@BeBook Mini Arrived Today!!!

As part of my advertising for the Get your FREE BeBook I managed to accumulate 20 referrals which means I qualify to receive 2 BeBooks. As you know I already received my first BeBook in March 2009 and love it. I decided I would see if BeBook would be willing to send me the new BeBook Mini instead of BeBook 'One' for my second BeBook. They agreed! This meant a slight delay in shipping as it hadn't been released yet, but I was willing to wait in order to try out this new bit of technology.

Today it arrived! I'm soo happy about it. It's very cute and seems very usable, will be fun putting it though it's paces. I will do a full review of it later. So far the only thing that concerns me is the lack of a case, I'm not sure what I will use to protect it during transport.

For now here are a few pictures I took after receiving it. Click on the images to see the full size versions.

In the box next to it's "Big Brother"


Everything that comes in the box


Next to "Big Brother"

New BeBook Firmware - Beta

BeBook released a new Beta firmware on August 7th which allows the user to read DRM ePub eBooks. This seems like a great thing, except it also means the user can no longer read their DRM Mobipocket eBooks. If you are interested in reading ePub eBooks on your BeBook please read these warnings carefully so that you aren't surprised by the results.

Changes to last update:

WARNING: Removes the ability to read Mobipocket DRM protected files. (non DRM Mobipocket files can still be read)
CHANGE: This updates your BeBook adding support for DRM protected PDF and EPUB files using Adobe (r) DRM.
CHANGE: adds compatibility with Adobe Digital Editions book management software.
CHANGE: auto recognition in Adobe Digital Editions identifying the device as 'BeBook'
CHANGE: adds reflowable PDF and Epub file support.

NOTE: If you got a library of mobipocket protected files, you can always revert to the latest mobipocket version of the software. This can be downloaded HERE. It is possible to switch back and forth between firmware version containing different DRM protection systems.

// DRM rant starts here.

I find this whole situation puzzling and frustrating. Amazon owns Mobipocket and also owns the Kindle. I'm not quite sure why, but they really don't want any dedicated eBook reader to have Mobipocket on it and any other DRM format. I find this a little silly because I can read eReader, PDF, and Mobipocket eBooks on my PC and my PDA just by downloading the software. But for the dedicated reading devices there isn't the option to add on a new piece of software, we are at the mercy of firmware updates and those that create the firmware are at the mercy of the agreements the various software companies will allow. Cybook has decided to release 2 firmware versions, 1 for Mobipocket and 1 for ePub, but never the twain shall meet. While non-DRM ePub eBooks do exist, you have to have the Cybook isn't allowed to load the software that lets you read them without having the DRM portion active. More knowledgeable people than I have figured this out, I'm going to trust their explanation. Thankfully BeBook has been able to allow for non-DRM Mobipocket to be read while their ePub firmware is installed, I have to assume they are using a different software package to display the Mobipocket eBooks.

Many publishers in Europe are starting to release more ePub eBook than Mobipocket and Europe is a large market for eBook readers. This has resulted in more and more eBook readers coming out with the ability to read DRM ePub and not DRM Mobipocket. To me this means that Mobipocket, as an entity separate from Amazon, is going to be lose eBook sales to ePub. This isn't good business sense, it almost seems like Amazon is forgetting that there is a whole big world of end users out there that aren't located in the US and can't purchase the Kindle, myself included.

Wow that is a lot of cryptic letters, my least favourite set is "DRM." We all know what this means when related to music; iTunes & Windows Media Player formats can only be played with certain devices and software while MP3 format can be played by pretty much anything. Well it's the same with eBook readers. We have many many 'restricted' formats such as Microsoft Lit, eReader, Mobipocket, and Sony Reader, however we have very few unrestricted formats, HTML and TXT, which are able to be read on almost any eBook reader.

Currently I prefer the Mobipocket format, but this format could go away if Amazon keeps limiting access on the dedicated eBook reading devices. There is always a way around this, DRM can be removed and formats can be converted to be read on any device. Of course you need to take into account both legal and moral issues before you make this decision. It comes down to "if you buy an eBook, are you really just renting it?" more and more it seems like the answer is "Yes" to that question, unless you want to join the growing number of format shifters who cling to "Personal Use" as validation for keeping use of their eBooks while moving from device to device. DRM removal and format shifting is a grey area, it's legal in some countries and not in others, as far as I know it's not been tested in the courts as it pertains to personal use. Use your own best judgement before jumping into the deep end this grey pool.

