Cybook Gen3 e-reader in September 2007 for $350

[Alexander Turcic]

Bookeen has tortured us all for the past few months revealing only few (but yummy) details on the new Cybook e-reader. Well, we think your long, arduous wait might be over soon. Michael Dahan of Bookeen sent in the official press release announcing that the Cybook Gen3 (finally this baby got a name!) has entered production and is ready to enter the market this coming September (at a starting price of US $350).

"The screen is truly like a sheet of paper, it can be viewed from nearly any angle and in a wide range of lighting conditions, including direct sunlight" said Michael Dahan, co-manager of Bookeen. "The ebook industry will clearly reach another stage with the new Cybook." Laurent Picard added: "Our ongoing partnership with Mobipocket is a great opportunity to bring their tremendous digital content to a new category of customers and to offer the most competitive device to the end user."

So the Cybook will be the second E Ink-based reader, following the iRex iLiad, to officially support Amazon's Mobipocket format which can display DRM-protected e-book content.

In case you've missed our earlier news, the Cybook Gen3 will be the first e-book reader to feature E Ink's next generation Vizplex e-paper technology which promises better contrast and a faster refresh rate than previous E Ink technologies. With a 6-inch screen and a 166 dpi resolution, the device will have a total weight of only 6.1 ounces (174g).

Follow the official press release after the jump.

Related: Official answer for battery and some general information, Specs of Bookeen Cybook E-Ink reader

[Alexander Turcic]

The press release:

New Revolutionary Bookeen ePaper eBook Device with Access to 50,000 Titles

Paris, France – July 26, 2007 – Bookeen is proud to announce its new Generation 3 Cybook. Based on the latest groundbreaking Vizplex™ epaper technology from E Ink, this ebook reading device offers an impressive 6” screen showing off a 166 dpi resolution.

Bookeen’s new product looks stunningly thin: it is the size of a paperback, the thickness of a magazine, for a weight of only 6.1 ounces (174 g). It boasts an impressive battery life of 8,000 page flips, allowing for an average reading time of 1 month without recharging. The device is compatible with all USB enabled computers, independently from the operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux…) and also offers an SD slot for virtually unlimited library storage space.

Concerning content availability, Bookeen also announces an agreement with Mobipocket, an Amazon company, to license and distribute the Mobipocket™ leading ebook format on the Cybook. The Mobipocket™ format offers access to a vast amount of copyrighted books ranging from bestselling Dan Brown's “The Da Vinci Code” to the latest Hillary Clinton’s biography. There are currently about 50,000 titles from world’s leading publishers available from dozens of online ebook stores.

Following its original open and multi-format strategy, Bookeen offers a true freedom of use regarding supported documents formats. Cybook owners are free to read personal and public domain content. “On the Cybook, you don't need to convert your files to an exotic format or upload them to any proprietary web site. You simply transfer your files directly to the device and read them natively” said Laurent Picard, co-founder of Bookeen.

The Cybook Gen3 has entered production and will be directly available next September from Bookeen online web store at bookeen.com, in different packs starting at $350. It will be the first product to include the new E Ink Vizplex™ technology, offering the brightest and fastest switching epaper display of the market.

“The screen is truly like a sheet of paper, it can be viewed from nearly any angle and in a wide range of lighting conditions, including direct sunlight” said Michael Dahan, co-manager of Bookeen. “The ebook industry will clearly reach another stage with the new Cybook.” Laurent Picard added: “Our ongoing partnership with Mobipocket is a great opportunity to bring their tremendous digital content to a new category of customers and to offer the most competitive device to the end user.”

To learn more about Bookeen and the Cybook, visit www.bookeen.com.

About Bookeen

Bookeen is a privately held company – based in Paris, France – founded in 2003 by Michaël Dahan and Laurent Picard. Bookeen team pioneered the e-book industry as soon as 1998, designing and releasing the first commercial e-book device in Europe in 2000. From 2003 to 2006, Bookeen shipped the previous generation Cybook to over 40 countries. Both a hardware and software technology innovator, Bookeen has a comprehensive knowledge of the electronic publishing industry and is a global provider of digital content solutions.

