Pubu is an established e-book platform in Taiwan. The Pubu platform was launched in July 2010. The main reason for its establishment was to combine “auction” and “e-books” so that ordinary users can also have a platform to sell “self-knowledge”. It is one of the earliest self-publishing platforms. And Pubu also launched its first e-book reader Pubook in September last year, pre-ordered on the official website, and officially shipped in early December.
“E-book” is given the title of “book”, so some users mistakenly believe that e-books purchased on different platforms can be read on different vehicles. Because of Pubu’s own reader, readers of Pubu often buy other readers, but find that they cannot read the books they bought on Pubu. In addition, Taiwan’s major e-book platforms have launched their own e-ink readers in recent years. After several years of market education, readers are no longer unfamiliar with e-book readers. So Pubu decided to launch its own e-ink reader at this time to serve readers.
The size of the Pubook is 7.8 inches, with a full flat screen and a screen resolution of 300ppi. 1.8 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. 7.8 inches is a very balanced choice for portability and viewing area, and it is also a very mainstream size choice at present. This screen size can almost completely present the 32-inch comics, which can also be seen from the 64GB storage space.
At present, most e-book readers cannot expand the capacity by themselves, and the maximum storage space is only 32GB, so the storage space of Pubook is given to 64GB, which is a sincere upgrade. It is also good news for those who have more format books.
In terms of appearance, the shape of Pubook is very similar to the square style of iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. The back cover is made of frosted glass material, which not only prevents slipping, but also improves the texture. Even the frame is also designed with metal. Overall, it lacks the plastic feel of general readers. But Pubook is a closed reader, so you can only read books purchased on the Pubu platform and books you own legally without DRM protection.
Pubook page turning speed
▲Pubook pure text page turning speed
▲Pubook layout page turning speed
Currently, most of the magazines on the e-book platform in Taiwan are in PDF format. If you want to read the magazine completely without zooming the screen, the screen size should be about 13 inches to read the magazine completely without zooming. There are many formats of magazines on Pubu, but the screen size of Pubook is only 7.8 inches, so if you read e-magazines on Pubook, the font of the content will become smaller, so you need to zoom in to read the content of the magazine better .
At this point, Pubook’s zoom function is very good. You only need to double-click the area you want to zoom in, and the area will zoom in and zoom out smoothly. Of course, you can also use two-finger pinching to zoom in and out.
▲Pubook zoom function
▲Tap the middle of the reader, and a preview window will appear. Readers can turn pages in this preview window first, and Pubook will first display a preview image, allowing you to confirm whether this is the page you want to jump to. After confirming, click the middle of the screen , you can switch to that page.
screen update method
E-ink screens will have afterimage problems when using them, so each reader will set the frequency of screen updates
If you don’t make any adjustments, Pubook will automatically update the screen every eight pages. However, Pubook also provides four screen update methods: “Optimization”, “High Quality”, “Comics, Magazines” and “Plain Text”. The “High Quality” mode will retain the full picture quality of the picture, but the flickering of page turning is more obvious and the time is longer; “Manga and Magazine” can speed up the speed of flipping through a large number of pictures, but it will produce afterimages; “Pure Text” mode will Less contrast, faster browsing, but lower picture quality. The default mode is “optimization”, which is adjusted by the system itself, which is suitable for most situations.
Category folder
Pubook has a function that other e-books do not have, which is to allow users to customize folders and organize their books into categories. For people with a small amount of books, this function may not feel very strong, but if you have hundreds or thousands of books, this function is quite practical.
Although all e-book readers have search functions, the premise of searching is that you must know the exact keywords to find the book you are looking for. But the file folder allows everyone to classify according to their own habits, such as classifying by author, classifying by type of book, or “read”, “want to read”, “to buy a paper copy” various ways to classify.
However, the current folder can only be set to one level, which means that if you first create a folder called “Ni Kuang”, you cannot create a second level of “Science Fiction” and “Martial Arts” in the “Ni Kuang” folder. and other directories. In addition, after creating a folder, the book cover cannot be displayed on the folder (there is still a complete book cover after clicking on the folder), which feels a bit monotonous. It would be perfect if the pattern of the folder can also be changed.
