A couple of weeks ago, I summarized new and recent ereader additions. This week, let’s look forward at some upcoming devices. If there’s a trend emerging, it’s that touchscreens and 3G access are ]]> (You might have seen the outline for this post pop up in your RSS feed last week; my apologies for the oversight.)

A couple of weeks ago, I summarized new and recent ereader additions. This week, let’s look forward at some upcoming devices. If there’s a trend emerging, it’s that touchscreens and 3G access are quickly becoming standard features, which is great news.

A quick note before we start: take the information here with a grain of salt. I’ve tried to cite my sources when possible, but even cited information should be considered rumor until these devices actually come out.

The Plastic Logic Whatzamawhoozit

Even though it doesn’t have a name yet, this is the device I’m most excited about. Even the earliest videos of the PL in action (this one was posted a year ago) showed a slick touchscreen with no contrast compromise and a sleek form factor.

Barnes & Noble hopped on as the primary book provider, and AT&T’s involvement combined with the large screen suggests newspapers will be a big target.

It’ll be crucial to see exactly how the touchscreen works. Is it fast? Is the contrast still as good as it looks? Can you write freehand on it? If this video features the same screen used in the ereader, it looks pretty much unbreakable, so that’s nice.

The other big question is price. Some have reported that the PL will be competitive with the Kindle, which we’re hoping means a $300 price point. Realistically, I think that’s a little too good to be true. I’m guessing closer to $500, but I’d be happy to be wrong. I also heard a rumor about a smaller size somewhere, but I can’t find any evidence of that now.

Last, B&N is reportedly developing “their own flavor” of ePub for the PL. I’m not sure why. Incompatibility kind of defeats the purpose of using a universal file format.

Sign up for Plastic Logic updates at their website.

The Apple iTablet: not its real name, not a real picture

The Apple iTablet

Apple’s iTablet (not, I don’t think, its official name) has generated more buzz than Japanese honeybees nuking a hornet. Predictably little is actually known about the device. It’s been rumored for more than a year, originally being called a large-screen iPod. Ostensibly, this device will be a touchscreen slab with somewhere between a 5- and a 20-inch screen. It’ll probably be Apple’s take on an “ultramobile PC,” essentially an extremely portable internet portal.

And we can safely assume two things, since this is an Apple product. First, they won’t even be tempted to price it competitively; $800 is the rumor. Second, it’ll probably be a good idea to wait for the second generation.

The problem for readers of ebooks is that there’s nothing to suggest the iTablet will feature an E-Ink screen. Which means that battery life will presumably be dreadful.

One other interesting rumor: that of truckfuls of books being secreted into Cupertino HQ.

Other similar devices: the Toshiba JournE for (hypothetically) $356, and the Viliv X70 for $599.

Sony “Daily Edition”

The Daily Edition is Sony’s name for their upcoming 7″ Reader, which features a 3G connection and a touchscreen. It’ll price at $399, and presumably (given the name) will have a lot of tie-ins with newspapers.

Sony’s also partnering with the New York Public Library, and might make it possible to check out library ebooks over wireless, which would be pretty slick. (Remember: most ereaders can check out library ebooks. Check our ereader comparison for details on which ones.)

One of the most interesting new features is the Daily Edition’s two-page view (pictured), which is what its oddly elongated form factor seems designed for. It should also be interesting to see how open and flexible the 3G Internet access is.

I really like the interface of these Readers, and I think Sony makes great hardware in this department (even though I am saddened and confused by their software). The thing to watch for here is the quality of the screen. The original Sony touchscreen ereader, the PRS-700, was notoriously glare-prone and low-contrast. I had one until it broke (from touching it); it was readable, but leagues below the average E-Ink screen.

Reports (and videos) have it that the PRS-600 (the new touchscreen version) is better contrast- and glare-wise, but still isn’t close to the non-touchscreen version. This isn’t a complete deal-breaker (there’s a spirited debate about it at MobileRead), but it should be enough to convince you to go into the Sony store and compare the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions to decide for yourself.

A possible look for the BeBook 2

BeBook 2/BeBook Mini

I was pretty excited about the new BeBooks when they were announced about six months ago. Unfortunately, there’s been little to stay excited about since then.

These devices were supposed to be released at the beginning of the summer, but there’s scant evidence of them on BeBook’s website, and still no official release date or price point.

As for features, the Mini looks like the same Hanlin as the BeBook original, with a slightly smaller screen.