Web site: www.bookeen.com


About Mobipocket

Mobipocket is located in Paris, France and is since April 2005 an Amazon company. Mobipocket has been developing software for the electronic publishing market since 2000. Its core software, Mobipocket™ Reader, is available on the widest range of mobile reading devices in the industry. Mobipocket also develops the OEB (Open E-Book) compliant Mobipocket™ reflowable file format which is the leading format for ebooks with tens of thousands of premium titles available. Mobipocket strives to deliver the best mobile reading experience to all digital content enthusiasts.

Mobipocket is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Web site: www.mobipocket.com


About E Ink

Founded in 1997 based on research started at the MIT Media Lab, E Ink Corporation is the world's leading supplier of electronic paper display (EPD) technologies. E Ink is a private corporation that includes among its investors and strategic partners The Hearst Corporation, Intel Capital, Motorola, Inc., TOPPAN Printing Company, First Albany Technology Ventures, Solstice Capital and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Vizplex is a trademark of E Ink Corporation.

Web site: www.eink.com

[TadW]

It's good news, because there is soon an alternative to the Sony Reader (and competition is always good, right?). It's not the best news, because $350 is still a small fortune. On the other hand, the press release does not reveal what the $350 will include, so I remain very optimistic

[doctorow]

I give one extra point to Cybook just because they're trying hard as a small company and they're not as arrogant as some other players in the e-reader scene...

[delphidb96]

Oh absolutely. And they've been very responsive to the input from NAEB and others. Nothing like trying to work with Sony, iRex or even Hanlin Jinke. We look forward to receiving our evaluation units here at NAEB.

Derek

Originally Posted by doctorow

I give one extra point to Cybook just because they're trying hard as a small company and they're not as arrogant as some other players in the e-reader scene...

[leandroide]

I suppose there is no possibility of dictionary integration, as in the Iliad.

L.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by leandroide

I suppose there is no possibility of dictionary integration, as in the Iliad.

If the Gen3 is using MobiPocket's usual Java-based "Linux" reader (as on the iLiad) then dictionaries should work. If MobiPocket support is provided by Bookeen software directly, then perhaps not (or not initially).

[leandroide]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

If the Gen3 is using MobiPocket's usual Java-based "Linux" reader (as on the iLiad) then dictionaries should work. If MobiPocket support is provided by Bookeen software directly, then perhaps not (or not initially).

Maybe I'm missing something. Dictionary integration in the Iliad does not make use of the active display, like in a PDA?

L.

[Egghead]

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by leandroide

Dictionary integration in the Iliad does not make use of the active display, like in a PDA?

I was thinking of support for the format, but you are correct that in addition there would need to be a way to select words.

[Steve Jordan]

Following its original open and multi-format strategy, Bookeen offers a true freedom of use regarding supported documents formats. Cybook owners are free to read personal and public domain content. “On the Cybook, you don't need to convert your files to an exotic format or upload them to any proprietary web site. You simply transfer your files directly to the device and read them natively” said Laurent Picard, co-founder of Bookeen.

I like the sound of that... but I don't understand the sound of that. Is this simply referring to being able to read PDF files, or is the Cybook capable of reading other text or e-book formats without the need for the requisite applications? And does/will it support BBeB?

[flumbo]

I'm tempted to dump my sony reader for this just because it supports mobipocket. At least the format is supported on a variety of devices. I'm always wary of buying anything from Connect because I don't know if I'll be able to read them again when my reader finally conks out.

It's also easier to browse the mobipocket/amazon store for books.

[delphidb96]

Bookeen supports the reading of PDF, HTML, RTF, TXT and Mobipocket. Yes, that means all 50,000 ebook titles currently available from Mobi will be accessible to the Cybook Gen3. BBeB? Nope, that's proprietary to Sony.

Derek

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I like the sound of that... but I don't understand the sound of that. Is this simply referring to being able to read PDF files, or is the Cybook capable of reading other text or e-book formats without the need for the requisite applications? And does/will it support BBeB?

[Brad]

How do you load content on a Bookeen? I guess what I'm wondering is will it work with a Mac or is it PC only?

[wallcraft]

From [Bookeen] Official answer for battery and some general information

When connected to a host machine through a standard mini-USB cable, the Cybook is seen as an external mass storage device. You just need to drag and drop your files in the device memory and you can start reading.

Note that the base system might require USB connection to recharge (once a month or so), since a stand alone charger is only provided with the "Deluxe" version. So a computer of some kind is needed to charge and to download e-books - not a major issue these days.