eBook readers are very cool. The idea that you can carry around hundreds of ebooks in a device which fits into your pocket or bag is really appealing. This is especially true when you add the fact that good models offer crisp clear paper type screens and long battery life. We have been testing a product called the Energy eReader Pro+ from Energy Systems, to see if it can keep up with the leaders.

First impressions
The product comes in a smart package, with all the things you need to get going, including a user guide and a charging cable. The device features a 6 inch E-Ink touchscreen, with 16 levels of greyscale, and 758×1924 resolution. It also supports WiFi, has a 1GHz dual core processor and claims up to 2 months per charge of the 2800mAh Lithium battery. There is 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 64GB with an SD card. Finally it comes with 512 MB of RAM and runs Android 4.2. See our video below for an overview of the product.

In use
The good points about this eReader is the fact that the unit is easy to hold in the hand. The cover is non-slip and it is easy to hold with one hand. The size is also great for slotting into your bag or pocket without too much of a bulge. The display is also eye-friendly, especially when used in dark spaces, due to the backlight and crisp font handling. It’s important that an ebook reader is actually easy to read, right?

The battery life is also good, but there’s an important point. If you switch on the WiFi the battery life really sinks fast, so to get the most time out of the product it is important to keep WiFi off. If not, you will see the battery drain within a single day! The other thing which is nice is the fact that you can install standard apps from the Google Play store. However, the problem is these apps generally have a hard time running on the eReader. Possibly because of the small RAM size and non-standard screen (at least from a generic tablet point of view).

The other disappointment for a device which offers an extended Android experience is the lack of a speaker, which is strange. It’s not a deal breaker for a book reader, but it does mean you can only listen to the supported audio files through headphones, which is a little limited.

Conclusion
The Energy eReader Pro+ is a competent all round ebook reader, with a nice clear screen, a pocket friendly size and an easy to hold format. The eReader handles all the important file formats, including the important DRM protected ones you need for many of the commercial libraries and popular books. In fact if it stopped there the eReader Pro+ would be a standout product. Unfortunately the poor Android performance lets it down, in particular the ability to run other apps, which is unfortunate. Still, if all you are after is a basic ebook reader, this is an option you should consider, even though it’s a little pricey.

Price: €129

Specifications:
Size: 6″.
Type: Eink Carta HD, electronic ink display with 16-level greyscales.
Resolution: 758 x 1024 pixels / 212 dpi.
Touch screen.
Glowlight screen
Anti-Glare System.

READING FEATURES
Supports eBook with Adobe DRM protected content.
Advanced reading features: go to page, vertical and horizontal reading, different font types and sizes, favorites, bookmarks, automatic reading, file explorer, recent book history.
Includes 1500 free classics of universal literature.

SUPPORTED FORMATS:
e-Books: TXT, PDF, EPUB, FB2, HTML, RTF, CHM, MOBI.
Music: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG.
Images:JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG.

BATTERY LIFE:
Rechargeable Lithium Battery: 3.7 V / 2800 mAh.
Battery life: Up to 2 months with a single charge.*
Charging time: 3 to 5 hours via USB (cable included), depending on the power supply.
Power adapter not included: max 1.2A
*Based on half an hour of daily reading, with a low brightness level and without WiFi.

MEMORY:
Internal memory: 8 GB.
Supported SD cards Micro SD (SDHC/XC) up to 64 GB.
RAM memory: 512MB.

SUPPORTED OPERATIVE SYSTEM:
Operating system: Android 4.2.
Compatible with Windows ; Linux ; Mac OS X.