Cybook Gen3 Ordered

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by kkingdon

So with 20 days to go until my projected ship date, I am struggling with some post-decision doubts:

1. Is there is no way to easily import my extensive Palm eReader library?.
2. Will my unit be one of those that suffer early hardware problems?
3. Is the Cybook Gen3 a better choice than The Sony 505?
4. Will I get hit by any of the reported firmware bugs?
5. Should I wait and order from NAEB?

Please help me rationalize my purchase decision while I wait!

You can most certainly wait and order from NAEB! (Who am I kidding? We'd *love* to have you order from us!) Be forewarned that there will be a wait from the time of order - we've been told it will be about four weeks. (Damn! No Christmas gift orders!)

If your selection of palm ebooks is *NOT* in a DRM'd pdb file, such as the ones created by eReader for sale on their site, you can just drop them onto your Cybook and read them. I know this to be true as I've taken the 'Multiformat' eReader books for sale through Fictionwise and read them on my Cybook.

Yes, *I* believe the Cybook is far superior to the Sony PRS because I can get a large selection of novels - right now - that I cannot get through Sony. (Other than that, they're about the same.)

As for early-device hardware problems... well, these things happen, but Bookeen is being quite prompt about replacing those units.

We hope there won't be any bugs, but let's face facts, Bookeen is working hard to upgrade their features-list and bugs may creep in. But Bookeen is beign quite good about fixing them.

Hope this helps.

[kkingdon]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

If your selection of palm ebooks is *NOT* in a DRM'd pdb file, such as the ones created by eReader for sale on their site, you can just drop them onto your Cybook and read them. I know this to be true as I've taken the 'Multiformat' eReader books for sale through Fictionwise and read them on my Cybook.

Any chance that Bookeen will support an additional DRM format such as the Palm eReader DRM?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by kkingdon

Any chance that Bookeen will support an additional DRM format such as the Palm eReader DRM?

Only Bookeen can answer that. Perhaps you should ask them. It likely depends on their contract with MobiPocket and whether it explicitly forbids any other DRM. I can't say as I have not seen the contract. I think it would be great is they supported Palm eReader DRM. Currently they don't quite support eReader at all. They support Palm DOC which is a similar but less capable format. It would not be hard, however, to add eReader support I would think since it is only a light markup language on top of Palm DOC.

Dale

[astra]

I have learned today about one huge plus for CyBook.

PC Mobipocket Reader can convert the following:
Office document (Word, RTF, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
- PDF
- HTML (including html files that consist of html with pics folder)
- TXT
- CHM

Now it doesn't really matter how well it supports HTML and its limitations.
You don't need BD now.
And it handles CHM!

This discovery has changed my view on CyBook completely.
Well not CyBook itself, I don't like some features that are better implemented in sony reader (IMHO, it is different for others), however I am not so sure anymore I want another Sony reader. Maybe I will wait for a reader that's equal to sony reader but supports mobipocket.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

You don't need BD now.

That may be true for a "quick and dirty" conversion, but you certainly do still want to use BD if you want to create a "proper" eBook with a cover picture, contents, footnotes, page breaks, and everything else.

Just like you can read RTF on the Sony Reader directly, but you probably wouldn't really want to for something you wanted to be nicely formatted.

[astra]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That may be true for a "quick and dirty" conversion, but you certainly do still want to use BD if you want to create a "proper" eBook with a cover picture, contents, footnotes, page breaks, and everything else.

Just like you can read RTF on the Sony Reader directly, but you probably wouldn't really want to for something you wanted to be nicely formatted.

Uhm. I think that's a point. On its own CyBook has very lousy(limited) support for HTML files and no support for CHM (just like Sony supports RTF...losy support/limited - no pics). However, if you use PC Mobipocket Reader, you can get a proper book? Am I right?

[HarryT]

If you want a "proper" eBook you use MobiPocket Creator:

http://www.mobipocket.com/en/Downloa...ilsCreator.asp

The conversion facilities of Mobi Desktop Reader are just for doing quick format conversions of existing documents, not for creating "real" eBooks.

