Cybook v PRS-505 Comparison

[Onemack]

I have both the Sony PRS 500 and the Bookeen Cybook Gen 3, both with cases, I find very little to choose between them as far as the actual storing, reading and page turning is concerned. The Bookeen button is a little clunky, yes, but the Sony page turning buttons are not much better. The big difference however is the software and the support. I find the Sony bookstore absolutely impossible to use from Baghdad, it will not let me through the proxy servers to buy books. The Bookeen has no such drawbacks,I am happily buying and perusing libraries and bookstores without any trouble whatsoever. As far as support is concerned, I can get through to the Sony help site to ask for assistance, but I never get an answer.(I think this is because I am not in the USA and therefore dont count) The few times I have asked the Bookeen people something the response has been swift and helpful.
So for my money I would choose the Bookeen over the Sony anytime.
On my return to Australia later this month I intend to buy another unit for my partner, it will be a Bookeen, although I must admit to being tempted by the Iliad.

John

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by Onemack

On my return to Australia later this month I intend to buy another unit for my partner, it will be a Bookeen, although I must admit to being tempted by the Iliad.
John

Hi Onemack, are you planning to buy the Bookeen on your way back here, or do you know of a place in Oz where you can get one? To the best of my knowledge, you can only get an Iliad from Dymocks for $899 ...

Cheers,

m-reader

[Onemack]

Hi m-reader, No I shall buy it from France via the web, I found the service excellent and they send it Fedex, so the whereabouts are trackable, from memory it took just over a week to get to Aus last time certainly less than two weeks. If you are anywhere near the ACT I can show you both the Bookeen and the Sony so you can get an idea to compare. I intend to look at the Iliad at Dymocks first, but I have a suspicion that it is a little too large for my tastes.

Cheers

[astra]

Just don't forget, that Sony Reader PRS-500 is not the right model to compare with CyBook Gen3. For the right impression you one needs PRS-505.

[m-reader]

Hi

I'm in Melbourne. To see an actual Iliad unit you'll have to go to George St Dymocks store up in Sydney. That's the only brick-and-mortar shop selling them, otherwise it's online.
You're right re size, it doesn't exactly fit into a shirt pocket. It does have a digitiser though, handy for taking notes (don't know how useful would it be in Baghdad though ).
I'm really peeved that you can't buy any of these gadgets in Australia. I asked a guy at SonyStyle why they don't stock the PRS-505. He says there's no market here for such product. Then he tried to flog me a plasma tv. Bless .

Thanks for the offer re Canberra, if I'm up there workwise, I'll drop you a line!

Cheers and take care in Baghdad!

Originally Posted by Onemack

Hi m-reader, No I shall buy it from France via the web, I found the service excellent and they send it Fedex, so the whereabouts are trackable, from memory it took just over a week to get to Aus last time certainly less than two weeks. If you are anywhere near the ACT I can show you both the Bookeen and the Sony so you can get an idea to compare. I intend to look at the Iliad at Dymocks first, but I have a suspicion that it is a little too large for my tastes.

Cheers

[CJBarrow]

I have finally made my decision on which e book reader to keep, this is the bookeen Gen3. My Sony PRS-505 was sold on Ebay on Friday.

What decided me was speed, flexibility and the range of easily available e books for the Gen3.

I will update the first post with my findings, unfortunately I can not give an update on the leather cover as I am still waiting (3 weeks) for it to be delivered.

Key differentiators that made my decision for me:

1. Availability of e books, both copy protected (DRM) and unprotected with easy conversion to Mobipocket for some file formats.
   
2. Speed - The Gen 3 is a lot faster in everything that it does
   
3. Flexibility - Better formatting options, ability to sort books out in folders on both memory card and internal memory. Plus a number of other options that are just not available on the Sony PRS-505.

Chris.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by CJBarrow

Flexibility - Better formatting options, ability to sort books out in folders on both memory card and internal memory. Plus a number of other options that are just not available on the Sony PRS-505.

When did Bookeen add folders? Last I heard that was something they were hoping to add later, but hadn't yet done. How well do they work? Actual folders are one thing I wish the Sony had.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

When did Bookeen add folders? Last I heard that was something they were hoping to add later, but hadn't yet done. How well do they work? Actual folders are one thing I wish the Sony had.

The will probably add it soon. But you can now put books in folders and then sort the display of the books according to folders. In that way you can group books of the same author together.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

When did Bookeen add folders? Last I heard that was something they were hoping to add later, but hadn't yet done. How well do they work? Actual folders are one thing I wish the Sony had.

On the library screen, display the menu and select "Sort". Choose "Sort by File Path". Your books will still be displayed "linearly" but sorted by folder name.

Not as good as "real" folder support, but it's a start.

[AnemicOak]

So it's like collections on the Reader?

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

So it's like collections on the Reader?

Not really. If you've ever searched the Microsoft Reader's Library, when changing 'Sort By', then you have a better idea of how this works. Come to think of it, if you've ever gone into File Explorer and chosen to sort on (ascending, descending) path, creation date, file size, etc., you know how this works. (BTW, I loathe Sony's Collections.)

Derek

[AnemicOak]

Ok, I get it now. Thanks Derek

[slussen2]

Thanks to all for their info on the Cybook Gen3.
Is it at all likely that Bookeen will introduce a search facility at some point so that you can search for words?

[slussen2]

Sorry but I don't have the HanLin as shown with my message - in fact I don't have an ereader yet but am contemplating getting the Cybook.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by slussen2

Sorry but I don't have the HanLin as shown with my message - in fact I don't have an ereader yet but am contemplating getting the Cybook.

The Cybook is a nice all-around ebook reader. You'll enjoy it.

Derek