Just got my Cybook Opus

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 06:56 AM

I'm just unpacking my new Cybook Opus. I've ordered on Monday evening, they've sent it on Thursday evening, it has arrived on Friday at noon.

First impression: Wow, I didn't expect it being that small. It's not too far from my old PDAs, I definitely will be able to carry it with me even when traveling "light". Like it.

It's coming in a protective sleeve, no foldable cover. Don't like that, I'd just like to open it like a p-book instead of taking it out of the sleeve. I'll check out for alternatives.
But: At least it comes with protection. Lots of the other readers come without any kind of protection.

I'll compare boot time and other details in my thread "8+ readers" (now it's 9+).

Screen orientation works flawlessly.

Initial boot was surprisingly slow. Maybe (hopefully) just for the first time, generating indexes or something like that.

Battery indicates 90%, so I can test right ahead.

Menu structure ist quite similar to Cybook Gen3, of course.
I love the thumbnail view and can't understand, why most of the other readers don't use it.
Only Sony 700 has a similar feature.
I'd really love to see it on Kindle DX's or iRex 1000S's huuuuuge displays.

Display quality: Briefly checking the user guide. I'm not too enthusiastic about the cover graphic. Looks a bit "fuzzy", have to compare the very same book/graphic on different readers to check in detail.
Text is great though, no complaints so far.

And again: The size of the unit is really cool. Reminds of slightly oversized PDA....
More in my thread....

FILE FORMATS: SURPRISE!

QUOTE from USER GUIDE:
Adobe PDF/ePUB (DRM/non-DRM)
Mobipocket (DRM/non-DRM)
What? Both of them? Wasn't aware of that, have to test...

Would be BRILLIANT!

UPDATE from Bookeen's website: "Note: Mobipocket support can be available via firmware upgrade. Adobe and Mobipocket DRMs can not be supported at the same time".
Well, would have been nice.

Attached: Pic iRex 1000S - Samsung Q1 - Cybook Opus

JSWolf · 07-31-2009, 07:28 AM

A sleeve and not a cover? That's not good as you'll have no cover to protect the Opus if it gets dropped while reading/out of the sleeve. Bookeen, if you read this, dump the sleeve for a cover.

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A sleeve and not a cover? That's not good as you'll have no cover to protect the Opus if it gets dropped while reading/out of the sleeve. Bookeen, if you read this, dump the sleeve for a cover.

EXACTLY!!!

JSWolf · 07-31-2009, 07:40 AM

Without a cover, class action suit here we come.

richman · 07-31-2009, 08:02 AM

Hey, if you have a video camcorder or camera that has video recording you could be FIRST person to review it or show it on utube. They have a few 30 second clips in french from the makers of it.
Your review would be more valued because you have so many of these things and you could do visual comparision and screen comparision.
You could speak if you wanted to or just do video without speaking, although you seem like you could say a few words about pro's
and con's.
Things I would be interested in:
Start up times, screen glare, how buttons feel, format problems, general feeling how it compares to others, the thing that makes this different than your other ereaders, and price point comparison, does it feel cheap or sturdy.

zelda_pinwheel · 07-31-2009, 08:18 AM

hey, congratulations mgmueller on getting it so fast ! thanks for the first impressions and the photo. as richman said, if you wanted to do a video review that would be brilliant.

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

hey, congratulations mgmueller on getting it so fast ! thanks for the first impressions and the photo. as richman said, if you wanted to do a video review that would be brilliant.

Don't have my video camera with me.
I'll try to make a very short (14s) clip with my photo camera. And I'll do some snapshots.
And I'll copy my epub collection and will do intense testing.
Right now, I'm struggling with my Micro-SD cards. They aren't recognised by ADE. I can see them in Windows explorer though...

zelda_pinwheel · 07-31-2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Don't have my video camera with me.
I'll try to make a very short (14s) clip with my photo camera. And I'll do some snapshots.
And I'll copy my epub collection and will do intense testing.
Right now, I'm struggling with my Micro-SD cards. They aren't recognised by ADE. I can see them in Windows explorer though...

i will look forward to hearing about your tests.

for the micro-sd cards, are they the proper format ? i don't know much about those but perhaps the HD ones don't work ?

Sweetpea · 07-31-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A sleeve and not a cover? That's not good as you'll have no cover to protect the Opus if it gets dropped while reading/out of the sleeve. Bookeen, if you read this, dump the sleeve for a cover.

The form of the device isn't really suited for a cover. It has those nicely curved corners and such.

And why would you start a class action suit?

