Prestigio Nobile PER5162 review

In most cases when you buy an eBook reader there’s not much else in the box, but Prestigio’s Nobile PER5162 comes with a quality portfolio case and a pair of earphones. It’s not the only way in which it stands out; in addition to the usual navigation buttons there’s a full keyboard at the foot of the screen, as on the (discontinued) third-generation Kindle. The reader supports a wide range of formats and has Wi-Fi, stereo speakers and even an FM radio.

We aren’t fans of how the PER5162 looks or feels, though. At 242g it’s not too heavy, but it’s made from shiny black plastic that lacks the soft touch found on many other readers, with a chrome plastic belt line around the edge. The intention is classy, but the execution reminds us of the fake consumer electronics used to decorate domestic scenes at IKEA.

While its looks may be a matter of taste, we’re not convinced by more important elements of the PER5162’s design. We like the slightly muted click of its buttons, but there are none at the left-hand side of the screen, meaning you can only read one-handed if using your right hand.

Turn this reader on and you’re presented with an icon-based desktop on which key functions such as the reading history and book library are near the top. That’s a good thing, because the full menu comprises 16 icons spread confusingly over two pages; it would be better to group less frequently used items together into submenus. There seemed to be some variation in the time it took for the selection highlight to respond to movement, leaving us wondering at times whether a command had registered.

Selecting the Books option takes you to the library view where it’s possible to sort by filename, size, date or file type, but not by author or book title. Oddly this view doesn’t include eBooks bought online and transferred to the device via Adobe Digital Editions, which you can only find by selecting Folders from the desktop, selecting the device memory then opening the Digital Editions folder. Once you’ve factored in the process of using Digital Editions to copy eBooks to the reader in the first place, it’s some way off the ease of use of the Kindle or Kobo readers.