The dream of many of us when ePub was announced as an open standard for eBooks was that it would solidify the eBook world into a single open unrestricted format similar to what MP3 is to the music world. This isn't happening. When the standard was created the DRM option was created but no DRM standard was set. This means that most publishers who lean towards protected formats will push for DRM versions of their ePub books. It also means that each 'creator' of a ePub DRM format can pick their own solution, we already have Adobe's version of ePub with DRM and there is talk of others setting up their own versions. There are rumours that Fictionwise will release their own version ePub eBooks along with their well known eReader format. We don't know if they will adopt the same DRM criteria as Adobe or create their own version which mimics the end user friendly DRM found in eReader eBooks. All I know is that if a variety of ePub DRM formats show up on the scene, it won't be fun for anyone, especially the End User who just wants to buy ePub eBooks to read on their ePub ready eBook reader. I feel the dream of ePub uniting the eBook world crumbling as I type.

DRM Rant ends. //

BeBook discount - €25 coupons active for AU$ and Euro

As you know for the last few months only those paying with Euros have been able to use the email coupon codes at checkout. Yesterday I got great news. BeBook has confirmed that the email coupons are valid again for those paying with AU$ since two weeks ago. Only the US$ purchases are still blocked for discount coupons.

This is fabulous news, now even more people can get this great eBook Reader at an even better price. Take advantage of this all you folks Down Under, you know you want to! :)


25 Euro BeBook Discount Code: justy101@gmail.com

Back to the Cybook for a while

I've been reading a lot of Historical Fiction lately, specifically Dracula and historical romances. This type of eBook seems to always have words in them which have dropped out of common usage but which are exactly perfect for the time they are set in. This means that I need to be able to easily look up the words in order to get the full effect of the story. For me, this also means that when I pick up an eBook reader to read them on, I choose the Cybook. I know that I posted how to use a dictionary on the BeBook, but I've never been able to get it to work myself. Also, I hate leaving the book I'm in to look up a word, though I would if I could figure out how. If anyone has suggestions on things I can try to get my Dictionaries working on the BeBook I would be happy to test them out.

Anyway, this means I'm back to the Cybook with my handy dandy "Concise Oxford English Dictionary" (13 MB of concise!) and the "Chambers Dictionary" (25 MB!!!). Between those two I know I will find the definition of any word an author can throw at me. Some people have complained that the dictionary lookup on the Cybook is slow, I've not found this to be the case even with over 400 eBooks loaded. I have all my eBooks in folders based on Genre and my Dictionaries are in the root of the "/eBooks" folder. This way when the Cybook goes looking for dictionaries they are the first things it finds, it has sped up my lookup time significantly. When I had dictionaries in the "Non-Fiction" folder it could take 30 seconds or more to get a definition, I was almost about to give up. Then I moved the dictionaries out of the genre folders put them by themselves. Now I get the 'cursor' to pick a word almost instantly and it only takes about 5 seconds to get a definition once the word is selected.

Having two dictionaries loaded at the same time means that I am often offered 2 different definitions for the same word, it also means that choosing "Back" from the menu will only take me back to the 2 definitions. Now I get to play with the buttons on the left hand side of the Cybook and click on the button with an arrow on it. This will step me back all the way to where I left off in my eBook. It is just sooo convenient to be able to get the definition of an unfamiliar word without having to leave my eBook to do so.

BeBook & Cybook Fonts

I thought it might be interesting to show how the BeBook and the Cybook display eBooks. Here they are side by side with Neptune's Crossing open to Chapter 5 page 1. There are differences, but I think they both look quite good. I have set up both using "Times New Roman," the BeBook is on the smallest font size and the Cybook is on the 5th from the top. For those that don't know, the top font on the Cybook is the absolute smallest and in some font families it is almost 'mouse print.' I normally read at the 3rd from the top size on the Cybook.

The image on the left is 'with flash' the image on the right is 'without flash.'

BeBook and the Public Library

People have traditionally used the Library to get access to books without spending vast amounts of $ to support their reading habit. Recently several Public Libraries around the world have added Mobipocket and Adobe PDF eBooks to their circulation. Since the BeBook reads Mobipocket eBooks it would be logical to think that they can read eBooks from the library and they can... with a little help. As with the Cybook a simple fix has been devised to set the Date and Time on the BeBook which allows Library eBooks to 'expire' as expected and allows us to never again see the dreaded "This ebook is not active yet" message.

