Aluratek Libre AEBK07FS E-Reader Pro: Review

Let’s get one question answered right away: the Libre Pro does not have Wi-Fi connection, like the Nook or Kindle. You can’t buy books directly through Libre Pro, you’ll have to download them manually. What Aluratek Libre Pro does provide is an SD-card with 100 preloaded books – obviously, classics, such as Wuthering Heights, War and Piece, Tom Sawyer and the likes. You can also purchase books at ebooks.com.
I’ve had both the Nook and Kindle before, so the first thing I noticed when I got the Libre AEBK07FS Pro out of the box was how small the device was. Yet, the display is just 1 inch smaller than those.
The case is of charcoal colored plastic you can’t see any smudges or fingerprints on. The Aluratek ebook doesn’t flex when you squeeze it and feels solid in hand.
The display, slightly recessed, takes up the largest part of the front of the device; the buttons are below and on both sides. In the back of the Aluratek reader there’s a small hump, which is in fact the non-user replaceable battery.
Below the display are the main controls. On the left you can see a combination next page/previous page button, and right next to it is another group of buttons you use to resize the font, rotate the screen and open the menu. There’s another set of next page/previous page buttons (left and right arrows).
On the left edge of the device you can find a third way to turn pages with a spring loaded sliding bar. If you want to go to the next page slide it down, if you want to go back – slide it up. The bar has raised ridges, convenient to hold your grip on it with your thumb. Personally, though, I’m not a big fan of this method and still use the paging buttons under the display.
On the right side there are 10 buttons with numbers used to choose books from the list. You can also use them to enter text in the search field.
On the top edge there’s a power status LED. The attached cover protects an SD card slot and mini USB port, used to transfer data to the device and charge it. On Windows and Mac you’ll see the Aluratek as a removable drive.
In the bottom edge there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button.
This Aluratek reader has a very simple interface. Switch the device on, and you’ll immediately see a list of installed books. To open one you either press the numbered button you need or scroll down with the Dpad and press OK to select the book.
Unlike the Kindle, Sony or Nook, see the Aluratek doesn’t use the E-ink technology. It really reminds me of the old versions of PDAs. My favorite was the Palm V/Vx, its screen was really easy to read and the Libre Pro is just like that – as long as the light is bright enough. The Aluratek ebook doesn’t provide any backlight but nor does it suffer from this E-ink display flashing when turning pages that so many people complain about.
There are 6 different font sizes to choose from and you can also rotate the display if needed.
When you just open a book, it can take up to several seconds, depending on its size. However, once loaded, pages turn swiftly. I tried out different file types – TXT, ePUB, PDF and JPEG. The TXT and ePUB worked perfectly, but I got a couple of problems with the other two – some of the PDF files wouldn’t open, and JPEG images would make the device freeze. The freezing also occurred sometimes when I used the Search.

This device can bookmark pages but it doesn’t have any annotation features. It does have something original though, like playing MP3 in the background while you are reading and also the auto page-turning feature.
If you want to compare this with Wi-Fi eReaders click on Ebook Reader Comparison Table

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