Overview
At first, you might think that the PocketBook 902 is merely a “wide-screen” version of the PocketBook Pro 602. While there is some truth to that statement and it is obvious that these two eReaders certainly belong to the same line, there are other differences inherent in the PocketBook 902 other than just its size.
Because it has a large screen and a price that is similar to that of the Kindle DX, people will draw comparisons between the two e-readers. If you had to choose between the two options, the Kindle DX would be a good choice if you did not mind dealing exclusively with Amazon. However, the 902 might be better for you if you prefer more independence with your ebooks or are a little more tech savvy. The Kindle’s page turning speed is superior to that of the 902, and 75% of all ebook sales take place via Amazon.
PocketBook eReaders are generally well-constructed; this one has a heavy design and pleasing appearance. It is available in your choice of white or dark gray, and the back of the unit can be removed in order to change or remove the battery.
Positives
An internal dictionary and calculator are some of the built-in learning tools available on the PocketBook Pro 902. Adding side notes and bookmarking pages are possible for users. Thanks to a hyper link feature, it is possible for a reader to go back to certain sections of a book, like footnotes, without closing the page s/he is currently viewing. You can also sort books, so searching becomes so much easier.
Negatives
Netronix has indicated that plastic screens for eReaders of this size are in short supply. Glass screens will be substituted in the assembly of the first few batches instead. The manufacturers had to skimp to hold down Pocketbook 901’s cost.
Because there is no wireless connectivity with this device, the only reference tools available to students is the built-in dictionary. Since it lacks touchscreen, the PocketBook Pro 902 eReader also does not possess the capability of writing notes or underlining passages in books. Students won’t be able to use the 901 to keep notes.
Bottom Line
Many innovative features and new ideas regarding customization are integrated into the PocketBook Pro 902, but some of the functions are poorly executed. If a person is interested in combining an excellent eReading experience with powerful connectivity (for checking email now and then and reading the news feed), this eReader is probably not optimal.
As a standalone eReader device, though, it’s quite reliable and has many features users will find useful. We would have appreciated a touchscreen, but the PocketBook Pro 903 is more sophisticated and does come with one.
Hardware
The Pocketbook Pro 902 is an eReader with a resolution of 1200×825 and 166 DPI and is 9.7 inches. Its core has a Samsung 533 MHz processor with 256 MB internal RAM. In addition, it has 2 GB of internal FLASH memory, which can be expanded up to 32 GB using the micro USB port.
The new PocketBook 902 has WI-FI capabilities and can connect to any open, secure network. We found it fairly difficult to connect to longer password protected networks that utilized combinations of upper and lowercase letters. You can’t see the password that you’re typing, so mistakes are easy to make.
It is possible to utilize the accelerometer to flip it into a 360 degree arc, which means that it can be used easily by left and right handed people. The accelerometer technology created for the 902 is not up to industry standards. Frequently when switching between landscape and portrait mode, it is necessary to press the back button or any other button to get the system to re-draw the lines of pixels in the new mode.
Software
The applications load fairly rapidly on this large screen e-reader that uses a Linux 2.6.28 operating system. The PocketBook Pro 902 eReader includes many applications by default, such as a Web browser. It seems as though the only way to launch the web browser is to visit the Bookland site; there is no short cut or independent program that launches the browser.
The default homescreen features a clock, calendar and dictionary widget to keep you up to date with what is happening; also, when you become absorbed in a book, you can remind yourself how much time has passed.
The home screen also has a very large navigation array that lets you run any apps — no need to poke around among sub-menus. Options are available for you to launch your eBook Library, Notes, Applications, Dictionary, Music Player, Photo Gallery, Search, Configuration and your favorites directory.
All of the ebooks that come bundled on the device are included in your library. This includes approximately 1000 ebooks in various languages. A key feature is the extremely large number of supported ebook formats.
We noted that of all the e-readers available, Pocketbook supports the greatest number of formats, including CHM, FB2.ZIP, DJVU, EPUB, DOC, DOCX, FB2, HTML, PRC , PDF, (Mobipocket), RTF, TXT, TCR, and PDF. It has the ability to read content that is protected by Digital Rights Management, like a PDF and ePub.
Content Distribution System
Bookland is Pocketbook’s service through which it delivers its content, but the name is deceiving. Unlike the name, it’s not a wonderland of books with endless choices. The selection is quite limited, emphasizing free Project Gutenberg works along with a small selection of paid books.
Frequently people merely download ebooks with no DRM online, using sites like Smashwords and other ebook stores. It’s simple to sideload ebooks by linking them to your computer with a micro USB cable. If you have Windows Explorer, copying data to the e-reader is very easy, though we are going to make a video that shows you the steps.
