Gadget User Blog

So, I thought it might be useful to update on my progress with the Bebook. I have finished one novel on the device and I’m happy to report that it is a comfortable device to work with. Reading is easy, navigating is easy. In fact when you have to put the book down, whether you like it or not (!), you don’t lose your place. There’s no fumbling with bookmarks or worries about losing your page. You simply close the book and open it again when you’re ready to pick up where you left off. Simple. If you want to read something else for a while, the device remembers where you were in your previous book. You don’t need to find your page again, the device remembers it for you.

This makes picking up from where you left off to reading a simple and pleasurable task. In fact, you get back to reading with a minimum of fuss.

I’ve been reading on the bus, at lunchtime and in the evening before sleeping. The Bebook is great for all of these situations. A crowded bus is probably where the Bebook comes into its own. No fumbling with pages. You can read one-handed – one had with the Bebook and one hand holding onto the rails – something you need to do with Sydney’s bus drivers!

The Bebook has only crashed twice in the week. Not really sure why but a simple reset solves the problem. This interrupts your reading for about two minutes. All in all the Linux-based operating system is pretty robust.

If there is only one complaint it’s that the screen background is not a little whiter. I’ve found that reading by lamplight, such as reading in bed, can be a little difficult. The text appears a bit dim. The flip side of this is that in bright light or sunlight reading the Bebook is just fantastic. The text is crisp and easy to read. I guess it’s difficult making the screen look perfect in every light situation.

I may well get a purpose designed reading lamp to use for bed side reading.

Today I downloaded two new books to read and I can’t wait to get started on them. Downloading books has proved to be quite easy. I’m using DRM books with the Mobipocket format. It seems to work okay. There isn’t a huge selection of book in Australia but Dymocks sells on line and I’ve purchased some from eBooks.com.

If you’re thinking about getting a Bebook I’m pleased to say that week two of owning it is not making me regret the decision one bit. In fact I’m looking forward to more reading with it. Plus I’m saving on the purchase price of hard copy books. I’ve already saved about $35 with my first purchases.

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