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Even though the market of electronic readers is dominated by such giants like Amazon, Bookeen, Samsung and Sony, there are still impressive newcomers that can at least make an attempt to rival the grand names. PocketBook 302, an e-reader created by the Ukrainian company with the same name, is one of the ambitious devices trying to fit in the niche of new-generation electronic readers. Based on E Ink technology, it possesses many state-of-the-art features that one is used to see in such devices; it is definitely not the trendsetter in the industry, yet still PocketBook 302 can trot the path to audience’s hearts.
There are a number of qualities this device has that are calling to pay it more thorough attention. For convenience, they have been divided into three principal groups: visual and design-related, covering ergonomics and overall performance; then there are technical aspects; lastly, the third category covers various additional features.

Falling for Appearances

Minimalistic design and sleek looks of the device definitely attract attention; sized 7.5” x 5.1”, PocketBook 302 is slightly larger than an average Stephen King’s pulp edition, and as thin as a pencil. There is no problem with ergonomics whatsoever – the e-reader doesn’t slip out of one’s hands after several hours of reading and weighs mere 10 ounces (280 g). Basic navigation buttons are intuitively arranged, and thus user-friendly; even a person who is very remotely familiar with high-tech devices could learn how to handle PocketBook 302 by simply trying it out.
EInk display soothes one’s eyes and works perfectly in different lighting conditions; there is no backlight, but as the “filed testing” has proved, PocketBook 302 doesn’t need excessive illumination. To the contrary – when confronted with a powerful lighting source, the screen tends to glare mercilessly. This is a common problem of all electronic reading devices, easily solved by repositioning it (or by somewhat adjusting the emitter of light). The good news is that is order to enjoy crispy and clear quality of text, one doesn’t need to look for especially bright spot. PocketBook 302 boasts the common 800×600 pixels screen resolution, ideal for 6’’ display. Even though its grayscale format was never intended for pictures, it supports the most popular formats of images.
Touch screen eliminates the need for physical keyboard; virtual pad provides is quite sufficient, enabling to enter data by applying the stylus or even one’s fingers. It would be expedient to spend some seconds calibrating the screen’s sensitivity, though, as it seems slow-reacting at first sight. Another catchy feature is automatic display orientation, fitting the pages to screen right after it is rotated.
Those concerned with matters of cleaning the device shouldn’t worry: protective film takes care of possible prints, dust and scratches – whatever the conditions, the device’s display remains intact. Matt finish of the e-readers body ensures it doesn’t become too smudgy; additionally, PocketBook 302 comes supplied by leather-bound cover, making it easier to take care of any dirt or excessive touching.

Connectivity and Communication

PocketBook 302 has five plugs to use – one for microSD memory card, two for USB connections, one for headphones and another one for charging the device. The last two look pretty much alike, only the plug for charging is situated on the side of the device.
Should the built-in 1 GB memory seem insufficient, there is an opportunity to expand the available space with a memory card – up to 32 GB. The very idea of how much e-books can fit in the device is formidably tempting.
The e-reader supports Bluetooth and wireless communication, opening a whole world of opportunities – from surfing the Web with the help of a mini-browser to downloading the hottest news and subscribing to one’s favorite media via RSS. Supporting the twelve most popular e-book formats, PocketBook 302 will never make its owner lurk in vain hope of finding some specific file extension. Being integrated into the Web with the help of wireless feature, it becomes a self-sufficient online library for news, media and all kinds of e-books.

Long-Lasting Reading and Extra Features

At the beginning, “several hours of reading” were mentioned – and this is no exaggeration, but rather a heavy under-estimation. The e-reader’s powerful battery and energy-saving work can last as long as 16 000 pages, which is quite impressive.
Audio player, organizer, calendar and various games are unnecessary yet pleasant additional features that make one’s experience with the device more complementary. On the other hand, Notes, Dictionary, RSS-feed and a mini-browser are most useful applications and will prove invaluable for travelers and business people alike, as well as for ordinary users.

Personal Impressions
As it was mentioned, I found the device quite comfortable to handle and easy to use. Intuitive navigation, ergonomic design, EInk display and lots of features – all this contributes to enjoyable experience of usage. Touch screen tends to glare at times and reflect the surroundings, which is annoying, but can easily be cured by re-positioning the e-reader. There is also an issue with calibrating the display sensors, but it can be solved in no time. All in all, my impressions are rather favorable, because in the light of its many advantages, there are no substantial downsides to PocketBook 302. Those, which exist, however, pose no epic problem.

Bottom Line
Undoubtedly, PocketBook 302 is a qualitative product that will hopefully prove a worthy rival to more famous brands. As the more advanced devices are beginning to enter the market, it is still an attractive and affordable option form nay users out there who could use something functional, ergonomic and long-lasting.

Pros

- E Ink display providing clear high-quality text, soothing for the eyes, enhanced by automatic page orientation

- great functionality, abundance of supported formats and media

- long-lasting battery, enabling the reader to last several days at the very least with maximum features being used at a time; + invaluable for trips

- appealing design

- good performance in various lighting conditions

- high interactivity – easy bookmarking and highlighting, dictionary application and many additional features.

Cons

- less built-in memory by comparison to its rivals

- touch screen needs a bit of preliminary calibration

- confusing headphones and charge plugs– may well be mistaken for one another unless the user looks it up in the manual.

-Leather Cover

-A/C Charger

-USB Card

-SD Memory Card

Display
6" E Ink® Vizplex with touchscreen, 16 grayscale, automatic display orientation.

CPU
Samsung® S3C2440 ARM9 400MHz

Operating system
Linux

E-Book formats
FB2, FB2.zip, TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML, PRC, CHM, DJVU, DOC, EPUB (including DRM), TCR

Image formats
JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF

Audio formats
MP3 feature

Additional Software
Dictionary, RSS-News, Calendar, Notes, Sudoku, Games etc.

Connectivity
Mini USB, Bluetooth, WLAN

Memory
RAM 64 Mb
Internal 1 Gb
User-accessible 900 Mb

Memory slot
MicroSD, MicroSDHC card, up to 32 Gb

Audio out
3.5 mm stereo

Battery
Li-Polymer (2050 mAh)

Size
7.5” x 5.1” x 0.5”
190 x 131 x 13 mm

Weight
9.8 ounces / 280 g

Color
White, Black