Sungale Cyberus review

Nate the great · 12-10-2009, 10:46 PM

I almost didn't write this review. This "ebook reader" is so bad that I'm almost too embarrassed to admit I bought one. Eh. It's going back tomorrow, so who cares.

Background
Sungale is a manufacturer of small electronic devices like digital picture frames. The Cyberus is one of 2 digital picture frame models that were adapted into ebook readers. The other model is slightly less capable, but details are sketchy. I don't know exactly how less capable (except that it can't read PDFs).

The Cyberus has a 7" touchscreen with a resolution of 800x480. It's slightly narrower and slightly taller than the original Kindle. The case is a minimalist matte black, and it comes with black leather book style case. I don't know the CPU or RAM, but I have used the Wifi to get online.

Negatives
It has no sleep function. The battery life is atrocious (somewhere around 2 hours). The speaker is behind a tiny hole on the left side. The sound quality is marginal at best, and the max volume is low. But it has a headphone jack which has decent sound.

It can only read PDFs and text files, and it does a really bad job. I couldn't set the zoom level right, so none of the PDFs I tried displayed properly. Some of the characters were pushed together, others were pulled apart.

If you want to know how bad, look at the third PDF picture. The characters are not supposed to be filled in like that. Then look at the fifth PDF picture. The dropcap is supposed to be uppercase, and the text is supposed to have quotation marks.

Positives
Compared to anything in its price range, its media capabilities is best defined as adequate. It has no browser, but it does have a very limited ability for Youtube, Gmail, IP Radio, weather, stock reports, traffic, etc. From the way it accesses Youtube and Gmail, I think it uses a proxy server run by Sungale. I could be wrong, though.

My recommendation
Take the $200 this thing costs (Walmart) and go buy an iPod Touch, Sony Pocket Edition, Aluratek Libre, or any of the several small tablets discussed here on MobileRead. Anything is better than the Cyberus.

P.S. Sorry about the picture quality. I don't have access to my main camera.

Xerxes · 12-11-2009, 01:23 PM

Wow... You just saved me some time.

pagansoul · 12-11-2009, 01:43 PM

I think it's just a very very cheap PC. I guess some would let them get away with it because it's in color but what makes a good e-reader is it's long battery life, size and how well/many formats (good programs cost money) it can handle. I think we are about to see a lot of junk in this new (not really) electronic device market. We are going to get a bunch of start-ups trying to get in and make a quick buck on people who don't know any better. China is going to be very busy with poor knock-offs. Ever notice how many fake ipods there are in Flea Markets, soon you will be seeing readers.

nikkie · 12-11-2009, 02:57 PM

Haha...someone wrote their own text rendering engine, and had no idea what they were doing.

Good to know! I kind of expected that from the cyberus, but nice to see it confirmed.

bminata · 12-11-2009, 08:13 PM

2 hrs batt life. Is the fabled Apple tablet gonna be much better?

daffy4u · 12-11-2009, 09:32 PM

Here's a link to a very bad intro commercial made by Buy.com. They show a little of the "ebook reader" which they promise to get back to but never do. Mostly, it's a lot of icon clicking and watching it say "connect network...". They don't show how any video looks on it, you don't hear the speakers for the radio and it's very DOS looking to me. It also looks like it has some screen burn-in.

12-10-2009, 10:46 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Sungale Cyberus review I almost didn't write this review. This "ebook reader" is so bad that I'm almost too embarrassed to admit I bought one. Eh. It's going back tomorrow, so who cares. Background Sungale is a manufacturer of small electronic devices like digital picture frames. The Cyberus is one of 2 digital picture frame models that were adapted into ebook readers. The other model is slightly less capable, but details are sketchy. I don't know exactly how less capable (except that it can't read PDFs). The Cyberus has a 7" touchscreen with a resolution of 800x480. It's slightly narrower and slightly taller than the original Kindle. The case is a minimalist matte black, and it comes with black leather book style case. I don't know the CPU or RAM, but I have used the Wifi to get online. Negatives It has no sleep function. The battery life is atrocious (somewhere around 2 hours). The speaker is behind a tiny hole on the left side. The sound quality is marginal at best, and the max volume is low. But it has a headphone jack which has decent sound. It can only read PDFs and text files, and it does a really bad job. I couldn't set the zoom level right, so none of the PDFs I tried displayed properly. Some of the characters were pushed together, others were pulled apart. If you want to know how bad, look at the third PDF picture. The characters are not supposed to be filled in like that. Then look at the fifth PDF picture. The dropcap is supposed to be uppercase, and the text is supposed to have quotation marks. Positives Compared to anything in its price range, its media capabilities is best defined as adequate. It has no browser, but it does have a very limited ability for Youtube, Gmail, IP Radio, weather, stock reports, traffic, etc. From the way it accesses Youtube and Gmail, I think it uses a proxy server run by Sungale. I could be wrong, though. My recommendation Take the $200 this thing costs (Walmart) and go buy an iPod Touch, Sony Pocket Edition, Aluratek Libre, or any of the several small tablets discussed here on MobileRead. Anything is better than the Cyberus. P.S. Sorry about the picture quality. I don't have access to my main camera. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Nate the great; 12-11-2009 at 01:46 PM.

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12-11-2009, 01:23 PM	#2
Xerxes Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 90 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, TX Device: Astak EZReader, Pocket Pro	Wow... You just saved me some time.

12-11-2009, 01:43 PM	#3
pagansoul Fanatic Posts: 509 Karma: 1098204 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Earth Device: iPhone5, iPad Gen3, Kobo, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7	I think it's just a very very cheap PC. I guess some would let them get away with it because it's in color but what makes a good e-reader is it's long battery life, size and how well/many formats (good programs cost money) it can handle. I think we are about to see a lot of junk in this new (not really) electronic device market. We are going to get a bunch of start-ups trying to get in and make a quick buck on people who don't know any better. China is going to be very busy with poor knock-offs. Ever notice how many fake ipods there are in Flea Markets, soon you will be seeing readers.

12-11-2009, 02:57 PM	#4
nikkie Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 73700 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: WA, USA Device: Android, Kindle Paperwhite, lots of ancient readers	Haha...someone wrote their own text rendering engine, and had no idea what they were doing. Good to know! I kind of expected that from the cyberus, but nice to see it confirmed.

12-11-2009, 08:13 PM	#5
bminata Connoisseur Posts: 87 Karma: 6366 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bandung, Indonesia Device: KPW, KFHD, K3, K2, iPad	2 hrs batt life. Is the fabled Apple tablet gonna be much better?

12-11-2009, 09:32 PM	#6
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Here's a link to a very bad intro commercial made by Buy.com. They show a little of the "ebook reader" which they promise to get back to but never do. Mostly, it's a lot of icon clicking and watching it say "connect network...". They don't show how any video looks on it, you don't hear the speakers for the radio and it's very DOS looking to me. It also looks like it has some screen burn-in.

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