Export ACSM
Most e-books have their own DRM (Digital rights management: digital rights management) protection measures, and Pubu also has its own DRM protection. But since last year, Pubu has also started to support Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) e-book software, allowing readers to download Acsm files of books purchased on the Pubu platform and import them into ADE for reading.
Although we usually say “buy e-books”, in fact readers do not own the files of e-books, but only obtain the reading permission on the platform. However, many readers worry that if they do not own the e-book files, their rights and interests will not be guaranteed in case the platform ceases to operate in the future. Therefore, Pubu provides Acsm downloads, so that readers can save Adobe-encrypted book files in different places. In case the platform fails to operate for some reason in the future, readers can also use Adobe’s reading software to continue reading. . This provides an additional guarantee for readers.
However, the Acsm download of Pubu is not downloaded directly on the Pubu platform; when the user wants to download the Acsm of the book file, it will first send a link to the email registered in the Pubu account, and download through the link in the email.
Line drawing/note function
Pubook notes cannot be synchronized across platforms, so the content of notes made by your Pubook cannot be seen in the Pubook APP on your mobile phone. But each platform has its own backup and restore function. The lines and notes on the Pubook can be backed up and then restored to the Pubook; the lines and notes on the iOS APP can be backed up, and can also be restored when you change to a new iOS device. to a new phone or tablet. Of course, Android phones can also be backed up and restored. However, the reading progress is recorded on the server and can be synchronized across platforms.
Customize standby picture
Users can customize their own Pubook standby pattern. Pubook has two options for the standby screen, one is to directly select the cover of the book you are reading as the display screen during sleep standby. The other is that the user can put the 1404×1872 subfile named JPG or PNG image into the “sleep” data, and select the image you want to use as the sleep standby image.
Traditional and simplified interchange
Pubu Reader also provides a one-click traditional-simplified swap function, and streaming text books purchased on Pubu can be converted into traditional and simplified content using this function. But currently, the built-in fonts of Pubu do not support Unicode functions, so when you switch a book from Traditional to Simplified, the missing fonts can only be called to get other fonts, and currently Pubook does not support users Install your own fonts. Therefore, this feature is not recommended at present, because the layout is not so comfortable to read. People who need this function may have to wait for Pubu to upgrade the font of Pubook, or when it allows readers to install their own fonts, this function will be more practical.
In addition, users in Taiwan may be more concerned about the ability to convert between vertical and horizontal than between traditional and simplified. But currently Pubook does not support one-click switching between portrait and landscape. However, Pubu said that the function of vertical and horizontal conversion is currently under development. In the future, users only need to update the firmware through OTA to fix bugs or get function updates.
binding device
Originally, the Pubu platform had iOS and Anrdoid APPs for users to use on mobile phones or tablets, but now there is an additional e-book reader. Pubu can bind up to 4 devices at the same time. If the number is exceeded, the permission of a previous device must be kicked before it can be used on a new device.
reading light
audio book
Pubook supports the function of audiobooks. Readers can listen to audiobooks by connecting wireless headphones through the built-in Bluetooth function.
protective case
The official protective case has the function of closing the sleep cover and flipping the cover to wake up. When you don’t want to read, just close the front cover, and the Pubook will automatically enter the sleep state. When the cover is opened, the machine will automatically start to continue reading. And this flip-back protective cover allows you to have better stability when holding it with one hand.
At present, Pubook has a promotional activity on the official website. In addition to the discount, you will also get a protective leather case, a 1,000 yuan book coupon and 6 months of full reading if you buy a Pubook before January 31. Interested readers can seize the time.
Pubook Hardware Specifications
- Screen: 7.8-inch Carta full flat screen
- Resolution: 1404 x 1872 (300ppi)
- Processor: 1.8 GHz Quad Core
- RAM：2GB
- Storage space: 64GB
- Page turning: tap or swipe the touchscreen
- Screen reading light: two-color LED
- Wi-Fi：IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth: 5.0, support low power BLE
- Port: USB Type-C
- Battery: 3000mAh
- Input method: Cangjie, Instant, Zhuyin, Pinyin, English
- Dimensions: 19.35 x 14.05 x 0.59cm
- Weight: 270g
- Accessories: USB Type-C transmission cable
- Contents: reader x1, transmission line x1, warranty book x1, manual x1