Because we all are just dying for Bookeen to hurry up and deliver us a full-fledged E-Ink based e-reader, we can't help but mention a couple of specs that were leaked to us through MobileReader Hadrien. The new Cybook by Bookeen will have pretty much the same hardware specs like eREAD's STAReBOOK reader (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=125), and just like the STAReBOOK, it'll be conveniently light-weight (the STAReBOOk weighs only 176g vs. the Sony Reader with 250g).

If Bookeen's engineers did their job right, they'll surprise us with a very capable software. Current rumor has it that the Cybook will support Open eBook, PDF, HTML, RTF, at least one format with DRM (perhaps most likely Mobipocket (see Nat's reply)), and MP3. Other formats may also be possible.

The rumored launch is summer 2007 at a price of around 350 Euro and US$350 in Europe and the US, respectively.

We'll try everything to squeeze out some more information from Bookeen for you.

Edit: Some additional info found via this French blog (http://aldus2006.typepad.fr/mon_weblog/2007/06/le_cybook_va_re.html):

Weight: 183g
Dimension: 118 x 188 x 8,5 mm
Screen: (90mm by 120mm) 6-inch SVGA 800x600 4 grey scales, 166.7 ppi
Battery: 8.000 page turns


Related: Picture of New Bookeen Cybook (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11448)

I expect it will support Mobi -- that's the format they sell in their store (http://www.ubibooks.com/), so it would make sense.... :shrug:

I expect it will support Mobi -- that's the format they sell in their store (http://www.ubibooks.com/), so it would make sense.... :shrug:

I didn't think about this. Thanks for the hint, Nat! :2thumbsup

And Mobipocket is also a french company ;-)

And Mobipocket is also a french company ;-)

Well, yeah, until they got bought by Amazon, which makes them legally a US company :p

The rumored launch is summer 2007 at a price of around 350 Euro and US$350 in Europe and the US, respectively.


I hope this price is just that: a rumor. 350 dolars are 263 euros :oops2:

L.

I hope this price is just that: a rumor. 350 dolars are 263 euros :oops2:

L.

Taxes are quite different in the US and the EU. I've never seen a single device priced the same than in the US.

I didn't think about this. Thanks for the hint, Nat! :2thumbsupJust putting 2 and 2 together, is all -- even I can manage that level of arithmatic (anything more complicated I need a calculator ... or possibly an Excel spreadsheet ....). :grin3:

Just putting 2 and 2 together, is all -- even I can manage that level of arithmatic (anything more complicated I need a calculator ... or possibly an Excel spreadsheet ....). :grin3:

:grin2:

Btw, I added some additional specs information the first post.

This sounds very good. I had (and still have) one of the original Bookeen Cybook machines. Their approach was to give you lots of different eBook readers on the machine, and let you choose which one you wished to use. The original Cybook came with "BooReader" (no, I'd never heard of it either!), MobiPocket, uBook (my all-time favourite bookreader), and an excellent PDF viewer, all on a machine running Windows CE. The only real down-side was poor battery life - if you turned the screen brightness down to the bare minimum and read books from internal memory, rather than the CF card, you could scrape about 4h reading time out of the machine.

Screen: (90mm by 120mm) 6-inch SVGA 800x600 4 grey scales, 166.7 ppi


Sounds as if they're using exactly the same screen as the Sony Reader!

Sounds as if they're using exactly the same screen as the Sony Reader!They almost certainly are -- PVI and iRex are still the only ones licensed to make the stuff (as far as I know), so they'd have to get them from one of those sources, and iRex doesn't seem to be sharing theirs. :wink2:

There is the new stuff that e-Ink (the company) announced recently, but I wouldn't expect that to be set up for volume production for some months yet. :shrug:

They almost certainly are -- PVI and iRex are still the only ones licensed to make the stuff (as far as I know), so they'd have to get them from one of those sources, and iRex doesn't seem to be sharing theirs. :wink2:

There is the new stuff that e-Ink (the company) announced recently, but I wouldn't expect that to be set up for volume production for some months yet. :shrug:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10780

The pres release for Vizplex said that the first units would be ready this summer.

