Despite what some of the US team feel about the eBook reader market, I’m actually a bit of a fan. And the BeBook Neo, which should start shipping from early March, actually seem like a pretty good deal. Once you overlook the pricetag, that is.
The BeBook Neo stands out from the rest of the eBook reader market by including Wi-Fi, plus the ability to purchase books from a variety of global ebook sites directly from the device. You can also purchase from eBook stores around the world, so you can find the best possible deals.
The BeBook Neo supports a variety of file formats, including DRM’d PDFs and ePub, and has WACOM touch panel technology inside, making the touchscreen capable of taking notes and annotations. It also functions as a web browser, just like previous BeBook devices.
Where the Neo gets difficult is in the price – it’ll set you back $625 including GST. Considering the Kindle DX, which has a 9.7-inch screen as opposed to the BeBook Neo’s six-inch, costs about $550, that price does seem a little too steep. Still, for those who hate being locked in to one particular company for both device and content, this looks like it might be an attractive option.
[BeBook]
shidifu
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 10:13 PMcorrection..previous bebook devices had no wifi/browsing capability.
this is a OEM of the Onyx Boox60 from guandong,china
bruce
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 6:30 AMIt looks like the Neo goes for 589, only a bit more then the Kindle. 3 firmware updates and the Neo is a lot cheaper!
Ian
Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 11:17 PMJust who do BeBook think they are kidding with their Australian pricing? The Neo can be had in the US for USD $249 (see http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/), and our dollar is worth more than theirs these days! They still want AUD $459 for it, as at http://mybebook.com/6-inch-ereaders/c14/p25/bebook-neo-ereader/product_info.html This sort of international price differential is absolute rubbish in the globalised world. My reason for not buying a Neo is not the price – it’s the unfair price when the same product is sold in the US for not much more than half the Australian price. Crooks!