Soribook: First eReader eInk device now in beta testing!

[Nate the great]

The Soribook B60 is an ebook reader under development by a South Korean company. It's based on the 6" Vizplex screen, has an ARM CPU, and runs on Windows CE (instead of Linux). The B60 also has a touchscreen. You can find more information in our Wiki, or from Soribook.

One early adopter has been trying various reader software and currently has both eReader and Mobipocket running on it. The last 2 pictures are screenshots showing Mobipocket, and the first 3 are photographs showing eReader.

You can find his impressions on his blog.

[kesey]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The Soribook B60 is an ebook reader under development by a South Korean company.

One early adopter has been trying various reader software and currently has both eReader and Mobipocket running on it. The last 2 pictures are screenshots showing Mobipocket, and the first 3 are photographs showing eReader.

You can find his impressions on his blog.

That blog is all greek to me.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by kesey

That blog is all greek to me.

Really??? It's all Korean to me!!!

Derek

[Luigino]

well...looks like nice that soribook but that blog doesn't have english version?....

[peterbbb]

Its writing that is like little mazes. I got lost in one...

[nekokami]

I suppose the reason it can have both eReader and Mobipocket is because it's WinCE....

[tsgreer]

This is actually pretty cool. I have to admit that I always loved the eReader program and have missed it a bit since I switched over to the e-ink side of things.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

This is actually pretty cool. I have to admit that I always loved the eReader program and have missed it a bit since I switched over to the e-ink side of things.

Most commercial eReader format eBooks will look awful on a 6" eink screen. The format is created for a tiny palm sized low res 4" screen. So not having eReader is not a problem. I want proper paragraph indents and no extra line spaces between every paragraph.

[bwaldron]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most commercial eReader format eBooks will look awful on a 6" eink screen.

I don't know. I've seen eReader books on a PC screen and they looked fine to me.

[Faenad]

With an extra Dll file that allow windows Mobile apps to run on WinCE (Windows Mobile is based on WinCE), µBook Reader is compatible too, and will adapt itseft perfectly to the 800x600 resolution (I used it on a 800x480 5'' WinCE Nexio Tablet).

Adobe Reader for Pocket PC 1.0 works on WinCE too (not the 2.0 version though) and will use the 800x600 resolution. Slovoed Dictionnary works too.

Too bad Windows Mobile haven't been chosen over WinCe, even if the license cost more. Windows Mobile is much more user friendly and a lots of great ebook apps exists for it, like tomeRaider, Repligo, various Dictionnary, etc. Only a few of them will works on WinCE. Some will works but only use the standard 320x240 WinMobile Resolution.

Still, if the actual hardware is fine, it should be a nice device open to many formats

[GntlmnBndt]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most commercial eReader format eBooks will look awful on a 6" eink screen. The format is created for a tiny palm sized low res 4" screen. So not having eReader is not a problem. I want proper paragraph indents and no extra line spaces between every paragraph.

I thought I read that this was a function of the software rendering, not the format, and could vary depending on the situation (desktop vs. handheld, I guess). When I went looking, I found the comment was originally posted in response to one of your previous comments on the same issue. Rather than repeat the same thing, and try to recreate the image, I'll just point to the previous post.

The Bandit

[seajewel]

I haven't read any recent reviews of the product, but people who got the product in spring (it's been delayed multiple times) gave it horrible reviews. Very slow page turns, bugs, products that were DOA..

[Ebook lover]

I would want a WinCE eBook device because it can support many different formats, but the device is too ugly for me to get interested.

[Fourl29]

Just happened to cross paths with this thread, and I 'd like to comment, how far we've come with eink readers (albeit how very slowly and frustratingly we've got there) from the aptly titled soribook to the various vapourware, bankrupt and almost bankrupt manufacturers, bugs galore, the stupidity of not including a front light to begin with, poor contrasts, poor dpi, abysmally bad hardware... to...

finally, some devices and ecosystems that despite their flaws are actually usable.

For every avid reader, it's good to see a technology with such growing pains finally starting to come to its own.

Since the tablet tsunami didn't manage to kill off eink, better things are ahead, and here's hoping that manufacturers step up their game and offer quality products, well built and with attention to detail, and with bug free, stable and intuitive software. And that they take their heads out of the behind and realize that eink readers are not simply a niche; and a great product, even if it has to be more expensive than the usual price frame (which is already the cheapest around compared to tablets and mobile phones) will be rewarded by consumers.