Gaurnim · 07-31-2009, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Without a cover, class action suit here we come.

I suppose you meant "With a cover, class action suit here we come" in reference to the Kindle 2 cover problem, right ?

If not, I fail to see the least reason for a lawsuit.

arit · 07-31-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Adobe and Mobipocket DRMs can not be supported at the same time

Will Adobe DRM and non DRM Mobi(or vice versa) work then?

Gaurnim · 07-31-2009, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arit

Will Adobe DRM and non DRM Mobi(or vice versa) work then?

Nope, as Bookeen uses Adobe and Mobipocket SDKs, they don't have versions of those without DRM support.

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i will look forward to hearing about your tests.

for the micro-sd cards, are they the proper format ? i don't know much about those but perhaps the HD ones don't work ?

There's nothing in the manual and I've already tried 2GB instead of 8GB. I'll keep playing around...

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 09:43 AM

Boot time:
From standby, it's 15s.

mgmueller · 07-31-2009, 04:31 PM

Hmmmm, I'm not quite convinced, yet.

Positive:
- User replaceable battery. You don't even need a screwdriver.
- Changing screen orientiation ala iPhone works perfectly.
- Lightweight and easily can be hold in one hand.
- Folders and subfolders. Two viewing options: In the standard view, it shows all the books it can find. In the 2nd view, you manually can explore your various folders.
- Thumbnail view. Sometimes with strange results and quality, but at least it's there.
- I have to compare. But page turns seem extremely fast. Maybe even with Kindle, seems to be faster than iRex or Sony.

Less positive (don't want to give up yet and call it "negative" already):
- You just pull the cover of the battery. It slides relatively easy. Sometimes it's open 1 or 2 millimeters, just by holding the reader in hand. I see myself at the beach, permanently worrying about sand in my unit.
- It's not as "plasticky" as BeBook, but it's no Sony either. Acceptable, but only mediocre in it's design. Cybook Gen3 is somewhat more "elegant".
- I've already mentioned the sleeve. For carrying in your suit pocket or bag it's probably okay. But in my trouser's pocket I'd be worried about it slipping out. In general, I prefer covers for the "touch and feel of a book".
- For PDFs (legally purchased from various sources), lots of covers look "distorted". For EPUBs it's working flawlessly.
- In ADE, Sony 505 and 700, in an instance show internal memory and both memory cards. For Cybook Opus I only find the internal memory. I had to copy my EPUBs to the Micro SD card manually. I've tried quite a few cards, from 1GB to 8GB, SDHC and old ones.
- Given the smaller size and same resolution, I'd expected at least same readability as with the 6" units. But with smaller fonts (unfortunately, not defined in pixels or any other unit, just a range of fonts) it kind of "fades out". Same with cover graphics, they seem kind of "dimmed out". Bit of a disappointment so far.
- I'm not yet convinced of the select key in the middle. I'm not sure yet, whether it's gonna survive 2 or 3 years of heavy reading. Seems kind of fragile.

With Kindle 2, in the beginning I was quite disappointed. Its "white goods" design did seem inferior to Sony. Now, a few weeks later, I simply love it.
Might be the same with Cybook Opus, I'll check back from time to time.

07-31-2009, 06:56 AM	#1
mgmueller Member Retired Posts: 3,308 Karma: 13024950 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets	Just got my Cybook Opus I'm just unpacking my new Cybook Opus. I've ordered on Monday evening, they've sent it on Thursday evening, it has arrived on Friday at noon. First impression: Wow, I didn't expect it being that small. It's not too far from my old PDAs, I definitely will be able to carry it with me even when traveling "light". Like it. It's coming in a protective sleeve, no foldable cover. Don't like that, I'd just like to open it like a p-book instead of taking it out of the sleeve. I'll check out for alternatives. But: At least it comes with protection. Lots of the other readers come without any kind of protection. I'll compare boot time and other details in my thread "8+ readers" (now it's 9+). Screen orientation works flawlessly. Initial boot was surprisingly slow. Maybe (hopefully) just for the first time, generating indexes or something like that. Battery indicates 90%, so I can test right ahead. Menu structure ist quite similar to Cybook Gen3, of course. I love the thumbnail view and can't understand, why most of the other readers don't use it. Only Sony 700 has a similar feature. I'd really love to see it on Kindle DX's or iRex 1000S's huuuuuge displays. Display quality: Briefly checking the user guide. I'm not too enthusiastic about the cover graphic. Looks a bit "fuzzy", have to compare the very same book/graphic on different readers to check in detail. Text is great though, no complaints so far. And again: The size of the unit is really cool. Reminds of slightly oversized PDA.... More in my thread.... *FILE FORMATS: SURPRISE! QUOTE from USER GUIDE: Adobe PDF/ePUB (DRM/non-DRM) Mobipocket (DRM/non-DRM) What? Both of them? Wasn't aware of that, have to test... Would be BRILLIANT! UPDATE from Bookeen's website: "Note: Mobipocket support can be available via firmware upgrade. Adobe and Mobipocket DRMs can not be supported at the same time". Well, would have been nice. Attached: Pic iRex 1000S - Samsung Q1 - Cybook Opus Attached Thumbnails Last edited by mgmueller; 07-31-2009 at 08:04 AM.*

