Bookeen now shipping $280 Cybook Opus e-reader
By Darren Murph 
posted September 23rd 2009 12:26AM
posted September 23rd 2009 12:26AM
[Via GizmoScene]
posted September 23rd 2009 12:26AM
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Based on those product shots, I'm guessing it's not thin.
150g. and it's thin/ check the flickr gallery /ebouquin
it isn't worthy of 280 bucks. at least i don't like it at all.
doubles as a wake board
Reminds me of my XV6900
I'll stick with my Kindle 2 and iPod touch with Kindle app, thanks.
I might have to swing over to Best Buy and have a look at the new iRex, and its 8.1" touch-screen:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/technology/internet/23ebooks.html?_r=1&ref=business
I have one Opus for 1 month and I can say this is an incredibly good product. Very thin, light, and totally open, which means you can drag virtually any type of text file into it. I don't live in the US, so the 3G, Amazon purchases and keyboard on the Kindle would be useless anyway.
Tip: if you buy it from BooksOnBoard.com, you pay $249 instead of the $280 charged from Bookeen directly. Unfortunately I found out about it too late, but even with the price I paid I couldn't be happier about it.
+1 for "those of us outside major countries"
I personally (gasp!) _like_ to read on LCD instead of paper (yes, I know I'm alone on it), but I have a few relatives who might just buy this.
Anything with 3G is _completely useless_ and impossible to get in my country. And I don't see how WiFi is good for an eBook reader, USB will do just fine.
At least over here in Sweden it's about 100€ cheaper then the PRS-505 that I finally got.
E-ink devices are still hard to find here and it was just by chance that I saw that the local Sony Style center had imported some from UK.
And I agree with a previous comment _why_ would I wan't WiFi or 3G on a eBook reader other then to shorten it's battery life (and make it more expensive)?
I still wonder why all of them have mp3 playback, does anyone really use that?
At $280 its only $19 cheaper than the kindle which comes with a lifetime wireless service (that you can turn off when not using to save battery). I understand that wireless is useless outside the US but here it makes the kindle a stand alone device, so no computer needed to purchase and download books.
Yeah but you have to convert EVERYTHING through amazon, even your own files, to hell with that, americans love to be tied to companies and their stores, the rest of the world has other fetishes, that's also a good reason to not try to peddle the zune 'experience' in the EU I guess, even if they manage it under EU laws they'd find sales figures to be poor.
Oh not to be one of those people, but the cybook opus has been on sale since early july, in europe at least
The other thing to keep in mind about Amazon is that you are essentially at their mercy regarding the books on your device. Granted, I don't expect them to remove content again after the 1984 debacle, but at the same time, if Amazon decides in a few years to stop supporting the Kindle, users might have content stuck on their devices that they have no way of transferring to other more open devices.
I bought an Opus at the beginning of August and find it perfect for its intended use - reading books. It doesn't need WiFi, it doesn't need 3G, it doesn't need mp3 playback - it's an ebook reader.
The size is great (screen-size a little smaller than a paperback) and it weighs next to nothing. It might not have as many file-format options as some other devices, but there are a variety of free tools available to convert to EPUB, which seems to be picking up more momentum as the ebook format of choice.
If you want an ebook reader for simply reading, the Opus is a good choice. On the other hand, if you're needing something for technical documents and/or note-taking, look somewhere else.