The BeBook 2, on the other hand, is purportedly a complete redesign ( and early reports say it features WiFi, a scribble-anywhere touchscreen, and 3G out of the box, all in a 6-inch device.

That’s all well and good, except for the price. The Mini will reportedly retail for $270 (!) closer to the $280 price tag for BeBook plain than the $199 you’ll pay for either an Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro, or a Sony PRS-300. BeBook 2 could cost $476, according to the same source, which is $77 more than the upcoming Sony Daily Edition, with a touchscreen and wireless.

Those price quotes are relatively old, but there’s been nothing since to suggest that they’ll be any lower.

If money’s no object for you, the BeBook 2 could be intriguing. But the Mini simply isn’t worth $80 over the other 5-inch ereaders out there now, it’s nearly identical to the Pocket Pro. Literally. Both are Hanlins, so if you’re tempted by the Mini, just get a Pocket Pro now.

The current iRex premium model, the 1000SW

iRex B&N ereader

In the wake of the news that iRex was teaming up with Barnes and Noble comes a rumor that iRex is developing a new ereader that will feature a touchscreen, 3G, and a 8.1-inch screen. The problem? It could cost a thousand dollars.

iRex has the only currently available scribble-anywhere touchscreen, but their base model is $599, over a hundred bucks more than the nearest competitor’s top-of the-line device. Their current premium model (pictured) costs a staggering $859.

I wouldn’t have a problem with this if iRex’s devices had anything else besides touchscreens. In this video (of the $699 model), the screen looks glare-prone and low-contrast, and the page-turning seems slow. In basic page-turning drills, the iRex is equivalent at best to the Sony PRS-505, which is less than half the price. For the most expensive ereader available, I’d also want the fastest ereader available, at least.

txtr

Wizpac’s txtr Reader, supposedly debuting in Germany in October, is a 6-inch device with a few interesting features. It’s got WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, and a built-in accelerometer.

From the video of it in action (in German), it doesn’t look like a touchscreen, but it does have an odd cross-shaped touch zone on the left margin.

Ultimately, this looks like a relatively run-of-the-mill ereader, but if it can provide a budget option for those seeking wireless, it might find a home. And it has a product page, which is more evidence of its existence than the iTablet.

The txtr webpage.

UPDATE: Sony has just announced that Readers will soon be compatible with Macs , beginning as soon as the end of the summer. Original post follows.

I started using my Sony Reader about six months ago, and a lot’s happened in the world of ereaders since then. I ]]>

The PRS-505: no frills, but very solid

UPDATE: Sony has just announced that Readers will soon be compatible with Macs , beginning as soon as the end of the summer. Original post follows.

I started using my Sony Reader about six months ago, and a lot’s happened in the world of ereaders since then. I figured it was about time for an update. If you’re thinking about getting a Sony, or you’ve got one and want a few tips, read on.

Sony Reader v. Kindle: Library books still take the prize

When I was first shopping for an ereader, I kind of assumed I would get a Kindle. But since the Kindle was forever back-ordered, I started shopping around and eventually decided that a Sony Reader suited me better.

I didn’t like the idea of being locked into Amazon’s proprietary, DRMed format, and I wanted to borrow library ebooks, which the Kindle can’t do.

The Kindle 2.0

Since that initial decision, the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle DX have come out, but neither allows library ebooks, and neither has made real strides toward a game-changing ereader. The Kindle franchise still seems to be trying to do things (like highlighting and textbook support) that E-Ink technology is simply not yet advanced enough to do satisfactorily.

As for Kindle’s Whispernet, it seems like a cool idea, but I generally stock up on books about once a month, so it’s not that much of a hassle to plug the Reader into my computer. I don’t think it’s worth it to be lashed to Amazon ebooks (and pay an extra $100 up front) for a minor convenience.

The Kindle DX

While the Sony Reader works very well for me, there are two caveats: I use Windows, and I primarily read casual novels (i.e., no enewspapers, no emagazines, and no ebooks for class). If you’re a Mac user, or you burn through a lot of newspapers, the Kindle’s abilities in those departments outweigh the format lock.

Sony Reader tip: Get one of these PSP chargers. They work with the Reader, and let you charge it at an outlet (and while reading) for less than half the price of the Reader’s dedicated charger.

The glare-prone PRS-700

Sony Reader PRS-700 v. PRS-505: The 505 is cheaper and has a much better screen

I started out with the PRS-700, and while I liked touching the screen, I never warmed up to reading off it. It was dim and prone to glare, and an anti-glare screen protector didn’t work very well.

