Looking forward to future E-book devices.
August 7th, 2007 | 
Author: 
While I will always have a soft spot for my Rocket e-book, my Cybook from Bookeen is my favorite reader. Yes, it is a bit heavy compared to my Sony reader, but it is so versatile in that there is more than one reader application to choose from. Too bad it is no longer for sale. The good news is that Bookeen will soon be releasing Cybook 2 (September 2007). Their site claims that it “will definitively give you the experience of reading from paper.” The new Cybook is an e-ink device and will have a better screen (Vizplex) than the Sony reader. Vizplex screens report faster refresh rates, so turning pages should be much like turning a page in a paper book. Page turning with the Sony reader takes a couple seconds which some people find annoying. Another good thing is that Bookeen has a history of being multi-format friendly. It has been confirmed that it will have Mobipocket’s reader on board. Mobipocket will allow us access to DRM’d best sellers , non-DRM titles, as well as public domain titles. Another plus is that there are so many titles already available in the Mobi format. I have many books in this format that I can’t read on my Sony reader. Often while e-book browsing I have noticed that e-books in Mobi format are often cheaper and come out sooner than other formats. I am hoping that it will also include µBook . µBook is a great multi-format reader which among many things allows you to read files that are in a zipped folder. That means that you can carry more books and take up less space on you Secure Digital (SD) card. My only concern is if there will be a dictionary function, mainly because the new Cybook has no stylus. Other versions of Mobipocket as well as uBook have dictonary functions. It is so nice to be able to look up a word in a book without losing your place. Not too long ago I was reading Deep Storm by Lincoln Child and came across a word that I had no idea what it meant. I didn’t have paper and pen with me at the time, forgot to bookmark the page and have yet to find that word again.
The new Cybook should also be a plus for those new to e-books. Accordingly to Laurent Picard, co-founder of Bookeen, “On the Cybook, you don’t need to convert your files to an exotic format or upload them to any proprietary web site. You simply transfer your files directly to the device and read them natively.” Let’s hope this is true. I find that if I have to fix, reformat, then convert books to read, I never get around to reading the book. It can be a lot of work and soon your hobby is not reading, but converting.
The only down side to this is that Bookeen is based in France. That means that we will have to buy sight unseen, no local support, and pay international shipping fees. If something goes wrong with the reader it will have to go back to France. When I bought my Cybook I believe the shipping cost was around $63.00. Since the new Cybook is only about 6 ounces compared to almost 3 pounds, shipping should be significantly cheaper. Despite the distance I am not worried about technical support. Bookeen has proven time and time again that they are a dedicated company and have bent over backwards for me to make sure I was satisfied with my purchase. Yes, I am definitely looking forward to the future.
References:
1. Mobileread
2. Bookeen
Posted in Devices
I posted on your site to say thanks and to let you know my Ph.D. is from Capella University. That should make it easier to find. Later (a few week or so, I may post some excerpts from my dissertation. It’s dry reading so be warned
Ellen
I’m looking forward to Cybook II as well (for a lower priced alternative to the Iliads we now use), but have you tried the IREX Iliad? While I realize it is pricier, everything about the Iliad is just a little bit better, bigger, more convenient. We deployed The Iliad at our publishing company, and now have quite a few. Acquisition editors use them now in place of paper, which was becoming a real problem in our two offices. Because we deal with author’s copyrighted submissions, whether we acquired or not, we had to shred the paper when finished for their protection. So that we wouldn’t have several trees worth of paper in our office at any given time, it just made sense (even though editors are notoriously paper-prejudiced–I convinced them in the end). The Iliad did the trick. With it’s 8″ screen it was just right (I don’t think I’ll be able to convince our editors to go Cybook simply because 8″ was the smallest they would go (we’re actually looking forward to the next gen of 10″ers.) but I’d probably try out a Cybook for pleasure-reading. The Iliad costs more, and I suppose we can justify it as a business–even when we bought so many–but the wireless networking, ethernet and ability to annotate with the stylus, read multiple formats–it made it perfect for us as editors. For pleasure I personally download many books from Mobibook which are nicer on the 8″ screen than on my Sony reader. I highly recommend them, anyway, so much so, we’re going to acquire more for the remaining editors. Best, Derek Armstrong, Publisher Kunati Books (www.kunati.com) and author of THE GAME and THE LAST TROUBADOUR.
Derek,
I have considered the iLiad and I think it looks like a great device, especially now that it has Mobipocket ported over to it. Cost has been the only thing restricting me from buying it. I thought that by now the price would be a bit cheaper. Sooner or later I think I will buy it. YOu must be quite the presenter to get all those people to give the reader a try. I would love to hear their views of the iLiad.
Ellen