MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

fluorescent · 12-20-2009, 01:05 AM

That's IF you can get the firmware on there. I had to try the firmware update process about 6 times before I finally got it uploaded. The update process involves pressing reset then menu and power at once, starting the update on the computer for step one, and repeating this six times - which you may have to do two or six times before it works. Some users of older models can't seem to update at all to 2.0, but those are all models that would be before the batch they're putting out now. Just be forewarned you're not getting a used one.

Good rule of thumb when it comes to buying a new product is to always check out that products support forum, and it will tell you all you really need to know. Also, from a hardware prospective, near as I can figure its the netronix eb600 which is what the cybook is/was, so look at the cybook forums to see what the hardware weaknesses are.
From what I've experienced It's okay as far as sturdiness goes. You need a cover, and you might want to buy the leather one because the synthetic smells terrible and leaves that crappy vinyl residue smell on your hands. The points of worry for me are the USB and phono out. They're soldered directly to the board, so when you plug in and out, you're putting stress on the solder joints which hold them to the board, and the solder is actually on top of a copper layer which has been glued to the board, too much stress and it might snap at some point. Also, the board sort of wobbles around if you have to goose the usb plug back and forth to get it out, and that isn't that great because the screen is so delicate and all that. This is because the plastic case doesn't fit together so snugly, and there's a bit of play which allows the usb plug to move around. It's manageable, just be sure to at least try to plug the cable in carefully and pull the cable straight out if its not too stiff to do so. Buttons are a little stiff, but responsive. Page turning isn't a problem. It's pretty sturdy, not built like a tank, but sturdy enough. Treat it with respect and I see it lasting at least 10 years.

that 8000 page turn promise is for TEXT files. Pdfs? you get maybe 500 turns because of all the juice they take up in processing the file types. The pdf support is pretty good, but PDF is a crappy format for an e-reader imo. You can fit the content to the width of the screen using "smart zoom" but if you do that it has this annoying habit of repeating the bottom two lines of text again, this time as the first to lines of text, so you end up reading the same sentences twice all the time. Reflow is okay. Rarely though, what ends up happening is that in the reformat, wordsget smashedtogether. It's veryreadable but I wouldn't use some PDFs with reflowunless you feel you can't han-del words beingmashed together a bunch, and a ton of superfluous hypens put in. It happens on some pdfs, while some get processed just fine, so YYMV

txt and epub render well but if you zoom too much on some, you have a problem with huge amounts of white space wasting the page, for example:

Imagine this sentence takes up the full width of the screen properly.
Now, this is the next
Sentence, you notice that annoying "unwrapped" bit of text up
there?
That's what you have to deal with if you zoom.

I think your current sony may do the same thing actually.

but this too only happens on 30% of the text and epub files I use.

I've had it freeze once or twice on HUGE files, but it seems okay. Updating the firmware wiped out my main memory so always backup.

I was going to go for the sony touch... but I don't trust a touchscreen on top of a delicate glass e-ink screen. I've also heard the glare is an issue, and frankly I don't need that. Touchscreens fail a lot, and e-ink screens are very delicate. The sony has a metal case which is great, but I'd rather not risk the screen troubles for a little added rigidity.

Be sure to download the product manual too that's also a really helpful rundown of the features.

short version
Basically its a cybook but with better-ish firmware and processing power. The firmware still needs work, but the newest models are getting there. I give it a 7/10 for build quality, so be careful. It renders text really well. Epubs good. PDF, probably the best of anyone but pdfs suck and are prone to problems on any device. The synthetic cover will make your hands smell bad. Oh, and you get foxit reader and pdf creator free with it. Be careful with the usb port.

12-20-2009, 01:05 AM	#2
fluorescent Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 12 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: a bunch	That's IF you can get the firmware on there. I had to try the firmware update process about 6 times before I finally got it uploaded. The update process involves pressing reset then menu and power at once, starting the update on the computer for step one, and repeating this six times - which you may have to do two or six times before it works. Some users of older models can't seem to update at all to 2.0, but those are all models that would be before the batch they're putting out now. Just be forewarned you're not getting a used one. Good rule of thumb when it comes to buying a new product is to always check out that products support forum, and it will tell you all you really need to know. Also, from a hardware prospective, near as I can figure its the netronix eb600 which is what the cybook is/was, so look at the cybook forums to see what the hardware weaknesses are. From what I've experienced It's okay as far as sturdiness goes. You need a cover, and you might want to buy the leather one because the synthetic smells terrible and leaves that crappy vinyl residue smell on your hands. The points of worry for me are the USB and phono out. They're soldered directly to the board, so when you plug in and out, you're putting stress on the solder joints which hold them to the board, and the solder is actually on top of a copper layer which has been glued to the board, too much stress and it might snap at some point. Also, the board sort of wobbles around if you have to goose the usb plug back and forth to get it out, and that isn't that great because the screen is so delicate and all that. This is because the plastic case doesn't fit together so snugly, and there's a bit of play which allows the usb plug to move around. It's manageable, just be sure to at least try to plug the cable in carefully and pull the cable straight out if its not too stiff to do so. Buttons are a little stiff, but responsive. Page turning isn't a problem. It's pretty sturdy, not built like a tank, but sturdy enough. Treat it with respect and I see it lasting at least 10 years. that 8000 page turn promise is for TEXT files. Pdfs? you get maybe 500 turns because of all the juice they take up in processing the file types. The pdf support is pretty good, but PDF is a crappy format for an e-reader imo. You can fit the content to the width of the screen using "smart zoom" but if you do that it has this annoying habit of repeating the bottom two lines of text again, this time as the first to lines of text, so you end up reading the same sentences twice all the time. Reflow is okay. Rarely though, what ends up happening is that in the reformat, wordsget smashedtogether. It's veryreadable but I wouldn't use some PDFs with reflowunless you feel you can't han-del words beingmashed together a bunch, and a ton of superfluous hypens put in. It happens on some pdfs, while some get processed just fine, so YYMV txt and epub render well but if you zoom too much on some, you have a problem with huge amounts of white space wasting the page, for example: Imagine this sentence takes up the full width of the screen properly. Now, this is the next Sentence, you notice that annoying "unwrapped" bit of text up there? That's what you have to deal with if you zoom. I think your current sony may do the same thing actually. but this too only happens on 30% of the text and epub files I use. I've had it freeze once or twice on HUGE files, but it seems okay. Updating the firmware wiped out my main memory so always backup. I was going to go for the sony touch... but I don't trust a touchscreen on top of a delicate glass e-ink screen. I've also heard the glare is an issue, and frankly I don't need that. Touchscreens fail a lot, and e-ink screens are very delicate. The sony has a metal case which is great, but I'd rather not risk the screen troubles for a little added rigidity. Be sure to download the product manual too that's also a really helpful rundown of the features. short version Basically its a cybook but with better-ish firmware and processing power. The firmware still needs work, but the newest models are getting there. I give it a 7/10 for build quality, so be careful. It renders text really well. Epubs good. PDF, probably the best of anyone but pdfs suck and are prone to problems on any device. The synthetic cover will make your hands smell bad. Oh, and you get foxit reader and pdf creator free with it. Be careful with the usb port.