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First batch of Cybook Gen3s sold out?
October 30, 2007 | 11:21 pm
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By David Rothman
Joseph Gray spotted this just now on the Bookeen site:
"Due to overwhelming demand, all orders from now on will ship between December 5 and December 13, 2007."
Technorati Tags: Cybook Gen3
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Comments:
you know, I dawdled over buying the cybook. I was ready to buy, but just didn’t feel comfortable ordering something which no one had ever seen. I was waiting for more information.
that’s a bummer, because i really wanted one, but I wanted to wait a few days to see if amazon was going to come out with anything. Damn you amazon!
this should give analysts pause; if people are buying these things sight unseen without a huge campaign to market it, imagine what that portends for the ebook device industry.
probably a small company like bookeen doesn’t have a lot of cash on hand to keep a generous inventory. perhaps this is a sign that small companies can enter the market and do very well. That is encouraging.
>>>this should give analysts pause; if people are buying these things sight unseen without a huge campaign to market it, imagine what that portends for the ebook device industry.
This is the Internet. Not the real world.
In the Land of the Net, “Snakes on a Plane” was a box-office smash and our next President was Howard Dean.
Well, it could be argued that Snakes on a Plane was released too late to take advantage of the online buzz related to it.
It could be argued, but it wouldn’t be a winning position.
Additional evidence that the Net is NOT the real world:
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2007/11/01/shocker-blogs-fans-eschew-dead-tree-tie-in
Whether the net is the real world or not really has no bearing on the fact that the initial batch of Cybooks sold out so fast. They have a physical product that is currently under high demand by real people, paying real money. I’d say we’re dealing with the real world here. Sure, much of the publicity has taken place on the internet, but print media and word of mouth have accomplished the same thing for years.
No, the Net is different than the real world. Argue all you want. Then get smashed by the cruel edges of the real world:
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2007/11/01/shocker-blogs-fans-eschew-dead-tree-tie-in
And I’ve been online since the days of The Source and CompuServe and BBSes, OK?
Get the Cybook in real stores and then tell me they’re selling out and we can have a party.
I never said that the net was the real world. Re-read what I did say.
As for bragging rights, I’ve been online just as long, it seems. But this has no bearing on the story. And besides, who cares?
Let’s just drop this pointless discussion, ok?
Perhaps you should re-read what you wrote.
Dismissed!
Next!
Hey, guys, you’re both old Net hands. Bartender is serving drinks and suggesting that we let readers judge for themselves re the statements (as opposed to stretching out the discussion). Thanks. David
I just received my Cybook Gen 3, and I can say that I am quite pleased with it. This is my first e-ink device so I can’t really compare it to others of that ilk.
The most informative comment I can give you is that I definitely recommend the leather case. The unit itself feels fine. Its solid, and there are no rattles or signs of weakness. HOWEVER, it is so thin, and so lightweight that I’m a bit nervous about it. Not only when I hold it, but I can see that (after the newness wears off) it would be easy to lose in a pile of papers or in some other spot.
The leather case is clearly custom made and fits it quite solidly. It not only adds protection, but it adds just enough substance/mass to make me feel more confident about handling the device.
I did spring for the deluxe pack, but I’m still debating whether it was worth $100 more. There is no way to charge the spare battery without installing it. Therefore, the battery is for use when the current battery wears out. As long as I don’t break the unit before then, and as long as I can still find the spare wherever I choose to store it, I guess its a good purchase. On the other hand, unless Bookeen goes out of business, I could always have purchased the battery when I needed it. I don’t need the headphones so much. I do need the 2gb card, but I think it can be had for a bit cheaper elsewhere. The AC adapter is useful. So, an alternative to purchasing the deluxe unit is to buy the basic unit with a leather cover and an AC adapter. Then purchase an SD card elsewhere.
Finally, I haven’t used the product much yet, but I would readily buy it again. My only question at this point is in regard to the durability of the square button on the bottom right corner. This button is the only way to turn pages, and I hope it holds up to long term use. It appears to be solid, I just hope that it does not have any tendency to wear out. As a point of reference, I was a purchaser of the ebookman from Franklin many years ago. It failed when the rocker dial used to change pages failed on me.
Michael
Congratulations on the Cybook. I saw some pictures of the leather cover over at MobileRead. I was wondering how much the cover interferes with using the D-pad (the square button), since it is recessed into the cover.
As to the durability of the D-pad, I don’t know about the quality of the parts used in the Cybook, but D-pad controls have been used on PDAs for years and usually hold up quite well.