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BeBook Neo Review
It is no secret that the world is shrinking. We live on a planet where global markets are commonplace, and the sharing of information across continents is just as common. The BeBook Neo is one of those unique e-readers that came along to take advantage of this new global marketplace. While the BeBook Neo is not well-known in the US, it is a major player across the globe.
The BeBook Neo is made by Endless Ideas BV. This is a Dutch company that has a history of producing outstanding electronics. In terms of e-readers, they have three models on the market: the BeBook One, the BeBook Mini, and the BeBook Neo.
This article takes a look at only the BeBook Neo.
One feature of the BeBook Neo that many users will find attractive is its small size. Unlike much of its competition, the Neo can easily be held in one hand. This cannot be said for other e-readers such as the Kindle or Nook, both of which require two hands in order to be held for any period of time.
While the overall device is small, the screen is a full 6 inches, measured diagonally, which is big enough for comfortably reading text and viewing smaller images.
The screen uses e-Ink technology, and offers users touch-screen versatility. To operate the touch-screen, users must use the included stylus as finger pressure will not work. The touch-screen also allows users to annotate, make notes, sketch, and do mark-up editing. Users can also increase or decrease the size of the text to make for easier reading. The device also incorporates a search feature that allows you to find words or passages within books or document. Also, the device has a ZOOM feature that is very handy for quickly increasing the size of anything that may be on the screen, including photos.
Navigation of the Neo is accomplished through a circular, three-tier system that is easy enough to use once the user has spent some time with it.
One of the more exciting features of the BeBook Neo is its ability to download e-books from a variety of sources. Users go to the Neo eBook portal (via the device) and a map of the world will display. Users click on their location and are presented with a list of e-book vendors from whom they can buy.
The Neo uses Wi-Fi to access the Web. It does not support 3G or Bluetooth at all. With its Freescale processor, the Neo is one of the fastest browsers on the market today, and this can be an important factor for those who need to access the Web on a regular basis. It has been reported that the Neo is 25 percent faster than its competitors when it comes to online speed.
As of this writing, the BeBook Neo supports the following formats: e-PUB, PDF, TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI, CHM, PDB, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF.
As an international device, it supports the following languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Finnish, and Chinese.
The Neo comes with a USB connector cable, Quick Start User's Guide and User's Manual. The BeBook Neo does not come with a wall charger. Considering the device is sold all over the world, this only makes sense. For those purchasing a Neo, choose your optional wall charger according to where you plan to charge the device.
A major advantage to owning the Neo is its compatibility feature. Most other e-readers will only support e-books that are purchased from their stores. The Neo allows users to download and enjoy virtually any e-book format because it is fully open source. In addition to e-books, the Neo will also support many newspapers, magazines, and even blogs.
The internal memory of the Neo comes in at about 512 MB. This is enough to store approximately 1,000 books. The device also has an optional external SD card that allows for virtually unlimited storage, depending on how many cards one has.
The battery life on the Neo is decent and in-line with other e-book readers. On average, users can get about 7500 page turns before a charge is needed.
The Neo is MP3 compatible which makes listening to audio files a snap. Audio files can include both music and audio books. There is a standard input jack for headphone use, but headphones are not included and must be purchased separately.
The BeBook Neo has a fine line of accessories as well. Users can purchase attachable reading lights, skins to personalize the unit, wall chargers, and carrying cases. According to the manufacturer, more accessories are on the way.
Because the Neo is sold all over the world, pricing will, of course, vary. Those interested in purchasing a BeBook Neo should do some online shopping to get the best deal.