Thinking about a Cybook Gen 3 near term – need info/advice quick

[Brazos_Jack]

If you have seen my thread here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26222
then you know that due to my need for 8-1/2 x 11 PDF support that the Cybook won’t be able to be my sole e-book reader. But the 9.7” reader I want won’t be available until year end.

I work in Saudi Arabia but have to take my daughter to Philadelphia for surgery in 6 days. We’ll probably be there about 10 to 14 days. I just found out that my sister is going to fly in from Texas while we’re there.

If I order a Cybook from BooksOnBoard here:
http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...duct&PRODUCT=5
do they have them in stock to deliver now? I could have it sent to my sister’s house in Texas and she could bring it to me. Is there a better place in the U.S. to order from, keeping in mind that I would need immediate shipment?

I won’t have computer access while in Philly. If I bring books in .prc (Mobipocket?) format on a 2 Gig SD card, can I just plug the card into the Cybook and start using it?

Can I put MP3 and PRC files on the same SD card and access both, or do I need to use 2 different cards?

Have all the firmware issues I read about here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=Cybook&page=3
Been resolved on the Cybooks that they are shipping now?

Since I’ll be a long way off and a long time before I can get back and get any accessories, are there any that you recommend that I order now when I order the Cybook?

Let me know what’s good and bad about the current Cybook Gen 3

It would be great to have this to read while I’m sitting with my daughter during her recovery. I’ll have many hours to kill.

[wallcraft]

You could also check with NAEB to see if they have any units in stock.

[Brazos_Jack]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

You could also check with NAEB to see if they have any units in stock.

The problem with both NAEB and BooksOnBoard is that neither has heard of Alexander Graham Bell. So you can't directly call and ask if they actually have stock before you order. BooksOnBoard offers next day shipping so I assume that they are implying they have some. NAEB has some nonsense about holding the funds for 30 days and sending you one when they get a batch(not very promissing in my situation).

I know that denying your client base phone access saves a net based company time trouble and money but it sometimes causes insurmountable obstacles for people like me in unusual situations. So I never mind paying more to a company that allows me the option of speaking on the phone to an actual human being.

Do you have a Cybook? If I get one, can I just stick in an SD card pre-loaded with .prc books and use it if I don't have immediate computer access?

Have you had any trouble with yours?

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Brazos_Jack

The problem with both NAEB and BooksOnBoard is that neither has heard of Alexander Graham Bell. So you can't directly call and ask if they actually have stock before you order. BooksOnBoard offers next day shipping so I assume that they are implying they have some. NAEB has some nonsense about holding the funds for 30 days and sending you one when they get a batch(not very promissing in my situation).

I know that denying your client base phone access saves a net based company time trouble and money but it sometimes causes insurmountable obstacles for people like me in unusual situations. So I never mind paying more to a company that allows me the option of speaking on the phone to an actual human being.

Do you have a Cybook? If I get one, can I just stick in an SD card pre-loaded with .prc books and use it if I don't have immediate computer access?

Have you had any trouble with yours?

I don't know about BooksOnBoard, but there are just four of us at NAEB. California - 1, Washington - 1, New York - 2. And only one in New York has eyeballs on the physical units. Sorry.

Now, as for sticking an SD card full of .prc ebooks on it into the Cybook, yes that can be done. Now these .prc and .mobi ebooks either have to be non-DRM or you have to have registered the Cybook's PID with the ebook retailer before downloading, but that takes all of 10 minutes after receiving your Cybook. (IOW, once you've registered your Cybook's PID with Mobipocket, BooksOnBoard and Fictionwise, you can buy the mobi ebooks on any computer, store them to an SD card and stick the card into the Cybook.)

Derek

[Brazos_Jack]

Thanks Derek,

Do the units now being shipped come with the latest, greatest software release (708?) already installed?

Any problem running MP3 and PRC files on the same SD card? Coming back, my daughter and I will have a 25 hour trip (flights and layovers) to get back here. A little traveling music would be nice (have you heard "The Taliban Song" by Toby Keith?)

[KJohnson]

Hi Jack,

I can arrange for the delivery of a Cybook to you while you are in Philly. Please email support@booksonboard.com, they will forward your email to me. If you need to speak to me I can provide you a phone number although I will be away from home for a dinner engagement most of this evening. I will be in the office tomorrow a.m.

Thank you,

Kurt Johnson
Director of Operations
BooksOnBoard
Austin, TX 78746

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Brazos_Jack

Thanks Derek,

Do the units now being shipped come with the latest, greatest software release (708?) already installed?

Any problem running MP3 and PRC files on the same SD card? Coming back, my daughter and I will have a 25 hour trip (flights and layovers) to get back here. A little traveling music would be nice (have you heard "The Taliban Song" by Toby Keith?)

Yes, they come with Build 708. Yes, one can run mp3 files. However, I've found that it's better to NOT use the Cybook for music if one has a music player. There are plenty of those out there for less than $100 - I got a 2GB model for $29 on eBay.

Derek

[Brazos_Jack]

Originally Posted by KJohnson

Hi Jack,

I can arrange for the delivery of a Cybook to you while you are in Philly. Please email support@booksonboard.com, they will forward your email to me. If you need to speak to me I can provide you a phone number although I will be away from home for a dinner engagement most of this evening. I will be in the office tomorrow a.m.