The script for this fix has been endorsed by the BeBook Support staff in this thread: "This eBook is not active yet". So feel free to follow these instructions and read any Mobipocket Library eBook you want. For a comprehensive list of libraries to get your eBook fix from check out MobileRead.com's "EBook Lending Libraries" Wiki.

Download settime.exe.fb2 (the extension should be .fb2) and save it to your SD card, then go to the bookshelf and open settime.exe.fb2

You will see the menu for making the changes. DO NOT PRESS "Cancel" BUTTON on your BeBook during this process. If you do so, you will not harm the device, but you would have to reset it by pressing the reset button on the back of BeBook. You will see the spinning symbol making it appear that the file is still loading, this is normal, go ahead and navigate as below.

The navigation is simple:

• keys 1 and 2 select the thing that you want to change (hour, min, year, OK, etc)
• keys keys 4, 5 and 9, 0 do the increment or decrement for the selected field.
• Cancel -- exit without saving.
• Ok -- save and exit.

The time and date will be saved in the BeBook memory only until you switch it off. There is no backup battery inside so that information (the configured time/date) cannot be kept or preserved. Just put your BeBook into 'standby mode' with the short press of the power button, this will not run down your battery as fast as leaving it on.

25 Euro BeBook Discount Code: justy@telus.net

I broke it!

I decided to give OpenInkpot a try on my BeBook. OpenInkpot is a custom 3rd party firmware which works on all of the Hanlin clones, of which the BeBook is one.

Being me, I chose to load the 'experimental' version instead of the 'released and stable version,' just because I like to be bleeding edge when I can and I love all the new features. This does increase my chances of 'breaking' the firmware, which I did. I'll admit that I LOVE bookmarks, early firmware on my Cybook taught me to bookmark often and I learned well. I tend to place a bookmark every 10-20 pages or so just to be sure if anything happens I can get back fairly close to where I left off. This kind of backfired on me with the OpenInkpot pre-0.2 20090326 snapshot. I did my usual multiple bookmarks per book, well over the 'standard 5-8' that Hanlin firmware usually provides. There were no error messages, but somewhere after 7 bookmarks I stopped being able to see the bookmark list. In fact it froze my poor BeBook and I had to reset. I was able to duplicate this error in another eBook and shot off an error report to OpenInkpot. I'm sure they will include that fix in the next update.

Why did I try OpenInkpot instead of staying with the BeBook firmware? Well, I wanted smaller fonts and OpenInkpot provides that. With Version 0.2 I also get most of the features that I was use to with the BeBook firmware. I Love this firmware and will continue to use it, with fewer bookmarks, until BeBook comes out with their next release, then I'll have to jump back and try it out.

Bookshelf Navigation:

	back/forward page
1-8	open Nth file ( long press the key to choose the bookreader ) / go to the Nth directory
9/0	back/forward page
+	context menu (pressing + then 1 opens context menu for first file on screen, + then 2 for second, etc.)
<-	exit menu or go to parent directory if no menu is open
OK	open main menu

Mobipocket eBooks use FBReader with these commands:

	back/forward page
1	move back
2	go to page...
long pressed 2	toggle status line
3	set bookmark
long pressed 3	show bookmarks (long press bookmark number to delete in bookmarks list)
4/5	back/forward section
6	cycle through the footnotes on the current page
7	table of contents
8	hyperlink navigation mode / jump to the highlighted hyperlink
long pressed 8	search text
9/0	back/forward page
+/-	change font size
<-	exit to bookshelf
OK	settings

25 Euro BeBook Discount Code: justy@telus.net

BeBook Dictionary Support

It seems I was wrong, the BeBook can use dictionaries! It works like a paper dictionary in that you open up your dictionary eBook, then lookup the word. I'm very pleased to find that I can continue to use my Mobipocket Dictionaries on the BeBook.

Here are some threads from the BeBook Support Forum which talk about how to lookup words and where to find free dictionaries for your BeBook.

• Mobipocket Dictionaries
• Dictionary Recommendations
• Is buying a dictionary for the BeBook useful?
  

