One of the nifty things about working for NAEB (Who am I kidding? I'm a corporate officer.) is that I get to play with our product - or I *would* be able to do so, if our evaluation units of the NAEB ebook reader ever arrived here.

Sometime in April, hopefully *EARLY* April, I will receive two of the customized devices from Bookeen. And then I'll be able to really dig into them and see just what they do.

And once I've had my hands-on, I'll tell you all what they're like. I'll post a review both here and at the NAEB website - with pictures. In the meantime, given that there are no Hanlin Jinke or STAReBOOK vendors to hand in sunny Sacramento, California, I've not a clue what they're going to be like. I'm stuck reading all my wonderful ebooks on my Dell Axim pda. Thank goodness it's an X51V!

In the mean time, I just downloaded CoolReader 2 for my PC as it allows a user to read txt, html and fb2 ebook files and I have a ton of fb2 files. Looks nice.

Derek Benner

Derek, I cannot wait to hear of your hands-on experience with the new Bookeen devices. Make sure to charge your photo camera beforehand and please make lots of photos for us ;)

Alexander,

It's a *DEAL*! Yep, I'm actually creating a lightbox in order to get the best possible images. And I've charged up *BOTH* batteries for my Olympus Evolt E-300! (8 megapixels of RAW advantage!)

I've requested both a glossy-white-cased version and a matte-black-cased one, just to see the difference under glaring sunlight. (I'm a matte-black kind of guy, but we've already heard that a significant portion will want the glossy white case.)

And I'm already asking around for help in adding support for eReader Studio's PDB file and FBReader's FB2 format. And I believe we're looking for help in adding support for RB files.

Damn! I can't wait for my two evaluation units to arrive!

:happy2:

Derek

PS For anyone who's reading this, we at NAEB have received information-request signups from 235 people. At 5,000 we can probably buy these for everyone at a price of $300! Until then, our 'price' to all who participate - that will also include me, I'm paying for my two evaluation units - will be $350. So once I get the review and photos up, everybody, please sign up! You're not committed to buying until we start collecting the money and that won't happen until after we review them.

Also, in case I haven't mentioned it elsewhere here, Bookeen won't be delivering the ordered readers for 90 days after we pay. We're attempting to get that reduced to either 30 or 60 days, but if we get any reduction, it's more likely the latter.

Derek, I cannot wait to hear of your hands-on experience with the new Bookeen devices. Make sure to charge your photo camera beforehand and please make lots of photos for us ;)

White is better in bright sunlight. Black heats up uncomfortably.

White is better in bright sunlight. Black heats up uncomfortably.

I've got the matte black STAReBOOK reader (same hardware) and can't say I've noticed it heat up at all in the sun. However, looking outside now its snowing, so not likely to get too hot at all. However, each to their own....

micro

I've got the matte black STAReBOOK reader (same hardware) and can't say I've noticed it heat up at all in the sun. However, looking outside now its snowing, so not likely to get too hot at all. However, each to their own....

micro

Good to know. However, I'll be looking at several things. After all, I and my co-officers will be the first to see and use the Bookeen device and the others who want one will be relying on our reviews to help them make the buy decision; we want to get this right.

Derek

Man, I can hardly wait for this to come out, and count me in for the black.

I just purchased a eBookwise for a vacation I'm taking in a couple of weeks but I'll still purchase one from NAEB when they're available.

make that 236 :D

make that 236 :D

I thank you. Your Mum and Dad thank you. The Great Un-washed Masses thank you. Cthulhu thanks you.

:happy2:

Derek

did you get it yet???

Nope. Seems the case for the matte black version didn't satisfy them and so they've not even sent us the glossy white version yet. Of course, April isn't over yet. :angry:

All this hurry-up-and-wait has me fuming - but quietly.

Derek

waiting.......quietly :)

Yeah. So'm I. And getting rather grumped about the delay. As if they don't know that if they don't get sample units to us, we can't write up a hands-on about them and thus no sales for Bookeen. Oh well, maybe one day I'll understand.

