Today, all the most popular bookstores have their own models that work with their own online store: Amazon Kindle, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, etc. Generally, these devices, of course, work with designated online bookstores exclusively. But what if you had a reader that could work with just about any bookstore and library, where you could play games, and that would also allow you to take notes and make drawings? Meet Good e-Reader 6.8” Android e-Reader, not exactly a tablet, but more than just your average e-Reader.
It’s been a little less than a year ago that the owners of Good e-Reader, a blog chronicling all things eBooks since 2008, started a campaign to launch their first 13.3” Android e-Reader, and now they are back to ask us to fund the production of its little brother (literally), a 6.8” model of the same functionality.
App Store
Good e-Reader 6.8” Android e-Reader is, as the name suggests, a 6.8” e-Reader based on the Android OS we all know pretty well. What does this imply? In short, it means that you can download any Android e-Ink-friendly apps and work with them. That includes not only online bookstores and book/manga reading apps but also some games. The Good e-Reader App Store for e-Ink was created for this very purpose, too, and today it has over 30,000 apps tested for compatibility with this reader.
Read, Write... Draw!
Among pre-installed apps on this device, there is one that allows taking notes with the included stylus pen, and the said notes can be written or… drawn! The settings here are really versatile, the backgrounds include a whole range of grids from blank to several types of lined paper (ruled, notes, grid paper, chinese calligraphy grid, etc.); there are different pens to choose from, too. The capacitive screen is developed in a way for you to write without problems even if your palm touches the screen, and thanks to the WACOM layer, the line thickness is controlled by simply pressing the pen harder or lighter, just like on a drawing tablet. No more need to spend time on changing settings and sizes. And if you want to erase some part, you can just press the button on the stylus and draw over the parts you want to be gone! Simple as that. Now you can write notes in class or during a meeting, or you can doodle and even practice Sumi-E!
SPECS
The screen of the reader is on par with the most high-level models from, let’s say, Kindle. The resolution is 1440 x 1080 and has 265 PPI; the screen has eight LED lights for even backlighting and it responds both to a special stylus and to your fingers. There are a 512MB RAM and 4GB storage space, and you can add a 32GB microSD card if you want more. Registered users of the Good e-Reader App Store also have access to the cloud storage. To get your books and documents into the device memory, you can use Wi-Fi or you can simply connect the reader to your PC/laptop via a USB-to-microUSB cable. You also won’t need to buy a separate cover for this reader as it has a nice pleasant-to-touch case attached on a hinge so that the screen is protected from accidental scratches.
Depending on the sum you are willing to donate, you can receive additional items like an extra stylus, a screen protector, a wall charger, a microUSB cable, and a 4GB microSD card. If things go well, the Good e-Reader 6.8” Android e-Reader, the engineering copy of which already exists, will be released to the public in October 2017. And hopefully, we'll have a chance to bring it on our review of the best e-readers already this year.