According to the press release, PrimeView International will manufacture the TFT modules based on Vizplex with the first displays to come out this summer. Diagonal sizes will include 1.9", 5", 6", 8" and 9.7"

Yeah, Hadrien, I just saw that on the thread about the NUUT reader (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11463) too. (I'm afraid I didn't put much store in the original release, seeing as how these things always seem to be delayed so)

So, I'm just sitting down now to eat my words with a nice side of crow, and a bit of Humble Pie for desert. :smack:

A question for the MobileRead eInk experts: In your opinion are any of the current crop of eReaders able to capture digital ink from a stylus sufficiently well that they are useful for taking hand-written notes? Last I heard, slow screen refresh rates created enough delay that the handwriting/drawing experience wasn't great.

If stylus input is important to you, I strongly suspect you'd be better off with a Tablet PC. Wonderful though eInk screen are for reading from, fast refresh rates are something that's hardly one of their strengths!

You could try asking in the "Iliad" forum - they are the chaps who have experience of this. I have a Sony Reader myself and they (very wisely, IMHO) made the decision not to go for a touch sensitive screen at all.

A question for the MobileRead eInk experts: In your opinion are any of the current crop of eReaders able to capture digital ink from a stylus sufficiently well that they are useful for taking hand-written notes? Last I heard, slow screen refresh rates created enough delay that the handwriting/drawing experience wasn't great.

Well, the refresh time is getting better. Real problem is that hand-written notes will eat up most of the battery.

... are any of the current crop of eReaders able to capture digital ink from a stylus sufficiently well that they are useful for taking hand-written notes?I believe that the only one for which this is even an option at the moment is the iLiad. I saw an iLiad last June/July and I think its screen/stylus would have done then for handwriting. True, there was a bit of a lag, but not bad, really. However, that opinion is a year-old and was hastily formed in the first place, so salt to taste.

The other side of the equation is that there's no software mechanism to do the HWR for you. One company (name slips my mind at the moment) announced that it was going to do some software for that purpose on the iLiad some months ago, but nothing yet. :shrug:

But you don't necessarily need HWR in order for digital ink to be useful. Eg, the Pocket PC has the option to store notes in "raw" digital ink, where it just stores (and later shows) literally what you write on the screen. Extremely useful for making quick notes, "doodles", etc. I use that a lot more than HWR. Similarly, the ability to be able to add hand-written annotations to displayed documents would be extremely useful, HWR or no.

iRiver's device is supposed to have a touch screen too, but we don't have enough information on this device yet.

But you don't necessarily need HWR in order for digital ink to be useful. Eg, the Pocket PC has the option to store notes in "raw" digital ink, where it just stores (and later shows) literally what you write on the screen. Extremely useful for making quick notes, "doodles", etc. I use that a lot more than HWR. Similarly, the ability to be able to add hand-written annotations to displayed documents would be extremely useful, HWR or no.

Yeah, I'm more interested in ink than HWR. But Tablet PC has been a big disappointment as a note-taking device for me. By design it leaves it to the operating system to approximate or "improve" on where my pen touches the screen. I have to bear down too hard and get infuriating stray marks. It's just a bad experience.

My guess is that touch-sensitive eInk displays aren't the right answer yet because of the slow refresh rate, but I was curious to hear if anyone was trying to use them for taking handwritten notes since I know there has been progress on refresh rate.

... I was curious to hear if anyone was trying to use them for taking handwritten notes since I know there has been progress on refresh rate.I think there are a couple of folks who are doing this with their iLiads. You might want to pose that specific question in the iLiad forum, you'd probably get some good responses from them. :nice:

Or find yourself a Newton! :laugh4:

I use my iLiad to take notes in meetings and in class. It works reasonably well. Though you can input handwriting in a small pop-up input field, there is no full-page HWR on the iLiad itself, though there's a commercial program sold by Vision Objects that runs on the PC, that supposedly will convert notes from the iLiad to text. I don't usually use a PC, so I haven't tried it. One of these days I'll try my Readiris OCR, which also supposedly will convert handwriting to text.

The iLiad does not "correct" your input in any way. The speed is ok. I don't find the display refresh rate to be a problem when writing notes, but creating a new page can slow me down. Because the iLiad uses a wacom screen with a special stylus, you don't have to worry about stray marks from your hand, watch, etc. Recent community developer efforts have enabled pen calibration and support for a 3-button stylus, though these still need some testing and smoothing out.

I have to say, the Newton was/is still the best portable electronic note-taking device created. Only the inconveninence of retrieving the data keeps me from continuing to use mine on a regular basis (I still pull it out every now and then).

