1 DON'T Upgrade the REB 1100!!
Just a note to future readers -
If you take Gemstar up on their offer to "upgrade" this model you will receive some nice new features, however what they don't tell you is that your machine will become PROPRIETARY! All the books you had before will become unreadable and your ebook will only be able to "read" Gemstar books in the future. This means you are force to buy all future books from the Gemstar catalog only!
The new features that come with this upgrade to the 1150 model are hardly worth being locked into one ebook vendor forever. The openness of this little model is it's beauty - it's the last one of it's kind, as all future models are proprietary.
2 Excellent for a reader
This is excellent if you like to read but don't want to carry around a bunch of books - excellent for long business trips. I don't know what mood I'll be in, so I bring a variety of books on my ebook.
Because it's backlit, there is never an issue of enough light to read by - excellent for when I'm in a poorly lit restaurant.
I don't worry about shelf space at home anymore. I just order the books and then have them on my web-bookshelf.
The books available are growing every day. Lots of current fiction and also older titles. It's a great way to get Seabiscuit, and your Charles Dickens collection into your reading list.
Big thick books aren't a problem, because you can easily hold the device in on-hand. I carry a 700 page book of anecdotes for "light" reading, along with the other books I carry.
Excellent device. I recommend it to everyone.
3 Stuff the box doesn't tell ya...
I will admit, that this is a very nice package. The unit is a good weight and it looks wonderful... BUT...( and that's a big but).. this unit is proprietary! You can not convert .html, .txt, or anything else, into the .rb format. The software does not allow it and there are (according to customer support) no plans to create such software. This means you can not use your own content on this unit.
If you're going to buy something, do NOT look at this unit.
I kinda wish they'd put this stuff on the box (supports MMM filetypes) so I wouldn't have wasted my time buying it. Now I'll have to trek back to the store where I purchased it, to return it... and start looking all over again.
4 Can't do without it!
Has to be a misprint, as buying this new from RCA would have cost approx... RCA no longer has its name on this ebook reader. It is now in the hands of GEMSTAR again. It is called the GEB1100, now. (12/02) It is still about ... when bought new. (I have the REB1100 and updated it for ... by sending it to Gemstar, recently. Some nice new utilities were added to it. This is not necessary, though.)
When I fist bought mine new (from an on-line auctions site for ...), I played with it and learned the "controls." The directions are on the reader itself and also in a provided paper booklet/pamphlet. I still liked the feel of an actual book in my hands and thought that a "real book" was much easier to use. Why would someone want to read it on this device? I gave myself two weeks and forced myself to the REB1100 exclusively because I knew that I was just used to the old way of reading and am a creature of habit.
Now, I cannot do without it! I LOVE it! After using it for two weeks, I came to find the controls easy to use. I can rotate the screen to read a book with the reader horizontally positioned or vertically positioned. I can increase the typeface size to large or small. Since it is backlight (you can adjust the contrast and also the backlighting), I can read this in the comfy confines of my bed while my husband is sleeping in the darkness. I do not have to have a light on. I added a SmartMedia card and I can have approx. 40 books on this device at the same time. (About 20 without.) Perfect for traveling! (With the recent ... upgrade to equate it with the newly produced GEB readers, I can dog-ear a page electronically, highlight text, scribble notes or drawings, etc. Quite a lot for the price.)
The battery really does last as long as advertised. There are more ebooks available than one would think. The maker's site is the best because after you purchase a title, it is available on the website FOREVER, to re-download as often as you would like. The newest published titles are the most expensive, obviously. If you wait 6 months, the price goes way down. Most titles that I buy are usually about ...
Lastly, this is a black and white reading device. The electronic cover of the book will not be in color. The pages are black and white. I don't see any reason why I would want a color version (GEB1200). The price seems too steep. Then again, I haven't tried one. I am too happy with this one.
