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Greg Anos · 06-03-2011, 05:16 PM

I first heard about e-book readers in summer of 2006. I heard about the Cybook (gen 1) color LCD reader, with touchscreen. It was supposed to read just about any format. I sprang for the money and got one. Sort of an antediluvian iPAD/Android tablet. It did everything it claimed, but the battery only lasted about 3 hours and it weighed a Kilo.

So when the CyBook Gen 3 came out, I bought one of the first ones in the US. (Funny story - it was so new, I had the US Customs department telephone me to ask what it was? And how did you use it? Did it contain secure data? The only way I got them to release it was to tell them it was like a MP3 player, only for books and it didn't have any secure data. True story.) Got a leather cover with it. It didn't read many formats and had no folders. Yeech. The hardware was wonderful. With the leather cover only, it was (is) elegant. Still have it on a shelf.

At that point I stopped and decided what was important for an e-book reader for me. 1. Read any format. 2. Removable data chip. (CF or SD, didn't matter.) and 3. User replaceable battery. 4. Bi-stable screen (think e-ink).

So I looked on the market in late 2008, to find what met my specs. The only thing was the Hanlin V3 (BeBook/AZTAK). Bought one, worked just fine. (got the first one from BeBook, later bought a backup from AZTEK). By itself, it looks clunky and industrial. Put it in a nice cover, looks just fine. Buttons instead of touch screen? I've had both, coin flip as far as I'm concerned (each one has good features and bad features). Folder for navigation, no problem.

Heard about openinkpot, tried it, liked it, and still using it (version 2.2). (Thank you, Igorsky and the Team!)

With a user replacable, standard battery, I'll use it until the machines (both of them!) give up their ghosts. the only thing that would tempt me wuld be a mirasol based reader. (If they ever come into existence.)

No WiFi, no 3G/4G/nG. No hardware "calling home to mama" where I am or what's on my reader. When it finally dies, just pop out the chip and slap it into the other one. A 5 second file load. want to back up the library? Pop out the chip, slap it into the computer SD reader and drag and drop. Simplicity.

I notice that there are no readers like that on the market any more...

06-03-2011, 05:16 PM	#19
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,532 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	I first heard about e-book readers in summer of 2006. I heard about the Cybook (gen 1) color LCD reader, with touchscreen. It was supposed to read just about any format. I sprang for the money and got one. Sort of an antediluvian iPAD/Android tablet. It did everything it claimed, but the battery only lasted about 3 hours and it weighed a Kilo. So when the CyBook Gen 3 came out, I bought one of the first ones in the US. (Funny story - it was so new, I had the US Customs department telephone me to ask what it was? And how did you use it? Did it contain secure data? The only way I got them to release it was to tell them it was like a MP3 player, only for books and it didn't have any secure data. True story.) Got a leather cover with it. It didn't read many formats and had no folders. Yeech. The hardware was wonderful. With the leather cover only, it was (is) elegant. Still have it on a shelf. At that point I stopped and decided what was important for an e-book reader for me. 1. Read any format. 2. Removable data chip. (CF or SD, didn't matter.) and 3. User replaceable battery. 4. Bi-stable screen (think e-ink). So I looked on the market in late 2008, to find what met my specs. The only thing was the Hanlin V3 (BeBook/AZTAK). Bought one, worked just fine. (got the first one from BeBook, later bought a backup from AZTEK). By itself, it looks clunky and industrial. Put it in a nice cover, looks just fine. Buttons instead of touch screen? I've had both, coin flip as far as I'm concerned (each one has good features and bad features). Folder for navigation, no problem. Heard about openinkpot, tried it, liked it, and still using it (version 2.2). (Thank you, Igorsky and the Team!) With a user replacable, standard battery, I'll use it until the machines (both of them!) give up their ghosts. the only thing that would tempt me wuld be a mirasol based reader. (If they ever come into existence.) No WiFi, no 3G/4G/nG. No hardware "calling home to mama" where I am or what's on my reader. When it finally dies, just pop out the chip and slap it into the other one. A 5 second file load. want to back up the library? Pop out the chip, slap it into the computer SD reader and drag and drop. Simplicity. I notice that there are no readers like that on the market any more...