I use my iLiad to take notes in meetings and in class. It works reasonably well. Though you can input handwriting in a small pop-up input field, there is no full-page HWR on the iLiad itself, though there's a commercial program sold by Vision Objects that runs on the PC, that supposedly will convert notes from the iLiad to text. I don't usually use a PC, so I haven't tried it. One of these days I'll try my Readiris OCR, which also supposedly will convert handwriting to text.

The iLiad does not "correct" your input in any way. The speed is ok. I don't find the display refresh rate to be a problem when writing notes, but creating a new page can slow me down. Because the iLiad uses a wacom screen with a special stylus, you don't have to worry about stray marks from your hand, watch, etc. Recent community developer efforts have enabled pen calibration and support for a 3-button stylus, though these still need some testing and smoothing out.

I have to say, the Newton was/is still the best portable electronic note-taking device created. Only the inconveninence of retrieving the data keeps me from continuing to use mine on a regular basis (I still pull it out every now and then).
How can it be that no one yet has been able to match the Apple Newton feat of 15years ago?

How can it be that no one yet has been able to match the Apple Newton feat of 15years ago?
Beats me. I still can't figure out why Apple stopped making them. :shrug:

There are lots of aspects that current devices do better, but the handwriting for notes was the best of its kind.

Price was it's downfall, today's manufacturer has to deal with even more of that popularist spending stinginess. 'Me want all for nothin' The Newton was 700bucks at the time, I'd say approximately 1500today. That's only natural if you're a precursor assuming all that R&D. The handwriting recog software was Russian if I remember. Maybe Apple did not own it but licensed it.

But it's still curious that with every forgotten cent behind them they will not pursue a successor. The iPod has the computing capacity to do it, all it needs are a couple of 'ports' (If possible) Might to be that simple after all.

The handwriting recog software was Russian if I remember. Maybe Apple did not own it but licensed it.You may have a point there ... although ... if it were owned by "not Apple" I'd think it would've popped up again in some other produce.... :dunno:

The first version (Calligrapher) used software licensed from a Russian company, Paragraph International, but the more accurate version (Rosetta) was developed in-house by Apple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton

Ah, that would 'splain it.

Ah, that would 'splain it.
Lucy you gotta lotta 'splainin' to do!

We think too much alike, JSWolf, or we watched too many of the same re-runs growing up, I'm not sure which. :grin:

We think too much alike, JSWolf, or we watched too many of the same re-runs growing up, I'm not sure which. :grin:
Nick at night and TVLand plu the local stations. I watched a lot of re-runs.

Just got a newsletter from Bookeen with more (full?) specs:

Sound:
2.5mm stereo headphone plug

Expandability:
SD Card slot

Case:
Dark brown leather case (optional)
Certification & Regulation:
FCC/CE

Color:
Shiny black

Size:
4.7" x 7.4" x 0.3"
118 x 188 x 8.5 mm

Weight:
6.13 ounces -174 g
battery included

Screen:
6" E Ink® Vizplex screen
[4.8"x3.6"- 122mmx91mm]
600x800 pixels, 166 dpi
B&W, 4 gray-scale
Daylight readable
No backlight
Portrait and landscape mode

Controls:
buttons "ON/OFF", "Up ", "Down", "Right ", "Left", "Enter ", "Cancel", "Menu", "Music".

Power Supply:
Universal AC 100~240V, DC 5V 700mA
Plugs: Euro 2Pin, UK 3Pin, US 2 Pin


Operating system:
Linux 2.4.18

Software suite:
Bookeen® Multi-format ebook reader
Supported image format: Jpeg, GIF, PNG
Supported sound format: MP3

Battery:
Rechargeable built-in Li-Polymer battery (800mAh)
8000 page flips battery life


Processor:
Samsung® S3C2410 ARM920T 200MHz

ROM memory:
8 MB

RAM memory:
16 MB

Storage memory:
64 MB Data Flash

Connectivity:
USB Client (v2.0) - Mini USB B connector

In the box:
Cybook ebook reading device
USB cable
User's guide
Charger (Deluxe version)
Leather case (Deluxe version)
1GB SD card (Deluxe version)


The NAEB folks should be pleased about the Visiplex. :beam:

Looks like more pics are available: http://hightech.afmag.net/a-new-reader-around-the-corner-cybook-by-bookeen.html

I actually like the mangapic ;) http://hightech.afmag.net/a-new-reader-around-the-corner-cybook-by-bookeen.html/booken-cyber-reader-reading-manga/

If it's not "processed" image, the clearity is VERY good compared to the reader. (but not good enough for me to ditch my 3 weeks old reader though)

Reading this "battery included", does this means it has -gasp- removable batteries?

