Nuvomedia Rocket and Softbook eBook readers 1999 review

[nrapallo]

Just found an interesting article about the launch (almost 10 years ago) of the Nuvomedia Rocket and Softbook eBook readers entitled:

Devices turn the page on how we read
Two view-only products offer clear text and some useful features but don’t quite qualify as classics.

By Thomas R. Temin
Government Computer News Staff
August 23, 1999 issue

For those that can remember (and relish) those early daysl

Too bad these devices failed to spark interest in the then fledgling ebook community!

[junkml]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Just found an interesting article about the launch (almost 10 years ago) of the Nuvomedia Rocket and Softbook eBook readers entitled "Devices turn the page on how we read" Two view-only products offer clear text and some useful features but don’t quite qualify as classics.

By Thomas R. Temin
Government Computer News Staff
August 23, 1999 issue

For those that can remember (and relish) those early daysl

Too bad these devices failed to spark interest in the then fledgling ebook community!

I was one of the early adopters for the Nuvomedia Rocket Ebook. It was a fantastic device, and My wife and I were still using it until she dropped it last year. That's when we bought our prs-500.

The resolution of the screen was great for text (although images weren't that great), and the backlight, dictionary, and note-taking capabilities were fantastic.

I still miss that device. The next generation devices that RCA built, and ebookwise sells, are good, but I didn't like my ebookwise 1150 as well as I liked the Rocket Ebook.

Nuvomedia was just way before their time on this one.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by junkml

The next generation devices that RCA built, and ebookwise sells, are good, but I didn't like my ebookwise 1150 as well as I liked the Rocket Ebook.

I came into the ebook reader scene 5 years after their launch and have never seen nor used one of these early devices. However, I have to agree that the ebookwise 1150 is my least favourite with the REB1200 the most and the REB1100 in the middle, relatively speaking.

I wouldn't say I "hate" any of them, though, and I'm not ready to abandon something that works well for an e-ink device that "misses the boat" on so many levels that these early readers nailed first time running!!!

Just replace/update the screen and memory card to e-ink and SD card and I would be in bliss!

[DaleDe]

There are wiki articles on these old devices.

Dale

[Wordcrasher]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Just replace/update the screen and memory card to e-ink and SD card and I would be in bliss!

I think they could just use a color LCD screen with a higher resolution and use SD card. If they could be able to stay near the current 1150 price I'd love them.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by Wordcrasher

I think they could just use a color LCD screen with a higher resolution and use SD card. If they could be able to stay near the current 1150 price I'd love them.

I think that would be a wonderful idea. Break the colour (and low-resolution) barrier with a better LCD screen (ala Palm PDA only bigger) instead of eink! Then they would have to rig some sort of adapter for SM->SD cards and we would be set!!!

I think that ETI's has had the 1150 "colour" LCD screen idea for a while as evident by the last entry in the 'Read Me.txt' from the eBook Publisher install, namely

5770
	Need a color vs. grayscale viewing option for the Grayscale HalfVGA
	preview to anticipate development of HalfVGA content for color
	devices.

[Fringecup]

Does anyone know where I can re-download some of the free ebooks that used to be available for the Rocket Reader? There was one that I had that was set in Southeast Asia on coastal sailboats - written by someone like Jack London. I can't remember the title or the author's name, but I really liked that book and I'd like to get a download of it if anyone still has it.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Fringecup

Does anyone know where I can re-download some of the free ebooks that used to be available for the Rocket Reader? There was one that I had that was set in Southeast Asia on coastal sailboats - written by someone like Jack London. I can't remember the title or the author's name, but I really liked that book and I'd like to get a download of it if anyone still has it.

I might have a copy if you can recall what it is.
I've got quite a few .rb files from the old Rocket Library; the Jack London ones I have are:
Adventure.rb
Before Adam.rb
Burning Daylight.rb
Call of the Wild.rb
Faith of Men.rb
Game.rb
Human Drift.rb
Iron Heel.rb
Jacket.rb
Jerry of the Islands.rb
Jerry.rb
John Barleycorn.rb
Love of Life and other stories.rb
Martin Eden.rb
Michael.rb
MoonFace and other stories.rb
Night Born.rb
People of the Abyss.rb
Red One.rb
Sea Wolf.rb
Smoke Bellew.rb
South Sea Tales.rb
Strength of the Strong.rb
Tales of the Fish Patrol.rb
Tales of the Klondyke.rb
To Build a Fire.rb
Valley of the Moon.rb
White Fang.rb

[DaleDe]

For rb there are quite a few sites that still offer this format. I sometimes use it to convert to imp as the converter is quite good. Munsey's and even fictionwise multiformat I believe still have this format. There are more of the same ilk.

Dale

[Fringecup]

Thanks so much for the intormation, folks! I think that the book I've been looking for might be Jack London's "South Sea Tales". I'll see if I can get it either for the RocketBook or for my Sony 600 in a different format. If I can't, then maybe I can get it from you, Sparrow. And thenks again!

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Munsey's and even fictionwise multiformat I believe still have this format.

Originally Posted by Fringecup

Jack London's "South Sea Tales". I'll see if I can get it either for the RocketBook

This ebook, South Sea Tales, is available at www.munseys.com and can be downloaded in various ebook formats including .rb (Rocket eBook) and .epub.