HI,

I'm new in this forum. I'm much more interested in LBOOK V8, rather than Sony eReader. I contacted the people in Russia by email. They said it's coming out on September 15. I also asked them about whether people around the world would be able to buy it from them. No reply yet on this matter. Let's see what they say.

You can buy it in China. Hanlin which made the V8 is a China company.

You can buy it in China. Hanlin which made the V8 is a China company.

Yes, it is possible to buy it from China, but with no possibility of future firmware updates :( The firmaware, wich is installed now in chinese V8 readers is very raw and unfinished now.
Lbooks have more possibilities due to better firmware, and you can count on new updates often enough for free.

I got email reply about Lbook. They said:

"The English interface is stipulated in the device, therefore can read as usually, loading simply books."

hkabir, can you share some links to the Lbook for more information?

Is it not the HanLin V8 (http://www.jinke.com.cn/compagesql/English/embedpro/prodetail.asp?id=15)? Or am I missing something?

The web address of Lbook is : http://www.lbook.com.ua/
But it's in Russian, so you have to use Babelfish ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/ ) to translate the webpage in English if you don't speak or read Russian.

Yes, Lbook is basically Hanlin V8; but it is more suitable for non-chinese readers as I understood. Moreover, the company in Russia took initiative to make some changes in the softwares to make it more convenient. Now if you ask me: what changes? Answer: I don't know. I have never used Hanlin or Lbook. So I'm not the best person to answer that. There are some other members in this forum who are more knowledgeable than me. I ask them to say something. It is important because sony reader is also coming out close to the same time in the market. We should know what more Lbook can do for us over sony reader.

Here is about firmware differences.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=36630&postcount=35
Chinese V8 don't have:
- normal txt reader
- html reader
- good fonts

Lbook will very soon have new fonts for txt reader (now only 2 sizes for txt)
http://www.the-ebook.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=52220#52220
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/5194/fontgo7.gif

and will have normal html reader, using different fonts (bold, italic etc.)

This will not be available soon in chinese V8 (or will never be...) Till some Jinke "partners", who want to distribute V8, do the same great work (as LVD and other people are doing) for localization and improving V8's software themselves...

TaKir,

When I ordered my Hanlin V8 at Jinke directly in China, they asked which one of the two I preferred. The Chinese-English model or the Russian-English model. My choice was the Russian English because of a language preference to the Russian.

Now my question to you is, why should this be a different book than the Russian Lbook?

TaKir,

Now my question to you is, why should this be a different book than the Russian Lbook?

Because chinese have old version of russian software.
We have software updates 1-2 times per month. I use #9 update now.
What they have - is a first or second update (from 10 or 12).

But hardware is the same, of course ;)

TaKir

The "machine" is nearly perfect. Yes, the screen looks like a page in a book. Don't let you fool by it, its a computer. In the future there are different types to choose from. Better ones. Even with less weight. Smaller size with a bigger screen. The first colour will be white on the background. Other colours will follow.

So in the mean time, I love this machine, to play with, to read on. It would be nice that the Russians will help us out with the better software updates. They are the finest people in the world. ;)

the folilowing website in Moscow is taking orders for Lbook: http://www.utility.ru/product_info.php/products_id/148/language/en
Accoring to them the price is US$393.75. Isn't it little higher than what people are expected to pay?

@hkabir

I got different pricing information from LVD, but that was a while ago, maybe it'd be best to let LVD or TaKir comment on this...

http://www.lbook.com.ua/en/Products/lBook%20V8

So, that's 320$, makes roughly 250€...add 16% Import VAT for Germany and add shipping and you'll get it for a bit over 300€ here in Germany. It's cheaper than the Iliad for sure...^^
It's a real pity that import VAT is applied to just about everything here and that it boosts the price quite a bit or I might be tempted to get the V8 (or rather the Lbook) as a "second" to use where I won't take my Iliad...^^
For 250€ I'd really think about getting one...maybe the price will come down or somebody will start selling htem in Germany...we'll see...

But nice that there is somebody closer than China working on improving the device and selling it fro an affordable amount of money! Good work LVD!!!

....

But nice that there is somebody closer than China working on improving the device and selling it fro an affordable amount of money! Good work LVD!!!

Thanks

Danke

I sent the electronic book usual mail to America. Transfer cost 12 dollars. The book was in a way of 14 days. I think to Germany will be less.

I am ready to cooperate with German partners. Yes at a small set in 50 devices the price of the book will be 275 Usd. Books can be taken away in Hungary.

As it was promissed here (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=37145&postcount=8)
there are some good news about lBook software.
New fonts are available in txt-reader for lBook V8. :)

Here are some pics of 2 lbooks scaned simultaneously to show the difference... (greyscale scans).

New fonts available for lBook eReader V8. Now we have 4 font sizes x2 in each (regular+bold).