BeBook 2 e-reader revealed and in the wild at CeBIT 2009!
By Darren Murph 
posted March 6th 2009 1:03PM
posted March 6th 2009 1:03PM
The next iteration of the BeBook should be a serious contender in the e-reader market, particularly in Europe where Amazon's Kindle has yet to invade. The inclusion of WiFi and 3G is a good move (great move, actually), as those two additions open up all sorts of possibilities that non-connected readers simply can't access. As for the device itself? We're digging it. The build quality felt remarkably sturdy, the aesthetics were beautiful and the thinness was certainly notable. The e-ink display has also stepped up the greyscale level from the original BeBook, and battery life should remain the same despite not being as bulky. As you can tell, the screen also supports doodling, and it tracked inputs as well as we could've hoped. We still couldn't pry out a price, but you can be on the lookout for this to drop worldwide somewhere in the Q3 to Q4 2009 time frame.
I don't know anyone that has an ebook reader, just like I've only met 2 or 3 people who have zunes. Why all this coverage?
Because if this site only covered gadgets I already owned, it would be worthless.
Your neglect doesn't mean anything. Three of my best friends have eBook reader, I have one too. We have different ebooks: three Sony 505 and one eBookwise. One of my co-workers bought Sony 505 because she saw me using it. I am thinking of getting Kindle too.
A few other friends of mine read books on their PDA/iPhone/computer.
So I guess it depends on the environment you live in. If your friends prefer paper or just don't read much (no pun intended), it doesn't mean everybody around is like that.
...Oh, almost forgot, I also have Zune (with Zune pass) and iPod Touch, so you can say I am on both sides, if you wish ;)))
Well said, Jon! The best part of the ridiculous overload of gadget news that Engadget fires out is finding new things to want to spend all your money on! : )
Looks nice - but I have already taken the plunge on the Kindle2.
What's the touch screen technology, and does it reduce the screen contrast like on the Sony PRS-700?
Yeah now make one thats affordable! Or better yet lower the price on the old model and keep it around also!
eBook readers that have open formats are really cool but they are all way to expensive for me to bite.
16bit greyscale? As in 65 535 levels of grey? Seriously?
Aww, he caught it. Big difference between 16bit and 16 shades.
but can it run computerized dom-jot?
The resolution and processing are key for me personally. My main interest in one of these is as a mobile PDF reader, as i have many ebooks and reference manuals in PDF form and could really use it as a mobile document center. Unfortunately the low res on these readers have made them less then ideal for full frame PDF docs.
Nice addition but it doesn´t really deserve the name if it isn´t running BeOS.
I was hoping it did!
looks good
Like always 8.5"x11" version without any of those extra buttons just the screen and I would be happy. Add wifi and an SDK and let the dev have fun.
Erm... "without all those [9] buttons," how would you be able to flip through your library or turn pages? And if the bezel's the gripe, how would you hold it without your fingers getting in the way/leaving finger prints on the screen/activating the touch screen (in this case)?
engaoget ?
you should try gogoling it at gogole.com
just the usual engaoget typo ;)
It's a curly d
reads more like a random capital 'D'
I've had an ebook reader just about 10 years now. I bought a Rocket eBook in early Spring of 1999. My biggest gripe with all the newer devices is the lack of a backlight. If I can't read at night without a light on that wakes my partner, if I can't read while on an overnight flight without turning on the seat light and bothering the person in the next seat and so on, then I might as well read on my old Rocket eBook for now and save it and the titles I can still get for it, for traveling.
That doesn't mean that I won't devour a new ebook device when the right one for me comes along. The new Kindle is darn tempting but...no backlight...UGH!
Books don't have backlights—why e-ink (and said ebook readers) is advantageous, you are not staring at a light bulb for hours at end.
Plus you could always get a clip light.
backlights aren't possible with e-paper, because it's a reflective technology. a backlight generally isn't needed either for the same reason - if you could comfortably read a normal book in that lighting you should be able to read an epaper screen in that lighting too (more or less). obviously that doesn't apply in your situation...
...but, not to point out the obvious but sony's prs-700 or something has built-in frontlighting, maybe you should look into that?
sweet magna-doodle.
Glad to have competition in this market. I have the Sony PRS-505 and admittedly having wi-fi would be even better. That being said, I often read lengthy books so I really don't ever find myself needing to download a book on the go--I've got a backlog of books that will last me quite a while.
What will the memory capacity, expandability, battery life, and media compatibility be?
e.g. the Kindle 2 only has a pathetic 2GB, no SDHC slots, and no USB Host, for storage devices.
You can buy relatively cheap 64GB USB sticks now, so why not take advantage of this capacity, and stop having to rely on out-of-date storage capacity in portable devices?
Worst customer support.. these people are hostile and couldn't care less to make my sale.. thank god I went with the Kindle 2.. more features, better customer support and no risk that the company will go under anytime soon..
Look, every time engadget has a bebook story you post the same thing. Those of use that care get it. You contacted them to ask a question, their email reply was to "look at the support forums" and that upset you.
However, that does not demonstrate to my a systemic problem with customer service. I'm not even a customer but when I made sales inquiries on their sales contact page (the same page you used for support, apparently) their responses have been timely, to the point, and cordial.
Get that chip of your shoulder, you'll feel a lot better about it.
I'm in the market now and trying to figure out which system is best. They all seem to make things so much more difficult, or more correctly, they want to make money w/ numerous new launches. Why they don't give you the option of a light feature, very simple tech, why they don't offer a colour feature, for people that like to read comics, or for parents that would like to have the ability to down load them for their kids to read on lengthy journeys, why they can not be compatible to most formats, txt, pdf, jpeg, etc simply boggles the mind. At the end of the day, battery life is all good, but I'm willing to c the life shortened should i turn on the colour function or use the light feature when reading in the dark etc.
I am leaning towards Kindle 2 or Sony PRS-700, but am worried i will not be able to down load from my computer onto the system and then read my files. Kindle doesn't seem to support any other format, unless you email them the documents, books, pdf etc that you may have on your computer for them convert? Not so much of a cost issue as a mojor hassle factor??
can anyone advise which would be the best product, keeping in mind that i travel a lot and also live outside the US at present.
thanks