[Librie] Sony's e-Book reader LIBRIe to use E-Paper!

[Alexander Turcic]

I haven't seen an English version yet. What is interesting is the .OCM files, which are Sony's DRM system. I am not sure how they are encrypted (don't look like standard windows executables), but definitely interesting!

[porovaara]

Hands on review of the Librie... unfortunately it looks like DRM only for now.

http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/002571.html

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by porovaara

Hands on review of the Librie... unfortunately it looks like DRM only for now.

http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/002571.html

That is a good review. Thank you!

I agree, DRM and slow screen refresh are features I could easily live without

Probably our rescue is the fact that the OS is Linux-based and thus available as open-source:

http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/D...BR-1000EP.html

Either someone will quickly find a way to read books also without that DRM limitation, or, perhaps even better, someone will compile a completely different OS from the Sony one.

[Alexander Turcic]

Ok I am currently browsing the sources. It appears that the Librie uses a ARM-based Motorola DragonBall MX1 chip (with a ARM920T core). You can find more info here:
http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps...qrsBSlyFFQZrDR

Interesting that Sony didn't pick a (much more common) Intel XScale chip instead.

[radleyp]

I am surprised that anyone can be enthusiastic about this device after reading this review: stiff hardware buttons, hard to turn pages, delays, limited formats, just 400 titles, the need to rent books, and on and on... I wouldn't touch it - great screen or no - especially because it is not also a PDA. This device will not make it. Philippe Radley

[Alexander Turcic]

radleyp, I agree with you that the first review is pointing out some severe drawbacks. However I think you should also not forget the greatest thing about it it - its display. Some people, like myself, use their PDA 90% of all times for book reading. A almost-1sec-delay when turning pages I can live with; it also takes some time to turn the page of a paper book.

I am almost sure I will buy the device, under one circumstance: that someone will manage to write a software that allows you to convert your *own* html texts to the ebook format the Librie understands. Then I don't care about the 400 whatsoever book titles currently available in Japan.

[radleyp]

I am 69 years old, and I too read on my PDA (a T3). I have looked at other screens, including those on PPC units, and they too are good for reading. Moreover, I read a lot more than html-formatted texts, for example those on PalmDigital (which is where I get current books), and I read in a number of different languages. I have a PDA on which I can read because I don't want to carry two devices.

As certain as you are that you will buy this (if html converts to its format) I am certain that I will not. Why would you rush? There are other screens coming out (including the allegedly terrific organic ones), which will be incorporated into existing PDA's. Philippe Radley

[Alexander Turcic]

Hi Philippe,

The big question is, when will these new screens come out? Currently, e-ink technology is only ready in production for b&w/greyscale. So how long will it take till new battery-saving screens (and I am not talking about saving just an hour or so) with better screen quality than LCD will be available for consumer PDAs?

I agree with you, PDAs can be used for reading, and I have been doing that for a long time. But honestly, I am a little bit worried for my eyes. I already wear glasses, and I don't think that reading from a tiny LCD screen with a bad contrast does much to the improvement of my eye condition. I rather spend $300 now and go with the Librie, even if a better device with better capabilites will come out some time later, knowing that I will do good for my eyes.

As I agreed with you before, as long as there is no option to use other book sources than the official Sony book library, I am not going to buy the reader. But once there is, I don't really see a reason, at least in my case, for not buying it. The fact that you cannot read PalmDigital books on the Librie is not the Librie's fault, but PalmDigital's - for providing a closed proprietary book format. If those companies would finally agree to go with an open-source format, everything would be much brighter!

Greets
Alex

[Colin Dunstan]

Interesting article on ebooks at MSNBC. The question: Is this finally the beginning of the end of paper?

The answer is closer to "yes" than you may think. The holdup so far has been user-unfriendly screens, but now e-paper no longer relies on back-lit displays. A reflective display is easy on the eyes, with twice the contrast of computer screens and up to six times the brightness. It uses power only when changing the page, so a battery can last 300 hours. Several firms are vying for leadership. The Philip's display on Librie uses technology from Massachusetts-based E-Ink Corp. An electric charge moves either black or white capsules to the surface of the page in patterns that form images. Gyricon Media, a spin-off from Xerox, uses rotating balls with one black side and one white side for signs and billboards. Other companies are focusing on improvements in liquid-crystal displays. Philips' electrowetting is still "a wild card," says Peter Wierenga, head of display research.

The next challenge is to add color. One option for books would be a simple color filter, but that would block two thirds of the light. Guofu Zhou, who runs the E-ink project for Philips, thinks products with colored ink can be ready for the market within seven years. He's now focusing on e-paper that can display 16 or more gradations of gray, which would come in handy in medical imaging or to display black-and-white photographs at home.

E-paper could save newspapers a bundle on printing and distribution. In 10 years 12 percent of newspapers could be published on e-paper, says Harald Ritter, technology chief for Ifra, the publisher's group; eventually they'll all follow suit, just as the recording industry dropped vinyl. "In 20 to 30 years we will see newspaper publishers abandon print for economic reasons," says Roger Fidler, director of the Center for Cyber Information at Kent State University.

[tovarish]

i was an intern in philips research and have actually seen the screens. They are very good, even in direct sunlight, it is indeed a good implementation of e-paper

[cheshire]

You know, I think what will really sell (IMHO) is a PDA device that uses E-paper as its screen! Either that or spectacles manufacturers.

As it is now in this form, I won't buy it, because it's too big to put in my pocket, and it's too fragile for me to toss it around like a paperback.

[Colin Dunstan]

Originally Posted by cheshire

You know, I think what will really sell (IMHO) is a PDA device that uses E-paper as its screen! Either that or spectacles manufacturers.

... which is most unlikely in near future, unfortunately ;( The reasons:

- current e-ink technology is only greyscale. In the labs, E INK has already a 4096 colors version, but who knows when this one is ready for market - and 4096 colors is still not enough to replace today's LCD technology in PDAs

- slooooooow refresh rate. They have to fix this or it will never be useable for anything but advertising and promotional displays.

[Team7]

I live in japan so I see this screen on a weekly basis at the local electronic shows. It looks really really good. The only problem is when looking at things like comic books which use alot of the black pixel the picture seems to ghost on the next page. I belive this has to do with that slow refresh rate. I didnt notice it when looking at a normal story book without pics, only when I was looking at the manga. But if they could fix that and market the libre for what someone said earlier on this board, for $70 then they might get some customers.