Worth waiting for PRS-505, or take the Bebook?

[Traxas]

I'm considering buying the bebook.

I've ruled out the cybook because I've been told that the batteries of the cybook don't last very long, and because the cybook doesn't allow to view folders in the menu. This could be an annoyance, since I'll probably put a lot of books on it.
It does have a good dictionairy lookup though, but I suppose I could use OI on a bebook, as I'm not planning to use DRM'ed files.

The other alternative, the PRS-505, is currently unavailable in The Netherlands. I heard it will be available in about 6 months. The only reason I'm also considering the PRS-505 is because of the casing. It seems a lot sturdier to me.

Is it worth waiting for the sony to come to my country, or should I get the bebook?

PS, does a 6 inch screen read comfortably, i.e. it's not too small?

[Sweetpea]

Hmm, I know bol.com will start selling a sony, not sure which one though (I've seen pictures of the 700 and of the 505 with news articles)... They said after the summer. And as the summer is about to start, it should be in about 3 months

(http://www.bright.nl/e-books-downloaden-bij-bolcom)


About reading on a 6" screen: there should be BeBooks on display at all Libris and Blz shops. (try this site to find one closest to you: http://www.libris.nl/?winkeloverzicht).

Or you could make a "mockup" of a 6" screen. I don't know what the measurements exactly are (at least of the screen itself), you'd have to ask that of somebody that does own one

[Lbooker]

You know, you can always resell the BeBook later.
But be aware that the BeBook/Hanlin V3 has a major flaw: many people complain because their BeBook is very unstable. The hardware is not of high quality (besides the screen which is standard Vizplex like on the Sony). That is a Chinese designed and made product, it is still far from Japanese quality.
OpenInkpot makes it much less unstable though. That is what I am using right now. But it does not include landscape PDF viewing, does not read .doc files, does not play mp3, does not open .rar, crashes with Wikipedia on mobipocket,...
If you are willing to wait a few months, be aware that Hanlin is preparing a faster version of the V3 (Lbook will sell it), with much more RAM, slightly better screen...go to the Hanlin forum and read the thread about the foreign forums translated through Google to know more.

[Traxas]

#Sweetpea
Yea, that's the one I was talking about. I thought bol.com was going to sell the 505, but now that you mention it, they never actually said that. It doesn't matter much though, as I figured I could just buy it on amazon.co.uk.
Also, I checked out a Libris store, but they didn't have any ebook readers. Oh well.

@Lbooker
Your statement about the bebook's unstability quite worried me. I would prefer a more reliable ebookreader ofcourse. Therefore I'm leaning towards the sony prs-505 at the moment. Too bad it doesn't support dictionary lookup though.

[Traxas]

Oops, doubleposted by accident.. Gave me a time-out error..

[AlfonsVH]

Originally Posted by Traxas

Your statement about the bebook's unstability quite worried me. I would prefer a more reliable ebookreader ofcourse.

I haven't really had any hardware problems yet. The software is quite good, although buggy on some occasions. I prefer Openinkpot, which seems stabler to me.
The case is of course plastic, but as said before, I don't mind / have problems.

[Lbooker]

Originally Posted by Traxas

@Lbooker
Your statement about the bebook's unstability quite worried me. I would prefer a more reliable ebookreader ofcourse. Therefore I'm leaning towards the sony prs-505 at the moment. Too bad it doesn't support dictionary lookup though.

Maybe you should wait for new Cybook and BeBook models to decide. There will be improvements. You only have to wait a few months.
Now you can only choose with flawed readers.
The BeBook is stable with OpenInkpot, but mobipocket dictionaries do not work in it.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Traxas

#Sweetpea
Yea, that's the one I was talking about. I thought bol.com was going to sell the 505, but now that you mention it, they never actually said that. It doesn't matter much though, as I figured I could just buy it on amazon.co.uk.
Also, I checked out a Libris store, but they didn't have any ebook readers. Oh well.

They should have!

From the BeBook twitter:

Nationwide BeBook launch in all Libris and Blz book stores throughout the Netherlands. All stores will have a 'hands on' counter display.

[QubyB]

Just like you I live in Holland and I scanned the market. I tried the ones I could lay my hands on. I thought the Sony scores higher on sturdyness, look and feel, ease of operation and PDF handling (reflow) than the brands / types that are available here.

I did not want to wait and I bought mine online in the UK. Including shipping it set me back €244,-.

My views on the Sony: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...7&postcount=49

[Traxas]

May I ask you where you bought it, QubyB?

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

They should have!

I used the search function of the website you linked, and it pointed me to a bookstore. Turned out it wasn't a libris store, I can't quite remember what is was called again. On the bright side though, at least now I know another bookstore, and quite a big one.

[martinsm]

I've bought mine in Waterstone. Received mine in Latvia by mail in ~week.

[Traxas]

Originally Posted by martinsm

I've bought mine in Waterstone. Received mine in Latvia by mail in ~week.

Hm.. Since May waterstones doesn't ship the reader outside UK anymore.
Neither do Amazon and whSmith.

I've read good things about bhphotovideo.com, but I decided I'm not willing to take the risk of not having warranty, which basically means that the sony reader will be unavailable to me until 'after summer', when bol.com will start selling 505's for 290 euro. (That's 110 euro more than at bhphotovideo.com!(shipping not included))

Now I'm reconsidering the bebook, as it is available here and it's (slightly) less expensive. Is the bebook's quality really that poor compared to the prs-505?

[Lbooker]

Buying the BeBook is a lottery. That is as simple as that.
But if you use the OpenInkpot firmware it works fine.
The little drawback is that right now it is limited compared to the Lbook firmware. But they are working on it, and you can be pretty sure it will be better soon.
Also be aware that the BeBook only displays four shades of grey, so many picture look horrible.
Anyway if you buy it and it is unstable, you can either send it back to be repaired, use OpenInkpot or sell it here or on ebay.

[Sweetpea]

Personally, I'd wait till the end of the summer. A lot of new readers should be released by then (in mainland Europe at least). We'll've the BeBook 2, the BeBook Mini, the Textr and the Sony.