Modern realities, particularly Russian, many are forced to gradually abandon paper books because their prices are just insane. However, not all are ready to move on to e-readers for a number of reasons – someone difficult to get used to something new, someone does not want to understand the endless string of unnecessary features to it, and someone simply not planning to buy a new gadget, looking at current exchange rates.
However, all of the above reasons of refusal of purchase of the reader is broken, when it comes to a new e-book ONYX BOOX Amundsen. This model is relatively inexpensive and has simple and convenient interface, which for a few minutes to adapt, even those who first picked up a e-book. Today it our test, and also in original white color body, so let’s quickly proceed to its consideration.
The book ONYX BOOX Amundsen covered in a box made of cardboard, decorated in three colors – mainly white, more grey-blue and black for text information. By design, no complaints: everything is stylish, beautiful and, most importantly, succinctly. The quality of the packing at height in hands to hold pleasantly, to read information easily, and here to drop its contents, on the contrary, it is difficult – two magnetic lock firmly on the top cover.
Informative boxes also have nothing to show: considering the book is not on the Internet and in stores, you can learn all about her, just by examining what is written on the back of the box – there are literally rendered all the characteristics of the device. To expand the horizons you can pay attention to a brief biography, after whom the book is named – you will find it on the front of the box. In General, everything is wonderful here.
Package contents
The company ONYX, which is one of the leaders in the Russian market of electronic books, has developed models for modern readers two choices of trim levels: the basic, he’s basic, and advanced. The first includes data cable, instruction manual and warranty card, and in the second memory are added and the network branded flip cover with magnetic fasteners.
Book Amundsen belongs to the category of readers the initial level, and because the equipment it is appropriate. On the other hand, more than enough cable is suitable for charging and PC synchronization, a manual examines in detail all aspects of using the device.
Hardware specifications
We have said that the specifications book ONYX BOOX Amundsen can be found on its box, but they can also be found in the complete instructions, and shopping online can find them on the official website of the manufacturer. Comparison of three sources of differences in the provided data did not reveal.
screen: 6 inch, non touchscreen, E Ink Carta, 758×1024 pixel;
– processor: 1 GHz;
– RAM: 512 MB;
– built-in memory: 8 GB;
– expansion slot: microSD / microSDHC, up to 32 GB;
– wired interface: microUSB 2.0;
– supported file formats: text: TXT, HTML, RTF, FB2, FB2.zip, MOBI, CHM, PDB, DOC, DOCX, PRC, EPUB; graphic: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP; other: PDF, DjVu;
– battery: Li-ion, 1700 mAh;
– operating system: Google Android 4.2;
– dimensions: 170х117х9 mm;
– weight: 169 grams;
– color: black, grey, white.
Please, pay your attention to the lack of touch layer and the display led backlight. This fact and relate the book to the initial segment, consistent with its price: at the time of writing, the average cost according to “Yandex.Market” was 7500 roubles. Also I would like to mention a rich array of hues of the buildings – three of them, and such can boast not every book, even from among the top. In our case, recall, was chosen the white color, but you can find test reviews of other readers from ONYX, which is published on our website – they are done in black and gray colors.
First impression
The reader in white color is for the Russian market in General and for us in particular is a rare phenomenon. It just so happened that in our country the go gadgets in dark case colors, and there are my reasons. But white ONYX BOOX Amundsen definitely looks very, very beautiful and even richly, as it is a bright white color plastic still is not – he is more like ivory color. In General, very unusual, we liked it.
Appearance and ergonomics
Exterior ONYX BOOX Amundsen, with the exception of selected shade, exactly the same as all the current books ONYX with 6-inch screen, and in this case, consistency is indeed a sign of skill, because this design was for a long time, experimenting with shapes, dimensions and other parameters. The result clearly adjusted proportions of the body, the appearance of which attracts the eye.
On the ergonomics worked too clearly experts in their field, because all controls are located exactly where they should be, and where they are convenient to use both one and two hands. The screen of the reader, we recall, has no touch layer, and therefore does not participate in management, but the hardware buttons is more than enough.
The case has a rough surface, resembling a soft touch and she is necessary to prevent slipping. It works in full – book in the hand or hands, depending on how you prefer, like a glove. White body colour is a clear offset or even “five” by machine, because it never shows fingerprints. Perhaps they’re remain, but to see them we failed, so this shade is very advantageous. On the other hand, if you prefer to read books immediately after changing the oil in the engine or after a couple of hours in the garden, then your path lies to dark-gray or black shades.
On the sides of the display ONYX BOOX Amundsen manufacturer specialized in medium size, but flat and not protruding outside of the casing buttons for navigation inside the book and on the menu. Miss him quite impossible.
The navigation key is fairly stiff, which prevents accidental pressing, but at the same time smooth, all as it should be. Basic settings such buttons: the one on the left of the screen opens a different menu depending on the duration of pressing, and at the left side of the screen flipping through the book forward (short press) and rewind (hold). Change these settings in the menu.
