Opus and Pocketbook 360 are similar devices ?

[pakiyabhai]

Besdies Opus having 1 gb internal memory and Pocketbook 360 512 & pocketbook having support for more types of ebooks out of the box , are these two similar devices ?

I am interested in the pocketbook , just because of the cover it provides , really handy ?

Any suggestions advise ?

[wallcraft]

They are using very similar hardware under the skin, but the case designs are obviously different and the software is completely different. Both are using the mobile Adobe Digital Editions SDK to implement ePub and PDF support (with DRM), but again their implementations (mapping of the SDK onto the device and how the reader interacts with it via menus) are different - particularly for PDF.

If you are leaning towards the PocketBook, I don't know of any compelling reason to switch to the Opus.

[kacir]

Hardware-wise those two devices are very similar.
The difference is the layout of controls and the lid.
Opus does not have a lid and has 4 way D-pad at the bottom. PocketBook has D-pad at the side, between two pageturning buttons.

Software-wise they are VERY different.

PocketBook has dictionaries, on-screen keyboard, support for third party programs, lots and LOTS of configuration options. My PocketBook has crashed (frozen) once, and I was not able to reproduce the crash. All this was during my furious testing and trying to find limits of the device. During the few weeks that I own PocketBook there have been several firmware updates with meaningful improvements. Manufacturer listens to customers and "Guys from Kiev" have even incorporated improved version of FBReader compiled by one of our members. PocketBook has supplied us with Software Developement Kit, complete with device emulator, so you can test your binaries without loading them to the device.

Cybook Opus, on the other hand, is ... different ...
Search forums for "Cybook firmware update" or "Cybook crash" or see this thread

[pakiyabhai]

Thanx for the swift reply guys

I have been an owner of cybook gen3 and aware of the firmware promises by bookeen and that's the one reason I am quite scared of their 'commitment'.

I am staying in China for few months and the prices for both the devices are similar in horrible equations . Pocketbook cost me $240 and $125 for shipping( I KNOW,from the main website ) , while opus cost me $325 and $12 for shipping (from expansys) .

The cover itself I see as a big reason to go towards pocketbook , are there switching buttons on both sides or only left side of the device ?

I only wish I could order pocketbook without the shipping charges ..

What do you guys suggest ? Hanlin v5(seems like another gen3 to me,not really inclining towards it )

[kacir]

Originally Posted by pakiyabhai

... are there switching buttons on both sides or only left side of the device ?

The switching buttons are on ONE side of device ... but ... it can be ANY side you wish. You can turn the device upside down and flip the screen either manually or automatically using built-in accelerometer. This is the reason the 5" PocketBook got its name PocketBook 360° ;-)

To be honest, I only use accelerometer when showing of the device, but I really make use of the "flip the screen manually" quick menu.

[pakiyabhai]

Aaah 360 , i thought it would be because of the multitude of support formats

Does it drain the battery to use the accelerometer ? Is the cover really useful btw ?
How would you compare it to a 6" device kacir ?

[Ebiumn]

It drains the battery if you keep turning the device, but then its quite hard to read if its turning all the time

The cover is great, I take it anywhere without any worries of damaging it

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by kacir

My PocketBook has crashed (frozen) once,

I NEVER succeeded to do that!! And I tried very hard! Remember at least what you were doing?

Originally Posted by Ebiumn

It drains the battery if you keep turning the device, but then its quite hard to read if its turning all the time

The cover is great, I take it anywhere without any worries of damaging it

You can, of course, turn the auto off and turn the pages manually! (that's what I do)

[kacir]

Originally Posted by pakiyabhai

Does it drain the battery to use the accelerometer ?

They say it does. Every time you move device you see the green led that indicates device activity lit up. It means that even if you do not turn the device, the sensor keeps sending signals and processor has to evaluate them, instead of being suspended.

Originally Posted by pakiyabhai

Is the cover really useful btw ?

It is perhaps the best hardware feature in my opinion.
There is an elevated piece of plastic with PocketBook logo on the cover and it is already scratched on my device. If I could change something I would leave the cover without that metallic looking logo.
I really have to make a pouch for the device. I am NOT going to pay 30Eur for original leather pouch. I will probably purchase a pair of leather welders gloves at my favourite second-hand shop, rip them apart, and make leather cover myself. Or, perhaps I will find some damaged neoprene cover for a netbook and start up my refurbished sewing machine.

Originally Posted by pakiyabhai

How would you compare it to a 6" device kacir ?

Well, it is hard to compare for me, as my 6 incher has display that is two generations older.
I can squeeze more text on my new 5 inch screen, because the pixel count is the same, I can load up various fonts and tweak line spacing, margins and other stuff. You wouldn't believe how much choice of font affects the amount of text on the screen. I find a5 inch device very, very nice for reading fiction.
The only feature I miss from my trusty PRS-500 is the instant ON feature. You flick a switch and in two seconds you read.

I have disabled the automatic switch-off on my PocketBook and I am watching battery consumption very closely. I only switch it off when I go to sleep or leave home for work.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

I NEVER succeeded to do that!! And I tried very hard! Remember at least what you were doing?

I was trying out all various zoom/reflow features in a protected(*) pdf file. This was on the original firmware.
By the way, there is still not a trace of the new firmware on English speaking part of Mobileread!

(*)the file was not DRM-ed, it just had flags set so teh text could not be copied, and the file could not be printed. (As if that could stop determined hacker ;-) )

[Yar-PocketBooker]

Originally Posted by kacir

I was trying out all various zoom/reflow features in a protected(*) pdf file. This was on the original firmware.
By the way, there is still not a trace of the new firmware on English speaking part of Mobileread!

(*)the file was not DRM-ed, it just had flags set so teh text could not be copied, and the file could not be printed. (As if that could stop determined hacker ;-) )

Kacir, you can download new (still test) firmware from www.pocketbookreader.com/support/downloads, do you think I should post the link to it here on MR?

[mtravellerh]

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1. You are the owner of this web site and you have not uploaded (or incorrectly uploaded) your web site. For information on uploading your web site using FTP client software or web design software, click here for FTP Upload Information.

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That doesn't fly!

[zilyal]

Try this one: [http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Yar-PocketBooker

Kacir, you can download new (still test) firmware from www.pocketbookreader.com/support/downloads, do you think I should post the link to it here on MR?

Well, Forkosigan posted a Rapidshare link somewhere on the German speaking forum to newer version that you have on your page at http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html

Your version is http://www.pocketbookreader.com/uplo..._de_231109.rar and the date of the SWUPDATE.BIN file is 23.11.2009, filesize 36 242 432

and Forkosigans version is http://rapidshare.com/files/31628084...60_14.2_de.rar
and the date of the SWUPDATE.BIN file is 04.12.2009, filesize 36 373 504

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by kacir

Well, Forkosigan posted a Rapidshare link somewhere on the German speaking forum to newer version that you have on your page at http://www.pocketbookreader.com/Downloads.html

Your version is http://www.pocketbookreader.com/uplo..._de_231109.rar and the date of the SWUPDATE.BIN file is 23.11.2009, filesize 36 242 432

and Forkosigans version is http://rapidshare.com/files/31628084...60_14.2_de.rar
and the date of the SWUPDATE.BIN file is 04.12.2009, filesize 36 373 504

Yep. It's not the same, although it has the same number 14.2. Better check with Forkosigan and PB concerning that one!