I hope this is the correct place in this forum to make these points. If not would someone please point me to the right place.

I have had my Cybook for a month and am very pleased with it but:-

[A] Hyperlinks to Chapters are described in the Electronic Manual, but do not work with any of the HTML ebooks I have installed.

[B] The USB socket is recessed - I have had to butcher a mini-USB connector because none of the twenty plus that I tried would push in far enough to make data contact. Only about 60% made power contact. Cutting away plastic on the connector solved the problem, though. I suspect, but have no suitable plug to try it with, that the same problem may occur with some audio connectors. In both cases cutting away the case of the Cybook to a depth of 4 mm below the joystick and a little to either side would solve the problem.

[C] The Library can hold a maximum of 20 items per page. It would be helpful if the library had either a GOTO or fast forward/fast back function. When I got my Cybook I loaded my SD card with all the HTML and TXT book files I had had converted to .RB or .IMP in my older ebooks and was delighted that I could get them all on one 2 GByte card. But 4217 books take 211 library pages, and the only way to step through the library is with five keystrokes and a pause per page.

It was too much. I have reduced the count to 1000 books per card, and even this is very boring - particularly as sometimes, for no reason that I have ever discovered, the book comes on with the library reset to page 1. If I was reading a book on page 29 (as I am at present) it is a long time before I can be reading it again.

[D] Even better would be to organise the Library by folders and sub-folders (as my books are already organised) and display them line by line as text rather than labelled icons, and only display the contents of a selected folder.

[E] My REB1100 turns on at the page of the book that I was reading when it was turned off. Even if I do not have to step through the library it is a full half minute from turning on the Cybook3 to starting to read. This is bearable, but should not have to be necessary.

[F] Library thumbnails are prepared when you go for the first time to the page containing them. This means that if you enter a lot of new books the first time you step to one of them there can be very tedious waits while thumbnails are prepared on the intervening pages. It is not possible to navigate while this happens. Such work should be a background task during reading so that unless you need to navigate immediately new material has been entered you do not need to wait.

[G] If the battery state and the time were displayed while reading, and updated on each page turn it would be convenient. Would it cost much power?

[H] The "position in book" bar under the reading page (can't remember the correct name) has a bug when the book has more than 2000 pages or so and goes offscreen to the left instead of to the right somewhere around the middle of the book (not exactly in the middle).

[I] It would be nice if the Cybook could read unencrypted .RB and .IMP books, as there are a lot of them around.

[J] The left-hand side controls are easily operated by mistake. A simple plastic cover supplied with the Cybook would be nice.

James - who is actually very pleased with his Cybook, but does not let that blind him to things that could, and should, be improved.

None of my USB cables at home worked but I managed to buy a USB cable which was thin enough so I have one spare USB cable that works for trips. So they are available but you have to look for them.

I hope this is the correct place in this forum to make these points. If not would someone please point me to the right place.

I have had my Cybook for a month and am very pleased with it but:-

[A] Hyperlinks to Chapters are described in the Electronic Manual, but do not work with any of the HTML ebooks I have installed.

They work - if one's ebook is made from a monolithic HTML file with links to various points within that file. However, you are correct that any HTML ebook comprised of multiple HTML files will not function properly. I believe Bookeen is working on fixing this.


[B] The USB socket is recessed - I have had to butcher a mini-USB connector because none of the twenty plus that I tried would push in far enough to make data contact. Only about 60% made power contact. Cutting away plastic on the connector solved the problem, though. I suspect, but have no suitable plug to try it with, that the same problem may occur with some audio connectors. In both cases cutting away the case of the Cybook to a depth of 4 mm below the joystick and a little to either side would solve the problem.

Yep. Just one of those things which makes it necessary to not lose the USB cable that comes with the Cybook. I did lose mine and had to whittle away a notch in the upper edge of one of my other USB cables. But this is a design "feature" from the hardware manufacturer and not a Bookeen decision, I believe.