07-31-2009, 08:02 AM	#5
richman Addict Posts: 269 Karma: 58 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: sony prs-505 BLUE,itouch,netbook	Hey, if you have a video camcorder or camera that has video recording you could be FIRST person to review it or show it on utube. They have a few 30 second clips in french from the makers of it. Your review would be more valued because you have so many of these things and you could do visual comparision and screen comparision. You could speak if you wanted to or just do video without speaking, although you seem like you could say a few words about pro's and con's. Things I would be interested in: Start up times, screen glare, how buttons feel, format problems, general feeling how it compares to others, the thing that makes this different than your other ereaders, and price point comparison, does it feel cheap or sturdy. Last edited by richman; 07-31-2009 at 08:16 AM.

07-31-2009, 04:31 PM	#15
mgmueller Member Retired Posts: 3,308 Karma: 13024950 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets	Hmmmm, I'm not quite convinced, yet. Positive: - User replaceable battery. You don't even need a screwdriver. - Changing screen orientiation ala iPhone works perfectly. - Lightweight and easily can be hold in one hand. - Folders and subfolders. Two viewing options: In the standard view, it shows all the books it can find. In the 2nd view, you manually can explore your various folders. - Thumbnail view. Sometimes with strange results and quality, but at least it's there. - I have to compare. But page turns seem extremely fast. Maybe even with Kindle, seems to be faster than iRex or Sony. Less positive (don't want to give up yet and call it "negative" already): - You just pull the cover of the battery. It slides relatively easy. Sometimes it's open 1 or 2 millimeters, just by holding the reader in hand. I see myself at the beach, permanently worrying about sand in my unit. - It's not as "plasticky" as BeBook, but it's no Sony either. Acceptable, but only mediocre in it's design. Cybook Gen3 is somewhat more "elegant". - I've already mentioned the sleeve. For carrying in your suit pocket or bag it's probably okay. But in my trouser's pocket I'd be worried about it slipping out. In general, I prefer covers for the "touch and feel of a book". - For PDFs (legally purchased from various sources), lots of covers look "distorted". For EPUBs it's working flawlessly. - In ADE, Sony 505 and 700, in an instance show internal memory and both memory cards. For Cybook Opus I only find the internal memory. I had to copy my EPUBs to the Micro SD card manually. I've tried quite a few cards, from 1GB to 8GB, SDHC and old ones. - Given the smaller size and same resolution, I'd expected at least same readability as with the 6" units. But with smaller fonts (unfortunately, not defined in pixels or any other unit, just a range of fonts) it kind of "fades out". Same with cover graphics, they seem kind of "dimmed out". Bit of a disappointment so far. - I'm not yet convinced of the select key in the middle. I'm not sure yet, whether it's gonna survive 2 or 3 years of heavy reading. Seems kind of fragile. With Kindle 2, in the beginning I was quite disappointed. Its "white goods" design did seem inferior to Sony. Now, a few weeks later, I simply love it. Might be the same with Cybook Opus, I'll check back from time to time. Last edited by mgmueller; 07-31-2009 at 04:33 PM.

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07-31-2009, 07:28 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,727 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	A sleeve and not a cover? That's not good as you'll have no cover to protect the Opus if it gets dropped while reading/out of the sleeve. Bookeen, if you read this, dump the sleeve for a cover.

07-31-2009, 07:40 AM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,727 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Without a cover, class action suit here we come.

07-31-2009, 08:18 AM	#6
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	hey, congratulations mgmueller on getting it so fast ! thanks for the first impressions and the photo. as richman said, if you wanted to do a video review that would be brilliant.

07-31-2009, 09:43 AM	#14
mgmueller Member Retired Posts: 3,308 Karma: 13024950 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets	Boot time: From standby, it's 15s.

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