This seems like best forum for this kind of document reader device which is quite near PDAs and definitely far from mobile phones so here are some experiences from BeBook I've had from end of November.
http://mybebook.com/
Main idea in these devices is use of "electronic ink/paper" instead of power hogging backlighted LCD so display behaves very similarly to paper in usability and needs ambient light to show picture.
Other devices I looked where Sony PRS-505, iRex iLiad and Cybook:
Sony I discarded because of scarce availability in Europe, lack of support for HTML and apparent disinclination to customer service with firmware updates for correcting that kind deficiencies.
Despite of few missing formats iLiad could have been that near perfect general reader device because of near A5 size display (device itself still only few cm larger) capable to better showing half of A4 PDF document and possibility to write/do markings with Wacom pen but price is high and its electronics lacks real sleep mode so as reader device battery life is lousy meaning currently it's mostly good only as work/studying tool which is charged daily.
Hardware wise near identical (to BeBook) Cybook v3 is again little anorectic on controls: while 4-way controller is good for menus update of display takes second-two so going through menus/lists one by one felt clumsy choise compared to direct buttons of BeBook.
So back to BeBook itself.
As first impression included leather case feels adequate to protect glass substrate display in normal use and during transporting for as long as it isn't crammed to same space with non flat objects/banged around.
On backside there's screw fixed door behind which is Li-ion battery familiar from Nokias so dying battery won't make device useless.
Like I guessed user interface is quite straightforward with screen showing choise linked to each number button in menu/directory/file views. Also you can use directory structure for organizing ebooks/documents so while device doesn't have search functions even bigger library is still controllable.
Inside documents first five number buttons give direct setting of/access to five bookmarks while button 6 can also attach bookmark but its useful function is accessing bookmark menu (shows few line samples from bookmarked pages) by long press. Some document formats can include chapters structure and button 7 gives access to chapter index.
From file formats best work naturally those whose text formatting/layout is fre-flowable/freely adjustable.
Surprisingly also smaller tables in HTML documents can work and small simple graphics show quite well despite of display showing only four grey shades. (but script crapola filled HTML docs crash device easily with at least earlier firmware)
From major document formats PDF is rather schizophrenic for these small display devices because of its hard coded text formatting/layout:
Normal text in A4 size PDFs is too small to read even with "horizontal zooming" showing half of the page at once but bigger size content and sounding graphs from here are completely usable.
PDFs formatted to display's size again have really exemplary, comparable to book, usability. Custom PDF option in Feedbooks is good for producing such ebooks with minimal hassle and I've been using mostly them. (PDF just isn't the best format for battery life)
Of course support of file formats isn't perfect and there are bugs but at least device is getting regular firmware updates unlike some other readers and open source based OpenInkpot firmware is also available.
And thanks to display needing power only for changing picture and electronics falling to sleep mode you can leave device on with document open for days without worrying about empty battery when returning to read. In fact I could imagine shutting down and starting device eating more power than leaving it on for half day. Because of possible bugs it's just better to occasionally go back to file view because position in document is saved only when exiting it.
So while not perfect reader it's still very good and if you read lot of books and want lighter travel library to carry around without worrying about need of "tube-feeding" device daily then this is among best choises.
Here's manual of BeBook and couple reviews.
http://www.mybebook.com/newmanual.pdf
http://www.pg-news.org/20081005/bebook-ebook-reader/
http://dbzer0.com/blog/bebook-review-this-e-reader-rocks-my-socks
http://mybebook.com/
Main idea in these devices is use of "electronic ink/paper" instead of power hogging backlighted LCD so display behaves very similarly to paper in usability and needs ambient light to show picture.
Other devices I looked where Sony PRS-505, iRex iLiad and Cybook:
Sony I discarded because of scarce availability in Europe, lack of support for HTML and apparent disinclination to customer service with firmware updates for correcting that kind deficiencies.
Despite of few missing formats iLiad could have been that near perfect general reader device because of near A5 size display (device itself still only few cm larger) capable to better showing half of A4 PDF document and possibility to write/do markings with Wacom pen but price is high and its electronics lacks real sleep mode so as reader device battery life is lousy meaning currently it's mostly good only as work/studying tool which is charged daily.
Hardware wise near identical (to BeBook) Cybook v3 is again little anorectic on controls: while 4-way controller is good for menus update of display takes second-two so going through menus/lists one by one felt clumsy choise compared to direct buttons of BeBook.
So back to BeBook itself.
As first impression included leather case feels adequate to protect glass substrate display in normal use and during transporting for as long as it isn't crammed to same space with non flat objects/banged around.
On backside there's screw fixed door behind which is Li-ion battery familiar from Nokias so dying battery won't make device useless.
Like I guessed user interface is quite straightforward with screen showing choise linked to each number button in menu/directory/file views. Also you can use directory structure for organizing ebooks/documents so while device doesn't have search functions even bigger library is still controllable.
Inside documents first five number buttons give direct setting of/access to five bookmarks while button 6 can also attach bookmark but its useful function is accessing bookmark menu (shows few line samples from bookmarked pages) by long press. Some document formats can include chapters structure and button 7 gives access to chapter index.
From file formats best work naturally those whose text formatting/layout is fre-flowable/freely adjustable.
Surprisingly also smaller tables in HTML documents can work and small simple graphics show quite well despite of display showing only four grey shades. (but script crapola filled HTML docs crash device easily with at least earlier firmware)
From major document formats PDF is rather schizophrenic for these small display devices because of its hard coded text formatting/layout:
Normal text in A4 size PDFs is too small to read even with "horizontal zooming" showing half of the page at once but bigger size content and sounding graphs from here are completely usable.
PDFs formatted to display's size again have really exemplary, comparable to book, usability. Custom PDF option in Feedbooks is good for producing such ebooks with minimal hassle and I've been using mostly them. (PDF just isn't the best format for battery life)
Of course support of file formats isn't perfect and there are bugs but at least device is getting regular firmware updates unlike some other readers and open source based OpenInkpot firmware is also available.
And thanks to display needing power only for changing picture and electronics falling to sleep mode you can leave device on with document open for days without worrying about empty battery when returning to read. In fact I could imagine shutting down and starting device eating more power than leaving it on for half day. Because of possible bugs it's just better to occasionally go back to file view because position in document is saved only when exiting it.
So while not perfect reader it's still very good and if you read lot of books and want lighter travel library to carry around without worrying about need of "tube-feeding" device daily then this is among best choises.
Here's manual of BeBook and couple reviews.
http://www.mybebook.com/newmanual.pdf
http://www.pg-news.org/20081005/bebook-ebook-reader/
http://dbzer0.com/blog/bebook-review-this-e-reader-rocks-my-socks