Harry,
Making deadlines means each and every step of the chain has to meet prior deadlines. Now given that at least one of the OEM manufacturers is *NOT* Bookeen, that puts at least one part of that chain out of Bookeen's control. Having, in the earliest phase of our (NAEB's) efforts to bring an eInk reader to market, dealt with the source (not Bookeen) involved, I can assure you that this is *NOT* the fault of Bookeen.
What makes this whole process frustrating is that there is a single point-source for eInk displays. Doesn't matter if you buy a Sony, Hanlin, Bookeen, STAReBOOK or iRex Iliad, you've got to get the eInk display from this one manufacturer. And while they are going great guns to make the vizplex display and develop faster - and even color - versions, in my (NAEB's) experience, they aren't so easy to deal with due to language barriers and the like.
Which is why I, for one, am quite willing to cut Bookeen some slack. I honestly believe if we at NAEB had stayed the course with attempting to create our own hardware design, we'd still be over a year away from the point Bookeen has reached - maybe even two years!
Derek
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I wish you the best of luck, and look forward to reading your impressions of the device. Bookeen make excellent kit, but judging from the interminable delays on the original CyBook aren't so hot when it comes to meeting production deadlines  . |