Under the display are placed five-way button square shape, is also used to navigate through menus and pages of the book, and if you press up and down, it is possible to quickly change the font size, thereby providing a comfortable reading without having to do it through the menu.
With front panel sorted out, go ahead. The back and sides of the body of the reader does not gain anything, in order to avoid accidental pressing during use. The top side contains two buttons – enable and reboot, and if the former has a corrugated shape and a blue backlight so it is always possible to find by touch, the second recessed deep into the body. Doubt that Reset here you ever need, since the reader runs on Android OS, known for its stability and in this case not overloaded with software.
Panel interfaces rendered on bottom face of the housing, where we can see the microSD slot and the microUSB 2.0 port – two of the most common worldwide connector. Who are with them round the shutter closes nothing, but in fact this is a 3.5-millimeter headphone Jack, which in this model is not provided.
Display
Screen books ONYX BOOX Amundsen is based on the electronic ink panel produced by the company E Ink, and currently, this is the newest generation of screens of this type – Carta. This fact plays a very important role, because the display does not have an assistant in the form of illumination, and he has to take responsibility for the readability. In our opinion, he does it moderately well, although the backlight at certain moments is still missing.
The advantages of the screen include its very wide viewing angles of 178 degrees, there is no fading here, and there is no glossy coating that turns the touchscreen of smartphones and tablets in the mirror in the bright light of the sun. In ONYX BOOX Amundsen is no such problem: the panel is matte, not glare and 100% readable, even if the rays of the heavenly body would fall on her. The contrast of the screen is 14:1, which already allows to compare it with the pages of newly printed paper books. The letters clearly visible and not blend in with almost completely white background, and high resolution can reduce the font to the limit and get the output not just the black stripes, but quite legible and readable text.
Total screen books ONYX BOOX Amundsen received a high rating, but without certain restrictions cost, due to the lack of illumination maximum comfort when reading is achieved when there is bright light, artificial or natural. A floor lamp is, in principle, also nice, but everything else is already there, otherwise you’ll have to look at the display and spoil your eyesight.
Software
ONYX BOOX Amundsen installed OS Google Android bundled with the standard software from ONYX, which included calculator, image viewer, dictionary and reader – OReader. Her presence here is also a result of trial and error, because the early books were installed other apps, but this reader offers the most convenient, simple and at the same time very functional interface. The possibility of its replacement by another program provided by the manufacturer, but we guarantee that to use it you don’t have to.
Installation of additional software is only possible by copying the apk distributions to the internal memory of the book, as access to the Google Play here is not included due to the lack of wireless connectivity to access the Internet.
Built-in dictionary moderately informative, but, in our opinion, will be faster to use a smartphone to search for the translation or the meanings of unknown words, because typing on a QWERTY keyboard without touchscreen is very inconvenient and time consuming.
File
Because the book was not overloaded with applications, which in the case of Android smartphones hang in the background and take up precious megabytes of RAM, everything is working fast and without slowdown. Standard book of 500 pages in format fb2 reader opens once, but over djvu and pdf hang for some time, but only if the files are very heavy. So, at the opening of the 400-megabyte pdf document scans, photographs, formulas and all that could easily make the hang even Adobe Reader, ONYX BOOX Amundsen spends approximately 40 seconds. However, in most cases, the reader will work with regular books, so wait for them open you don’t have to. With ZIP archives the device is also great.
Work offline
The lack of illumination of the screen in ONYX BOOX Amundsen on all of 146% is compensated by the ability of the book to work on a single charge are not just long but very long. I do not know what it involves, and how the manufacturer was able to achieve such results, but the indicators are very high, although no higher-capacity here – the familiar of 1700 mAh, and no more. Charge regular battery during the test was enough to 19000 pages of text, and even after that, showing only a 1% charge, the book continued to operate. In our view, this is very cool – not every reader, and especially the budget enough to do that. To replenish energy battery 1 amp mains charger takes about one and a half to two hours, and the computer charging, on average, 2.5 hours.
Conclusion
Something painfully positive review we got. I want, of course, for the contrast to say something bad about ONYX BOOX Amundsen, but it would be a lie. Actually, ONYX books are always well balanced, and even the lack of illumination in the model is replaced with a significantly increased battery life. The risk with white body color was absolutely justified: the shade proved to be not just good but very good, hiding all the fingerprints and keeping its original appearance even after daily testing during the week, so didn’t even have to use wet wipes.
Amid all the above can make obvious conclusion: if you are looking for a highly simplified e-book that can completely replace you of your favorite print editions, the ONYX BOOX Amundsen is exactly what you need. More suitable option is simply not to find.
Pros ONYX BOOX Amundsen:
– high-quality E Ink screen;
– good for reading;
– refined ergonomics;
– convenient case.
Cons ONYX BOOX Amundsen:
– no backlighting.