Don't really understand this though:
"Dark brown leather case (optional)" and then later in the box "Leather case (Deluxe version)"

So there's a deluxe and a normal version or something?

Edit: I see the pics are available at the homepage of bookeen too.

If it's not "processed" image, the clearity is VERY good compared to the reader. (but not good enough for me to ditch my 3 weeks old reader though)I ... think they're photo-shopped, athlonkmf. It's hard to tell, 'cause they're really well done if they are, but there's something hinky (to use Abby's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Sciuto) word) about the compound shadows in the first pic (http://hightech.afmag.net/wp-content/uploads/hightech//2007/06/cybook2.jpg) -- I'd expect the shadows where both the book and the e-reader are casting to be a bit darker than where just one or the other is casting, and the left edge shadow is just plain off (the round nub where the corner of the e-reader is supposedly casting a shadow, except it doesn't look like it sticks off enough to cast much of a shadow at all, and that one's just the wrong shape :no:). Besides that, it all seems just a bit too even. Not my area of expertise, but that's what it looks like to my uneducated, but attentive eye. :shrug:

Reading this "battery included", does this means it has -gasp- removable batteries?Yeah, a removable battery is one of the features they've had all along. Makes us Sony & iLiad owners all itchy with jealousy. :cheesy:

Don't really understand this though:
"Dark brown leather case (optional)" and then later in the box "Leather case (Deluxe version)"

So there's a deluxe and a normal version or something?That's the way I interpret it too, that there's to be a deluxe edition available with extra goodies, but that the leather case can also be purchased separately. Makes sense for them to do that, actually -- otherwise they'd lose some sales from folks who want the leather case, but not an extra "guess what" brand 1GB SD card. They don't seem to say anything to indicate it here, but I'd expect they'll sell the 'charger' (some kind of cradle, perhaps) from the deluxe edition separately too. :shrug:

I ... think they're photo-shopped, athlonkmf. It's hard to tell, 'cause they're really well done if they are, but there's something hinky (to use Abby's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Sciuto) word) about the compound shadows in the first pic (http://hightech.afmag.net/wp-content/uploads/hightech//2007/06/cybook2.jpg) -- I'd expect the shadows where both the book and the e-reader are casting to be a bit darker than where just one or the other is casting, and the left edge shadow is just plain off (the round nub where the corner of the e-reader is supposedly casting a shadow, except it doesn't look like it sticks off enough to cast much of a shadow at all, and that one's just the wrong shape :no:). Besides that, it all seems just a bit too even. Not my area of expertise, but that's what it looks like to my uneducated, but attentive eye. :shrug:


the shadows are clearly photoshopped, but i have my doubts on the content themselves http://hightech.afmag.net/a-new-reader-around-the-corner-cybook-by-bookeen.html/booken-cyber-reader-reading-manga/
with it's glare and stuff. However... i'd imagine they would do a contrasting technique on it anyway. And of course... if you put the reader in a lightbox which has a great lighting, the screen would looks 3000x better too.


Yeah, a removable battery is one of the features they've had all along. Makes us Sony & iLiad owners all itchy with jealousy. :cheesy:


it's good for replacement indeed :) but on the other hand... how often are you running out of juice anyway :2thumbsup

I think I've got to buy one, just because I'm a gadget collector :grin: - but I don't think I'll be ditching my Sony; not after all that hard work in putting together nice books for it!

Unless I've missed something, they've still not told us what formats will be supported, have they?

the shadows are clearly photoshopped, but i have my doubts on the content themselvesOne of the obnoxious things about e-ink is that it's notoriously difficult to photograph in any way that catches the true beauty of the display. :shrug:

I also have my doubts as to why they'd take an image that managed to capture the display well, and then go play with the shadows around that image -- I mean why bother? Why would they even see a need to?

