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Old 12-10-2008, 12:52 PM   #16
HarryT
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The only real advantage to MOBI is widespread avaialability to *DRMed* content. Since it is the format that is the easiest to deDRM, it makes no sense to purchase a MOBI only device.
We must agree to differ . Personally I don't want to have to mess around with format conversion. I just want to download a book and read it.
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Old 12-10-2008, 12:55 PM   #17
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We must agree to differ . Personally I don't want to have to mess around with format conversion. I just want to download a book and read it.
Yes, but the OP explicitly stated he didn't mind conversion, which was why I jumped into this thread in the first place.
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Old 12-10-2008, 01:42 PM   #18
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That is true, but I suspect that you are rather unusual in leaving it turned on all the time. Personally I find the boot time to be sufficiently short that this is unnecessary. Getting a battery time of a couple of weeks is worth waiting 25s for it to start up for me.
I think it is more than 25s with the latest firmware (802) but I cannot measure now since I am testing the battery. Down to 70% after 2 days and 19 hours so I guess from previous observation that I will get 3-4 days.

I really cannot see how you can say that 40s boot time it so long that you changed your device but that 25s is not noticeable.

The book I always carry with me is for reading whenever an opportunity appear. Then you cannot wait 25s to read a couple of minutes. It is silly and irritating.
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Old 12-10-2008, 01:46 PM   #19
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I guess it's a matter of whether the OP minds doing the conversion before reading the book. I have a Kindle so I get .mobi and .azw books that I can read right away. Every so often I convert a bunch of them at once for archive. When I want to be reading I can be doing so right away. It doesn't matter where I am and if I have conversion software with me. It's a small distinction but it may be relevant to the OP, I suppose.

Of course, since I usually download my books over the EVDO connection as I want them, I'm more likely to be getting my books while away from my house. If I had a Sony or a Cybook, I would probably be downloading them to my home computer where the conversion would only add a minute or two to the process.
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Old 12-10-2008, 10:34 PM   #20
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I must admit, Harry, my first reaction to your initial post was a groan; having finally settled on a reader, only to have another one thrown into the mix. I am now, however, very glad that you did!

pilotbob is right, I was misinterpreting the reviewer's complaints that when you restart the machine it takes you back to the library, as opposed to where you were last reading. This is not, however, a problem for me.

So I went to Dymocks in the city this morning and took a look at the CyBook in person, and I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't find it to be cheap or flimsy as some reviewers have suggested, and was also surprised (despite all the photos I've seen) at just how small it is. I was also impressed at how light it is.

Unfortunately the dictionary they had installed was only a demo version, and so essentially useless, but I have at least seen how it is supposed to work and find it quite usable. Also, having encountered three unknown words in the p-book I was reading on the bus, I'm more convinced than ever that it's something that I could really use. I was also quite impressed with the font size options, and found the navigation of books and the library both perfectly intuitive and not at all the hassle that I'd been imagining.

I do think I would find the boot-up time quite frustrating, especially on those occasions when I only have a few minutes to read, but I think I would get around it by starting it in the morning, leaving it on during the day, only shutting it down at night or when I know I won't be reading for some time (when I'm working, for instance).

It is definitely more expensive - including 3-5 day shipping from B&H, the PRS 505 comes to $336.75USD, which at today's exchange rate is $513AUD. The CyBook, at Dymocks is $599AUD, + $49.95AUD for a case - almost $150 more. Buying direct from Bookeen, with shipping, is a little cheaper, at 282 Euro, or $562AUD, and that's not including a case, and also having to wait for them to be in stock again & shipping. I think I'm willing to pay the extra for the instant gratification after waiting so long!

The one downside I did notice was a curious, slight vertiginous sensation while reading. It's quite hard to describe, but I think it came from the cognitive dissonance of my brain expecting the display to flicker like every other screen it's ever seen, and thus being unsettled by how static it is. Sort of like stepping off a rocking boat onto the shore, I suppose. I assume this will pass fairly quickly. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

kovidgoyal is right about my desire to not be trapped with a DRM'd format, however, given that I can convert MobiPocket books, I have no issue with them - I think I would buy them, and load them on my device, whilst also keeping format-shifted open copies as a backup for the future. Not much different to buying them, converting them, then putting them on my e-book reader, really.

In the end, I do think the features offered by the CyBook outweigh the additional cost. Plus, my mother has offered to help pay for it as my birthday present, so hopefully in a few day's time I will be able to report that I am a happy e-book reader.

Thankyou all so much for your help and insight, I really appreciate it.
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Old 12-10-2008, 11:01 PM   #21
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I must admit, Harry, my first reaction to your initial post was a groan; having finally settled on a reader, only to have another one thrown into the mix. I am now, however, very glad that you did!
i felt the as i, Podius when i start reading this thread... the same since the main e-reader i was looking at was the Sony PRS-505, but i was happy you did make a comment about the CyBook i want to know i get the best e-reader for me. So now i have to a more in depth study of the CyBook compared to the PRS-505.
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Old 12-12-2008, 05:36 AM   #22
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I really cannot see how you can say that 40s boot time it so long that you changed your device but that 25s is not noticeable.
The boot time of the iLiad was merely one out of many reasons that I sold it, as I've said before.