Steps to lookup a word on the BeBook in a Mobipocket dictionary:

• Load a mobipocket dictionary.
• Press OK
• Choose '5'
• Choose '1'
• This brings up a software keyboard, which let's you enter text, just like on a mobile phone.
  

25 Euro BeBook Discount Code: justy@telus.net

Comparison between BeBook and Cybook

I have blogged at length in previous posts about the BeBook and the Cybook

• Nov 21, 2007 -eBook Readers - The search for a new eBook Reader
• Oct 22, 2008 - BeBook discount - 25 Euros off ($35 US) - First discovery of the BeBook
• Mar 26, 2009 - First Impressions / Review of my BeBook
• Apr 3, 2009 -BeBook mini Review - Update 1

I thought it would be fun to put together a little chart which compares the BeBook, which I have used for a few weeks, with the Cybook, which I have used since December 2007. I will be going over the key points I use when determining which eBook Reader to use/buy. This comparison will be based on the functionality available with these firmware updates installed:

• Bebook - Version: V2.02NL.090216
• Cybook - Version: 1.2 (build 796)

Feature	Cybook	BeBook	Personal Opinion
Size	188 × 118 × 8.5 mm (7.4" × 4.7" × .3")	184 × 120.5 × 9.9mm (7.24" × 4.74" × .39")	Both eBook Readers are similar in size and weight, I do notice the difference in depth of the BeBook which feels very "sturdy" to me. I think part of the 'sturdiness' of the BeBook comes from it's extra weight. Both are easy to hold in one hand for reading.
Weight	174g (6.13oz)	200g (7.05oz)
Formats	OEB-XHTML, TXT, HTML, PDF*, PRC/MOBI, JPG, GIF, PNG, MP3 (* non-drm)	PDF*, TXT, RTF, EPUB*, LIT*, PPT, WOLF, DOC, CHM, FB2, PRC/MOBI, HTML, DJVU, MP3, TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAR, ZIP (* non-drm)	I have to admit that all the extra formats available for the BeBook make it very attractive, especially since their HTML support includes accessing photos and pages from within a folder which Cybook currently does not. For me the most important format has always been Mobipocket, at this time both eBook Readers support DRM Mobipocket content. I Prefer the way the Cybook supports it. I like being able to lookup a word from within my eBook and the ability to see the header or not.
Font Options	Add any TrueType font 12 Font sizes (using menu)	Add any TrueType font 3 Font sizes (using <8/zoom> button)	I *love* having 12 font sizes available to me on the Cybook, I usually use the 3rd or 4th smallest in the list depending on which TTF I've chosen. The smallest font size on the BeBook is about equivalent to the 6th or 7th size in the Cybook menu. This means about a 1/3 more pages per eBook. Not a huge deal, but definitely noticeable when reading.
Search functionality / Dictionary lookup	Dictionary lookup (using menus)	No	I didn't think this was that big of a deal, but in the 2 weeks I've been using the BeBook exclusively I think I've thought about looking up a word at least every other day. I like to see the definitions of some words which aren't in common usage just to be sure I'm getting the meaning of the word/sentence that the author intended.
Bookmarks	bookmarks menu	bookmarks menu	Both eBook Readers have very workable bookmarking schemes, I think anyone would be happy with the options provided by either. The Cybook has unlimited bookmarks which you can cycle through going to 'first/last/previous/next' based on your menu choice. The BeBook has 5 bookmark spots available for most eBook formats and apparently unlimited spots available for Mobipocket. More than 8 Mobipocket bookmarks slows down the bookmark system noticeably so I didn't attempt to add more than 14 bookmarks.
Folders	No	Yes	The BeBook even offers the option of nested folders making sorting and organizing a large eBook collection easy. One of the best features is the "Recent files" folder which shows the 8 most recently opened eBooks with the most recently read at the top.
Page Numbers	Progress Bar only	Yes	I have been living with the Progress bar for over a year on the Cybook and liking it. However now that I've seen the page numbers on the BeBook I realize how much I've missed page numbers. I *know* that the page numbers in Mobipocket eBooks aren't accurate, I just don't care. I *like* knowing how many pages I've read and how many are left. Really, I had no idea it was such a big deal until I got them back again.
Cover Thumbnail	Yes	No	I really miss seeing the cover thumbnail when I'm looking for eBooks on the BeBook. The title is important, but the cover tells so much about a story and can trigger my memory as to why I downloaded that eBook in the first place. The BeBook shows a Format icon beside the title instead. This is also useful as it lets you know what kind of reading experience you can expect when you open that eBook.
Speed	Startup time could be 30+ seconds depending on number of eBooks. Opening an eBook is almost instant.	Startup is fast and using the "Keyboard lock" option saves even more time. Opening an eBook takes about 5 seconds.	I *love* the "Keyboard lock" option that the BeBook has! It saves sooo much time when I just want to spend a few minutes reading while standing in line or waiting for something to happen. I love being able to go back to the last screen I was on without clicking any other buttons. It is a bit disconcerting to open the case and find the BeBook still displaying the last eBook I was reading because I had forgotten to lock the keyboard, my Cybook is set to turn itself off after 1hr to save battery power. It did take a while for me to get use to the time it took for an eBook to "load." I was use to the Cybook which does all of it's eBook indexing at Boot-up so that by the time I click to open an eBook it doesn't take anytime at all. For most of my reading, I don't find that the long startup for the Cybook is an issue, I click the "power" button when I am about to read, and when I'm sitting and ready I open the case and click select to open the last book I was reading. This accounts for about 98% of the reading I do.
Price	US$350 for just the Cybook & USB Charger US$450 for Cybook, USB Charger, Cover, 2 GB SD card, Earphones, Extra battery	US$279.99 including the BeBook, Leather case, USB cable, User Manual, Earphone.	I think this could be the biggest determining factor. If I was in the market to purchase my very first eBook Reader I would probably look at everything that was different, as listed above, and then get the BeBook.