All my opinion, of course. :nice:

[a removable battery]'s good for replacement indeed :) but on the other hand... how often are you running out of juice anyway :2thumbsupTo me, it's not so much that it can take a second, charged battery, as it is that the batteries do eventually wear out and stop functioning completely. At that point the removable battery becomes a very nice feature. :wink2:

Unless I've missed something, they've still not told us what formats will be supported, have they?I haven't seen one on this iteration, but the NAEB folks are reporting: RTF, HTML, PDF and PRC (Mobipocket sans DRM). I'd expect this one to be somewhere in that neighborhood, anyway. At a guess, it'll probably do Mobi DRM too, since Bookeen has a Mobi based e-bookstore. :shrug:

Just got a newsletter from Bookeen with more (full?) specs:


The NAEB folks should be pleased about the Visiplex. :beam:

What's the difference between visiplex and Vizplex ? :p

One of the obnoxious things about e-ink is that it's notoriously difficult to photograph in any way that catches the true beauty of the display. :shrug:


i know, i had a major hardtime too. using flash won't tell much. Only good effort I could do is using a photostand and natural sunlight to get something like this:
http://www.kmfstudio.com/photo/albums/userpics/10001/normal_sony%20reader%20sample%20megatokyo%202.JPG (http://www.kmfstudio.com/photo/displayimage.php?pos=-2043)

I thnik that is the most realistic pic I made. (click and click for full screen)





To me, it's not so much that it can take a second, charged battery, as it is that the batteries do eventually wear out and stop functioning completely. At that point the removable battery becomes a very nice feature. :wink2:


Yeah, in theory it would, but then again, in 3 years time (which I believe the battery should survive because it hardly gets used and charged), will the batteries still be available? I haven't tried, but I think I'd have a hard time finding batteries for my old nokia.

And you can't just buy a spare battery on release now, because it will wear out even without being used (lithium).

What's the difference between visiplex and Vizplex ? :p

One is obviously more L33T

What's the difference between visiplex and Vizplex ? :pWell, clearly, one is spelled right and the other is not. :shame:

See, you lot only think I can spell because FireFox catches most of my errors, I'm actually an poorly-educated 3rd-grader masquerading as an adult! :grin:

(No, not really http://www.mobileread.com/forums/images/smiliesadd1/stare.gif)

i know, i had a major hardtime too. using flash won't tell much. Only good effort I could do is using a photostand and natural sunlight to get something like this:You probably used manual focus too -- I have a hard time getting my auto-focus to focus on the e-ink display properly. :shrug:

But the SLR digital cameras, on the other hand, are getting better and better, I may have to go shopping again before too long. :mellow:

You probably used manual focus too -- I have a hard time getting my auto-focus to focus on the e-ink display properly. :shrug:

But the SLR digital cameras, on the other hand, are getting better and better, I may have to go shopping again before too long. :mellow:

I don't remember if I do MF or AF that time, because I made those pics in a hurry to proof my point here http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11492.

I'll see if I can make some better pics when I really write my "Reading manga on the Sony Reader"-review (I just find the ones I found not comprehensive enough... I still had doubts when reading those)

@athlonkmf, I don't dare show that photo to my 13 year old daughter. She won't be satisfied with my eBw 1150 if I do. :D

@athlonkmf, I don't dare show that photo to my 13 year old daughter. She won't be satisfied with my eBw 1150 if I do. :D


What pic are you talking about then, the reader or the cybook?

Just read this. Didn't see it mentioned, but sorry if I am repeating someone else:

The Bookeen Cybook will also support many document formats including Mobipocket, RTF, HTML, PDF, Open eBook and other formats like MP3 audio.

...also we have no exact date of launch but it is said to be sometime in the summer in Europe and ready to go in the US for around $350.

http://www.product-reviews.net/2007/06/21/new-bookeen-cybook-e-book-reader-open-ebook-pdf-html-rtf-documents/

What pic are you talking about then, the reader or the cybook?
Your Reader pic (including the others in the iLiad thread). She's a manga fiend and one of the first things she wanted to know when I started letting her use my eBw was whether she could read manga on it. (Fortunately, there is now a conversion script that will probably make this possible, if I can find digitized versions of the titles she owns in paper.)

Fromt he latest pictures, the Cybook looks like an ergonomic disaster. I know the Sony is poor in that regard as well.

When I hold my Sony, the page turn button would be best 1/2 way up or 3/4 the way up the top of the left side and would be nice also on the right side as well depending which hand you prefer to use. The Cybook looks like all the controls are at the bottom. Even worse then the Sony. When will these companies learn how people actually hold the reader and make buttons so it is more comfortable to turn pages.

The other problem here is we need another reader with the same specs as the Sony like we need a hole-in-the-head. What we need is a reader that handles letter/a4 PDF properly. Make the reader do 1024x768 in a 4:3 aspect with a 9" screen and it might be ok.

I wonder what the price on this thing is going to be, because I'm drooling already.

:thumbsup:

Fromt he latest pictures, the Cybook looks like an ergonomic disaster. I know the Sony is poor in that regard as well.

