Hands-on with 'PocketBook A 10' eReader

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having won the “Product of the Year” award at the International Consumer Electronics & Photo Expo in Moscow last year, PocketBook A10 eReader has been in the limelight. Here are some interesting details about the product and why it fetched top spot as an eReader among other tablets and gizmos:

Technical specifications of PocketBook A10:

The PocketBook A10 comes with the following tech specs:

• 1GHz central processing unit,
• 10” touchscreen display,
• 1024x768 pixels resolution with HD clarity,
• 512MG random access memory (RAM),
• 4GB storage capacity,
• 32GB microSD extendable memory card,
• Inbuilt 3G Internet access capability,
• Wi-Fi capability,
• 2MP front facing webcam with in-built mike,
• Less than 700 gms weight,
• USB port and data cable,
• 6600mAh battery that lasts for more than 8 hours with non-stop use.

Despite newer Android versions like Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich, the PocketBook A10 works on Android Gingerbread 2.3. The device comes with a big selection of pre-loaded apps along with access to more than 60,000 apps, including eBooks from Google Play. It has e-reader applications like Kindle, Kobo and Nook. The touchscreen eBooks widget will give you direct access to almost 100
books, all free of cost. Additionally, access to Android Market will widen a reader’s choice of apps and eBooks.

What makes the PocketBook A10 special is the fact that you can customize your books and documents to improve your reading experience. Functions like scrolling and page turn can be done with shortcut buttons. When you want to wade through a lot of technical information, this is a real boon. Other tasks like zoom in/out, settings, back and home also make navigation easier.

What you can do with PocketBook A10 when you want a break from reading. The multimedia and gaming experience with 3D graphics display is probably the reason why PocketBook A10 seems more like a tablet than an exclusive eReader. With Wi-Fi and 3G Internet connectivity online gaming can be a life-like experience. The music, video and games can be downloaded very quickly. The RAM is more than sufficient to make high quality audio and video playback a pleasant experience.

For music lovers, the PocketBook supports two file formats:

• mp3
• wav.

The gaming and video buffs can enjoy HD picture quality and clear sound effects with file formats
like:

• mkv,
• avi,
• mp4.

Despite access to Google Play store, excellent battery life, innumerable apps and compact lightweight design, this device does have its downside. Some readers may not like the touchscreen navigation as they are more comfortable with the traditional shortcut buttons of a keyboard. To learn new methods of operation to read books may seem tedious.

Not having the latest dual-core processing of latest Android operating systems, the PocketBook A10 is bound to show speed problems. Also, Android Gingerbread 2.3 is reportedly not slated for any upgrades in the future. This could cause problems with some newer apps and raise compatibility issues in the future.

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