At this point I've come to the conclusion that I like the Cybook best and will likely continue using it and eventually find a new home for the BeBook. However I stand by my recommendation to purchase a BeBook as a first time eBook Reader. It is a solid device, has great format support, and constantly evolving firmware. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some of the functionality I
crave being implemented in the future. There are a lot of really good features that are supported by the BeBook and they make the missing font sizes and dictionary support secondary for most people. I'm just really picky I guess.

I have heard rumours of firmware updates soon to come from both Cybook and BeBook. If Cybook gets folder support, or BeBook gets dictionary and font size support I'll be over the moon!

25 Euro BeBook Discount Code: justy@telus.net

BeBook mini Review - Update 1

I've been playing with my new BeBook for a little over a week now and I think I have a pretty good handle on how it works. Here are some of my findings. Everything I talk about in this review will relate to my experiences with the BeBook and Mobipocket or PDF eBooks. These are the only formats I have at this time; I may download other formats for future review/updates.

I have been reading exclusively on my BeBook since I received it in order to give it a fair chance to “wow” me. I have to say I’m impressed. I have been recommending the BeBook as the best option for the average person since October 2008, when I saw that BeBook was supporting Mobipocket eBooks, and now I know I was recommending the right eBook Reader. I had my BeBook with me when I went to the Doctor this week. She had been admiring my Cybook for a while but was really excited when I showed her the BeBook. The buttons are very user friendly and she went right to the <8/zoom> button to zoom the font size without my direction. She is planning to buy one for her husband who can no longer read paperback books as the print is too small. The largest font size offered on the BeBook will be perfect for him. Of course I gave her my discount code “justy@telus.net" for a 25 Euro or $25 local currency discount.

Note: According to BeBook, as of February 13, 2009, "The discount for USD territories is no longer in place due to the huge price drop for the US market. The discount is still in place for the AUSD and EURO countries.” The current lower price is similar to what the price with discount would have been, $279.99 US including the leather case.
Edit: Based on a BeBook Forum dated April 3, 2009: the AUSD discount is no longer in place as they have the "lowest price in the world."