When I hold my Sony, the page turn button would be best 1/2 way up or 3/4 the way up the top of the left side and would be nice also on the right side as well depending which hand you prefer to use. The Cybook looks like all the controls are at the bottom. Even worse then the Sony. When will these companies learn how people actually hold the reader and make buttons so it is more comfortable to turn pages.

The other problem here is we need another reader with the same specs as the Sony like we need a hole-in-the-head. What we need is a reader that handles letter/a4 PDF properly. Make the reader do 1024x768 in a 4:3 aspect with a 9" screen and it might be ok.
Agreed they both have the same ergonomic quirks. To my knowledge no one makes a better reader yet... at this level.

I wonder what the price on this thing is going to be, because I'm drooling already.

:thumbsup:

Around $350 according to this:



The Bookeen Cybook will also support many document formats including Mobipocket, RTF, HTML, PDF, Open eBook and other formats like MP3 audio.

...also we have no exact date of launch but it is said to be sometime in the summer in Europe and ready to go in the US for around $350.

http://www.product-reviews.net/2007/06/21/new-bookeen-cybook-e-book-reader-open-ebook-pdf-html-rtf-documents/

Also supports MobiPocket. Very Cool!

Fromt he latest pictures, the Cybook looks like an ergonomic disaster. I know the Sony is poor in that regard as well.

When I hold my Sony, the page turn button would be best 1/2 way up or 3/4 the way up the top of the left side and would be nice also on the right side as well depending which hand you prefer to use. The Cybook looks like all the controls are at the bottom. Even worse then the Sony. When will these companies learn how people actually hold the reader and make buttons so it is more comfortable to turn pages.

The other problem here is we need another reader with the same specs as the Sony like we need a hole-in-the-head. What we need is a reader that handles letter/a4 PDF properly. Make the reader do 1024x768 in a 4:3 aspect with a 9" screen and it might be ok.

That's what I thought too. And the large "bottom" is just wasted space as far as I see. Or they have to planning some keyboard on it or something...

But the specs aren't the same. The screen is better. If you don't have a SOny Reader yet, you'd opt for the bookeen too (if it's the same price) ;)

Your Reader pic (including the others in the iLiad thread). She's a manga fiend and one of the first things she wanted to know when I started letting her use my eBw was whether she could read manga on it. (Fortunately, there is now a conversion script that will probably make this possible, if I can find digitized versions of the titles she owns in paper.)

wait till she read my "Manga on the Sony Reader"-article then ;) :knife:

One thing that I want in a next gen reader is PROPERLY PLACED CONTROLS! I want to have the buttons for page turning placed where most people hold their thumb when reading. How hard is it to do? I'm sorry, but these companies are run by chimpanzees.

One thing that I want in a next gen reader is PROPERLY PLACED CONTROLS! I want to have the buttons for page turning placed where most people hold their thumb when reading. How hard is it to do? I'm sorry, but these companies are run by chimpanzees.

But it's made for us Chimp-types, not for Wolves :grin:.

When I hold my Reader in my left hand (I'm left-handed), my left thumb falls naturally over the page turn "rocker switch". It's perfect, as far as I'm concerned.

But it's still a two handed read, this is a one page display. Sure you can do it for some time but you need a gorilla grip not a chimp one.

No, I hold my Reader in one hand, and it's perfectly comfortable. Perhaps I'm just deformed :grin:.

Or very strong. No Chimp there!

The way that I hold it is with the four fingers of my left hand supporting the back of the Reader, the bottom left corner of the Reader at the base of my thumb, and my thumb over the page turn rocker switch. As I say, that's perfectly comfortable for me. I am left-handed, though - perhaps it doesn't work so well for right-handed people?

I'm right handed and I hold the Reader with my left hand in a similar way. But I find it more comfortable to have the bottom edge not hitting my palm. And that makes my thumb higher then the buttons.

I'm right handed and I hold the Reader with my left hand in a similar way. But I find it more comfortable to have the bottom edge not hitting my palm. And that makes my thumb higher then the buttons.
Me too. Even a lefty has always turned pages with the right hand, it's the direction we read, why change that? You leave the right hand for taking notes?The two little buttons should have right side twins!

I really wish for a tiny remote pair of buttons with a magnet that we could reposition anywhere.

I really wish for a tiny remote pair of buttons with a magnet that we could reposition anywhere.
Not me, I'd lose 'em, first thing. :smack:

I like the rocker bar on the iLiad. It's easier than reading a paperback one-handed, anyway. Not as easy as the eBw 1150 was, though (you could swap the forward/back buttons or flip 180 degrees).

