Ok - another newbie question to help decide!

[avid]

Hello all, and thanks for a great forum.

I have finally decided to buy a reader - now the question of which one. The Sony 505 or the Cybook Gen 3.

Content is the main issue. From what I have read here, you can put content from Gutenberg, Munseys, etc... on both without too much difficulty.
How about .doc format? Can also be put on both with conversion it looks like.

For DRM content:
Sony - from their own Connect store, or from Fictionwise as .lrf.
Cybook - many places as Mobipocket.

Ease of use:
maybe better navigation with the Sony, but not a major issue for me.

Hardware/firmware problems:
Seems a wash from what I have read here.

I would appreciate any thoughts - am leaning towards the Cybook. But content issues are my main concern.
Thanks so much.

[HarryT]

Bookeen certainly seem more "proactive" in adding new firmware features than Sony do. We've just had a minor firmware update which has added hyphenation support, for example. Although the Sony currently supports "Collections", which are a kind of "pseudo-folder", Bookeen have indicated that a full folder view will be included in the next firmware update, although we don't know when that will be.

Both are great machines, no doubt about it. The Sony is cheaper, and certainly better built, but personally I like the extra features that the Gen3 has - dictionary lookup, the ability to install any TT font you wish, and a user-replaceable battery.

I'd (obviously!) recommend the Gen3, but I'm sure that other people will just as enthusiastically recommend the Sony. You really can't go far wrong whichever you buy.

The only circumstance in which I wouldn't buy a Gen3 would be to read PDF files, but you've obviously done your research very thoroughly, and I'm sure you're aware of the problems with that - on both machines.

[avid]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Bookeen certainly seem more "proactive" in adding new firmware features than Sony do. We've just had a minor firmware update which has added hyphenation support, for example. Although the Sony currently supports "Collections", which are a kind of "pseudo-folder", Bookeen have indicated that a full folder view will be included in the next firmware update, although we don't know when that will be.

Both are great machines, no doubt about it. The Sony is cheaper, and certainly better built, but personally I like the extra features that the Gen3 has - dictionary lookup, the ability to install any TT font you wish, and a user-replaceable battery.

I'd (obviously!) recommend the Gen3, but I'm sure that other people will just as enthusiastically recommend the Sony. You really can't go far wrong whichever you buy.

The only circumstance in which I wouldn't buy a Gen3 would be to read PDF files, but you've obviously done your research very thoroughly, and I'm sure you're aware of the problems with that - on both machines.

Yes, I was aware of the recent firmware update for the Cybook. And the price is a bit of an issue...
But content is the thing. It seems to me that the Cybook offers more choice because of the Mobi format, and needs less conversion than the Sony.
From what I have read here, most if not all files would need conversion for the Sony if they are not proprietary. I have not sorted out all of that because there is so much here to read. HTML, .doc, etc... would all have to be converted for the Sony, but could be read natively by the Cybook?

[HarryT]

Both machines support text files. The Sony supports RTF natively (but with no support for images); the Gen3 supports HTML natively (but not terribly well). Both really work best with their "native" format - BBeB for the Sony, MobiPocket for the Gen3.

Both, however, have excellent (free) tools available which will convert practically any common format to their "native" formats, so that's really not an issue.

[avid]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Both machines support text files. The Sony supports RTF natively (but with no support for images); the Gen3 supports HTML natively (but not terribly well). Both really work best with their "native" format - BBeB for the Sony, MobiPocket for the Gen3.

Both, however, have excellent (free) tools available which will convert practically any common format to their "native" formats, so that's really not an issue.

As I thought. Files for Cybook would best go through Mobipocket and Sony through the converter available here.
So I guess I will just pick one....
thanks!

[avid]

One last question - if the Cybook, where is the best place to buy? NAEB or Books on Board? Thanks.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by avid

One last question - if the Cybook, where is the best place to buy? NAEB or Books on Board? Thanks.

Buy at NAEB (http://store.naebllc.com/). You get a decent price and you get a decent package.

Derek

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by avid

I have finally decided to buy a reader - now the question of which one. The Sony 505 or the Cybook Gen 3.

Is there a reason you are not considering the Kindle?

Originally Posted by avid

For DRM content:
Sony - from their own Connect store, or from Fictionwise as .lrf.
Cybook - many places as Mobipocket.

Fictionwise "secure" books are not available in LRF. You would have to buy LIT, remove the DRM and convert.

Originally Posted by avid

Hardware/firmware problems:
Seems a wash from what I have read here.

I know it is anecdotal, but I seem to read alot more messages from people with these types of problems with CyBooks.