It comes with a protective cover, stylus, recharger, telephone "line" (You can plug it into your home phone outlet and connect to the bookstore for free. Buy titles or browse/download the catalogue.) It comes with a USB cable to connect to your PC, if you wish, and connect to any bookstore's website. Software is included, to put your "library" onto your desktop.
I thoroughly enjoy this product and hope to always have one.
5 Excellent product, best of the Gemstar offerings!
I started using ebooks with the old Rocket, Mom to the Reb1100. Loved the concept and flexibility. Ended up dropping it and bought a demo Reb1100 to replace it. My account transferred easily so I still have access to all my books. Love the Reb1100!
Advantages to this version: lighter than the Rocket; rubberized surface (less chance to drop!); nice reflective screen, about the size of a paper-back; excellent backlight; ability to upgrade the memory (normally I carry it with about 20 books, so haven't really needed the upgrade yet); GREAT battery - really does go 20-40 hours between charges, much better than on my PocketPC.
Someone else here was bend because they couldn't use their own content - NOT true! - and had problems with the USB driver. You do have to use the eBook Librarian, rather than the Rocket Librarian because of the USB connection. To use your own content, install the old Rocket Librarian (it automatically installs to a separate folder), then use the Rocket version to create the .rb files of your content. Import the .rb file into the eBook Librarian and your own content is added to your library and can be sent to the Reb1100.
By the way, I prefer to manage my books on the PC, rather than by modem. It's nice to be able to download books directly to the unit when away, but I think it's easier to see what you have, search, categorize, etc. on the PC using the librarian software. This is also why I won't be upgrading to Gemstar's newer versions, even though the color one is tempting. The new versions (starting with the 1150) don't support software on the PC for managing the books - you have to go online to update your unit. Plus: the battery life is much less; the cost is way too high - even involves subscription (Hah!) for some units; and they do NOT support personal content.
Bottom line: The Reb1100 is great!
6 I love the REB1100....
it is great for travelling. Easy to operate and easy to load the books onto it. However, the REB1100 is the ONLY REB that you can load third party content onto it. The newer version the 1150 does not allow you to load third party books -- you can only load the books sold through Gemstar or Powells (the same is true with the REB1200 and REB1250). So if you buy from other ebook publishers -- stick with the 1100.
7 A Warning about Upgrading your REB1100
I was very pleased with my REB1100, and when GemStar sent me an offer for an OS upgrade (making my reader into a GEB1150), I readily agreed.
WARNING! The software in the new system makes your REB1100 completely proprietary to GemStar! As a GEB1150, you can no longer backup your titles to your PC, you can no longer purchase titles from anywhere but from GemStar, and you can no longer create your own RB files to read on your eBook.
As a novelist, I used to review and edit my books on the eBook, saving me paper and time. Now, I can no longer do that. Also, all of the titles I bought from other sources I can no longer download to the eBook.
So while the REB1100 is a GREAT product, be aware of the possible problems with upgrading.
8 Fantastic ebook device
This is a fantastic device, though the asking price here on Amazon.com ...is a bit [high], I purchased my REB 1100 brand new ...for [less], and you can get the newer model the REB 1150 for [a bit more].
I would seriously avoid purchasing this unit for [the higher price].... I love mine, and use it all the time.
9 REB 1100 is great.
I have owned my REB 1100 for about three months. I carry it with me everywhere. It fits nicely into my purse. Everywhere I have used it in public (on airplanes, in restaurants, waiting rooms, etc.) I have been asked about it. It is easy on the eyes (I use the large print setting) and I can read in the dark, without disturbing anyone else.
I am confused about the extreemely high price of the device offered here! I only paid [money] for mine, new, from a national-chain office supply store.
Books download easily from the computer or the phone. Most downloads take 3-4 minutes. Cost of books depends on how new it is, but I have found that they usually cost about 60% of what you would pay retail for print edition.