Not long after I bought it, the 700 suffered a catastrophic screen breakage, while it was inside its cover in my backpack. I had a bad experience with Sony support, and wound up returning the 700 for a full refund. After a lengthy debate, I stayed with Sony and got a PRS-505. After that, I built my own hard case (I use the cigar box), and I’ve been happy since then.

Further reading: here’s my full review of the PRS-700.

The BeBook

Sony Reader PRS-505 v. BeBook: The Sony is prettier, easier to use

After my 700′s meltdown, I got a BeBook as well as a 505, to compare the two. The 505 has a metal body, a much better navigation system, and a slightly better screen. The Bebook, however, has a non-evil company backing it, more formats, a slightly more open design, and much better customer service.

I liked the BeBook well enough; if it had been $100 cheaper than the 505, it would be a great value ereader. But since the Bebook is actually a little more expensive than the 505, its cheaper build quality and problems getting library ebooks make the 505 the better choice.

The BeBook 2 is coming out soon, and could be a great device (although if it’s even more expensive, it might not be worth it—rumors have it that it could be nearly $500).

Further reading: BeBook v. 505 full comparison

eBook Library: Useless and ugly

Sony’s eBook Library software: Surprisingly easy to ignore

By far the worst part of using a Sony Reader is the eBook Library software that comes packaged with it. I had a whole lot of trouble using it, and there are no advantages to it. Luckily, you almost never need the software.

I use Adobe Digital Editions to get both library ebooks and all the ebooks I buy. Unfortunately, you still need a Windows machine because you have to use Sony’s software to introduce your Reader to Adobe once before you can put books on it through Digital Editions.

After that once, though, I’ve used eBook Library maybe half a dozen times in the past six months, to adjust the collections on my device. That means that I haven’t been able to use Google Books through Sony’s eBook Store, but I haven’t missed it.

Getting books for the Reader: Buying as a last resort

Whenever I want some new books, I go to the library first. You can search for a library near you that supports the OverDrive lending system at OverDrive’s website. Only if I can’t find a certain book there do I then go to an ebook store (not Sony’s) and pay for the privilege.

I certainly don’t mind paying for books, but until publishers wise up and abolish DRM, I’m going to avoid buying DRMed books as much as possible.

Over the past six months, I’ve read about 20 books, and paid about $100 for them. That’s $5 per book, even better than Kindle’s price line. For curiosity’s sake, of the three best books I read during that time, I bought two (The Gone-Away World and The Believers), and found one at the library (Serena).

Further reading: Here’s a complete breakdown of how I buy books for my 505. And here’s our list of good places to find ebooks.

Conclusion: PRS-505 is a phenomenal casual ereader

Sony’s PRS-505 has some sizable drawbacks. It’s impossible to use without a Windows machine, and it doesn’t do newspapers and magazines well.

However, I think we’ve got a long way to go before we see a perfect ereader, or even one that can satisfactorily handle “serious” books.

If you want an ereader primarily for novels, the 505 is the best option out there, and also one of the cheapest, which doesn’t hurt.

Whatever happened to this screen happened while it was inside a standard soft ereader case

Ever since my first Sony Reader took a powder, I’ve been looking for a case that delivered more protection than aesthetics. I wanted something that would absorb a sharp blow, a case tough enough that I won’t ]]>

Whatever happened to this screen happened while it was inside a standard soft ereader case

Ever since my first Sony Reader took a powder, I’ve been looking for a case that delivered more protection than aesthetics. I wanted something that would absorb a sharp blow, a case tough enough that I won’t worry about my ereader when I sling my bookbag around.

Unfortunately, nobody seems to want to make a case like this. My PRS-505 and BeBook both came with covers, but neither are rigid. My first Sony, the PRS-700, broke inside just such a soft cover, inside my backpack.

So I decided to repurpose some other kind of case, which turned out to be a whole lot more trouble than I thought it would be.

Here are three DIY options for hard cases that will give your ereader enough protection to survive anything short of being run over. Complete picture gallery at the bottom of this post.

THE METAL CIGAR BOX ($30+)

PROS: Unequalled style.

CONS: Expensive, large. Takes the most doing

Originally, I imagine finding a metal case of some kind, lining it with felt, and having it fit perfectly around my ereader. The problem is that there’s really no case out there as thin as an ereader—most ereaders are 1/2″ thick or less—so while I found cases that were doable in terms of length and width, they were often two or three inches thick, which is a really obnoxious compromise to make.

