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Specs:

Our Analysis:

How I conducted my analysis of the BeBook One:

Reviewing the BeBook One was quite similar to reviewing the Cool-er eReader. When you finish reading this review you will know exactly why. I read over five different expert websites and 10 customer reviews to get a detailed description about the BeBook One.

What I thought of the BeBook One:

The BeBook was first introduced to the market at the end of 2007. Since then it was re-launched as the BeBook One in March of 2010. The process included some hardware upgrades such as more grayscales (16 instead of 4), the ability to zoom in on PDFs, font type change, and other aspects.

Much like 2007, even in 2010 the BeBook One doesn’t seem to be a worthy competitor. I mean, it has everything an eBook reader needs, of course: A six-inch e-ink display, 512mb of internal memory which can be expanded to at least 4GB, different fonts and font sizes, and it even plays MP3s and audio books. But all of these and more are already present in every other eBook reader with the same price tag.

The BeBook One on its own may make a fine eReading device, but when compared to the Kindle 2 or the Nook it lacks wireless abilities, also lacks a big enough eBook store to support it, and its design looks cheap. Its older brother, the BeBook Neo, is a much better alternative with its Wi-Fi capabilities, but its price tag is $40 more than other leading brands.

So BeBook seems to be neither here nor there. They don’t have the best price tag and they don’t offer the best features. Their only strong point is their worldwide shipping, which probably will be taken from them soon enough.

On the bright side, the BeBook One does support a huge variety of file formats, which makes it compatible with just about any eBook on the market (except for “personal” formats such as Amazon’s AZW), and even PPT and DOC formats can be displayed. The built-in PDF zoom is also a much welcome feature, since in the older model you were barely able to make something out of PDFs that were displayed on the device.

Another advantage the BeBook One has is its easy navigation system and user interface. The BeBook ensures you’re rarely two taps away from your chosen eBook. And although it does seem that Endless Ideas BV, the company that manufactures the BeBook series, has put some thought into it, it’s still not enough to go head to head with Amazon’s, B&N’s or even Sony’s eReaders.

Online experts’ opinions of the BeBook One:

I went through the following websites—PC Pro UK, Top Ten Reviews, Play.com, PC World, and CNET UK—in order to find updated reviews about the BeBook One. Unfortunately, all I could find were reviews about the original BeBook back in 2008. Most major flaws that were reported back then were taken care of in this version of the BeBook One, but the device itself still doesn’t seem to stand out from the competition in the eBook market.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the device’s design. In the words of PC World—“The Bebook’s grainy plastic casing looks and feels cheap compared with the smart two-tone metal of similar devices. To make things worse, its edges are quite rough and consequently it’s uncomfortable to hold when not kept in its leather casing.”

What customers who bought the BeBook One thought about it:

Users who loved the BeBook One liked its crisp display, which was pretty easy to read, and the fact that the BeBook One’s battery is a common cell phone battery which can be easily replaced (Scotty S—Amazon reviewer). Also, the multiple format support was discussed as a major advantage (Orwell2K—Mobile Read forum).

On the other hand, customers who didn’t like the BeBook One argued that it’s not compatible with books that are purchased on Amazon, WH Smith, and so on (Ian F—Amazon reviewer). Also, the device’s build quality is cheap and its plastic is too “flimsy” (Kyrs Brennand—Amazon reviewer).

The verdict:

Now you know why I said this review reminded me of the Cool-er eBook reader so much. Because just like the Cool-er, the BeBook One doesn’t have anything to distinguish itself from others. Its main advantage is its wide variety of supported formats, but with today’s eReaders that advantage isn’t going to stand for long. On the downside, it lacks basic wireless capabilities, has minimal internal storage space, and holds the same price tag as the Kindle 2 or Nook. If you have no other option the BeBook One is a decent eReader on its own, but if you can go for something else you’d be making a wise choice.

Our Sources:

For this analysis I have also covered online reviews from the following websites:

              

and also PC World, and Gutenberg News.

*Prices are only estimates and may vary from time to time, eReader central does not guarantee the stated prices.