10 REB1100
I recently purchased the REB1100 as a birthday present to myself and I absolutely love it. It's very compact and easy to use. The backlight made it easy to read at night. (No more complaints from the other half about my light being on). I also loaned it to a handicapped friend of mine who has limited hand mobility. He also said that it was fantastic and loved the fact that he did not have to struggle to both hold a book and turn the pages at the same time. He just lays it in his lap when in his wheelchair. My only problem is that there is not a large selection of the books I like to read for the REB1100 or REB1200 so I would recommend checking out the website for books to see if there is a large enough selection for someone to make purchase worthwhile
11 Your mileage may vary
My old and much loved EB500 was knocked to the floor one Friday
and turned into several pieces, so I decided to replace it.
First, I checked out the 'ebookman', but quickly discovered that,
through a combination of greed and stupidity, the .rb format is
not supported. I returned it and purchased a new REB1100.
The REB1100 is a updated model of the older EB500 and has a few
things right about it.
The new surface and lighter weight are real pluses. Until I
rubberized the surface of my old EB500 I was prone to cramps
in my hand and wrist.
The ability to use flash memory cards is a nice touch. I now
have the ability to carry hundreds of books with me when I travel.
The modem is of no use to me. I store all my books on computers.
Hundreds of books. NONE of them encrypted or keyed to a specific
piece of fragile hardware. That means I can replace the hardware
and still read my books without forking out a lot more money.
Why anybody would put themselves in that position is beyond me.
It's like buying encrypted movies that the only work in the
VCR you own today and having to buy all new movies when you
replace that VCR.
[Sorry, greed and stupidity always irritate me.]
[They tried the same stunt with the DVIx formatted DVD's. Buy
it now then pay again and again if you want to watch it. Oh
yes, and let us track all this too. Greedy, stupid and no longer
around. ]
Anyway, back to the story ... the new REB1100 was defective.
The USB port didn't work. I made a first guess that I had a bad
device driver.
I have 3 home computers, all with USB devices hanging off them.
In every case the systems would detect when I plugged the ebook
in, but the RocketLibrarian software would not connect. Also,
the OS's reported that the device driver on the CD was not
written for the ebook.
I tried tech support. Closed for the weekend. Tried web sites.
The URL given in the software returned a 404 (not found) error.
I finally found a working web site, but support is non-existent
and there are/were no downloadable drivers.
The end result of many hours of testing was that I determined
that the problem was in the eBook itself. The store tells me I
should send it in for repairs. At my own cost. And the users
guide says that I may get a refurbished unit back. Reviews on
CNET give the same warning.
Gee. I get to pay for a new and defective product. Pay again
to ship it off for repair. Wait for several weeks, then I
might be the proud owner of a used (refurbished ) eBook.
Wrong Answer.
Jevon Grimes at eBook Technical Support got back to me and
let me know that Microsoft didn't include USB support in
Windows ME (wrong) and that I could contact "RCA Warranty
Support for a replacement CD".
This seems like a stock answer to me, so maybe the device
drivers on the CD are defective, like the OS reported. If
that is the case, why can't I download them from the web site?
They are not very large. Can anybody say 'Customer Support'?
I checked out a friends working eBook and found that the eRocket
Librarian software is also defective. On my old EB500, when the
eBook was plugged into it's cradle, the software listed the
files that it found on the eBook. A little green box would
appear across from the book title to indicate that what was
loaded. Not so any more. There is no indication as to what
is actually on the eBook. Oh, the column is there, labeled 'On
eBook'. It just doesn't work.
My old EB500 came with the ability to view html files. Not
so the new and improved REB1100. My old EB500 also came with
software that allowed me to convert text and html files to
the rb format the REB1100 requires. No more.
It's as if somebody sat down and decided to kill the market
for the eBook.
There are a number of other problems with this product, but
it all comes down to a lack of quality control, customer
support or intent to develope a market.
The real problem with this from my point of view is that I
really loved my old ebook and was forced to try to find a
working REB1100. [I hate rewarding greed and stupidity!!!]
I never did find one with a working USB port, so I load my
books on the flash memory card and then plug the card into
the REB1100. This works, but they included NO provision to
eject the memory card and it is very hard to get a grip on
it without the risk of breaking it. I ended up putting a
tape flap on the card that I can pull on when I need to swap
cards.
