The first BeBook ereader with WiFi technology, the February-bound Neo boasts of easy access to book vendors from around the world and a faster browsing and operating capability.

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Features – Hardware and Software

The 6-inch BeBook Neo shows a different personality than Endless Ideas’ previous entries. Gadget lovers will notice the absence of a numerical keypad. Replacing the characteristic BB buttons is a single D-pad wheel. Battery life of 7000 page turns is standard, but shift from 400MHz ARM processor to 532MHz Freescale processor renders the BeBook Neo better operating and browsing speed. BeBook claims the new processor makes the BeBook Neo two and a-half times faster than rival ereaders.

The new BB device still uses e-ink display, but it is now rolled out with touch panel technology from WACOM in order to add writing functions to the device. A stylus lets you flip pages, as well annotate, sketch, add notes, and highlight texts. There’s also an onboard QWERTY keyboard for entering texts.

Another feature that distinguishes the NEO from the other BBs is its capability to access websites (BeBook highlighted Google and Wikepedia). It even claims to be the first WiFi-enabled ereader with access to web stores from around the world, allowing you to buy from any local or international store of your liking. A world map of third-party ebook stores is pre-installed.

The BeBook Neo supports a wide variety of formats including Adobe DRM and Mobi. Other regularities include a USB connector, a headphone jack, and a 16GB SD expansion slot.

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The Bottom Line

The BeBook Neo is definitely a big improvement on its predecessors. For people looking for a device with great reading and writing capability and an easy access to a wide range of book vendors, the BeBook Neo is bound to arrive this February with a price tag of $299.

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Features  – Hardware and Software

The BeBook Mini, distributed by Netherlands-based Endless Ideas, is actually a variant of Jinke’s Hanlin V3. They share the same looks, the same hardware. The difference lies on the firmware.

BeBook Mini has all the basics of a modern ereader. It has a backlight-free e-paper display optimized for long reads, power-thrift battery capable of juicing up to 7000 pages per charge, and 8-level grayscale that mimics contrast/resolution of real books. Onboard storage of 512 MB is rather sparse compared to leading ereaders like the Kindle and Sony Touch Edition, but inclusion of 16GB SD slot can level up differences.

Versatility with file formats, a strength of the first BeBook, is a shared character of the BeBook Mini. The device supports a wide range of text, file, and music formats include tif, djvu, fb2, lit, and htm. It can display public domain books as well as DRM-protected content from bookstores like Dymocks and Mobipocket titles. Another step up for the BeBook is the addition of Text-to-Speech. You now have the option of listening to a book read out loud to you.

Packaged in a small form factor of 150 x 105 mm and 10 mm thick andweighing less than 6 ounces, the BB Mini comes in two color options: black and white. Numerical keypads below the screen are used for page and menu navigations.

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The Bottom Line

The BeBook Mini was already released in Europe and Asia, and plans of releasing it in the US are under way. Though the BeBook Mini needs improvement in interface and design, it still has a lot of things to admire about. If you are looking for a functional device without the big price tag, the BeBook Mini is light on the pocket, light to be carried around.

Bebook eReader Overview

Endless Ideas, a Netherlands-based office electronics manufacturer, introduced the BeBook at the end of 2008, not as a new e-reader but a variant of the Chinese Hanlin V3. It has the same 6-inch built, portability, and matte finish, but the BeBook 1 Electronic Book Reader hopes to draw more fans by offering benefits such as free firmware updates, hundreds of pre-installed books and thousands of ready-to-download classical titles. 

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 Features – Hardware and Software

The Bebook 1 Electronic Book Reader comes with the same hardware layout as the Hanlin V3: underneath the viewing screen are 10 numbered buttons, menu, page back and forward buttons, and an OK button. When you power the device, you land on the library file menu which lets you sort your files by title, filename, or size.

Once you get into the book, reading is as effortless and quite comfortable. Page turn is not as fast as that of the Kindle, but no flash effect between turns makes it more appealing to users.  A nice touch is the keypad lock-system, a feature absent from the Hanlin V3, which prevents accidental button pushes.

Support for Windows and Mac and the open standard system, which allows readers to shop books, newspapers, or magazines from thousands of online stores rather than be tied to a single bookstore, is also standard in the Bebook 1 as it is in the Hanlin reader. What sets the BeBook 1 from its Chinese counterpart then is the pre-installed 150 ebooks and access to 20,000 ready-to-download titles from the BeBook website. 

Endless Ideas is also toiling to make the device unique from other re-brands of the Hanlin V3 such as the EZ Reader (USA), Papyre 6.1 (Spain), and Walkbook (Turkey) . The company has announced its partnership with STYLZ, the same manufacturer of Apple accessories, to bring custom-made BeBook cases to users who want to personalize their device. 
The Bottom Line

For $249, the BeBook 1 Electronic Book Reader gives everything you need from an e-reader. It’s also a wonderful answer for users who live of the US and who have problems getting a reliable e-reader. 

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