[C] The Library can hold a maximum of 20 items per page. It would be helpful if the library had either a GOTO or fast forward/fast back function. When I got my Cybook I loaded my SD card with all the HTML and TXT book files I had had converted to .RB or .IMP in my older ebooks and was delighted that I could get them all on one 2 GByte card. But 4217 books take 211 library pages, and the only way to step through the library is with five keystrokes and a pause per page.

Which is why I left it at 5 books per page as then it only requires one keypress per page. However, with over 4,000 ebooks on the SD card, you'd be looking at almost 900 pages of book titles!

Bookeen needs to make a folder/sub-folder system. I think we may see one in this next firmware update, or that's the rumor I've heard. Even though I work for Not Another E-Book, I'm as in the dark as you are. :(


It was too much. I have reduced the count to 1000 books per card, and even this is very boring - particularly as sometimes, for no reason that I have ever discovered, the book comes on with the library reset to page 1. If I was reading a book on page 29 (as I am at present) it is a long time before I can be reading it again.

I have noticed that the closer I get to the 40% or lower power level, the greater the likelyhood of it doing this. But that's just on my machine. And I've found that it's also more likely to happen when I just turn off the Cybook rather than exiting to the Library and then turning off the unit.


[D] Even better would be to organise the Library by folders and sub-folders (as my books are already organised) and display them line by line as text rather than labelled icons, and only display the contents of a selected folder.

[E] My REB1100 turns on at the page of the book that I was reading when it was turned off. Even if I do not have to step through the library it is a full half minute from turning on the Cybook3 to starting to read. This is bearable, but should not have to be necessary.

Sigh. That's how the Sony operates - one comes right back to the page one left off at. And if the Sony had the font and size features of the Cybook, I'd have used it.


[F] Library thumbnails are prepared when you go for the first time to the page containing them. This means that if you enter a lot of new books the first time you step to one of them there can be very tedious waits while thumbnails are prepared on the intervening pages. It is not possible to navigate while this happens. Such work should be a background task during reading so that unless you need to navigate immediately new material has been entered you do not need to wait.

A possibility. Maybe you should pass this suggestion along to Bookeen.


[G] If the battery state and the time were displayed while reading, and updated on each page turn it would be convenient. Would it cost much power?

I think this is a room-on-the-display issue rather than power consumption. But I don't know the internals of the Boo Reader so I might be wrong.


[H] The "position in book" bar under the reading page (can't remember the correct name) has a bug when the book has more than 2000 pages or so and goes offscreen to the left instead of to the right somewhere around the middle of the book (not exactly in the middle).

Okay, if this is the case, it may be part of the same assumptions that either Mobipocket or Bookeen is making that causes the Cybook to flake out about where you left off on a 3,000+ page book.


[I] It would be nice if the Cybook could read unencrypted .RB and .IMP books, as there are a lot of them around.

IIRC, there's a dearth of information on the .RB and .IMP format.


[J] The left-hand side controls are easily operated by mistake. A simple plastic cover supplied with the Cybook would be nice.

I've noticed the same problem. However, I believe the case is a 'generic' one offered by the manufacturer of the device.


James - who is actually very pleased with his Cybook, but does not let that blind him to things that could, and should, be improved.

There is information on the IMP format, check the MR wiki.

Dale

<SNIP!>Maybe you should pass this suggestion along to Bookeen.<SNIP!>

In obedience to delphidb96's suggestion I have sent the following email to Bookeen:-

Dear Sirs

I am very pleased with my Cybook.

However there are several features which you should consider improving.

HARDWARE

[1] The USB connector has an obstruction which prevents many standard
USB leads from making good contact (see attached sketch), the same
lip prevents some audio connectors from working (even the audio
connector supplied with the Cybook is so large that it must be forced
into the hole).

[2] The left-hand side buttons are too easily operated accidentally.
I have made a plastic cover to prevent this - you might do the same.

[3] The metal plating on the right side of the joystick control has
already worn away after less than a month of use. Solid metal, or no
plating to wear would both be preferable to the thin layer that you use.

