When we’re waiting with no small amount of eager anticipation for the first color E Ink based ebook readers to arrive on shelves, Bookeen’s decision to call its new range the Cybook Opus Color seems destined to confuse. The “color” part of the title refers to the new flourish of case finishes for the 5-inch ereader, not any exciting upgrade to its display technology.
The new version comes in seven different colors in comparison to the initial model’s white: a choice of silver, yellow, red, black, pink, blue or orange. Happily it’s not just a cosmetic upgrade, either, with Bookeen saying the new Cybook Opus Color has new reading software – apparently called “Boo” – and a new lick of speed. In fact, they reckon it’ll power on instantly, which should make the reading experience a little more like opening up a paperback.
Unchanged are the 800 x 600 monochrome display, accelerometer for automatic page rotation, and support for ePUB and PDF ebook file formats. The Opus Color comes with 1GB of internal memory, together with a microSD card slot for augmenting that, and measures in at just 4.2 x 6 x 0.4 inches. Bookeen have also lowered the MRSP, with the new model landing at $199.