These are my experiences. Your mileage may vary.
Kirk Sauber
ksauber@cisco.com
12 A great alternative
I bought the REB1100 in Jan 2001. After extensive use I'm still in love with it. The instructions need to be improved and provided in hard copy as well as on the e book. When I first bought the book I experienced aome adjustment difficulties. After exchanging my first e book and learning how to reset I have not had any problems. I take this as my only "book" when I travel, whether by land, sea, or air. I made numerous trips last year and took the e book every time. For someone who is an avid reader this is the way to go!
13 This product works OK but....
The RCA REB 1100 ebook is terrific idea in search of even average execution. It works reasonably well (I have to reset mine every 3-4 days), but the real problems lie in two areas: lack of titles available, and customer service. Even though three outlets sell ebook formatted books, they all sell the same titles. Authors such as Dean Koontz, John Grisham, J.R.R. Tolkien,(to name a very few) are completely unavailable. Other popular authors (at least to me) like Michael Connolly or Ken Follet are available in extremely limited selections. Also, the pricing on available books does not always reflect the fact that they may currently be purchased in paperback-and are priced much higher than a typical paperback. As far as customer service is concerned, don't ever lose an accessory-because short of breaking the unit and returning it on an extended warranty, there's no way to replace it...
14 RCA ebook
I love my rca ebook. I've had it for a little over a month and I wouldn't go back to a hard cover now. I love that it is back lit so I can read in the dark without disturbing my partner. Registering was a breeze, as was ordering my first book. They even had a x-mas promotional on where I was able to download over $300 worth of magazines and books (of my choice) for FREE. I love reading Time and Newsweek magazine on this format. One thing to remember is that if you can't find the book you are looking for on gemstar, you can search for it on your pc (following the instructions on CD rom that came with ebook). There are at least three other ebook stores (one is Barnes & Noble) that carry ebooks for this device.
To sum up, love it, glad I bought it, would buy again and recommend to friends. I hope this machine will really take off as I love that I don't have all these books in my house!
One more thing if you are ordering this in Canada, the warranty will not cover you but if you buy from Future Shop they will give you a 30 day return or exchange policy also you can buy a two or three year extended warranty for around $50 and have no worries at all.
15 TERRIFIC PRODUCT BUT W/ LIMITATIONS!!!!
I got an RCA eBook for Christmas and, at first, was very excited!! I downloaded a book right away and read it in a couple of days! I loved the ease of downloading and of being able to adjust the back light brightness, the font and print size and I really love the bookmark feature! Imagine my surprise when I went to download a new book and found that I can only download from [a certain] catalog!! I was under the impression that you could download any title from [different web sites], but, in reality, you can only download the titles from the [the one] main catalog. They have many, many titles, yes, but most are from unknown authors with titles I have never heard of!! I am very disappointed!! I even printed out a list of books I wanted to download and none of them are available!! Not one!! I did find a few familiar authors but, any of the titles that were available, I had already read or have in book form. My only salvation is that my husband assures me that the title list will expand as the product becomes more popular. Until then, I'll just keep hoping!! Good luck!! and Best Wishes!! :-)
16 Will never go back to paperbound
I just love it - I'm an eclectic sort who bounces back and forth between at least 3 books at a time, and this is a godsend. I have a dozen books loaded on it at once and I've been reading more than ever before. The screen is amazing - I'd been reading for the previous 18 months on a palm pilot and this is a million times better. I'm tempted to buy another one as a back up, I love it that much.
I've only owned it for 3 weeks now - but have read 5 books on it already. I'm amazed at the battery life - I charge it every now and then because I don't want it to die on me when I'm away from home - but with it's initial charge I read through 3 (THREE!) whole books before it prompted me to charge it! So I basically just charge it weekly - 3 hours or so and it's full.
