Hanvon N518 coming to Germany

Nate the great · 09-24-2009, 03:45 PM

A MobileRead member just noticed that Hexaglot, a German web retailer, will soon be importing is now selling the Hanvon N518. You can read the announcement here.

It doesn't say much (other than having an exclusive on handwriting recognition), so I dug up a review on the Chinese language ebook site MobRead. I'd recommend that you read it; it has a lot of useful information and quite a few pictures.

Edit: The product page is here. The list price is 279.90€, and the N518 does have Adobe DE support.

tazztone · 09-25-2009, 12:44 PM

it has windows CE as OS...

brecklundin · 09-25-2009, 04:55 PM

nice find. You know what struck me first about it...they put the vertical buttons on the LEFT side of the device. I am right handed BUT I always hold my books, PDA's and what not in my left hand. Because of years of holding my PDA's in my left hand, I am very used to using that thumb for not only navigation but also on screen control as well...so this is a GREAT feature decision for folks like me. Plus with the digitizer one can still control the device and hold the pen in your right hand.

Of course I bet a lot of lefties have the opposite take on the design for the same reason I like it...and while I like the hand-agnostic devices better overall, if facing a good price on this device or a hand-agnostic device with less features for about the same or only slightly lower price, I could very well go with the N518.

Nice find!!

BTW, I would take the whole handwriting recognition exclusivity with a grain of salt...there are LOTS of HWR algorithms out there and porting should be a very simple issue. They might have an agreement of exclusivity for this individual instance but not for the whole market. I sense it is just their marketing wonks trying make it sound, well, more advanced that the rest of the market.

Sweetpea · 09-26-2009, 03:22 AM

A nice looking device, and it does have what my Mini doesn't have: touchscreen... I won't be able to explain why I want another device so soon after getting my Mini, otherwise I'd have bought one already!

mgmueller · 09-26-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tazztone

it has windows CE as OS...

Is it an "open" OS? Could we install Microsoft reader for example, to read DRMed .lit? Could we use the PocketPC applications?

Sweetpea · 09-27-2009, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Is it an "open" OS? Could we install Microsoft reader for example, to read DRMed .lit? Could we use the PocketPC applications?

Yes, I'm curious about that too...

acolsandra · 09-28-2009, 06:39 PM

it's for sale in the Netherlands too. It's on stock and really cheap, you can buy a lot of ebooks for the € 80= difference in price compared to the german site.

http://www.ereadersplaza.nl/hanvon-n...b15299e6fc634a

greetings Sandra

DaleDe · 09-28-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Is it an "open" OS? Could we install Microsoft reader for example, to read DRMed .lit? Could we use the PocketPC applications?

It is not an open OS. The OS is embedded and cannot be reach directly, just like Linux on the other eBook Readers. I am sure there may be a secret way to get inside but it certainly is not published. Maybe there will be an SDK.

PocketPC applications often require DLL's and other features that are not part of WinCE.

Exposing the OS to the user requires UI features that cost extra for every machine that is shipped.

Dale

carlobee · 09-28-2009, 10:45 PM

i think this one would be really great!

DaleDe · 09-28-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlobee

i think this one would be really great!

Also interesting is the N526 which is the same except adds a full keyboard like the Kindle only smaller.

Dale

impry · 09-30-2009, 08:46 PM

Can someone help me out with that reader; does it supports utf-8? [becouse I read books in Hungarian language] If it does, I think I'd buy one.... Many thanks!

09-24-2009, 03:45 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Hanvon N518 coming to Germany A MobileRead member just noticed that Hexaglot, a German web retailer, will soon be importing is now selling the Hanvon N518. You can read the announcement here. It doesn't say much (other than having an exclusive on handwriting recognition), so I dug up a review on the Chinese language ebook site MobRead. I'd recommend that you read it; it has a lot of useful information and quite a few pictures. Edit: The product page is here. The list price is 279.90€, and the N518 does have Adobe DE support. Last edited by Nate the great; 09-24-2009 at 05:14 PM.

09-25-2009, 04:55 PM	#3
brecklundin Banned Posts: 1,906 Karma: 15348 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: mine	nice find. You know what struck me first about it...they put the vertical buttons on the LEFT side of the device. I am right handed BUT I always hold my books, PDA's and what not in my left hand. Because of years of holding my PDA's in my left hand, I am very used to using that thumb for not only navigation but also on screen control as well...so this is a GREAT feature decision for folks like me. Plus with the digitizer one can still control the device and hold the pen in your right hand. Of course I bet a lot of lefties have the opposite take on the design for the same reason I like it...and while I like the hand-agnostic devices better overall, if facing a good price on this device or a hand-agnostic device with less features for about the same or only slightly lower price, I could very well go with the N518. Nice find!! BTW, I would take the whole handwriting recognition exclusivity with a grain of salt...there are LOTS of HWR algorithms out there and porting should be a very simple issue. They might have an agreement of exclusivity for this individual instance but not for the whole market. I sense it is just their marketing wonks trying make it sound, well, more advanced that the rest of the market. Last edited by brecklundin; 09-25-2009 at 04:58 PM.

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09-25-2009, 12:44 PM	#2
tazztone Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: none	it has windows CE as OS...

09-26-2009, 03:22 AM	#4
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	A nice looking device, and it does have what my Mini doesn't have: touchscreen... I won't be able to explain why I want another device so soon after getting my Mini, otherwise I'd have bought one already!

09-28-2009, 06:39 PM	#7
acolsandra Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Netherlands Device: bebook1, pocketbook 302	it's for sale in the Netherlands too. It's on stock and really cheap, you can buy a lot of ebooks for the € 80= difference in price compared to the german site. http://www.ereadersplaza.nl/hanvon-n...b15299e6fc634a greetings Sandra

09-28-2009, 10:45 PM	#9
carlobee Fanatic Posts: 535 Karma: 972 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: The new iPad	i think this one would be really great!

09-30-2009, 08:46 PM	#11
impry Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 20 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hungary Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle 4 (2011)	Can someone help me out with that reader; does it supports utf-8? [becouse I read books in Hungarian language] If it does, I think I'd buy one.... Many thanks!

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