SOFTWARE

[A] When the Cybook is turned on there is a pause of over 30 seconds
(presumably while the processor does housekeeping tasks) and then the
library appears. It would be far more convenient if the display were
to open immediately at the last page to be read before turn-off, and
the housekeeping were to happen in the background while I start to read.
This background housekeeping should include preparing thumbnails for
the library so that it is not necessary to wait for thumbnail preparation
when stepping through the library after many new books have been added.

[B] I have over 1000 books in my Cybook, I should like to have 4000.
But with a maximum of 20 books per page in the library, and 5 keystrokes
necessary to move from one page to the next it takes a long time to find
a book. Some suggestions:-
(i) Have a "Go to page" function in the library.
(ii) Have "jump forward/back ten pages" functions in the library.
(iii) Allow wrap-around at the beginning and end of the library.
(iv) Have an extra library option to display books in directories
/subdirectories (as in Windows File Manager).
(v) Allow text only as well as icons for title displays in the library.

[C] Internal hyperlinks (from table of contents to chapters, etc.) do not
work for my HTML books. Should they? These books are single HTML files,
not collections of separate chapter files.

[D] The pageometer does not work properly with large books - somewhere
near the middle of the book the display bar starts going to the left instead
of to the right and vanishes off the left edge of the page.

[E] Even if it reduces the space for text I should prefer a page number
(with the total - e.g. 215/629) to the pageometer. I should also like a
constant display of battery state (updated every page turn, not continuously)
and if possible a real time clock (also updated on page turns, not necessarily
continuously). If the page number computation is too complex with many
differing fonts and sizes it would be acceptable to use fixed size "epages"
of 512 words and have epage numbers rather than real page numbers.

[F] An alarm clock function would be useful if the processor clock can
support it. It could output sound on the music port, and also "flash" the
screen.

[G] Include unencrypted .RB and .IMP files in the formats the Cybook can read.

[H] The Contextual Menu should show (or have a link to a list of) the last
10 books to be read.

I hope that you will consider these issues when you plan firmware upgrades,
and design future hardware.

Yours faithfully

EurIng James M Bryant C.Eng MIET FBIS

[1] The USB connector has an obstruction which prevents many standard
USB leads from making good contact (see attached sketch), the same
lip prevents some audio connectors from working (even the audio
connector supplied with the Cybook is so large that it must be forced
into the hole).


I don't understand this one - I have half a dozen USB leads from various sources , MP3 players and cameras , as well as the Cybook one , and they all fit with no problem .
My only issue is with the cover that is difficult to remove when the " leather " cover is in place .

I don't understand this one - I have half a dozen USB leads from various sources , MP3 players and cameras , as well as the Cybook one , and they all fit with no problem .


There are two types of cables. The 'slim' ones that fit and fat ones that don't fit. I have several of both.

I agree it would be good to have a way to search for books without having to page through one at a time, but I don't understand the need for 4000 books on the device at one time. You're not going to need that many books in a day or even a week. Why not have several sd cards with a limited number of books on each? Perhaps grouped in a certain way - genre, author, subject, whatever.

My cybook turns on already highlighting the last book I read, no matter what page it's on. It goes back to the first book on the first page if the book I was reading was deleted, even if it was deleted and then replaced.

HTML links work if they're on the same page they're linked to. You can also put several HTML pages together in a prc file and the links will work.

I don't understand this one - I have half a dozen USB leads from various sources , MP3 players and cameras , as well as the Cybook one , and they all fit with no problem.

It must be the "MP3 players and camera" thing. I have almost twenty bought at computer shops and junk sales and almost all of them don't fit. Even the one that came with my Cybook doesn't fit.

James - who found that thirty seconds work with a scalpel converted it to one that does fit (and still works elsewhere)

..........Even the one that came with my Cybook doesn't fit.


Gulps ....

Even the one that came with my Cybook doesn't fit.


