Cybook Gen3 info: The currency and Mac issues and others, including HTML

By David Rothman

Why does the Cybook Gen3 cost more in Europe than in the States? Will this new E Ink machine (price $US350) work with Macs? What can the HTML viewer do? Below are answers that Michael Dehan of Bookeen kindly supplied to those and other questions. Thanks, Michael! Subheads are mine.

The NAEB machine

Concerning NAEB, we haven’t set all the details with them right now (due mainly to us). More to come very soon.

Currency issues

Concerning Euro-Dollar, don’t forget VAT, taxes and shipment price. If we compare with standard practices in the Consumer Electronics industry, Apple proposes higher model prices in Euro than in US dollars on their Apple store, Sony does the same with the PS3, Archos (a French company) proposes the same model price in Euros and USD for their MPEG4 players.

Euro warranties vs. U.S. ones

European warranty is one year, but there is a European directive which describes “the principle of the conformity of the product with the contract” which is not linked to defects or malfunctions which is covered by a standard guarantee. According to the directive: “The seller is liable to the consumer for any lack of conformity which exists when the goods are delivered to the consumer and which becomes apparent within a period of two years.”

Let’s take an example, I say on my notice that my device supports PDF, but when I deliver it, it appears that PDF is not supported and I release no software upgrade to correct the issue. Then there is a lack of conformity between the device and its description; the customer can ask to get a device which works in conformity with the notice and this during two years.

For info our device does support PDF. As written in our website and packaging.

Macs

The Cybook works with Apple Mac. When you connect a Cybook to a Mac, it is seen as an UMS (USB Mass Storage). You can thus easily drag and drop your files in the Cybook. Concerning DRM (encrypted) e-books: once you bought a
book in an ebook store, you need to manually enter the Cybook device PID (10 characters identifier) in the e-book store web interface just before downloading(*). eNews and RSS synchronization will not work on a Mac.

Actually the Mobipocket Desktop Reader program (which synchronizes RSS feeds and eNews with the Cybook) is only Windows compatible software. (*) You need to enter this identifier only once.

HTML

Our HTML reader is rather simple in its first version. It doesn’t deal with tables or CSS. But we will enhance the whole HTML support for the next upgrade.

Bookeen’s YouTube Video

Concerning youtube vid, it has been seen more than 12 000 and it has been a great tool for us to better understand how our interface was working.

I agree on the quality we will do better next time. The cover doesn’t attach to the Cybook but embrace it like a case. In this case both the screen and the back of the Cybook are protected.

Technorati Tags: Bookeen , Cybook Gen3 , Michael Dehan , Mobipocket