It's a dream. My only complaints:
1. It's a little heavy
2. No other applications - I'm not looking for it to be a PDA - but it would be nice if while I'm carrying this around, I didn't have to also carry my Palm Pilot. I would just like basic calendar, address book. Avantgo type application would be wonderful - sync'ing web pages looks great, but right now it's a little tedious.
17 eBook Reader delivers as promised
I would rate the eBook reader 5 stars, however, I just received it and have only downloaded one periodical.
It was easy to register. Initially it did not accept the registration - I had the adapter in and shouldn't have - after that adjustment, it processed smoothly and quickly.
I purchased the eBook based on a number of positive reviews I read here and after comparing prices online. I had the same experience as another reviewer, after plugging in the unit to charge the battery, the unit would not come back on.
I pressed the reset button and was back in business.
It really is a neat product, functional, lightweight, comfortable, easy to use and read, and flexible. Like most new things, it takes some time to learn all the bells and whistles.
I am looking forward to using it often...
18 This is the best product I've bought in a long time.
I love the e book. You can connect directly through the phone line with the RCA e book. I use mine all the time I have several books on it. I've not added a memory card and yet have downloaded 10 books with no problem. I bought my daughter one as well. We don't have the color screen and I'm not sure the added cost is worth it. I recommend this highly to anyone who loves to read. Especially if you have more than one book going at a time. It's compact and straight forward.
19 Very BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!!
The first one I purchased continuously restarted when trying to register. I exchanged this one and the next one just flat out stopped working after registering (within a couple hours of bringing it home and charging it). Needless to say, my experience was not a good one. I really think the technology has a chance and will benefit the marketplace, but it needs much more work and better compatibility with other file types. I think I'll be looking at the PDA devices with MS Reader instead. I REALLY WISH THIS DEVICE WOULD HAVE WORKED FOR ME. If you get one, I hope your experience is better than mine.
20 Better than I thought
I got this unit for a Christmas gift for my wife with some of the recomedations I read here. And I was still kind of skeptical. The reviews where mixed.(As you can read for your self) They either loved it or hated it. So when she finally got the unit I watched it carefully for any signs of trouble. I personally registered her unit and setup her account. It took about 30 minutes of trying to connected to the online reqistration computer. It kept telling me registration failed.
When I finally got in. It was much smother. I can't really blame the company though since it was more trial an error on my part plus I was trying to register Christmas Day. Next thing I did was try and buy a couple of books for the unit. I was affraid they didn't have any books on my wife's interest (Romance) but, 731 books. Very pleased there. Buying books was a snap too with the eBook Librarian software they provide. All I did was buy the books and she downloaded it herself using the built in modem an phone line they provide. They were waiting for her on her "Online Library." All she had to do was provide a password and boom... she had her books. Everything was smooth so far. Untill 2 days later. The unit wouldn't turn on. It happened while she was charging her unit. She plug in the provided adapter, went away for ten minutes, pick up the unit, hit the power button and... nothing. She called me over in a panic and I tried plugging the unit someplace else and... nothing. I pick up the the small instruction that came with the unit but, it had no sections on trouble shooting the unit. It provide a phone number that was not 24hr support. And when I called the number it referred me to their website. Sure enough I patiently followed all the instructions and got to the trouble shooting part on there website and I found what I was looking for. It just intructed me to reset the unit and try again. I tried it and.... it worked perfectly! I was extremely relieved since I was kind of skeptical to begin with. I'm happy to report she's back to reading happily and pointing out all the great books she can buy. I'm still keeping a careful eye on it but so far so good. In fact if the unit hangs in there for a while... I might get myself one.
21 It just stopped working after a day.
I received mine, used it, recharged it, put it back in it's case, then tried to turn it on again only a day later and it wouldn't turn on, whether it was plugged in or not.
After reading reviews here and on cnet about the hassles of dealing with the warranty service, I am just going to return mine. Maybe they had to skimp on the quality control to keep the price down.
Also for those that think that they will be able to download all ebooks to this device as far as I can tell you can only buy books through Gemstar and they have to be .rb files to work on this device. Although, I must say that I wasn't able to explore this further because, well, the device stopped working.