Flip it over. It only fits in one way. ;)

<SNIP!> I don't understand the need for 4000 books on the device at one time. You're not going to need that many books in a day or even a week. Why not have several sd cards with a limited number of books on each? Perhaps grouped in a certain way - genre, author, subject, whatever. <SNIP!>

My library contains 7000 paper books. When I travel I may be away for 3-6 weeks at a time, and I do not know what I may feel like reading while I am gone. Even more I do not know what I may want to look up in a book I'm not reading (and I've just realised that there should be a search engine in the firmware).

I presently do as you suggest, but loose SD cards are tiny and easily lost. Putting everything on a card, and the card in the book, is the way to go. (Even better would be an ebook with a 32,000 book [16 GB] internal memory.)

James - who needs an auto-handling book scanner to put his dead tree library into electronic form

Flip it over. It only fits in one way. ;)

As the actress said to the bishop.....

My library contains 7000 paper books. When I travel I may be away for 3-6 weeks at a time, and I do not know what I may feel like reading while I am gone. Even more I do not know what I may want to look up in a book I'm not reading (and I've just realised that there should be a search engine in the firmware).

I presently do as you suggest, but loose SD cards are tiny and easily lost. Putting everything on a card, and the card in the book, is the way to go. (Even better would be an ebook with a 32,000 book [16 GB] internal memory.)

James - who needs an auto-handling book scanner to put his dead tree library into electronic form

It'd be nice if someone came up with a small carrying case for sd cards. Until then, they can be put into any number of little containers. Labeling them can also be a pain. Still, better than sorting through hundreds of pages to find a book.

I don't understand the need for 4000 books, not even in 6 weeks. Don't you have a laptop or something which could hold your excess books while you travel?

I'm not saying they shouldn't come up with a better way to navigate the library, I'm just saying that until they do, you're only making it hard on yourself by putting all those books on one card. There are other options.

It'd be nice if someone came up with a small carrying case for sd cards. Until then, they can be put into any number of little containers. Labeling them can also be a pain. Still, better than sorting through hundreds of pages to find a book.

I don't understand the need for 4000 books, not even in 6 weeks. Don't you have a laptop or something which could hold your excess books while you travel?

I'm not saying they shouldn't come up with a better way to navigate the library, I'm just saying that until they do, you're only making it hard on yourself by putting all those books on one card. There are other options.

Do you mean something like this? :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/MEMORY-CARD-CARRYING-CASE-WALLET-HOLDS-20-xD-MMC-SD_W0QQitemZ130208712946QQihZ003QQcategoryZ15215QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638 Q2em118Q2el1247

Derek

I don't understand the need for 4000 books, not even in 6 weeks. Don't you have a laptop or something which could hold your excess books while you travel?

Not if I'm on vacation. On vacation the rule is that the computer goes, or my wife goes, but not both. And I prefer her.

James - foolish, perhaps, but there it is

[And why shouldn't I put as much of my library as possible in one ebook? I shan't read all 4000 books - but I don't know ahead of time which ones I'll decide I want to read or consult. So, actually, I do need 'em.]

Derek:

Yes. That's awsome.

It'd be nice if someone came up with a small carrying case for sd cards. Until then, they can be put into any number of little containers. Labeling them can also be a pain. Still, better than sorting through hundreds of pages to find a book.


This defeats the purpose of having a 4GB card doesn't it.

Why have 160GB hard drive in an iPod... well, so you can have your whole music library with you. The iPod provides very simple menu system to navigate through the library... you can do it by Type (music, audiobook, podcast, videos), Artist, Genre, Albums, Songs... you can create play lists, it indexs the list so as you scroll through it, or you can shuffle... even indicating what songs are shuffled. You can also build on the fly play lists.

This is all done with a simple LCD screen with a simple list/scroll/select type menuing system. I don't see any reason why that simple nav can't be provided on an eBook. Granted the screen is slower. Also, the JetBook provides mobilephone like Text entry including T9 style to search/navigate (granted it has an LCD screen.)