Formats:

• Over 90% of my eBooks are in Mobipocket format, so this was a HUGE consideration in choosing an eBook Reader. I started reading eBooks on a PDA so I already had a big collection of Mobipocket and a smaller collection of eReader eBooks before I even started looking at getting an eInk eBook Reader. When I first looked at eBook Readers in 2007 the only one which had Mobipocket support was the Cybook. Therefore I was very excited when BeBook started to support Mobipocket DRM, all I had to do was add my BeBook PID to my Fictionwise account and download the next eBook on my “to read” list. OK, I really downloaded *all* the eBooks on my “to read” list, but who’s counting.
• Mobipocket - The current Mobipocket support on the BeBook is very good. Its seamless as far as I’m concerned. Download eBook, copy to Internal memory or SD card, read eBook. It looks good and is easy to customize. There are a few a few steps that have to be followed for Mobi eBooks that aren’t needed for other formats, these steps aren’t all in the manual but are easy to find on the myBeBook.com support forum. The one I use most is: Bookmarks – click <6> Bookmark list, click, Choose <1> Add Bookmark
• PDF - Some of the eBooks I want are only available in PDF format and the results vary on the BeBook. This isn’t the BeBooks fault though, it all depends on how the eBook was created. Any PDF which was designed to print to a A4 or Letter size page will not look good on the BeBook unless it is Zoomed to the highest level. I have a couple of kids eBooks in PDF which I would like to read on my BeBook but only very simple picture books work well, if there is a big picture with lots of small writing it doesn’t look great. If the book has 1 side picture and 1 side large printing in simple sentences it is great. My son asks me to read him “Baby Monster” all the time. He loves having his books on my eBook Reader.

Fonts:

• I have come to terms with the Font Size limitations in Mobipocket eBooks. I know I harp about that a lot but I started out with eBooks on my HP iPaq so I'm use to having the smallest possible font in order to get the most words possible per page. I've also been spoiled by the, comparatively, huge number of font sizes available on the Cybook. That said, the smallest font on the BeBook is very readable and a good 'average' size.
• I understand the need to limit the number of sizes possible on the BeBook since the font size is changed by clicking on the <8/zoom> button. Each time the button is pushed it increase the size by one, you watch the book re-paginate and then you can push the button again to go up by one more size. You can click the button 3 times to get back to the size you started at, but you do have to wait for the re-pagination to complete each time. With more than 5 font sizes this would take a very long time to go through. *Hint* I would LOVE to have 5 font size options on the BeBook!
• I would like to see at least 1 smaller font made available to the BeBook. Others I have spoken to have asked right away how big the fonts go, so obviously smaller isn't better for everyone. I have added my Calibri to the BeBook and now I get a good number of words per page in a very readable font. I love customizing my reading experience.
• Obviously the PDF files do not allow for custom fonts to be used but, as with the other formats, there are 3 sizes to choose from, as stated in the manual: “Normal, Full Screen, and Double. In Double the text will be displayed in landscape format. When a text page is displayed, press 8 repeatedly to zoom in or out to the format you prefer."

Start-up:

• I love the 'Keyboard Lock" option. This means I don't have to wait for the BeBook to boot up before I can read my eBooks. When I click the power button to unlock the BeBook it takes me to the screen/page I had displayed when I locked the BeBook.
• The actual boot time for the BeBook is very reasonable and it doesn't seem to go through the 'cataloguing' of the eBooks that my Cybook does at each boot up. The BeBook does take longer to open individual eBooks than the Cybook does, probably because it doesn't catalogue them at boot. This is a trade-off that is easy to take; it's not a huge delay, perhaps 5-10 seconds to open an eBook vs. 30+ seconds to boot the Cybook.

Battery Life:

• I charged my BeBook fully 9 days ago, March 25^th and after reading for *at least* 2 hrs a day it didn’t fail until April 2^nd in the evening near the end of my reading session. I feel this is very good battery life. I had to keep myself from connecting the BeBook to my computer so that I could get a fair idea of how long it would last. 8 days of use, over 16 hrs reading time isn’t bad, especially when you consider that I was doing a lot of page refreshes hopping through menus as I was setting up all my custom options.

Freezing:

• In the week that I have had the BeBook it has only frozen on me once. I really think that it was near the end of its battery life though as it kept indicating 2 batteries/3 batteries in an alternating pattern. I was also going from menus to eBook to menu to SD card to Internal Memory. Not a fair test... unless you are me and trying to see what will happen if you do "x” I know that for the first few charges the Cybook doesn’t show accurate battery levels, it is possible that the BeBook is the same. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.
• I have to say that I *Love* the way the BeBook actually re-boots when the reset button is pushed. It clearly shows what is happening at each stage so you aren't left with a frozen screen and an 'off' light indicating that the reset went through (thinking Cybook). This is exactly the behaviour that most people would expect to see when hitting 'reset.'