Because the battery life of the iLiad was so short, I had to turn it off at the end of every reading session. I don't do that with the Gen3 - if I put it down for half an hour while I'm having my dinner I leave it switched on. What I always do, though, is to switch it off when I know that I've finished reading, and I don't find the boot time to be inconvenient when I next start reading - I just press the power switch as I get the machine out of my bag, and by the time I've settled down comfortably in my chair to read, it's all ready and waiting for me.
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Old 12-12-2008, 05:50 PM   #23
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Because the battery life of the iLiad was so short, I had to turn it off at the end of every reading session. I don't do that with the Gen3 - if I put it down for half an hour while I'm having my dinner I leave it switched on. What I always do, though, is to switch it off when I know that I've finished reading, and I don't find the boot time to be inconvenient when I next start reading - I just press the power switch as I get the machine out of my bag, and by the time I've settled down comfortably in my chair to read, it's all ready and waiting for me.
This is exactly what I do, I have the "Auto Off" feature set for 1hr (the max) and leave my Cybook on if I know I will be picking it up again soon otherwise I turn it off. I always click the power switch as I'm getting ready to read so that it will be booted when I'm ready, sometimes this means pressing the power switch as I'm standing in line for food when I'm going to be reading while I eat. It works well for me.
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Old 12-12-2008, 07:41 PM   #24
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I just turn off my Cybook when I decide I will not be reading for some time - old habits I think.

But, when in the mood to read again, I normally like to do it comfort, at least if I can… like in old times when reading a pBook (for me the last time that happened was still in the last century, and this is literally)… so… first I turn on the Cybook, rest comfortably - sitting in the correct position, finding the good source of light, etc. - and when I’m ready to begin, the Cybook is powered on a ready to let me begin my reading!

BTW: I checked the power on time today, and it’s 25 seconds - hey! just sitting takes 25 seconds!

If I need to stop in the middle of a reading session - answering the phone, fixing a drink, you name it, - I just let the reader on (it’s configured to turn off after 30 minutes), do what I need to do, and back to reading I am.
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Old 12-12-2008, 08:37 PM   #25
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BTW: I checked the power on time today, and it’s 25 seconds - hey! just sitting takes 25 seconds!
As reported in another thread if you have around 300 items on the Cybook the power on time is 40-50 seconds.
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Old 12-12-2008, 08:42 PM   #26
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The boot time of the iLiad was merely one out of many reasons that I sold it, as I've said before.
Sure but you have said e.g. "The 45s or so boot time is too long; it can feel like an eternity if you only want to read for a short time."

And the Cybook with 300 items on it has a boot time of 40-50 seconds.
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Old 12-12-2008, 09:33 PM   #27
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I

So I went to Dymocks in the city this morning and took a look at the CyBook in person, and I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't find it to be cheap or flimsy as some reviewers have suggested, and was also surprised (despite all the photos I've seen) at just how small it is. I was also impressed at how light it is.
What city are you in i,podius. I wouldn't mind being able to go and pick up a cover for my Cybook.

As for the BeBook not being able to read a range of formats, this is simply misinformation. With the latest firmware release, mobipocket is now extremely usable although I have no idea about dictionary support with it as it is not a feature I use or am likely to. RTF on the BeBook is a very well supported format. Others can be a bit it and miss, however I fully expect that these will become much better supported with time.

While there has been a lot of negativity about the December 5 firmware release, on the machines it did work on, the upgrade was very very good.

I have both the Cybook and the Bebook and once my Bebook returns from being repaired (it stopped reading SD cards) I will be giving the CyBook to my daughter and returning to use of the Bebook as I prefer the ergonomics of the Bebook as well as the fact that I can read my library of RTF format books.

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Old 12-13-2008, 09:35 AM   #28
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tompe

I do not doubt about the boot up time you report.

I myself have today 31 documents on my first wave Cybook (64 MByte one), and I think I have had never more then 40 - never needed to have more.
So with these settings I get 25 seconds.

Would say still that, getting comfortable to read and using the Cybook as I state in the post above, I do not see 45 seconds as a problem, the main library list will be open and the eBook I’m currently reading selected and ready for me to begin.
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Old 12-14-2008, 11:16 PM   #29
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Hi sianon, I'm in Sydney; I believe the only Dymocks store that carries the Cybook is the one on George St, in the city. However, you can also order online from their website and have it delivered. The cover they had on it was pretty nice, leather (or pleather, possibly), slightly different to the ones I've seen in photos on the forums here, but it seemed quite well made, and featured a magnet to keep it closed when not in use.

You're probably right about the BeBook improving with time, but as it stands, I really like the CyBook's features (I'd like it more, admittedly, if it had RTF support), but I do like the font size options, the dictionary lookup (so far as I've read, the BeBook doesn't support that yet), and the aesthetics, as well. Anyhow, it looks like I should be getting it for Christmas now, I'll be sure to post my thoughts on it after a few week's use.
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Old 12-15-2008, 01:13 AM   #30
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Have you thought about ordering it from Canada?
Not sure if it's possible, but they are less then 320$ here, and our dollar is closer to yours.

I was in the same boat as you, and in the end I went with the Sony.
Originally I bought it because of the price, it was cheaper here, although that doesn't apply for you, and as much as I would like dictionary support, I would buy the sony even if they were the same price now.
four reasons I prefer the sony.

1. BUTTONS. The slow refresh rate means that it takes forever to get anywhere, having tons of buttons speeds up book selection and navigation a large amount.
Especially for early adoption of technology since new tech is usually slow, lots of buttons are good Being able to use either the buttons on the lower left or middle right are nice.

2. Caliber. This is probably the most important part of the sony reader.
absolutely and without question, the sony library was terrible.
The virtually nonstop updates, a clear and efficient interface(even if the really good functions are easy to miss for ages). Oh yeah, and the fact that it is the computer equivalent to a garberator, throw anything in and out it comes nice and ready to read
nothing else will do the job for organizing and converting to one format if you're working with piles of formats and so on from all the free authors around.


3. See #2.


4. The metal chassis, it looks slick and survives well.
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