BTW, chimps are stronger than humans. ;)

I've described elsewhere (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=41069&postcount=10) how I use a wrist lanyard to solve this for me before. Perhaps it might be helpful for you too, JSWolf?

Never found a big enough lanyard. The ones I have pirated from that collection of cameras are barely big enough to fit hands through.:laugh4:

I had similar problems too, I finally took one apart and resized it. :grin:

A question re the new CyBook. I've seen people mention here a user-replacable battery. What makes people believe that this will be the case? The spec on the Bookeen web site simply says:


Battery:
Rechargeable built-in Li-Polymer battery (800mAh)
8000 page flips battery life


I can find no mention of it being replaceable!

A question re the new CyBook. I've seen people mention here a user-replacable battery. What makes people believe that this will be the case? The spec on the Bookeen web site simply says:



I can find no mention of it being replaceable!

It's the "batteries included" sentence in the weight section

Weight:

6.13 ounces -174 g
battery included

It's the "batteries included" sentence in the weight section

Weight:

6.13 ounces -174 g
battery included

I rather suspect that's nothing more than a "hangover" from the specs of the previous CyBook, which did have a removeable battery. The fact that the spec says that the battery is "Built-in" makes me believe that it will not be user-replacable. We shall see.

A question re the new CyBook. I've seen people mention here a user-replacable battery. What makes people believe that this will be the case?The STAReREAD has a removable battery, and it's Bookeen hardware. But you're right, other than that allusion to weight with battery, we don't have any specific statement that the battery is removable on this version. The two bits together are persuasive, but not conclusive.

I think Hadrien said he'd seen one of these units, maybe he noticed whether there was a battery hatch or not ...?

I'm going to order one as soon as Bookeen tell me that I can (I'm on their mailing list), so we'll see!

We may see sooner, I think the NAEB folks are supposed to get their samples shortly. :shrug:

NAEB? Sorry, that's an acronym I'm not familiar with.

The group purchase people at BAEN books.

Weeeell, they're not technically part of Baen, they just organized themselves on Baen's forum, since they were all hanging out there anyway.

Their website is here (http://naebllc.com/), and they have an MR thread with some discussion of their reader here (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10013).

Weeeell, they're not technically part of Baen, they just organized themselves on Baen's forum, since they were all hanging out there anyway.

Their website is here (http://naebllc.com/), and they have an MR thread with some discussion of their reader here (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10013).

On release of our version the ebook reader software will support ebooks in the following formats: RTF, HTML, PDF and PRC (Mobipocket) No DRM will be built into the software

That puppy if it comes out with the specs listed is going to tank. I'm sorry, but in this day and age to succeed, you need some DRM format that you are able to get books for. But then The Cybook might have DRM MobiPocket support. So it might do ok.

I must admit that, having read that web site, I am a little puzzled. What they seem to be describing is a standard CyBook (albeit in white rather than black) with the ability to handle DRM-protected Mobipocket files removed from it. Why someone would wish to buy a machine that will do less than the original is something I don't really understand at all!

We Baen readers get our books from Baen without DRM. :-)
Add Project Gutenberg to that and you have more books to read than your lifespan allows.

We Baen readers get our books from Baen without DRM. :-)
Add Project Gutenberg to that and you have more books to read than your lifespan allows.

I agree with you. The question remains, though, why someone would specifically commission a CyBook variant which does less than the standard machine!

Because we requested it? I am also not sure if it is the Mobipocket Reader. Only the unencrypted Mobipocket format in Palm compression can be read by other readers.

I get the impression that it's kind of a deliberate statement of opposition to DRM, guys. :nice:

I get the impression that it's kind of a deliberate statement of opposition to DRM, guys. :nice:
That's what it is from what I gather. But also, from what I gather, it was meant to be something made just for the people on the pre-order list and not a commercially available product. So the people purchasing it would know what they are getting before they get it. But think it's a moot point now with the Cybook on the way. I know we do not support DRM, but without out, a regular non-techie person might not be able to use it very well.

