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Now I have to choose between JetBook and PocketBook. Anyone know if the screen will "flash" on screen change? That's probably the biggest downside for me. (I'm hoping that the JetBook will get customizable fonts -- I prefer serif fonts.)
Comments above on the ergonomics of the REB1100 are right on. Does anyone selling these devices ever actually use one? For more than a few minutes? Plus, they're pretty ugly. The REB1100 is still a handsome machine, feels good in the hand, rubberized grip, etc. (I have two, actually.) Software limits (like "in the future we'll play mp3s!" popup, 1-bit images on a 16-grey screen, etc.) were retarded, but the hardware was and is awesome. Ancient touchscreen LCD with backlight, I still get thirty hours use. (Fellow above was commenting on the huge old battery -- they put it in the hand grip, which was genius; that hand grip let you put it on the table in landscape mode, and it propped itself up at a good viewing angle. Weakness into strength. Plus 30 hours! My Nokia 770 runs for three.)
It looks like RocketBook, er, PocketBook is gonna get the design right. Whoo hoo! The ability to recognize good thinking and design is unaccountably rare in groupwork, glad they seem to have it in both hardware and software. That hardcover is right on -- just throw it in your bag!
The crossword app idea someone mentioned is good; should integrate with the dictionary, right? But I would trade it out if you could have a touchscreen: a syncable (ics?) calendar app would be awesome, maybe contacts (vcard) and todo/project and memo -- think old-school Palm for interface. Don't want to drift into handheld computer, but those apps, to me, seem appropriate on a book-device. It'd be nice to get an overview of your week/month/day on a decent sized screen.
As for the screen-size commentary above, 5" or 6" is not the issue -- it's the overall size of the reader. Bad ergonomic, HID and bezel design makes the 6-inchers a little awkwardly sized for portability. Put a six-inch screen in a five-inch form-factor, and that would be superior (if it had adequate resolution.) It's the bad input-devices that force them to be awkward, and poor decisions on what to do with the battery (or which battery to use.) All those readers with 20 %to 25% of their front surface blank but for a D-pad because they had to put the battery somewhere, and thinness beat out beauty...
One of the things that software killed in the REB1100 was the IR port. (It's built into the power button!) In an ideal world, you could share a book with someone over that port, or maybe browse their library listing and make a request (or send calendar/contact info.) I know there is no WIFI in the PocketBook (which would do the job, too) but enabled IR might be a simple cheap workaround. Especially since I don't want a browser on my ebook-reader.
Anyhow, dreaming,
m a r
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