Sometimes a 6-inch e-reader isn't enough, and for various reasons, we look for something larger. However, while there's a wide variety of 6-inch e-readers available, the number of options drops considerably when we talk about larger sizes, and the price increases exponentially . In this small world of large-format e-readers, three have risen to the top: the Kindle DX, the PocketBook Pro 912, and the Onyx Boox M92.
Today we're going to review the Onyx Boox M92 , a large-format, versatile reader with remarkable quality.
We'll start with the basics, the technical specifications :
- 9,7 ″ e-link pearl display
- Grayscale - 16 levels
- Processor - 800 Mhz
- Storage capacity - 4 GB expandable by SD card in another 32 GB
- Battery - 1.600 mAh Lithium Polymer
- Wifi 802.11 b / g / h
- USB - 2.0
- Weight - 528 grams
- Measurements - 241x178x11 millimeters
- Audio Out for Audiobooks (3,5mm Stereo)
- Touch screen (with stylus)
- Firmware version (factory default) - 1.6.20111213
We can buy it in two colors, white or black, and although the manufacturer does not update the firmware properly (not properly, or in any way), the community and especially the German distributor of the brand provide continuous improvements in the updates.
One of the biggest advantages over the Kindle DX is that the Onyx is sold in Europe, with a European warranty and more than acceptable support from some of its distributors. In this regard, one of the highest-rated retailers is www.ereader-store.de , although it can also be purchased from other online stores.
Inside the box we can find the reader with its case (which, although not particularly pretty, conveniently protects the reader), a stylus (it only accepts this specific type of pen and is not exactly a cheap accessory), a USB cable (standard microUSB) and a power adapter .
The exterior is very attractive ; it reminds me a bit of the iPad. It's very intuitive to use , both with the buttons and the on-screen menu with the stylus. The Spanish interface with the original firmware is terrible, but it has improved significantly with subsequent versions. The screen is very sharp , but the refresh rate needs to be adjusted; in fact, it's best to enable it for each page.
At the top of the main screen are recently opened books and the date and time settings . At the bottom, there's a preferences button on the left, a progress bar on the right, and a battery indicator.
The main screen allows you to manage internal storage, the SD card, recent documents, dictionaries, handwritten notes, notes taken while reading, Wi-Fi browsing, applications (which expand with new firmware versions), and settings. It offers a choice of thirty languages, although its intuitive interface means it wouldn't be a major issue if it weren't in your native language.
We can choose the reading engines for the different formats, so that the final result is the one that is most pleasant for us:
- ePub to choose between PDF Reader, FBReader and Cool Reader.
- FB2 to choose between FBReader and Cool Reader.
- Chm to choose between Html Reader, FBReader and Cool Reader.
- Doc to choose between Office Reader and FBReader.
For ePub and chm I have selected Cool Reader and for FB2 and doc I have chosen FBReader. For pdf it does not let you choose.
The energy control allows us to decide whether to suspend or turn off after a certain period of inactivity. If we choose to suspend, an image remains that rotates between those that it brings by default but that we can change quite easily.
The battery consumption depends on the use and the configuration that each one gives it, of course, but with a couple of hours of reading a day it can last around three or four weeks, which is not a negligible time. Obviously if we activate Wi-Fi, play games or choose to listen to music while reading, the duration is considerably reduced.
Now that I've mentioned Wi-Fi , I have to say it 's one of the things I like least , because it doesn't allow for configuration. So, if you're on a network with a static local IP address, you won't be able to connect. However, if you don't have the IP address issue, once connected you'll have direct access to the Onyx website, Wikipedia, and Google. I should remind you that this is a reader, not a tablet, so keep in mind that the image takes a while to refresh, but it will be more than enough to consult Wikipedia and check your email.
Now comes the most interesting part: format handling. One of the great advantages of this reader is that it handles numerous formats; some very well, others not so well, but it handles the most common ones with great ease. Obviously, the better configured the books are , the better the results will be when transferred to the reader.
ePub – With well-formatted ePubs, there are no problems. It justifies them perfectly, even hyphenating words when necessary (although syllabification is often incorrect). The author, title, and page count (1/1093) are displayed at the top. There are options to jump to a specific page, choose the font, size, line spacing, search dictionaries, indexes, audiobook, bookmarks, and other Cool Reader-specific settings.
As I said, you can choose between different reading engines (PDF Reader, FBReader and Cool Reader), although the one that best handles this format is PDF Reader, I think the one that best emulates the experience of reading in a printed book.
FB2 – Just like with ePubs, it works really well. And you can also modify the book's settings while you're reading it.
PDF – I tested it with PDFs formatted for A4, and it performed exceptionally well, unlike other readers I've tried. It has several zoom options that work quite well and allow you to modify the font size and page zoom. Among other features, it has the option to hide margins, which I found very practical. It allows you to annotate, view thumbnails, search, add bookmarks, modify links, use audiobooks, and includes a hand tool, etc. In fact, of all the readers I've tested, it handles PDFs the best, by far.
For comic and manga enthusiasts, the most interesting formats will be cbz and cbr – In both cases it handles them smoothly and efficiently, even large files (15 MB is the largest I've tested).
Apart from these formats, we can use .doc, .txt, .xls, .azw, .prc, .mobi, .chm, which although they are not so usual for electronic books, they are there and we can find them at some point.
Playback of audio files is correct, both through the rear speaker and through the headphones. They can be managed independently (for example an audiobook) or as a "soundtrack" for a reading, you have easy access to audio playback from the same menu of the book you are reading. It plays mp3s without problems but, for example, .m4a does not see them.
The dictionaries must be in stardict format and are handled perfectly while reading, simply selecting the word and then in the tools icon, dictionary search and a small window appears below with the definition and explanation.
After this in-depth review, it seems to me a powerful, versatile reader, which I would recommend without hesitation to anyone who is interested in buying a large format reader.
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