lights, which provides even light distribution.
Underneath the hood is a Quad Core (4×1,8 GHz) processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There is no SD card to enhance the storage further. Bluetooth 4.1 is available for pairing wireless headphones or earbuds to listen to audiobooks, podcasts or music. USB-C allows you to charge the device or sideload digital content. The Pocketbook Bookstore can download thousands of free and paid books via WIFI. A G-Sensor will automatically flip the orientation from portrait to landscape. It is powered by a 3200 mAh battery, and the dimensions are 249 х 173.4 х 7.7 mm and weighs 350 g.
This is the first Pocketbook device that runs Google Android; every single device they have ever made runs Linux. They are running an ancient version, though, Android 8.1. It also has Google Play, which makes life interesting. Although the Android version is old, it will still support most e-reading, comics, manga or magazine apps.
There is a stock e-reading app and bookstore. If you like to sideload your books, the InkPad X Pro has support for 18 book and graphic formats: AZW, AZW3, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PRC, RTF, TXT, PNG, BMP, JPG, and JPEG.
PocketBook InkPad X Pro takes the experience of interacting with digital content to the next level! With the Wacom stylus, users can take precise handwritten margin notes while reading or writing in a separate application. You no longer need to spend extra time making a note in the text or saving an idea – take a stylus and write everything down conveniently without breaking away from reading.
All your notes will be saved in PDF or PNG format and can be uploaded to the Cloud to transfer to any other device. The handwriting feature is a real find for avid readers, students, and anyone who works with texts. With InkPad X Pro, you can significantly improve your productivity, as notes can be taken faster and more efficiently than typing on a keyboard or writing in a paper notepad.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
