The Pocketbook 360 is a surprisingly advanced small Ukrainian eReader, not a bad budget option. Unlike previous eReaders from Pocketbook which are basic Netronix clones, the 360 hardware model is made by Netronix exclusively for Pocketbook to their specs, and they've developed the software inhouse.
The 5-inch display (smaller than the 6-inch standard for most eReaders) is nonetheless basic--only displaying 4 greyscales, as opposed to 16 in leading models--so graphics will look very spartan. Hence our surprise that it is able to display so many graphics formats (poorly). The Pocketbook also does not have any audio capabilities, so it really is a pure text eReader in our opinion, but it does this main function very well.
The Pocketbook 360 comes in either black or ivory plastic, and a unique part of the design is a detachable plastic cover, which doesn't add much weight, but protects the screen well. The Pocketbook 360 comes with a rather slim 512MB of memory out of the box, but can be expandable by microSD or microSDHC card. The unit has an accelerometer, so if you tilt it, the display will shift from portrait to landscape and vice versa.
The lithium ion battery should last some 8,000 page turns, or some 2 weeks of heavy reading. One pet peeve is the designers have included an audible clicking sound whenever a button is pressed (including Next Page), which can annoy others in quiet situations.
The languages on the Pocketbook 360 are German, English, Belorussian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Hebrew. From reading through various fora on the 360, it appears the developers are unusually receptive to making improvements to the firmware, and the machine has a loyal, if rather small, user base.
Pocketbook is based in Kiev, Ukraine, and has a reputation for good develops who listen to their user base in updating firmware and such. They earlier produced the Pocketbook 301 and are working on the Kindle DX-sized Pocketbook 901.
Connecting: The Pocketbook 360 has no WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular 3G connectivity-- you're stuck with the USB cord, from which you can drag and drop files, as well as powering the device. Again, there are much better options if you need wireless connectivity, but if not, this is a good choice.
Accessories: For an additional $20 at the time of purchase, you can buy a wall charger and a 2 GB memory card, which we highly recommend if you decide to purchase the Pocketbook 360.
Price: $240.
The Pocketbook 360 is a surprisingly good Ukrainian small eReader--a good choice if you don't need wireless connectivity
eBook Reader Basics