Once again, I want to thank my friends at MobileRead.com for all the help with finding the best eBook Reader for any given time and technical help along the way. If you decide to purchase a BeBook for yourself please consider using either my coupon code "justy@telus.net" or head over to the BeBook Wiki at MobileRead.com and help the next person get their Free BeBook too.

First Impressions / Review of my BeBook

A few months ago I posted about a niftly looking eBook Reader called the BeBook and offered you all a 25 Euro discount if you used my coupon code "justy@telus.net." Well, someone was paying attention, probably the good people at MobileRead.com, because 10 people used my coupon code and my Free BeBook was delivered on Tuesday!!!

I had to wait until Wednesday to play with it because the instructions suggested that it would be a good idea to let the battery charge for 12 hrs the first time. I was able to connect it to my computer and start copying over eBooks and Fonts to start the customizing process of my new eBook reader. :) Here is a picture I took while I was waiting for the 12 hrs to finish.


On Wednesday I turned on the BeBook and started to play. So far I'm loving the folders and the ability to jump 10 pages at a time with a push and hold of the or button. Even though I have my eBooks sorted into Genre folders there can be several pages of eBooks to sift though, since we only see 8 eBooks per page, knowing that the eBook I want is near the end of the folder I'm looking in I can then jump 10 pages at a time till I'm close to the page I want and then go page by page till I'm finally at the page I want. This is a good thing. Currently on my Cybook even with the 20 eBooks per page view I still have 5 clicks per page and that's a lot of clicks when I need to get from page 5 to page 21! I live in hope that the next Cybook firmware will allow the jump 10 page option as well.

All of my books are sorted in folders by Genre and thenI name my files in this format: "author_series_title.prc" or "author_title.prc" so that all the eBooks by the same author will be together and my series eBooks will show up in the right order. The BeBook lets me sequence the eBooks by "Title" which seems to really mean by "FileName" and this makes me Very Happy. Since I tend to read different Genres for different moods my 'currently reading' list is all over the place in almost all the folders. This is where the "Recent Files" folder comes in handy. The 8 most recently read eBooks show up in this folder with the most recently opened eBook on the top, it even tells you what date you opened the eBook. Quite handy!

It took a bit of reading and tweaking but I was finally able to add my own Fonts to the BeBook and have them recognized as options in Mobipocket files. This thread on the BeBook Support Forum was very helpful: http://mybebook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=672. The Font Names have to be either all CAPS or all lower case and have very specific endings, very confusing and apparently easy to miss a step along the way. I'm happy to have it working and be able to read with my favourite fonts again. The only gripe I have with the Fonts is the size, there are 3 font sizes available on the BeBook: small, medium, large changed by clicking the <8> buttom. Unfortunately, the smallest Font available for Mobipocket eBooks is much larger than the font I generally use on my Cybook, it's closer to what I would use if I was in low light situations or very tired and wanted/needed a bigger font in order to read easily without turning on a lamp. If this was updated, or we were able to pick what the default sizes were, I would be thrilled.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about the placement of the and bottons which are located both on the left side of the screen and at the bottom of the screen as the <9> and <0> buttons. In practice it is very comforatble to use them. When I am holding the BeBook in 1 hand I use the <9> and <0> buttons, but when I'm laying in bed with the BeBook propped up I find that the left and right arrow buttons on the side can be quite handy. Navigating the menus is fairly intuitive as well, I had no troubles finding my way through my folders or getting through the settings to turn off the *BEEP* which occured with every button press. This is the default setting and came back after I upgraded to the Feb 2009 firmware, so now I will never forget how to turn it off! Adding Bookmarks to the Mobipocket books isn't hard either, though not as easy as adding them to other formats. It just involved clicking on the <6> button, then then choose "Add bookmark," a similar number of clicks as adding a bookmark on the Cybook. Once I knew the sequence I was able to add bookmarks without even thinking about it at about the same interval I've always done.