Guys,

While NAEB does not support the proliferation of DRM'd ebooks - or DRM in general - it is clear that to not support *some* DRM-encrypted ebook format would exclude many current ebooks from the NAEB device. I cannot say whether a specific DRM-encrypted format will be included, but I believe I can - without breaking any NDA agreements - state that we at NAEB will *not* insist upon 'dumbing down' our version from the standard version. Should Bookeen negotiate deals with the major ebook suppliers to allow for one or more of the encrypted formats to be read by the latest model, our version will be capable of reading same. If *I* were part of Bookeen, I'd want to negotiate such inclusion.

Rather, what NAEB is pressing for is the ability of the NAEB reader to support as wide a range of non-DRM ebook formats as possible to allow for people to not have to convert ebooks in their favorite non-DRM format to a 'limited few' on the NAEB reader. Will we support them all right now? No. But we *are* working on it.

Look, I use both Microsoft Reader and eReader Pro on my x51v. And I get tired of having to 'unlock' my ebooks purchased from eReader each time I install them on my Compaq laptop, my HP desktop and my x51v. And let's not even *think* about discussing the hassle of keeping my MS Reader ebooks straight - I made the mistake of changing computers about a year ago and in the process, I lost my Microsoft Passport information - and couldn't recover that, not for several months anyway, which meant I ended up creating and using a second login to buy several dozen 'secure' .LIT ebooks - so now I have *two* sets of 'secure' ebooks and I'm constantly having to, when I re-read them, re-login under the 'correct' Passport account to 'verify' I yam who I yam! I'm so disgusted with MS Reader and Passport I could spit!

It is bad enough that I must pander to Mobipocket, eReader and Microsoft in order to read the 'secure' ebooks *I* purchased; I won't support creating a new 'secure' format. I'm quite sure others are of the same mindset.

Derek

That's what it is from what I gather. But also, from what I gather, it was meant to be something made just for the people on the pre-order list and not a commercially available product. So the people purchasing it would know what they are getting before they get it. But think it's a moot point now with the Cybook on the way. I know we do not support DRM, but without out, a regular non-techie person might not be able to use it very well.

Thanks for the clarification, Derek - that all makes excellent sense. When I read the "no DRM" part of the spec on the web site I thought that you meant that the machine would specifically not read any DRM-protected books. Your explanation that it simply means that the machine will not introduce "yet another" DRM format makes a lot more sense.

As a big Baen fan myself (I've bought every "Webscription" since the service began) I completely support such sentiments.

Bookeen has not explicitly said they will support DRM, but they have a picture on their website of the Cybook reading the Da Vinci Code. They can hardly claim ignorance of copyright laws, so they must be intending to support some DRM format (presumably MobiPocket).

What I'd *like* to see, would be for someone, *ANYONE*, to develop a black-box Linux open-source replacement for the litgen.dll that is the core of the Microsoft Reader application - so that I could also read - without having to 'break it out' - any of my 'secure' .LIT ebooks on an eInk device. Anyone out there up to the task? NAEB would buy such an application.

Derek

Thanks for the clarification, Derek - that all makes excellent sense. When I read the "no DRM" part of the spec on the web site I thought that you meant that the machine would specifically not read any DRM-protected books. Your explanation that it simply means that the machine will not introduce "yet another" DRM format makes a lot more sense.

As a big Baen fan myself (I've bought every "Webscription" since the service began) I completely support such sentiments.

I am not sure this can be done without breaking the DMCA and probably some patents of MS. That the LIT encryption has been hacked does not mean it is legal to create a book in LIT encryption. Unfortunately even LIT books without DRM are encrypted.

Robert,

I'd let the ebook publishers worry about creating .LIT versions of the ebooks. Although, I have a copy of WordRMR added onto my copy of Word 2k2 and I can use it - legally - to turn any of my text, Word DOC or RTF files into LIT files. I just can't *sell* (or give) them to others.

Derek

I am not sure this can be done without breaking the DMCA and probably some patents of MS. That the LIT encryption has been hacked does not mean it is legal to create a book in LIT encryption. Unfortunately even LIT books without DRM are encrypted.

Bookeen has not explicitly said they will support DRM, but they have a picture on their website of the Cybook reading the Da Vinci Code. They can hardly claim ignorance of copyright laws, so they must be intending to support some DRM format (presumably MobiPocket).They also have an e-book store that sells books in secure Mobipocket format, which I'd guess would make it even more likely that they intend to support DRMed Mobi files. :shrug:

Michael's post contained such interesting information that I've copied it to a new thread (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11675). Please post responses there.

Thanks!

Moderator

Hi Michael,

Thank you VERY much for this information - that sounds really excellent!

As a very happy owner of the older CyBook I'm very keen to get hold of one!