Derek

:cry:

They're now reporting over at the Bar that Bookeen is saying it will ship their samples May 15th.

White is better in bright sunlight. Black heats up uncomfortably.
Guys! I have to warn you about the contrast between eink and a white frame.

Try to find a Sony and read with it for a while. Since eink's contrast ratio is weak, one has a tendancy to light the screen more, especially at night. In those conditions even the reflexion from the light bouncing off your hands is tiring. I would imagine a white frame to be even more annoying while reading for long periods.

But chalk this up to tired 50 year old eyes.

We will find out soon enough. Bookeen has informed us that we will have our sample units on or about May 15th. Yay! :D

Of course, the actual formats we're going to be able to support right away is still tentative, but it's looking like PDF, TXT, RTF and HTML. And we should be adding formats about one or two every two to three months as they develope the viewer updates.

Derek

Guys! I have to warn you about the contrast between eink and a white frame.

Try to find a Sony and read with it for a while. Since eink's contrast ratio is weak, one has a tendancy to light the screen more, especially at night. In those conditions even the reflexion from the light bouncing off your hands is tiring. I would imagine a white frame to be even more annoying while reading for long periods.

But chalk this up to tired 50 year old eyes.

Do you know if the RTF interpreter will is supposed to support in-line images, Derek?

Don't know yet. I will check it out when we get our sample units. Thanks for reminding me.

Derek

Do you know if the RTF interpreter will is supposed to support in-line images, Derek?

We will find out soon enough. Bookeen has informed us that we will have our sample units on or about May 15th. Yay! :D
Did I miss something? What happened to

Sometime in April, hopefully *EARLY* April, I will receive two of the customized devices from Bookeen. A

Bookeen ran into some sort of issue on their end, evidently. :shrug:

Ours is not to wonder why, ours is but to save our shekels for mid-May.

Sorry for the delay. And I don't know what is causing it. I'm not going to speculate, just keep saving my dollars.

Derek

Bookeen ran into some sort of issue on their end, evidently. :shrug:

Ours is not to wonder why, ours is but to save our shekels for mid-May.

Sorry for the delay. And I don't know what is causing it. I'm not going to speculate, just keep saving my dollars.

Derek
My dollars are saved, what I don't have is anything to spend them on.

As of this past weekend, NAEB is reporting 405 signups. If anyone's been holding out til they got closer to 500, now's the time to pile on. :smiley2:

Naturally, being a corporate officer of NAEB, I urge people to do so as well.

However, I fully understand if some (many?) still want to wait until we get our sample/eval units and give a complete review. Please note that entering your name and email address through the NAEB signup page does *NOT* commit you to buy one. Nope. That commitment won't come until you actually plunk money down and we're not ready to ask for money at this point.

Derek Benner

As of this past weekend, NAEB is reporting 405 signups. If anyone's been holding out til they got closer to 500, now's the time to pile on. :smiley2:

And the money's away! Sample NAEB ebook readers should be in the grubby little hands of our corporate officers (that includes me) by mid-May - give or take a couple of days!

Hooray! And as soon as I can test out various features, write up my thoughts and take pictures, I'll be posting them.

Derek Benner

... Of course, the actual formats we're going to be able to support right away is still tentative, but it's looking like PDF, TXT, RTF and HTML....
Don't forget to check for images in HTML as well. Alternative fonts?

I tried to register on their forum (at www.naebllc.com) but only got the first email saying I'll get another email. Nothing after a week.....

Does anyone know how to contact their sys admin or whoever is running that board?

Rob

Rob,

We've been having problems with auto-spammers at the forum, so we went with the whole 'you have to respond to the email before we believe you are not a spam-bot' routine for registering people. Sorry for the difficulty - we're working on it. :(

Once you're registered there, feel free to express your opinions at the NAEB ebook reader concept and all that. :)

Derek

I tried to register on their forum (at www.naebllc.com) but only got the first email saying I'll get another email. Nothing after a week.....