This cigar box was the thinnest thing I found, at just over an inch. That still meant I had to lay down several layers of quarter-inch neoprene to get the ereader to fit inside snugly, without jostling.

Ultimately, the cigar box solution is my favorite hard case: it’s got the most personality, and the best dimensions for the job.

THE JEWELRY BOX (ca. $10)

PROS: Cheaper, snug fit from the jump.

CONS: Ugly as sin. Bigger than is comfortable.

A ring box like this one has a perfectly sized interior for a Sony Reader. The major problem is that it’s hideous (check out the gallery below for a glimpse of its bizarre, faux-alligator skin exterior). It also happens to be enormous, nearly three inches thick. And it only really protects one side. That’s fine functionally—I can put the Reader in face-down, and the screen is the only thing that really needs protection. Aesthetically, however, that plexiglass front just looks weird.

The form factor is what will makes this options most repugnant. It’s got too big and awkward a profile to fit neatly in my bag, and it would need to be as slim as possible to offset its ugliness.

THE DVD ENVELOPE (ca. $2)

PROS: Cheap and easy.

CONS: Pretty ugly, too. Might accidentally mail this thing to nowhere.

This is the most trouble-free way to go, but there are obvious design drawbacks. It’s also not technically a hard case, but I have faith that inside this mailer my ereader could be dropped or kicked without cracking the screen.

If you’re the kind of person who has milk crates for bookshelves and wears a tie for a belt, this kind of UPS-guy chic might be just the thing.

For the rest of us, it’s a passable, easy way to afford your ereader some protection until some enterprising company finally realizes that some people (at least me) are in the market for a low profile hard case that will guarantee screen protection.

]]> http://chamberfour.com/2009/04/24/a-homemade-hard-case-for-an-ereader/feed/ 2 http://chamberfour.com/2009/03/10/why-is-the-kindle-still-us-only/ http://chamberfour.com/2009/03/10/why-is-the-kindle-still-us-only/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:34:32 +0000 Nico Vreeland http://chamberfour.com/?p=1694 That's an American hand

MobileRead’s been keeping track of the Sony Reader’s European march: the PRS-505 debuts in Germany tomorrow, and in Switzerland in early April (still no sighting of the 700).

Just in time, it appears, as new data suggests a whole bunch of Germans want to buy ebooks, over ]]>

That's an American hand

MobileRead’s been keeping track of the Sony Reader’s European march: the PRS-505 debuts in Germany tomorrow, and in Switzerland in early April (still no sighting of the 700).

Just in time, it appears, as new data suggests a whole bunch of Germans want to buy ebooks, over two million (Germans, that is), more than even generous estimates of Kindle sales.

It seems like more and more of a missed opportunity for Amazon. The Kindle has never been available outside the U.S., ostensibly because the whispernet isn’t set up yet. Despite tiny indications that Amazon’s working on this, I’m siding with the camp that says this isn’t changing any time soon.

The two million estimate is way high, as the analysis grants, but still, with the addition of the Sony Reader, that makes only three Kindle competitors (the other two are BeBook and CyBook) available in large swaths of the world. So why isn’t Kindle trying to spread its tentacles across the globe?

I think there are two explanations, the charitable one, and the true one. First, let’s go charitable.

If I were Jeff Bezos, I’d go see (or become) a laugh therapist, and then I’d send Jon Stewart a thank-you card for shivving me hilariously on The Daily Show.

But if I were Bezos answering why Kindle is America-only, I’d say that Amazon is committed to the whispernet as Kindle’s flagship feature, and so there won’t be Kindle in Europe or anywhere else until the infrastructure is in place.

In reality, though, I don’t believe a word of that. I think Amazon’s doing what it’s done for the entire life of the Kindle: the minimum.

Let’s look at some history. They didn’t need to try to struggle against DRM to sell Kindles, so they haven’t, and in fact they’ve embraced it. They didn’t need to make Kindle 2 support different formats or support library books or use folders to organize books (despite the fact that they’re customers desperately wanted them to), and so they didn’t. In fact, they essentially didn’t improve Kindle at all in the jump to iteration 2. They also didn’t bother to lower the price.

In short, Kindle is picking up steam thanks chiefly to Amazon’s name recognition and wide variety of available books, and any extra effort on Amazon’s part is unnecessary and so not expended. The effort you do see—Bezos on TV, deals left and right with publishers, strongly advertised cheaper prices—is not on behalf of readers, it’s on behalf of an attempt to lock down as much market share as possible before customers wise up, or, more likely, a competitor creates such an obviously better device that Kindle has to play catch-up.

