Thread: Bebook, Cybook, eSlick or Kindle?
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Old 01-05-2009, 01:17 PM   #15
JoeD
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Quote:
Originally Posted by echoleaf View Post
Bebook
  • Supports a lot of formats, but is it quantity over a quality? Maybe only pdf/mobi support matters, but I have some computer books in chm that I wouldn't mind reading.
  • Usb 1.1 is slow, but does it matter for small files?
Read a review the other day where they slated the BeBook because of it's 1.1 usb speed. But really you have to ask yourself, how often will you be copying more than a couple of books over to it (except when you first get it). That's a whole couple of meg which is going to transfer in seconds.

Also bear in mind, the first thing I did when I bought the BeBook (I got a Hanlin) was buy a 1GB SD card. All my books are transfered directly to that via a card reader (or the built in slot if I'm using my laptop). I haven't used the usb connection at all, aside from to plug it into a usb wall charger to recharge it

Quantity/Quality - yes, I think you're correct in this assumption at this time. The only format that is well supported (and it's really really well supported) is FB2. The other formats work, but each have their own quirks with viewing/usage. I just buy .lit books and extract to html then convert to fb2.

However for a user that doesn't fancy converting book and just wants to download and read, especially if it's mobipocket books you want to read, then I'd probably say get the Cybook rather than BeBook.

I wouldn't swap my Hanlin for a Cybook though. I don't mind converting books and the support for other formats is getting better with each firmware release. Plus there's the OpenInkPot project, which if it manages to get .lit and mobi support to be as good as the FB2 support will make the Hanlin an even better device and totally remove the need for conversion. Better EPub support would also be incredibly useful as EPub starts to gain wider usage.

PDF support isn't the best, but that's true of pretty much every ebook reader due to the limit screen size. Some PDF's are great, others are un-readable. CHM worked well from what little I tested it though.
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