Thank you,

Kurt Johnson
Director of Operations
BooksOnBoard
Austin, TX 78746

Kurt,

E-mail sent to support@booksonboard.com

I'm 8 hours ahead of Central Daylight Time, so if you email me your number when you get my email, I'll call you between 8 AM and 1 PM your time to order. Weekends are time shifted here too. The weekend is Thursday-Friday. So instead of TGIF we have TAIW (Thank Allah Its Wednesday)

[Brazos_Jack]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Yes, they come with Build 708. Yes, one can run mp3 files. However, I've found that it's better to NOT use the Cybook for music if one has a music player. There are plenty of those out there for less than $100 - I got a 2GB model for $29 on eBay.

Derek

Derek,

What exactly is the issue with MP3's on the Cybook? Battery drain? interferance with page turning/viewing? Other?

Traveling on long overseas flights I find the less paraphenalia the better. So if the problem isn't too bad with MP-3's I'll probably at least try it.

Anything special I need to know about how to structure the files nad folders on an SD card for this?

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Brazos_Jack

Derek,

What exactly is the issue with MP3's on the Cybook? Battery drain? interferance with page turning/viewing? Other?

Traveling on long overseas flights I find the less paraphenalia the better. So if the problem isn't too bad with MP-3's I'll probably at least try it.

Anything special I need to know about how to structure the files nad folders on an SD card for this?

Change the music, reset the ebook. You can't gracefully change your music selections without exiting the ebook. It's not a "killer" but it's not to my taste. That and, for the cost of an MP3 player vs. the quality of a Cybook, I'd rather carry the extra few ounces and have them both. But that's just me.

Of course, these "issues" may have cleared up in the 512MB version - I haven't even tried MP3s for so danged long.

As for the SD card, just insert a formatted (FAT32) one into the Cybook and it will do the rest.

Derek

[Brazos_Jack]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

As for the SD card, just insert a formatted (FAT32) one into the Cybook and it will do the rest.

Derek

Derek,

Is FAT 32 the formatting that the SD cards come with for cameras? Or do I need to do anything special here in Dhahran to the SD card before I copy the books to it?

I'm trying to have everything set up right on the SD cards before I leave, including loading books and/or music because I won't have access to a computer in Philly when I receive the Cybook.

I'll only be able to plug it in, charge it up, insert the SD cards that I've copied the books to from my PC before I leave Saudi, and try to use the reader.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Brazos_Jack

Derek,

Is FAT 32 the formatting that the SD cards come with for cameras? Or do I need to do anything special here in Dhahran to the SD card before I copy the books to it?

I'm trying to have everything set up right on the SD cards before I leave, including loading books and/or music because I won't have access to a computer in Philly when I receive the Cybook.

I'll only be able to plug it in, charge it up, insert the SD cards that I've copied the books to from my PC before I leave Saudi, and try to use the reader.

Format your SD cards using your computer before you take off on your journey. And FAT32 is not the default by cameras - or at least not all.

Derek

[Brazos_Jack]

Thanks everyone,

I ordered a Cybook from BooksOnBoard in Austin, Texas last night. They’ll send it to my sister in East Texas and she’ll meet me in Philly in about a week and a half.

I checked all the SD cards I use with my camera and all were FAT, not FAT32. They also had some default subdirectory folders that my camera creates when you insert a new card and turn it on. I reformatted one to FAT32 and tried it in the camera. It worked fine. The camera did not try to reformat it but did recreate the subfolders. So I have now reformatted all my SD cards to FAT32. I have set up folders on my PC with the folder names that were specified as required by the Cybook in another thread and am filling them with .prc book files, .mp3 music files, and jpg picture files. When finished, I'll transfer the full folders to an SD card.

So I should be good to go as soon as I get the Cybook and get it charged.

[basschick]

Brazos_Jack - congrats! i found booksonboard to have wonderful customer service. i'm very glad i got my cybook through them. i think you'll be much happier if you buy a tiny mp3 player like the sansa clip (i love mine!) and use the cybook for reading. i love my cybook - best $400 we've spent in ages! - but i prefer not to drain the battery, and anyway the clip sounds better.

of course, i also prefer the clip to my phone for the same reasons where many other people prefer to play their tunes in their phone...

that

Originally Posted by Brazos_Jack

Thanks everyone,

I ordered a Cybook from BooksOnBoard in Austin, Texas last night. They’ll send it to my sister in East Texas and she’ll meet me in Philly in about a week and a half.

I checked all the SD cards I use with my camera and all were FAT, not FAT32. They also had some default subdirectory folders that my camera creates when you insert a new card and turn it on. I reformatted one to FAT32 and tried it in the camera. It worked fine. The camera did not try to reformat it but did recreate the subfolders. So I have now reformatted all my SD cards to FAT32. I have set up folders on my PC with the folder names that were specified as required by the Cybook in another thread and am filling them with .prc book files, .mp3 music files, and jpg picture files. When finished, I'll transfer the full folders to an SD card.

So I should be good to go as soon as I get the Cybook and get it charged.