I’m guessing they’ve crunched the numbers and they can hit market share goals easier by hard-selling in America than by creating infrastructure in other countries, and so the real reason Kindle isn’t in Europe is because Amazon doesn’t care enough to get it there.

The odd part is that Kindle is so proprietary and locked down that Kindle buyers are cyclically forced into staying Kindle customers for the foreseeable future. So if Amazon had put a little more effort in, they could have a whole bunch of Germans lined up.

I can hear Bezos laughing now, chortling out his company’s motto: “Why bother?”

——————————–

Below: Bezos with Stewart, for no good reason. My favorite line is “Oh, you got to pay for the books, too?” Sold!

P.S., this would be Stewart’s return thank-you card.

Quick news: Engadget reports that BeBook Classic (pictured) is getting a major upgrade in the form of a $40 SD card accessory that enables WiFi.

I’d love to see a few things:

While I have high hopes for the successful future of ebooks and confidence in the Great Reader Adoption actually occurring, I have had very little exposure to the current generation of ereaders themselves. Most of my ebook consumption occurs on my computer and my iPhone in small bites (I’m smitten with Stanza, but long reading sessions ]]>

While I have high hopes for the successful future of ebooks and confidence in the Great Reader Adoption actually occurring, I have had very little exposure to the current generation of ereaders themselves. Most of my ebook consumption occurs on my computer and my iPhone in small bites (I’m smitten with Stanza, but long reading sessions on either screen prove uncomfortable, especially after spending the work day staring at a computer). So I borrowed a BeBook and took it with me on a recent Fung Wah adventure to NY. Nico’s already done a good job of breaking down the good, the bad, and the ugly with the BeBook, so I’m not going to do they same, and he’s also put forth that reading on an ereader is better than reading a paper book. I don’t agree with him entirely on that point, but I’d like to share my impressions as someone who recently lost his ereader cherry.

Now, I’ll admit I’ve been dragging my heels a little about trying out ereaders. A large part of me doesn’t want to like them. I’m one of those people who likes to hold a book, smell the paper, jot in the margins, admire my overflowing bookshelf. I hold a weird reverence for books like they were trophies or war medals; I keep care of dust jackets like they were Mickey Mantle cards; and I take offense if I see someone dogear a page–they better hope it wasn’t a page of one of my books! However, I am still eager to see publishing march boldly into the digital age, because it will bring so much good with it, namely in instant accessibility of different books. Indie publishers will have more clout, and reading a sample paragraph from some book you might never have noticed in a bookstore will be as simple as a click on a blog or review site.

Books: Read Whatever Whenever

Unlike the 8-track and Betamax, the book will never become an obsolete format. No matter what any idiot anybody says, this is true. Music and video might, but publishing will never move to a 100% digital delivery mode. It just won’t happen. However, digital delivery will likely become the preferred and even primary modus operandi for publishing companies, as it already has for music and quickly is for video. The reasons for this are different though. Consumer demand won’t force the industry’s hand, floundering bottom lines will. Stocking every Borders, Wal-Mart and airport bookstore around the country hardcovers is damn expensive. Bandwidth for distributing the files digitally doesn’t even compare. The trouble for them is, unlike music and video, an expensive gadget isn’t necessary to bring a book with you whenever you go, and no matter how cool the ereader is, this will always be the case.

The Great eReader Adoption will happen with hybrid devices that aren’t soley dedicated to books and newspapers. The simple fact is people don’t need another to device to lug around along with their laptop, smartphone, and perhaps mp3 player. The most likely scenario is that a multipurpose device somewhere between a netbook and an eReader will emerge. It will be affordable and used for basic communications tasks such as email, and accessing blogs and newspapers, as well as ebooks. It will also be able to handle basic documents. Laptops are already losing ground to netbooks, and ubiquitous smartphones will never get to the point of functionality where we are doing more than very basic word processing on them, if that. Once something like this becomes a stable of students and business travelers, the publishing houses will see a leap in their digital sales, and things will expand from there. Technology is a little behind on this, and I think the key will be affordable, color electronic ink.

