Is Foxit selling the CyBook with an better PDF Reader?

[stefand]

Hi,

I just saw this on http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook/
It looks like the CyBook, and they say that they have a good PDF support.

Maybe this would be a solution make the Cybook a useable PDF reader....

Bye,

Stefan

[Dedale]

This is also the problem... it reads only PDF afaik... wait and see for the review by a MR moderator

[stefand]

PDF ist all I need... Thats why I'm so disappointed from the cybook.

[mtravellerh]

In fact, they are speaking about ereader DRM support. So it is not only PDF, for sure. As it is quite obviously a Cybook, there should be support for Mobipocket, too. The price is quite fantastic, though!

I hold my horses: Only Txt and PDF support mentioned on tech specs.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stefand

PDF ist all I need... Thats why I'm so disappointed from the cybook.

PDF was never intended to be an eBook format. In attempting to view an A4 PDF on a 120x90mm page, you're trying to do something that the format was just not designed to be able to do. This is not Bookeen's fault!

[lordofazeroth]

this reader has 400 MHz...

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

As it is quite obviously a Cybook, there should be support for Mobipocket, too.

I don't think so, the hardware is probably the same as the Cybook's, but Mobipocket support is in the software, and I'm sure the software is different.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I don't think so, the hardware is probably the same as the Cybook's, but Mobipocket support is in the software, and I'm sure the software is different.

Absolutely right. It's clearly a Netronix machine, as is the CyBook, but it's the licensee who determines what eBook formats can be read on it. There will probably never be a machine that comes pre-installed with firmware to read both Mobi and eReader DRM: it is well-known that Mobi require "DRM exclusivity" as a part of their licensing arrangements.

[JSWolf]

But who would want one that only views PDF and text? Seems like a waste of the hardware to me.

[HarryT]

Presumably there is a market - those are the same formats that the Jetbook offers!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But who would want one that only views PDF and text?

I personally would not mind such a machine. Especially if it was cheaper than competition.

Currently I own Sony Reader PRS500 and I format all the books I want to read anyway. I have very specific taste regarding the format of the book, so I end up reformatting vast majority of books I acquire(*). If it was possible to select specific font (heavily hinted sans serif (just like the default sans-serif on PRS500)), paragraph formatting (left justification, no margins, cca. 1mm space after a paragraph, first line indentation about 5 mm) for an application displaying plain text I would be perfectly happy with a plain-text-only device.
Should I ever wish to read a book in non-english language (like Russian, Czech, Arabic, whatever) it only takes a few moments to generate pdf file with 90x120mm page size using OpenOffice.org.

(*) I am an opportunist. I have been a very avid Library visitor ever since I learned to read, so instead of fancying an author and than trying to purchase a specific book I just look for something interesting to read, and if you follow local "Deals freebies ..." forum, and some other pages featuring various free reading materials, you can acquire books faster than you can read them.
The problem is, you can not convert most of DRMed material

[Pulp]

Would be interesting to see if it was possible to replace the Cybook pdf-reader with the Foxit one

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's clearly a Netronix machine, as is the CyBook

All the Netronix 6" devices look about the same but this is probably the Netronix EB600, note that the standard specs has 32MB of memory and the Cybook only has 16MB. If the eSlick has 32MB it will probably work better than the Cybook with the OpenInkPot firmware.

For a long time MOBI was the only DRMed ebook format for Linux-based dedicated readers. In principle Adobe Digital Editions (PDF and ePub) is an alternative, but it is only on the Sony so far. It does seem that several devices with DRMed eReader support will appear in the next few months. The eSlick will be one and the EZ Reader will be another (Robertb: Wait only a little longer).

[Pulp]

Though it's doubtable that they are able to sell the newer device with the higher specs for a lot less money and still make profit...

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There will probably never be a machine that comes pre-installed with firmware to read both Mobi and eReader DRM: it is well-known that Mobi require "DRM exclusivity" as a part of their licensing arrangements.

How about a Mobi + eReader solution that doesn't support Mobi DRM. That would allow you to read all the unprotected MobiPocket books out there (such as from Baen, MobileRead, Feedbooks, etc.) and get your DRMed books in eReader format.

I'd have suggested the opposite, but I haven't seen a lot of eReader-formatted books around.