Overall I think this is a great eBook Reader, I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who wants to get in on the eBook Reader fun. Since it uses the standard eInk screen the reading experience is great. It is a great cost, especially since it has been on sale for only $279.99 US including leather case, earbud headphones, lanyard, USB cable, battery, screwdriver to install battery, and extra screws for the battery case. The BeBook supports many ebook formats from pdf*, mobi, lit*, epub*, doc, html, txt, prc, fb2, jpg files. (* non-drm)

If this has peaked your interest, don't forget to use my coupon code when you purchase your BeBook, "justy@telus.net" or head over to the BeBook Wiki at MobileRead.com and help the next person on the list get their Free BeBook too. Unfortunately, due to price drop, coupons are no longer valid for those who pay in dollars. For those who pay in Euros or AUSD the discount coupon can still be used. The good news is that with the price drop the current cost is almost the same as it would have been with the discount, $279.99 US including the leather case. I would assume that if the price goes back up the coupon will become valid for those of us who would be paying in US dollars.

Instructions for adding fonts to the BeBook which will be recognized by Mobipocket eBooks:

1. Put font library in SD:/fonts/ under index or built-in/storage:/fonts/ index
2. The name of the font library should abide by:
   XXXX.TTF Normal font
   XXXXBI.TTF Bold italic font
   XXXXBD.TTF Bold font
   XXXXI.TTF Italic font
   Or
   xxxx.ttf Normal font
   xxxxbi.ttf Bold italic font
   xxxxbd.ttf Bolf font
   xxxxi.ttf Italic font
   
   The file name should be all in capital letters or small letters and the 4 font libraries should be complete.
   
   Otherwise it will be regarded as non-complete font library, and won’t be displayed in the list of MOBI READER font library.

BeBook discount - 25 euros off ($35 US)

If you have been on the fence about whether or not to get one of the new eInk eBook readers, this might be the answer for you! To help you see for yourself I give you a coupon which will give you 25 euros off ($35 US) discount on the BeBook!! Just purchase the BeBook from thier website, http://mybebook.com/, and enter "justy@telus.net" in the discount coupon section. The cost of the BeBook would then be $314 US (349.99 - 35) including the leather cover.

I currently have a Cybook, but I'm very interested in the BeBook if only because of the easy to use buttons and Folders for sorting books. Since I'm quite a bookworm and love to read several different books at a time, being able to sort my books into folders by genre or author would be very helpful. I would never look at an eBook Reader that didn't support the Mobipocket format, which I had collected for my Pocket PC, so I was happy to see that BeBook now supports Mobipocket and plans to improve the interface in future firmware updates. Mobipocket support means that I can buy my New Release eBooks from Fictionwise.com, Books on Board, or any of several other eBook stores online and know that I will be able to read those eBooks on my Cybook, BeBook, iPAQ, and computer, or any other combination of 4 devices I want. With the Sony Reader and Kindle you are limited to using thier propietary bookstores or doing 'format shifting' or other work arounds to read eBooks from other stores. Most modern books are released in eBook format within days of the Hard Cover release, at a lower price. ;)

The BeBook supports the following formats: Mobipocket (prc, mobi), Microsoft Reader (lit), pdf, epub, html, txt, fb2, doc, rtf, djvu, wol, ppt, mbp, chm, bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, rar, zip, mp3 and over 300.000 of free rss newsfeeds. All these file formats makes it very easy to find reading material that will work on the system! There is 512MB memory on board which allows for the storage of several hundred eBooks. but if you need more room for pictures or mp3 files you can always add in a SD card for more storage.

There is a great review of the BeBook on the MobileRead website which goes over all the main points.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30913

You can also see a few demos of the BeBook on YouTube which shows how it works and the cover which comes with it. A few of the demos say that you can't read new release modern books on the BeBook, but with the addition of Mobipocket support this is no longer an issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpxt__xqkBI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=613KSKZRRzY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDFNEm2XFlc&feature=related

To help you see for yourself I give you a coupon which will give you 25 euros off ($35 US) discount!! Just purchase the BeBook from thier website and enter "justy@telus.net" in the discount coupon section. The cost of the BeBook would then be $364 (349.99 - 35) including a leather cover.

I'm not doing this all just for you though, for everyone that uses my email address as a coupon I get a discount on my own BeBook. So Buy Now and Buy Often! You know you want one, and everyone in your family needs one for Christmas. ;)

Edit March 2009: Unfortunately, due to price drop, coupons are no longer valid for those who pay in dollars. For those who pay in Euros the discount coupon can still be used. The good news is that with the price drop the current cost is almost the same as it would have been with the discount, $279.99 US including the leather case. I would assume that if the price goes back up the coupon will become valid for those of us who would be paying in US dollars.