Delstar Openbook Review

[Nate the great]

We just posted a new review of the Delstar Openbook over on The Digital Reader. It's by MR member imaredr, who just joined TDR. Here's what she had to say:

I have been on the hunt for a small color dedicated ebook device for quite some time. When I saw a Sunday ad that Walgreens was selling a 5 inch color reader I immediately ordered one. The reader does not support DRM, but I don’t find that a deterrent.
...

My Opinion

I really believe that this reader has great potential, but I did return my device. The process was painless since returns can be made at any Walgreens. I will buy the device again when more of the bugs have been worked out. Hopefully that will be soon because I already miss the little reader. From what the Delstar Rep wrote, new shipments will come with upgrades already installed.

Delstar should have introduced the Openbook as a txt, pdf, and doc reader adding the statement that more formats such as epub were on the way. This would have kept expectations a bit more in check, preserved the company’s reputation, and given the company time to test the reader’s firmware more thoroughly. Even as a text/doc reader $100 isn’t a bad price. I do know that if the Openbook was presented that way I would not have returned it. I didn’t expect the reader to be the greatest; I just wanted it to support the files and features that the manufacturer claimed.

continued here

[Katelyn]

Great review and imaredr was more than fair considering the frustration levels expressed in the MR forums. I agree it seemed to be a great little reader and was disappointed in the lack of text formatting. I returned my device to Walgreen's last weekend.

I didn't read anything from Delstar about future shipments with improved software but that's good to know. If and when they do release the OpenBook with properly functioning software, it really will be a nice, inexpensive, backlit reader.

[erhebung]

Of interest, maybe: new firmware has been released for the Teclast TL-K5, the Chinese version of this. It's V2.00, and the img file seems to be about 20-30 MB larger than the latest firmware file available on the Delstar site.

Changes so far seem to be... page-turn speed is quicker... typeface is much clearer... spacing between characters and words is far, far better than before... italics show up... Not sure what else: only just installed it.

The upgrade process is the same as for the other firmware upgrades, but you need to pull the new img file off of a Chinese webpage. If anyone needs a link, let me know.

[Marlonsarmiento]

Could find the firmware, do you have the link or point me in the right direction.

[erhebung]

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Did you find it?

[gryphonreader]

http://rapidshare.com/files/41525938...-_Firmware.rar