View Single Post
Old 04-03-2008, 01:40 PM   #185
cmbs
non-believer
cmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enoughcmbs will become famous soon enough
 
Posts: 384
Karma: 713
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Device: Cybook Gen 3, JetBook Lite
Quote:
Originally Posted by delphidb96 View Post
Mobipocket also didn't develop the reader app installed on the Cybook. That app was developed, under license from Mobipocket if I understand correctly, by Bookeen. And if you think you have a flawed product, just remember that *MY* first Cybook Gen3 was an 'engineering sample' and didn't even come with Version 1.0 build 1 of the reader app. I got Version 0.91!!!

Yes, Boo Reader is designed to implement the feature-set that Mobipocket Reader offers. But it IS a work-in-progress! Clearly it supports just a subset of MobiReader features. However, the subset offered in V1.0b538 is far and away SUPERIOR to what I first got to use!

I had NO working dictionary-lookup, NO Secure Mobipocket support, NO Go To, No ability to turn page-flashing on/off, and the list goes on and on. Bookeen has made tremendous strides in what features Boo Reader offers.
I fail to see how this is any defense for them. In fact, it's just proving my point. Why in the heck did they sell such an inadequate product? Why didn't they wait until they had something of higher quality before putting these things on the market? Doesn't this just prove that they are interested in sales over quality? And why are you so satisfied with having paid so much for such a poor product? Because it's better than the competition does not make it good. There is a concept I think a lot of you fail to grasp.

Quote:
Is it as complete as MobiReader 6.x? No. Is it moving in that direction? Yes. Is it worth the $350-$450 we paid? Well, no. But then, Boo Reader is NOT the entirety of the Cybook. Nosirree, Bob! The vast majority of what we paid for is wrapped up in the hardware and the underlying OS! Believe you me, even if you go for a 'generic' e-ink device nearly exactly the same as the Cybook - but without Boo Reader - you're going to pay about $280-$325 (including shipping). And at that you'll have a device which can read TXT, HTML and *some* PDF. I've seen the "library" functions these offer and they're not even as good as what Bookeen offers in the Cybook.

Granted, buying one of these means we can get a cheaper price, but then anyone who buys one is going to have to figure out how to: 1) "upgrade" FBReader to allow reading of Secure Mobipocket and, 2) "port" FBReader to install and run on the device - or - 3) write from scratch a custom Secure Mobipocket reader for the device. This can be done. But it's going to take some time. Gosh durn! By shelling out $350-$450 a customer can get 85% of what Mobipocket Reader supplies on that same basic hardware framework.

Given that most customers are NOT going to want to have to become C++/Python/Java application and systems programmers, I think you might want to cut Bookeen some slack. But that's just my humble opinion.

Derek
I wouldn't be so vocal about the flaws if so many people weren't on here singing the praises of how wonderful and perfect it is. I can't believe some of what some people are saying, because I know I'm not lying, and I know I treat my cybook well. So how can it be that some people's product works perfectly when mine doesn't? I want prospective buyers to have a complete picture of what they are getting into so they can make an informed decision that is right for them.
cmbs is offline   Reply With Quote