Try eInk and you'll be surprised just how different it is from LCD screens.

eInk, I can attest from my BeBook trial, is awesome. You really won’t understand until you take it for a spin, and I highly recommend that you do so. Seeing it in pictures or over someone’s shoulder is deceiving: it looks like the dot matrix screens from the original Gameboys at a quick glance. However, when you sit down and read it, it is surprising comfortable on the eyes. As comfortable as if you were reading real ink on paper. The constantly changing light on my bus trip really illustrated this for me, and coupled with the ease of holding the lightweight device and not having to readjust so often in the relatively cramped seat (as I usually do when holding a hardcover on such trips), made for a very pleasant bus ride–aside from having to smell the unwashed fellow next to me. This was a short trip, but if it were a longer one, say spanning a few flights and layovers, I’m sure I’d be real glad not to have a backpack full of heavy books as well.

eInk is also consumes next to no power. I used the BeBook for approximately 9-10 hours over the weekend excursion, and not a single notch disappeared from the battery meter. And since power is only consumed when the screen refreshes (such as a page turn) there is no need to wait for startup loading. The advantages this holds for devices such as I predict above are obvious.

I think we’ll see digital delivery of books approach becoming the standard beginning with a supplemental approach. As ebooks rise in popularity, consumer demand will drag the prices down from the stratosphere. The fact that many now cost more than hardcovers is ludicrous, and will inevitably change. Much like the Fox/Apple Digital Copy, publishers will be able to use the digital files as a packaged deal with popular books (at practically no additional cost–they’d have to figure out the means of delivery of course, it would probably have to be done via the retailer). This will help them establish a digital consumer base and ease into a lower cost digital standard that their bottom lines would undoubtedly prefer. It will also encourage holdout to buy a ereader device. Let’s just hope they do it without DRM.

The supplemental bit is key here. I absolutely loved having the BeBook with me on my bus trip. Yet, when I got home from the weekend excursion, I went straight to the couch and read a paper book. For me, the advantages of the ereader are situation specific. When I’m lying in bed, a (-n analog? I don’t think we’re there yet) book is just as good for me as it has been for readers for centuries. I imagine the average reader of today feels the same.

From ubergizmo, here’s the official announcement of the BeBook 2 at Endless Ideas BV’s website. If everything promised comes true, it could be leaps and bounds better than BeBook 1, and it’s even got a shot of being the best ereader out there. It’s slated to have “Wireless 3G and/or WIFI,” a ]]>

BeBook Classic

From ubergizmo, here’s the official announcement of the BeBook 2 at Endless Ideas BV’s website. If everything promised comes true, it could be leaps and bounds better than BeBook 1, and it’s even got a shot of being the best ereader out there. It’s slated to have “Wireless 3G and/or WIFI,” a touchscreen, ePub DRM, and to be ready before the summer.

The original BeBook had decent advantages (robust support, open platform, customer commitment) and significant disadvantages (cheap feel, clunky interface, no onboard clock). However, the original BeBook was just a rebranded HanLin V3, and a lot of those disadvantages could be attributed to the HanLin.

Endless Ideas (EI) has all the hallmarks of a company that thinks of its customers first. They don’t try to suck you dry with extended warranties like Sony, or by charging extra for a cover like Amazon. They answer questions promptly, they have an uncensored support forum, and they listen to customers and provide regular firmware updates with new features. Plus, BeBook 2 is touted as “a complete redesign.” Seeing as we haven’t seen anything that EI’s actually designed, this could be, well, anything.

Basically, the new BeBook has a whole lot of potential. Here are some things I’ll be watching out for:

• Interface/design: That first video will be huge. It’ll show us whether BeBook Classic’s interface problems were the fault of the HanLin hardware or the EI firmware. As far as design, we have no idea what EI’s aesthetic looks like, so BeBook 2′s physicality is a complete x-factor. The good news is that that first look should only be a few weeks away.

• Free 3G?: I’m guessing not, given that “and/or” in the wireless description. If it is free, this feature will be the real Kindle-killer. Even if it’s not, I’ll be fine with regular wi-fi, and I’d guess that the “and/or” also means regular wi-fi will be standard.

• Price: Hopefully, EI learned their lesson when the original BeBook got slammed for debuting north of $500. With a good interface, I would happily pay up to $400. If it’s above $500, look for BeBook to remain a third-tier ereader retailer (at least in the U.S.).

• Mobipocket, too, or just ePub?: EI claims to be working on secure ePub support. Mobipocket insists on DRM exclusivity. If they bump secure Mobi for secure ePub, I’m out: there aren’t any ePub library books. If, however, they manage to do them both, strike another blow for open ereading.

Finally, I must say, I do feel a bit stung that I just got a BeBook 1, but we’ll see what Endless Ideas has to say about a trade-in.

