Newbie here and I need help!

JanG · 04-17-2009, 01:54 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new to the board and I need help from you all. My husband wants to buy me an ereader for my birthday this summer and I had decided to get the CybookGen3 but someone pointed me in the direction of the BeBook.

So I need some input and help. Which is better? I want to read novels on my ereader. Mostly using .prc or .lit although .html and .doc would be good too. I don't care about MP3 or photo capability.

Are both brands just as easy to use as each other? Can you change fonts and font sizes on both? Reliability? You know the kind of things I need to know. So please help me.

--JanG.

AbFabGab · 04-17-2009, 02:44 PM

Are you interested in getting ebooks from your public library?
There is a list in the wiki here of ebook lending libraries.
The libraries have 2 formats: mobi (prc) and adobe digital edition (pdf).
These are DRM books so Cybook could read the mobi format.

I'm not sure about Bebook, if it will read DRM formats yet?

JanG · 04-17-2009, 02:48 PM

No, AbFabGab, won't be downloading books from my public library. That isn't available where I live. I'm not in the U.S. or the U.K. I would be lucky to get a real book in English from any library here. I buy my ebooks or get books on free downloads.

Up till now I've been reading on my laptop.

Okay, so I'm new to this game... what is a DRM please?

--JanG.

slayda · 04-17-2009, 02:55 PM

Having both (although my version of the BeBook is an EZ Reader - both are basically the Hanlin V3) here's my opinion. The Hanlin V3 (includes BeBook, ibook, Ez Reader to name the more familiar ones) is better when it comes to the hardware. The Cybook Gen3 is better on the software side. Personally, I mostly use the EZ Reader with OpenInkPot (OI) firmware loaded. The only real problem with OI is that it does not read any format that has DRM. On the other hand, I don't have any ebooks that have DRM. OI gives me mor flexibility for non-DRMed ebooks and has some very nice features that no other reader's firmware has (this includes Sony & Amazon)

That said, both the BeBook & the Cybook Gen3 will read .PRC ebooks with or without DRM. The Cybook has dictionary support which is often useful but probably not necessary. The BeBook firmware can read more different languages. Both are good buys, so I'd say go with the cheaper one and/or the one you can get better support with. Also if you can get a hands-on demo, I'd recommend that. All of mine were bought mail-order and I had some surprises (some good, some bad).

Of the 4 I have, I place them in the following order of how well I like them with the best first;

Hanlin V3 (family) but with OI - best HW
Cybook Gen3 - good SW
Kindle 1 - Best SW but poor business model
Sony PRS-500 - good HW but poor business model

Of course this is just my opinion.

EDIT:

DRM = Digital Rights Management

What it really means is that your ability to read the ebooks with DRM is restricted in some manner. With PRC, that manner is the units registered PID (Personnal ID). If you've been reading .PRCs on a PC you had to register the PC's PID when you bought the ebooks and they won't work on anything else, unless you register a new PID and re-download the book. Most places allow 3 or 4 PIDs to be registered.

AnemicOak · 04-17-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanG

Okay, so I'm new to this game... what is a DRM please?

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/DRM

Most releases from big publishers will have DRM.

AbFabGab · 04-17-2009, 03:00 PM

DRM is Digital Rights Management which is like a copyright.
If an ebook is DRM and in a format you can't read on your device,
you are out of luck unless you want to play with de-DRM programs
which are technically illegal. Although many people do use de-DRM,
not to commit fraud but to simply read a book that has been properly
compensated for.

JanG · 04-17-2009, 03:32 PM

So DRM is the thingy that says it's just for me. Ok now I understand.

Thank you everyone for helping me on the jargon. Of course I know the books I've bought are copyright. Never having tried to read the books on another device before I hadn't bothered to find out exactly what that meant and I wouldn't know how to break that lock even if the program sat up and begged to be used. Me total non-geek!

So the question still remains: CybookGen3 or BeBook (Kindle is out and so is the Sony).

--JanG.

MickeyC · 04-17-2009, 04:28 PM

Hi JanG and welcome to MobileRead. I recommend you look through the Which One Should I Buy section here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=123 to help you decide

pilotbob · 04-17-2009, 11:11 PM

The CyBook seems to have better software/reader right now for Mobi books. The BeBook supports more formats than the CyBook. Also, the BeBook has had about 3-4 firmware updates since the last CyBook update... also the BeBook updates have added new features while the CyBook updates have been mostly bug fixes.

However, CyBook has been saying a new firmware upgrade is "immenent" which adds another DRM format (Adobe) which will expand your choices of content and will add ePub which is the "industry standard" although very new so not very popular yet, but it is growing quickly.

I haven't heard if BeBook is adding support for ePub/Aodbe.

Bottom line, either one or the other. Don't obsesse. Buy one of each, let hubby use the one you don't like as much.

