Review Cybook Gen3 eBook Reader
Model number: Gen3

The Cybook Gen3 eBook was developed as a dedicated device for reading e-books. For the most part, the Cybook is fairly quick and responsive. It has a readable display, good battery life, good RSS support, and as a dedicated e-book reader it usually does its job very well, but its lack of features will be an attraction for some and a turn-off for others.

The Cybook Gen3 digital reader is thin, light and small. The device features a 6-inch display screen that utilizes the latest e-paper screen and “eInk” technology, a very comfortable and low eyestrain way to read in well-lit environments. The screen of the Cybook Gen3 appears more gray than white as it uses a 4 gray-scale for its display. As with most eBook readers, it is not recommended for use in low light.

Although supported, reading PDF documents is only a bonus feature. In many cases the text on the PDF appears too small to be readable or large, complex PDF documents may appear blank. There is the ability to convert PDF and other types of files using the Mobipocket Reader software. Conversion is easy and the final document is then readable with the device.

The simplicity of this devices interface may be appealing to some and a turn-off for others. The Cybook Gen3 has very few keys and inputs. The Cybook's flip-page mechanism is somewhat dated. On the right side of the unit are two page navigation keys and on the left side are four small menu keys. The small on/off button does require a long press to activate the device and is situated close to the SD card slot. The addition of a 2.5mm sound plug makes it possible to listen to MP3s on the device with the supplied earphones. The unit includes a reset button and operates with a 1000 mAH Li-Polymer battery. The Cybook Gen3 Reader does come with a small charging and sync connector. The Cybook is charged using a supplied USB cable. Like most digital readers, the Cybook Gen3 has amazing battery life unless you are using the music player, which drains a battery much faster. The Cybook has some basic-image viewing capabilities, including a special device-created folder for images.

The organizational features of the unit are somewhat lacking. There are no sub-categories for organization. If you add 100 books to your device you will have to scroll through all 100 to find the book you are looking for. Also, upon starting to read a book, the Cybook Gen3 creates a bar at the bottom of the screen showing where you are in the book, which is helpful, but the unit does lack a page numbering system for keeping track of where you are in a book. It should be noted that the page turning abilities of this unit are easily comparable, if not better than other leading eBook readers on the market.

The Mobipocket Reader Software lets you add books and RSS feeds, as well as buy e-books from a variety of online stores. Using the Mobipocket Reader software, users are able to integrate a RSS support for the device. Although without wireless capabilities, the Cybook can only sync when connected to a PC with Mobipocket Reader software.

The device does show some potential and would be ideal for a consumer seeking a no frills eBook digital reader, but there will be a continuous need for firmware version updates to fix current issues and to add some much needed features.