[astra]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If you want a "proper" eBook you use MobiPocket Creator:

http://www.mobipocket.com/en/Downloa...ilsCreator.asp

The conversion facilities of Mobi Desktop Reader are just for doing quick format conversions of existing documents, not for creating "real" eBooks.

I see.
Thanks!

P.S. Still...it can convert on the fly CHM files...my dream.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kkingdon

So with 20 days to go until my projected ship date, I am struggling with some post-decision doubts:

1. Is there is no way to easily import my extensive Palm eReader library?.
2. Will my unit be one of those that suffer early hardware problems?
3. Is the Cybook Gen3 a better choice than The Sony 505?
4. Will I get hit by any of the reported firmware bugs?
5. Should I wait and order from NAEB?

Please help me rationalize my purchase decision while I wait!

1. There is no way to read eReader ebooks with DRM. No eink device supports that flavor of DRM.
2. That nobody can answer.
3. If you want to purchase ebooks without DRM then you'd need to purchase MS Reader format ebooks and remove the DRM and in that case, the 505 is a better choice as converting LIT to LRF using lit2lrf is a better choice. Also, there are more LRF books in the E-Books section then any of the others,
4. That is a possibility.
5. If you order it from NAEB, you could be waiting longer. But you will pay less for shipping as long as you are in the USA. And you'll have a less expensive place to send it if it needs warranty repair. Also the bundle NAEB is selling is different then the deluxe bundle for $75 less. So is the difference in NAEB's bundle vs. the Deluxe from Bookeen worth the price difference?

if you don't mind pruchasing MS Reader format ebooks and converting, then I would say the 505 is what I would go for. Oh wait, I did.

[HarryT]

On the other hand, the Gen3 supports dictionary lookup - a major lack of the Sony. It has a user-replaceable battery, which means that if you keep it a few years and the battery starts to lose its power, you'll just have to buy a replacement battery rather than send the machine away from repair. If you plan to read "best sellers", there are more commercial eBooks available in Mobi format than any other by a considerable margin.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

On the other hand, the Gen3 supports dictionary lookup - a major lack of the Sony. It has a user-replaceable battery, which means that if you keep it a few years and the battery starts to lose its power, you'll just have to buy a replacement battery rather than send the machine away from repair. If you plan to read "best sellers", there are more commercial eBooks available in Mobi format than any other by a considerable margin.

Ok, what I just did was have a look at the current Ney York Times Hardcover fiction best seller list. I took the top 20 books and look for them at BooksOnBoard then Fictionwise, and finally Mobipocket. Most of these books are available as ebooks. 2 of the ones that are ebooks are not available in MS Reader (LIT) format. Those were available at Mobipocket. But they were also available at Sony's Connect Store for less then at Mobipocket for those 2 ebooks. Yes you would end up with more DRM laden bestsellers going with the Gen3 if you bough Mobipocket format which by the way, at BooksOnBoard are mostly more expensive then the MS Reader editions and for the two books you have to buy with DRM, Connect has then cheaper. Not all of the Mobi formats are more expensive. Just some. So as I see it, I can get most of the top 20 bestselling hardcover books as ebooks onto the 505 with a lower cost then I could do for the Gen3. I would like to have said all, but some are not available in any ebook format.

[HarryT]

Both the Sony and the Gen3 are excellent machines. For me personally, the Gen3 has the edge at present, but for others the 505 might do so (eg because it's slightly cheaper). I really don't think that one can go wrong buying either, and that's the important thing to stress. Both are fine devices.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

PC Mobipocket Reader can convert the following:
Office document (Word, RTF, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
- PDF
- HTML (including html files that consist of html with pics folder)
- TXT
- CHM

I have found PDF and CHM support to be hit and miss. In the case of PDF this is understandable, but it should be possible for MobiPocket to convert a larger set of CHMs than it does now.

[astra]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

it should be possible for MobiPocket to convert a larger set of CHMs than it does now.

What do you mean?

[HarryT]

He means that it works with some CHM files, but not with others.