Originally Posted by avid

I would appreciate any thoughts - am leaning towards the Cybook. But content issues are my main concern.

If that is the case, then I would recommend Kindle. This is the reason I replaced my Sony with a Kindle.

BOb

[avid]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Is there a reason you are not considering the Kindle?

yes - mainly because it is just TOO proprietary for me. I have nothing against Amazon in particular, but the less proprietary the better. With a Cybook I can buy DRM books from a variety of places, which helps some. I am not a fan of DRM, and read mostly Gutenberg, etc..., but I will buy some DRM books and the more choice the better.
Also I run Linux on my home computer, but dual-boot with Windows for things like syncing the software on my PDA, etc...

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Fictionwise "secure" books are not available in LRF. You would have to buy LIT, remove the DRM and convert.

I guess I didn't realize that - removing DRM is not something I am interested in doing.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I know it is anecdotal, but I seem to read alot more messages from people with these types of problems with CyBooks.

I have thought that as well...

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by avid

yes - mainly because it is just TOO proprietary for me. I have nothing against Amazon in particular, but the less proprietary the better. With a Cybook I can buy DRM books from a variety of places, which helps some.

Ok, your reasoning is non sequiter to me since you listed the Sony as one choice.

The Sony is just as proprietary as the Kindle. You can only buy DRMed ebooks for the Sony at the Sony eBook store.

But, as with the Sony there are many places you can get non-DRMed ebooks for the Kindle. The Kindle supports non-DRMed mobipocket files with no converstion needed.

So, if the above is truly the issue with the Kindle, you must remove the Sony reader from your consideration list also.

That leaves the CyBook as the device you must go with.

BOb

[avid]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ok, your reasoning is non sequiter to me since you listed the Sony as one choice.

The Sony is just as proprietary as the Kindle. You can only buy DRMed ebooks for the Sony at the Sony eBook store.

But, as with the Sony there are many places you can get non-DRMed ebooks for the Kindle. The Kindle supports non-DRMed mobipocket files with no converstion needed.

So, if the above is truly the issue with the Kindle, you must remove the Sony reader from your consideration list also.

That leaves the CyBook as the device you must go with.

BOb

I listed the Sony because I thought you could get DRM for the Sony from Fictionwise. I did not realize that the DRM had to be removed first. My error. That is the reason I have not bought the Sony - a great product - just too proprietary.
This is why I decided to post - you can learn a lot from reading the forums, but sometimes direct discussion really answers your questions. thanks.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by avid

I listed the Sony because I thought you could get DRM for the Sony from Fictionwise. I did not realize that the DRM had to be removed first. My error. That is the reason I have not bought the Sony - a great product - just too proprietary.
This is why I decided to post - you can learn a lot from reading the forums, but sometimes direct discussion really answers your questions. thanks.

I hope I helped, that was my intention.

BTW: I think all the devices have goods and bads. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three. But, I personally put CyBook at the bottom of my list.

BOb

[basschick]

my main concerns with getting an ebook reader was availability of content and whether i could read my ebooks if something happened to the ebook reader i chose. if your cybook ever has a problem or is stolen or lost, you can read mobipocket files - protected or not - on your computer, laptop or PDA, so you can keep reading while your cybook gets fixed or replaced. and of course, you can buy mobipocket books at booksonboard, fictionwise and mobipocket.com not to mention all those free books out there.

and if you do end up with some non-DRM books in a format your cybook doesn't support, mobicreator converts the files very fast and easily

[jerryleejr]

Originally Posted by avid

I listed the Sony because I thought you could get DRM for the Sony from Fictionwise. I did not realize that the DRM had to be removed first. My error. That is the reason I have not bought the Sony - a great product - just too proprietary.
This is why I decided to post - you can learn a lot from reading the forums, but sometimes direct discussion really answers your questions. thanks.

I really think you will be happy with which ever device you chose, What made my decision for me was after spending several days listing what authors, and books I would like to read, I sat down with both the Sony and Kindle stores up and started searching. What I discovered was 99% of the time I found my titles on both sites, If for some reason it wasnt there usually it was because there wasnt an ebook version available. Now that being said I have also downloaded and converted over a hundred books for the Sony all DRM free so no issues with having to strip them. So really if I were you I would look closely at your reading habits and check for content availability for your top two choices and see what you can live with/without. The only reason I do not have a Kindle right now it price and I am hoping for a better design.

Good Luck,
JJ

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I know it is anecdotal, but I seem to read alot more messages from people with these types of problems with CyBooks.

There was a significant bug with power consumption in the last firmware update on the Gen3, but the most recent update has fixed it (as well as added hyphenation support for Mobi files, which is very nice!).