A new reader around the corner: Cybook by Bookeen
June 21, 2007
There is a new ebook reader coming out. Ebook readers are nothing new anymore, but the fact that this reader is using the newest E Ink® Vizplex screen is something worth noticing. E-ink is a new technology where the pixels on the screen are built up and afterwards won’t need any power to uphold it. Meaning you can read as slow as you want and the battery won’t run out.
A more indepth explanation from wikipedia:
Electronic ink is a proprietary material that is processed into a film for integration into electronic displays. The principal components of electronic ink are millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair. In one incarnation, each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule to become visible to the reader. This makes the surface appear white at that spot. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the microcapsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the surface appear dark at that spot.
To form an E Ink electronic display, the ink is printed onto a sheet of plastic film that is laminated to a layer of circuitry. The circuitry forms a pattern of pixels that can then be controlled by a display driver. These microcapsules are suspended in a liquid “carrier medium” allowing them to be printed using existing screen printing processes onto virtually any surface, including glass, plastic, fabric and even paper.
Anyway, here’s what the new reader looks like.
The very interesting specs:
|
Sound: 2.5mm stereo headphone plug
Expandability: SD Card slot
Case: Dark brown leather case (optional)
Certification & Regulation: FCC/CE
Color: Shiny black |
Size: 4.7″ x 7.4″ x 0.3″
Weight: 6.13 ounces -174 g
Screen: 6″ E Ink® Vizplex screen
Controls: buttons “ON/OFF”, “Up “, “Down”, “Right “, “Left”, “Enter “, “Cancel”, “Menu”, “Music”.
Power Supply: Universal AC 100~240V, DC 5V 700mA
Operating system: Linux 2.4.18
Software suite: Bookeen® Multi-format ebook reader |
Battery: Rechargeable built-in Li-Polymer battery (800mAh)
Processor: Samsung® S3C2410 ARM920T 200MHz
ROM memory: 8 MB
RAM memory: 16 MB
Storage memory: 64 MB Data Flash
Connectivity: USB Client (v2.0) - Mini USB B connector
In the box: Cybook ebook reading device |
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[...] However, if you like to read non-coloured books, you should be very happy with the Reader. (however, you might want to go for the 2nd generation ebook device like the Cybook) [...]
Pingback by Hightech @ AFmag.net » An introduction/review to the The Sony Reader PRS500 — June 21, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
unfortunately, they do not use the “latest e-ink vizplex”, the newest versions can be seen at http://www.eink.com/products/matrix/High_Res.html. instead, they use the same as the sony reader, which has less contrast and less grayscales.
Comment by dret — June 23, 2007 @ 7:12 am
It’s written in their specs that they’re using the vizplex display. As it seems now, the old Eink imaging film is no longer available and it’s all the 8-grayscale vizplex now. Perhaps the newer batch of Sony Readers will be having that 3-bit vizplex version instead of the 2-bit Eink Imaging Film.
Comment by peter — June 24, 2007 @ 9:40 am
it would be good to see the 3-bit grayscale in action, that would also allow better anti-aliasing of fonts (and better dithering of images). that is one area where i find the sony reader pretty disappointing, and i assume mine (bought just recently) still has a 2-bit display. but is there a way how i could tell the difference? but if sony upgraded the display, they would probably make this public.
Comment by dret — June 25, 2007 @ 6:59 am
[...] we’re waiting for the new Bookeen reader to emerge, Sony seems to have been busy. Lately, the current Sony Reader PRS500 has been on sale. [...]
Pingback by Hightech @ AFmag.net » Sneak preview on the new Sony Ebook Reader (E-reader) PRS505SC — September 10, 2007 @ 6:29 pm