Does anyone know how to contact their sys admin or whoever is running that board?

Rob

A quick heads-up. We've started the process to purchase our sample/evaluation units. Now it's a matter of 'hurry up and wait' until we get them into our hands and can give a complete review.

Derek (NAEB LLC)

A quick heads-up. We've started the process to purchase our sample/evaluation units. Now it's a matter of 'hurry up and wait' until we get them into our hands and can give a complete review.

Derek (NAEB LLC)
I thought you were supposed to have the unit on or around the 15th (tommorrow). Exactly how long is the "process to purchase our sample/evaluation units" now supposed to take? Any realistic chance of you having a sample unit in May?

If I recall correctly, they expected to be able to order them on or around the 15th, but I think that clarification was actually over in the Baen forum ....

I was under the impression we would have our sample units shortly after the 15th. Sadly, that is not to be. But it *WILL* happen this month...

If any of you are getting frustrated, please understand I am as well. The sooner I get my hands on one, the sooner I can tell you about it - and start sparing *my* eyes from the strain of my pda. ;-)

Derek

any news on those samples?

None. (By that I mean I'm *STILL* waiting for my sample units.) But there may be technical changes that may have accounted for the delay.

We still hope to have our grubby hands on them shortly. Until we do, I've not been willing to post further.

Derek

Hang in there. Surely the day will come!...

If Bookeen put up pictures on their revamped site, you guys must be on the verge of getting your readers! :)

We would like to think we're close. But then, we're *still* waiting for our evaluation units... :tired:

without trying to be flip, let me ask:

If it's taking those guys so long to provide an evaluation unit, what does this say about its ability to produce enough to sell?

They're the source for the STAReBOOK too, rjnagle, and they have history of successful manufacturing with past Cybook models, so I think those would also have to be considered in the question of their ability to deliver. :shrug:

And the STAReBOOK has also been slow with the updates lately. Maybe there's some kind of problem at Bookeen.

Or it could be a reaction to knowing that a second Bookeen model was imminent, which I guess amounts to the same thing. :shrug:

When I corresponded with Mr Dahan of Bookeen about the group purchase we were planning (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8996) I was left with the distinct impression that most software features would be done by Bookeen people and not by the device manufacturers. Of course I may have wrongly interpreted what I read.

Maybe there is basic software that came with the device and all the rest from Bookeen.

Just wanted to touch base and let you all know that we're still in 'waiting' mode. Shouldn't be too much longer.

Derek

You could always buy a Sony Reader :grin:.

That's not nice, HarryT! :grin:

Yeah... RIIIIIiiiiigggghhhttttt... :knife:

Nope, I'll wait, thank you very much. :2thumbsup

Derek

You could always buy a Sony Reader :grin:.

Well! It's like waiting for a particular car to come out. I really want an electric. :pray: But if I didn't have the little Corolla in the mean time, I'd do quite a bit of walking through these suburbs.:tired:

At $49 (special deal if you apply for a Sony credit card - US only) it might be worth considering one as an interim solution while waiting for your CyBook. At that price you can almost certainly sell it again at a nice profit when you get your CyBook.

At $49 (special deal if you apply for a Sony credit card - US only) it might be worth considering one as an interim solution while waiting for your CyBook. At that price you can almost certainly sell it again at a nice profit when you get your CyBook.
Actually, a better idea would be to give away the Sony as a gift or just keep it is a spare or for reading all the nice uploaded books here.

Or put it on top of the outdated electro-heap. It's fun to come back to it once in a while. :)

Derek,

Have you any idea when the NAEB CyBook for the BAEN community will be available?

Susan

Derek,

Have you any idea when the NAEB CyBook for the BAEN community will be available?

Susan

If I had my druthers, we'd be opening up for sales by the end of this month with delivery by mid- to late-August. I'd say that, given my experiences in customer availability times for digital SLRs we might have a better chance of getting them out to customers by late October - BUT I'm only being personally pessimistic with that last guess as I don't really know at this time.

Derek