Bottom line, if the CyBook is going to support a 4GB SD card, they should support the ability to list/navigate/find with decent performance the number of books that amount of storage can handle. Do they not test this type of usability?

BOb

Not if I'm on vacation. On vacation the rule is that the computer goes, or my wife goes, but not both. And I prefer her.

James - foolish, perhaps, but there it is

[And why shouldn't I put as much of my library as possible in one ebook? I shan't read all 4000 books - but I don't know ahead of time which ones I'll decide I want to read or consult. So, actually, I do need 'em.]

You're right. Why stop at 4000? You should put all 7000 on there at the same time.

You're right. Why stop at 4000? You should put all 7000 on there at the same time.

Definatly a bonus to the Kindle. You can have your library in the cloud on only keep a few on the device. This way, the device is nice and fast with small menus and lists, but you have access to your full library if needed.

I wonder if you can search through your library that is in the cloud, or only what is local to the device.

Bob

This defeats the purpose of having a 4GB card doesn't it.

Why have 160GB hard drive in an iPod... well, so you can have your whole music library with you. The iPod provides very simple menu system to navigate through the library... you can do it by Type (music, audiobook, podcast, videos), Artist, Genre, Albums, Songs... you can create play lists, it indexs the list so as you scroll through it, or you can shuffle... even indicating what songs are shuffled. You can also build on the fly play lists.

This is all done with a simple LCD screen with a simple list/scroll/select type menuing system. I don't see any reason why that simple nav can't be provided on an eBook. Granted the screen is slower. Also, the JetBook provides mobilephone like Text entry including T9 style to search/navigate (granted it has an LCD screen.)

Bottom line, if the CyBook is going to support a 4GB SD card, they should support the ability to list/navigate/find with decent performance the number of books that amount of storage can handle. Do they not test this type of usability?

BOb

I believe the cybook supports 2gb cards, not 4.

I said they should create better navigation for the library; I was just making a suggestion to make the books easier to manage in the meantime. See, I don't have the problem of having to go through a hundred pages to find the book I want to read, thought I'd share that with James.

Assuming they will ever do anything to improve library navigation is an awful big assumption, I'd like the damn thing to just do the things it's already supposed to do correctly - we really do not need lots of new features that also don't work like they're supposed to.

Do you mean something like this? :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/MEMORY-CARD-CARRYING-CASE-WALLET-HOLDS-20-xD-MMC-SD_W0QQitemZ130208712946QQihZ003QQcategoryZ15215QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638 Q2em118Q2el1247

Derek
It's cheaper elsewhere.

It's cheaper elsewhere.

Yesbut... It was the first place I even bothered to check. :D

Derek

Definately a bonus to the Kindle. You can have your library in the cloud on only keep a few on the device. This way, the device is nice and fast with small menus and lists, but you have access to your full library if needed.

This only works if you are within range of a Kindle server. AFAIK in urban/suburban USA. Not in the wilderness, not on the high seas, absolutely not in commercial aircraft (the Kindle transmits and the FAA don't like it), and not elsewhere in the World. Even if it is extended so that any mobile phone server is sufficient there's a lot of places where I might want another book that are not covered. When I took the Trans-Siberian Express from Ekaterinburg to Vladivostok (very interesting, but not a thrill-per-minute - you need things to read for the five and a half day trip) I had GSM phone connections for perhaps 3% of the travel time.

James - who needs books to stay sane while on the road

Why stop at 4000? You should put all 7000 on there at the same time.

There is a format limitation preventing my putting my 7000 books into my Cybook - they're printed on paper. I only have 4000 in electronic form. I have not yet discovered a practical way of stuffing a paper book into my Cybook without scanning and text recognition, which is labour intensive.

One is reminded of the old joke "Farmer age 54, wants to marry a woman around 45. The woman should own a tractor. Please send a photograph of the tractor."

I have a wife, but maybe I should advertise for a girlfriend with a book scanner.

James - who remembers Heinlein's description of the ideograph for "trouble" - two women under one roof