E-readers have been around for a while, but I never really paid much attention to them until recently. That changed in May when my brother came to visit his hometown and brought his Kindle along. It was the first time I had the chance to get my hands on an e-reader, and I was immediately impressed.
The E Ink display is a game-changer compared to traditional LED screens. The technology behind E Ink mimics the look of real paper, which makes for a much more pleasant reading experience. The text appears crisp and easy on the eyes, even under direct sunlight. After using my brother's Kindle for a few hours, I was sold on the idea of getting an e-reader for myself.
As someone who loves to read but often struggles with eye strain and fatigue from staring at backlit screens, an E Ink device seemed like the perfect solution. I figured it might just be the cure for my "reading illnesses," as I jokingly referred to them. With the ability to carry thousands of books in a sleek, lightweight device, an e-reader could potentially revolutionize my reading habits.
Before settling on the M7, I was torn between a few different options. The Kobo Clara caught my eye initially, but its smaller screen size seemed too cramped for my intended usage. On the other hand, the Kobo Libra 2 offered a larger display and more features, but it was out of my budget. The Meebook M7 struck a nice balance between pricing and features, sitting comfortably between the two Kobo models I had considered.
Kobo Clara B/W 2024
Kobo Libra 2
I ended up purchasing the device, along with its official case, for RM767 from Shopee or you can also purchase without the casing for RM88 less. The case is only offered in blue color ( I really wanted black tho ). Since it's an imported product, the shipping time can vary greatly – it could arrive within a week or take several months, depending on your luck.
An alternative option is to order directly from Taobao, which might be RM30 to RM50 cheaper. However, there's a higher risk of your parcel getting lost or delayed when ordering from international marketplaces like Taobao, so keep that in mind.
Meebook M7
The moment I touched the device, I was surprised by the cold touch that I felt. The outer shell is made of aluminum, and the construction is well done, giving it a premium feel compared to my brother's Kindle (I forgot the model). I saw some reviews on reddit said that the quality is much better than the other pricier Kobo so that is a major plus.
The screen is quite a fingerprint magnet, but the matte coating helps to reduce the unsightly smudges
Compared to my S21 Ultra, it feels similar weight with bigger real estate. Due to much more powerful hardware compared to a basic e-reader, it is one of the heaviest in e-readers of its class. More details on that below.
Casing
The casing is made of synthetic leather and ABS plastic, which is prone to scratches. I have a similar leather-type casing for my other device and I'm not a fan because they tend to peel quickly based on my experience. I'm not fond of the material.
I purchased the official casing for the e-reader because it supports the sleep-on-close feature, which is exclusive to the official case. I am pretty sure it uses magnet to detect whether the cover is on top of the screen. Probably there is an aftermarket case that support the feature but I didn't dive deep enough.
Meebook M7 with casing
Design wise, the Meebook M7 not as minimalist as Boox Page, but definitely better than the Kobo Libra 2. The device features a 6.8-inch E Ink Carta 1200 display with a resolution of 1648×1236 and 300 PPI. It offers Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, with a battery life of up to 12 days. The device comes in gray and measures 6.73 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches. Included components are a charging cable and manual. It features a quad-core Cortex [email protected] processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage.
The 2900mAh battery is quite substantial compared to other e-readers in the same category. It is designed as a dedicated e-reader, focusing on reading audiobooks, ebooks, manga, magazines, and webtoons, with no note-taking functionality. The storage itself is plenty already if you want to only read regular ebooks. If it is still not enough, you can expand the storage via SD-Card up to 1TB.
The highlight of this device is that it runs on Android 11, allowing you to install any ebook library, custom e-reader app, and even manga app like Mihon and Tachiyomi. (I will cover that part below).
Weight of the device
Weight of the device with casing
According to my scale, the device weighs 245 grams on its own and 345 grams with the casing included. Holding it upright for longer reading sessions is still bearable. The construction is solid, and the buttons feel snappy when pressed. The screen blends well with the rest of the device, and the front light spreads evenly across the display. At 300ppi, the text and images look tack-sharp, with no pixelation whatsoever.
The stock operating system is very simple and straightforward. Upon first turning on the device, it will ask you to select either a more detailed UI or a minimalist version. The Meebook M7 offers a lot of customization options. You can adjust the page turn buttons to act as scroll keys, arrow keys, volume buttons, or the standard page up/page down buttons. Unlike some other e-readers, you can control both warm and cold light separately. The device also features a gyroscope, allowing you to switch the orientation from landscape to portrait mode.
Manhwa on Mihon
It supports various screen modes, including:
Softwares
The device comes with the Play Store pre-installed, so you can download any apps you want with ease. Personally, I prefer to use Moon+ Reader, which is available on Play Store. However, the stock reading app is already good enough, in my opinion, if you want to plug and read. I love to tweak some settings to my liking, especially for certain books that require intensive focus for hard vocabulary. That, I put a lot of spacing between letters.
For manga readers out there, I was able to get Mihon installed on the device. The process is pretty simple: I download the APK from GitHub onto my PC and transfer it to my M7 via USB. The process is faster compared to downloading directly on the device using Chrome. Yes, you can browse webpage on the device, but you may experience nausea due to the ghosting of the E Ink screen.
Technical Book
The reading experience is really great. It blends right into the rest of the device, and the frontlight spreads evenly across the whole thing. Plus, with all the light bouncing around, you don't get that harsh glare hitting your eyes directly. And at 300ppi, the text and images look tack-sharp – no pixelation whatsoever. Although I don't have any e-reader to compare around, most e-readers are using screen from the same company, EInk. So any e-readers that are using Carta screen should perform similarly.
One Piece cover page
One Piece sample
It is quite enjoyable to read manga on this device. Most of the pages fit nicely to the screen, and you can also tilt the device to landscape mode if you prefer. The E Ink display provides a comfortable reading experience for manga, with sharp text and clear images.
Manhwa on Mihon
However, reading manhwa on this device is a different story. Manhwa, which is often designed for scrolling, does not translate well to an E Ink screen. The ghosting effect that is inherent to E Ink displays can detract from the reading experience, making it less enjoyable. Despite this limitation, the device excels for traditional manga, especially for readers who appreciate a paper-like display without the eye strain associated with backlit screens. Currently, this is my go-to device for tranditonal manga reading.
I haven't pushed this device to its limit. However, I can safely say that it can last up to 2 weeks if you read for one to two hours per day. But if you turn on Wi-Fi, it's a different story. Turning on Wi-Fi on this device drains the battery twice as fast. So, use it only if you want to fetch new books from the internet or sync your readings to the cloud.
In summary, the Meebook M7 has proven to be a solid choice for my first e-reader. It balances price and features well, making it a great alternative to more expensive options like the Kobo Libra 2. The aluminum construction gives it a premium feel, and the E Ink display provides a sharp, comfortable reading experience, especially for manga and traditional ebooks.
Overall, the Meebook M7 is a great option for those who want a versatile and feature-rich e-reader without breaking the bank. It has certainly enhanced my reading experience, and I look forward to exploring more of its capabilities in the future.