BOb

04-17-2009, 01:54 PM	#1
JanG Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 6266 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Laptop; Kobo Clara	Newbie here and I need help! Hi everyone, I'm new to the board and I need help from you all. My husband wants to buy me an ereader for my birthday this summer and I had decided to get the CybookGen3 but someone pointed me in the direction of the BeBook. So I need some input and help. Which is better? I want to read novels on my ereader. Mostly using .prc or .lit although .html and .doc would be good too. I don't care about MP3 or photo capability. Are both brands just as easy to use as each other? Can you change fonts and font sizes on both? Reliability? You know the kind of things I need to know. So please help me. --JanG.

04-17-2009, 02:55 PM	#4
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	Having both (although my version of the BeBook is an EZ Reader - both are basically the Hanlin V3) here's my opinion. The Hanlin V3 (includes BeBook, ibook, Ez Reader to name the more familiar ones) is better when it comes to the hardware. The Cybook Gen3 is better on the software side. Personally, I mostly use the EZ Reader with OpenInkPot (OI) firmware loaded. The only real problem with OI is that it does not read any format that has DRM. On the other hand, I don't have any ebooks that have DRM. OI gives me mor flexibility for non-DRMed ebooks and has some very nice features that no other reader's firmware has (this includes Sony & Amazon) That said, both the BeBook & the Cybook Gen3 will read .PRC ebooks with or without DRM. The Cybook has dictionary support which is often useful but probably not necessary. The BeBook firmware can read more different languages. Both are good buys, so I'd say go with the cheaper one and/or the one you can get better support with. Also if you can get a hands-on demo, I'd recommend that. All of mine were bought mail-order and I had some surprises (some good, some bad). Of the 4 I have, I place them in the following order of how well I like them with the best first; Hanlin V3 (family) but with OI - best HW Cybook Gen3 - good SW Kindle 1 - Best SW but poor business model Sony PRS-500 - good HW but poor business model Of course this is just my opinion. EDIT: DRM = Digital Rights Management What it really means is that your ability to read the ebooks with DRM is restricted in some manner. With PRC, that manner is the units registered PID (Personnal ID). If you've been reading .PRCs on a PC you had to register the PC's PID when you bought the ebooks and they won't work on anything else, unless you register a new PID and re-download the book. Most places allow 3 or 4 PIDs to be registered. Last edited by slayda; 04-17-2009 at 02:59 PM.

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04-17-2009, 02:44 PM	#2
AbFabGab Gadget-Luster Posts: 330 Karma: 2157280 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NY - USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2	Are you interested in getting ebooks from your public library? There is a list in the wiki here of ebook lending libraries. The libraries have 2 formats: mobi (prc) and adobe digital edition (pdf). These are DRM books so Cybook could read the mobi format. I'm not sure about Bebook, if it will read DRM formats yet?

04-17-2009, 02:48 PM	#3
JanG Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 6266 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Laptop; Kobo Clara	No, AbFabGab, won't be downloading books from my public library. That isn't available where I live. I'm not in the U.S. or the U.K. I would be lucky to get a real book in English from any library here. I buy my ebooks or get books on free downloads. Up till now I've been reading on my laptop. Okay, so I'm new to this game... what is a DRM please? --JanG.

04-17-2009, 03:00 PM	#6
AbFabGab Gadget-Luster Posts: 330 Karma: 2157280 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NY - USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2	DRM is Digital Rights Management which is like a copyright. If an ebook is DRM and in a format you can't read on your device, you are out of luck unless you want to play with de-DRM programs which are technically illegal. Although many people do use de-DRM, not to commit fraud but to simply read a book that has been properly compensated for.

04-17-2009, 03:32 PM	#7
JanG Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 6266 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Laptop; Kobo Clara	So DRM is the thingy that says it's just for me. Ok now I understand. Thank you everyone for helping me on the jargon. Of course I know the books I've bought are copyright. Never having tried to read the books on another device before I hadn't bothered to find out exactly what that meant and I wouldn't know how to break that lock even if the program sat up and begged to be used. Me total non-geek! So the question still remains: CybookGen3 or BeBook (Kindle is out and so is the Sony). --JanG.

04-17-2009, 04:28 PM	#8
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi JanG and welcome to MobileRead. I recommend you look through the Which One Should I Buy section here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=123 to help you decide

04-17-2009, 11:11 PM	#9
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	The CyBook seems to have better software/reader right now for Mobi books. The BeBook supports more formats than the CyBook. Also, the BeBook has had about 3-4 firmware updates since the last CyBook update... also the BeBook updates have added new features while the CyBook updates have been mostly bug fixes. However, CyBook has been saying a new firmware upgrade is "immenent" which adds another DRM format (Adobe) which will expand your choices of content and will add ePub which is the "industry standard" although very new so not very popular yet, but it is growing quickly. I haven't heard if BeBook is adding support for ePub/Aodbe. Bottom line, either one or the other. Don't obsesse. Buy one of each, let hubby use the one you don't like as much. BOb

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