Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Bookeen has been around much longer than the Kindle and for a long time, it was one of the only readers that could be purchased in non-US countries so it has developed a rather loyal following in international circles.
However, Bookeen has squandered a great deal of their customer loyalty by introducing buggy software and promising firmware fixes that, if delivered, are often more than a YEAR later than announced. Sony and Kindle, by contrast, have both made significant upgrades via Firmware within the first year of ownership (I have owned all three -- at this point, the Kindle DX is my reader of choice with the Sony being a close second).
Things I like about the Cybook:
1. Supports ePub which means you have a very large number of bookstores and public libraries from which to acquire your reading material (though Amazon Kindle titles will not work.
2. SD slot -- provides a mechanism for organizing books by keeping fiction on one sd card and non fiction on another or any other "filing system" you can imagine.
3. Screen -- because Cybook has not given into the touchscreen fad (like Sony), their display is crisp and very easy to read.
4. User interface is easy to use and look of the device is stylistically "pure". I guess with the whole iphone thing, buttons are declasse and this reader has minimal buttons but that doesn't compromise ease of use.
Things I don't like about the Cybook:
1. Firmware tends to be buggy and Bookeen is not great about fixing those bugs... if you email technical support and IF you get a response, it will most likely inform you that a workaround is available and there will be a firmware update "soon". However, if you read any of the mobile read forums, you will realize that these firmware updates are vaporware.
2. Price of 5-inch Opus not competitive -- however that can be blamed on the exchange rate and not really Bookeen's fault.
3. Screen size -- this is just my personal preference but I really prefer the additional real estate that a larger screen (even 6 inches makes a significant difference) provides... If you are middle aged like myself, you are probably starting to find that it is just a bit easier to read if you can enlarge the font size. I know many will disagree with me on this -- they like to have something that is smaller and more "portable" so again, this is very much a personal preference thing...
4. ePub -- the older Cybook readers supported Mobi (precursor to Amazons' AZW format) which is a far superior format in terms of format and readability. I personally am not wild about the ePub format but unfortunately, the best format doesn't always win the standards battle (just as Sony -- they are painfully aware of this!)
5. post-sales support is ABYSMAL. Again, just do a search on Cybook firmware upgrade and you will read of endless frustration with customers basically dumping their ereaders out of sheer frustration because Bookeen has so little regard for current customers and only seems interested in acquiring new ones.
If you want a smaller reader, I believe there are better choices out there -- like the Astak Inc Astak 5-inch Pocket Pro (Blue) EZ Reader or even the Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Silver (PRS300SC) and they have a proven track record for supporting their products.
There are so many choices of readers at this point and what is important to you will be different from what is important to me. However, I think everyone should be able to agree that if you are spending several hundred dollars on a device, the manufacturer that sells it should support it -- Bookeen fails miserably on this and for that reason alone, I would encourage others to consider any of the many other readers that are available on the market today.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Bookeen Cybook Opus eBook Reader
The Cybook Opus is a portable5'' eBook Reader with 1GB memory, accelerometer and revolutionary e-ink technology!With its sleek design, lightweight format and affordable price, it's the latest revolution to the eBook Reader market.Includes a stylish, leather stitch cover.
Click here for more information about Bookeen Cybook Opus eBook Reader
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