Let this be a warning; the idea is good, the execution is poor.
22 Most underrecognized product ever
Initially, the registration and software update process was twitchy and annoying, and the books offered through their modem service/catalog are a joke. Despite these obvious flaws, it has been wonderful. RCA just doesn't tell you about a couple of the advantages, wanting to sell you a bunch of overpriced and overcontrolled downloads. I got my unit about eight months ago, probably use it in excess of 2 hours a day, and have enjoyed it immensely. I actually prefer it to a hardcover book. It is, by far, the best reader out there, especially with its integrated dictionary and notetaking functions.
I use it to download large work documents into the reader (you can make new files using the open source app rbmake). Then I take notes in the reader on the plane, or in the bathroom, or wherever. With all the Project Gutenberg books available in an easy-to-convert format, you have literally thousands of the greatest books ever available for free download, as well as current books available for purchase online. I'm buying several for relatives for Christmas, along with a CD-ROM full of pub-domain books to get them started.
23 save time and just burn your money
I received the reb1100 as a gift in September 2001. Since then, it has been nothing but trouble. Registration was tedious, and my power unit would not recharge my ebook. After contacting customer service and describing the problem, I was told to send in the ebook. A week later I got a "refurbished" unit - that still didn't work! Within hours (spent trying to register the new ebook), the battery was empty and I could not use the ebook at all. I decided to bypass customer service and bought a universal adapter. That didn't work, either. I contacted customer service once again and was told that I would receive a new battery and power unit within 4 to 5 business days. After more than 4 weeks of waiting, nothing has arrived. Calls to customer service simply result in apologies for the inconvenience and to note that they "are working on it." Three months after receiving the ebook, I have not been able to use it once - much to my surprise for a device that is touted as making my life easier and more convenient. Other web sites refer to users with similar problems, but knowing that I am not alone is not much solace. I would recommend that, before deciding to buy or give an ebook, you consider simply burning your money. It would probably be much more efficient than dealing with a company that produces an defective product with exceptionally poor customer service.
24 Well-designed and functionally flexible
I was reluctant to try ebook readers for many reasons, but when the prices started to drop, I decided to give the REB1100 a shot. I'm very glad I did.
The REB1100 is a versatile, easy-to-use little reader that worked perfectly first time out. Controls and page-orientation can be swapped for lefties, the backlit screen allows for night or dim-light reading, you can change the fonts and the font size, and with adjustable brightness and contrast, you can reasonably extend the battery life to 30 hours.
Registration and downloading worked without trouble, and there is a wide variety of books, magazines, and newspapers available for the reader. I'm using mine for reading on the bus, and currently have all of Shakespeare's plays, three classic novels, and a handful of short stories all loaded up--and that's with the onboard 8mb of memory. With a Smart Media card, you can extend that up to 72mb--that's a lot of books in your pocket.
Highly recommended.
25 RCAeBook Reader (REB1100)
My congratulations to RCA for making a highly affordable, convenient way to take your reading with you. I have had mine for only a week and can't believe how much I'm enjoying it. You don't have to worry about having sufficient background lighting, either. I teach, and my peers are very impressed with the ease of downloading current books and how I don't have to carry bulky reading material with me anymore. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is an avid reader and loves the convenience electronics brings into their lives.
26 The future of books
I really believe that this device, the RCA REB1100 represents the future of reading. It is small and compact and light --easy to carry. It is backlit and the resolution of the words is quite good -- better than PDA's that I have seen. With an optional memory card, you can store up to probably 30-40+ novels on one simple device. Moving through pages is simple and you can mark bookmarks, write notes, underline etc if you are an active reader. I got mine in October, 2001 and have used it everyday. I love it! Everyone who sees it is impressed by it. It is NOT a PDA, but a device specific to reading. With something like this, I don't need to ever walk into another bookstore; instead, my books come to me and are mine forever. Downloading is a snap.
Give it a try!