[via Ubergizmo]

UPDATE: Looks like I’m SOL. Endless Ideas will not accept any returns because you don’t like the BeBook, even if (as in my case), you’ve had it less than a week.

That makes it really hard to recommend buying any BeBook, since it’s difficult to get a true feel for the device from a video.

I’ve come to the conclusion that ereaders are not ready for serious books. They’re simply not good enough for students or anyone who wants to interact with what they’re reading: highlighting, taking notes, none of that is truly functional yet.

So, if you’re in the ]]> UPDATE: See end of post.

I’ve come to the conclusion that ereaders are not ready for serious books. They’re simply not good enough for students or anyone who wants to interact with what they’re reading: highlighting, taking notes, none of that is truly functional yet.

So, if you’re in the market for an ereader with which to casually read books and newspapers—one that doesn’t have any kind of keyboard—two stand out from the crowd: the Sony PRS-505, and the BeBook from Endless Ideas BV. (The CyBook was close, but it’s $50 more expensive than the BeBook including a cover, it doesn’t support as many formats as the BeBook, and doesn’t display page numbers or have number buttons, which is simply too little functionality, even for a casual ereader.)

I decided to get both a 505 and a BeBook and see for myself which was better. Here’s a side-by-side comparison.

Note: Sony Readers are not currently compatible with Mac or Linux. They still work with Calibre, but you won’t be able to buy or borrow any DRMed books (which means any current books). If you use one of those systems, get a BeBook.

Price: advantage 505

The Sony’s about $25 cheaper. You can find the best price through third-party retailers on Amazon. I got mine from this seller. And it got here about 2 days sooner, though BeBook got here quite quickly (4 days), considering it came from the Netherlands.

Build quality/physicality: advantage 505

The Sony is clearly better in terms of sturdiness and physical quality. Its body and interface are made of metal, and it feels more solid, though it’s definitely heavier. Both devices’ covers close with magnets; the BeBook’s is stiffer. But, the Sony cover actually attaches to the ereader, while the BeBook sits loose in its cover, which feels precarious.

I can’t tell a difference between the screens. Both are very readable, and the flash between pages similar.

Formats supported: advantage BeBook

Sony supports DRMed PDF and LRF (Sony proprietary); and also epub, txt, rtf, mp3, AAC, jpeg, gif, png, and bmp.

BeBook supports DRM Mobipocket; and also pdf, epub, lit, txt, fb2, doc, html, rtf, djvu, wol, ppt, mbp, chm, bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, rar, zip, mp3.

If you use a lot of one of BeBook’s more arcane formats, feel good about buying one.

Interface: advantage 505

The 505′s buttons and firmware are better designed than the BeBook’s. The 505 has both number buttons to skip to pages, and a four-way arrow button to select options or links. The BeBook requires that you open a menu to go to a certain page, or to follow a link from a table of contents.

I was skeptical about the 505′s matching of buttons on the side to options, but it’s actually significantly more convenient than the alternative. The 505 can also list books by author; the BeBook displays no metadata for authors.

The BeBook does have a few advantages: you can upload any TrueType font and change the text to any font you’ve uploaded. The device-to-computer interface is also cleaner, as the BeBook becomes a drag-and-drop hard drive as soon as you plug it in. However, this is both a blessing and a curse, as you might find yourself struggling through nested folders to find where you put the book you’re looking for.

BeBook remembers which books you were reading recently, which is quite convenient. To do this with the Sony Reader, you have to manage a collection, which is doable, but an extra step.

Bookmarking: advantage 505

Bookmarking works quite well on the 505. There’s a dedicated button for it: self-explanatory.

It’s trickier on the BeBook. You’ve got a maximum of 5 bookmarks, the numbers 1-5, and then you have to reset them. Plus, bookmarks don’t appear to work at all with mobi files, which is the only DRM format the BeBook supports. [UPDATE: You can bookmark in Mobipocket, by going to the bookmark menu (6 button) and then hitting OK, and then add bookmark. Clunky, but doable.] Overall, quite disappointing. But if you’re in the market for a casual ereader, there’s a good chance that you don’t even care about bookmarks.

Book acquisition: draw

You have to struggle to get library books on a BeBook, and it looks like you must reset the fake clock every time you turn off the BeBook—luckily you can just lock the keyboard. You also have to struggle to get anything from Sony’s eBook Store, but using Adobe Digital Editions to get library books is significantly easier than Mobipocket Reader.

