What to expect from new Cybook firmware upgrade

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by Jellby

It would be great if the lookup function would not return the "no results" message, but instead give a list of the closest words (from all the dictionaries), that would make finding derived words and inflected forms much easier.

Yes, that's very important. I almost forgot about that. Haali reader's dictionary works like that (it looks up the closest word to the one you're searching for).

[Over]

Well, the other major ereaders competitors are going to be released in 2010, so I guess Bookeen is not in a hurry and will release the next firmware update in December 2009, early 2010.

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by Over

Well, the other major ereaders competitors are going to be released in 2010, so I guess Bookeen is not in a hurry and will release the next firmware update in December 2009, early 2010.

Oh, come on. Cybook already can't compete with other devices, the OpenInkpot is getting better day after day. Sony already whipped out prs700, kindle 2.0 is due shortly. And in 2010 the new beast - PlasticLogic will come to the market.
In 2010 they will have to come with new generation of devices to keep their share of the market, because solely new firmware won't be enough.

[Over]

Don't forget that outside the USA's market, the Cybook doesn't have a real competitor, besides the BeBook.

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by Over

Don't forget that outside the USA's market, the Cybook doesn't have a real competitor, besides the BeBook.

Not entirely true, PRS-505 is becoming very popular in Europe. And Hanlin V3 (which I suppose is only a different name for Bebook) is a very good competitor. If I was to decide now which one to buy (hanlin or cybook) I would probably go with the hanlin as I can see how dynamic the OI community is in comparison to bookeen. Not to mention that hw-wise it's superior (32 mb ram) and it's cheaper.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Abelturd

Oh, come on. Cybook already can't compete with other devices,

I have to disagree with you. No other device displays MobiPocket books as well as the CyBook does, and no other 6" device supports Mobi dictionary lookup at all.

Not to mention that, in the UK at least, the CyBook is considerably cheaper than the BeBook.

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Really? What other device can I buy which displays MobiPocket books as well as the CyBook does, and which supports dictionary lookup?

Ok, point taken, OI doesn't have dictionary support yet. But you have to admit that the dictionary lookup in its present state sucks, if I had to lookup a word more than twice per page, I would definitely resort to using my pda or a paper dictionary.
Even though I don't have a hands on experience with hanlin, I believe it could do as good a job as cybook with non-drm mobipocket files and it would allow you to make better use of the screen as you can set up the size of margins.
Another thing, I don't know how good is hanlin's drm support, not that it would really matter to me.
Anyway, Mobipocket's prc is not my format of choice as it's proprietary, I prefer html or xml, something you can edit and convert and customize to your own liking.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Abelturd

Ok, point taken, OI doesn't have dictionary support yet.

Apparently it's highly unlikely ever to, since pretty much all Mobi dictionaries use DRM, and OI will not support Mobi DRM.

Another thing, I don't know how good is hanlin's drm support, not that it would really matter to me.

It supports Mobi DRM perfectly well. Unless things have dramatically improved since I last saw it though, it doesn't "render" Mobi books at all well. They don't look anything like as good as they do on the CyBook.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Apparently it's highly unlikely ever to, since pretty much all Mobi dictionaries use DRM.

We have the Webster's 1913 dictionary (DRM-free) here. There are some free (and good) French dictionaries at http://www.ebooksgratuits.com/ too. And I believe it's possible to strip DRM from mobi files, does it work for dictionaries?

[HarryT]

Hi Jelby,

Yes, I know there's the Webster's but someone said on a different thread that OI have no plans to support Mobi dictionaries because of the DRM issue. Apparently they support something called "DICT" format, which I know nothing about.

I don't know whether or not one can remove DRM from dictionaries - I have no reason to attempt to remove it from mine.

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Apparently it's highly unlikely ever to, since pretty much all Mobi dictionaries use DRM, and OI will not support Mobi DRM.

There is always stardict and wordnet and other ways how to make your own dictionary by converting a database of another dictionary you bought. It doesn't have to be a mobi dictionary at all, on the contrary. Haali reader has it's own format for dictionaries and it has a tool you can make it with. And IMHO haalis dictionary lookup is way better than mobipocket's.

[HarryT]

True, but having spent a great deal of money on a truly excellent Mobi dictionary (the Chambers 10th Edition Unabridged dictionary) I'd really like to be able to continue using it!

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

but someone said on a different thread that OI have no plans to support Mobi dictionaries because of the DRM issue.

Ah, that's different. I thought you meant even if OI supported dictionaries, it would be useless because dictionaries have DRM. Against that, I explained that it's possible to get DRM-free dictionaries. But if OI doesn't implement dictionary support, then it's useless to talk about that

[Abelturd]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Ah, that's different. I thought you meant even if OI supported dictionaries, it would be useless because dictionaries have DRM. Against that, I explained that it's possible to get DRM-free dictionaries. But if OI doesn't implement dictionary support, then it's useless to talk about that

It is and it is not.
Let's not forget that OI is not a corporation or a company but a bunch of enthusiasts and if they decide to write a dictionary (which in my opinion is a trivial task for them once they had made up their mind on what it should look like), they might as well do so without having to go through a lenghty approval process on the management level, from one day to another (with enough poking and hinting from the users). Or you could even write the dictionary yourself, taking into account that OI is an open source project. Sure, most of us don't have the skill to pull it off, but isn't it nice just to know that the possibility is there?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Abelturd

It is and it is not.
Let's not forget that OI is not a corporation or a company but a bunch of enthusiasts and if they decide to write a dictionary (which in my opinion is a trivial task for them once they had made up their mind on what it should look like), they might as well do so without having to go through a lenghty approval process on the management level, from one day to another (with enough poking and hinting from the users). Or you could even write the dictionary yourself, taking into account that OI is an open source project. Sure, most of us don't have the skill to pull it off, but isn't it nice just to know that the possibility is there?

OI do support dictionaries, using something called DICT format (which, I must admit, I've never encountered before). The issue is, though, where would one buy decent dictionaries in such a format? One of the reasons I went with Mobi is that they have all the "big name" dictionaries - Oxford, Collins, Chambers, Websters, etc - available. I don't know if they are available in other formats, and I don't know if it would be either straightforward or legal to convert them from Mobi to DICT format.