I read mostly PDFs on my 505, and mostly Mobis on my BeBook. If you prefer static pagination and don’t mind awkward page breaks, PDFs are for you. If you don’t care much for pagination, Mobis have a wider range of available pay-for titles, and Mobi is a more common, though (I would argue) less useful, ebook format.

Both devices support non-DRMed ePub.

Magazine acquisition: draw

The Sony can be recognized by Calibre, which means you can use Calibre’s slick RSS capabilities to pull down articles from many popular newspapers and magazines (not to mention almost any blog), package them into ebooks in whatever format you like—LRF, ePub, or Mobi—and sync them directly to your 505.

Mobipocket Reader can do about the same thing for Mobi ereaders like the BeBook, but it’s slightly clunkier, and less customizable. (You can use Calibre-created files with BeBook, but it won’t auto-sync, so I generally use Mobipocket Reader.)

I’ve found this ability pretty useful in both devices, but completely satisfying in neither. However, both executions of RSS have one big advantage over the Kindle: they’re free.

Accessories: slight advantage BeBook

Both of these ereaders come with covers, which is nice, as you’ll need one to take the device… well, anywhere. Neither CyBook nor Kindle comes with an included cover (although Kindle does come with a direct-to-outlet power adapter).

The 505 requires a special adapter to charge from a wall. You can get one designed for a PSP, but it’s still $12 and bulky. The BeBook can use its regular cord with any USB-to-outlet adapter, like the one used for iPods. If you don’t have one, you can get a decent one for less than $10, shipped.

Customer service: big advantage BeBook

BeBook customer support is quite good. I posted earlier about BeBook support giving the nod to an unofficial hack that allowed customers to read library books. They also offer regular firmware updates, and listen to users’ requests for new features.

Sony, on the other hand, tried to blame me for my PRS-700′s broken screen, and will try not to make good on their warranty if at all possible. And they’re an absolute nightmare to deal with while they tell you that.

If Sony support was better, the 505 would be a clearly better investment.

Conclusion: the 505 wins, but you can’t quite feel good about it

The BeBook would be an excellent bargain ereader option, if it was a bargain. Since it’s actually more expensive, I can’t say that it’s worth that extra. The interface is significantly less useful than the 505′s, and the device itself is flimsier.

However, I live in fear that I’ll accidentally break the screen of my 505 (or that it would break itself), in which case, I’d simply be out $270. If you’re willing to take a risk that you won’t get a lemon, go with the Sony.

If, however, you break things easily, or you don’t trust Sony (which I completely understand), or you just want to sleep soundly knowing that friendly people will help you out if something goes wrong, you can feel quite good buying a BeBook. It’s not as slick or as pretty as the 505, but it’s quite functional for casual reading.

UPDATE: Endless Ideas will not accept any returns because you don’t like the BeBook, even if (as in my case), you’ve had it less than a week.

That makes it really hard to recommend buying the original BeBook or the coming BeBook 2, since it’s difficult to get a true feel for the device from a video. If you have a Mac, or a Linux machine, BeBook is the best ereader for you by default. If, however, you run Windows, go check out a PRS-505 at the store, and realize that BeBook will be clunkier on pretty much all counts.

I recently got a BeBook after my Sony PRS-700 took a powder. After messing with the Mobipocket Reader software for a long, long time, I still couldn’t make the thing read a library book. This terrified me briefly, because I have a ]]> BeBook support might very well be the best in the business.

I recently got a BeBook after my Sony PRS-700 took a powder. After messing with the Mobipocket Reader software for a long, long time, I still couldn’t make the thing read a library book. This terrified me briefly, because I have a severe allergic reaction to paying for books with digital restriction measures, so the ability to borrow and read library books is essential to me.

Eventually, I found this thread on the BeBook support forum. It details the problem (the BeBook has no internal clock, and so the time-stamped DRM on library books thinks they aren’t active), and one user gives a link to a hack that you can load on an SD card that will give the BeBook a clock, or at least the ability to think it has a clock.

Here’s the interesting thing: the poster with the original problem was a bit reluctant to use a third-party hack, and wanted to wait for an official response from BeBook. The official response came, and BeBook support reported that they’d tried the hack out, and it worked, and they gave their (unofficial) OK.

I’ve never heard of anything like this. This kind of response shows a clear priority structure: BeBook’s customers come first. I can’t say the same thing about Amazon or Sony.

[here's the specific post that contains instructions on how to read library books on BeBook]