REB 1200

the ETI-1, REB 1200, GEB 2150 Reader.

REB 1200

• Made by: eBook Technologies, Inc. (ETI)
• Released: 2001
• Predecessor: Softbook Reader
• Languages Supported: English
• File Types Supported: IMP

Overview

The REB 1200 from RCA and the GEB 2150 from Gemstar are no longer being made but eBook Technologies, Inc. (ETI) is still selling and supporting these units with a new firmware release to allow them to receive content. The eBook Technologies ETI-1 is currently only available for Enterprise users.

Specifications

• Weight - 33 ounces (0.936 kg)
• Size - 7.5” x 9” x 1.25” (19.1 x 22.9 x 3.2 cm)
• Memory - 8MB RAM; 4MB internal Flash for program storage; content storage on CompactFlash™ Memory Cards, up to 512MB or larger (MAX: 2 GB)
• CPU - Motorola ColdFire
• Battery - Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
• Screen - Back-lit 8.2” (20.8 cm) diagonal 15-bit (32,768) color LCD touch screen; 480 x 640 VGA resolution (with 97.3 ppi it means the screen is 4.9" wide x 6.6" tall for a diagonal of 8.2")
• Communications - Internal v.90 56Kbps modem and 10BaseT Ethernet
• External flash memory - Compact Flash (CF) card
• Accessories - Stylus, power adapter (OUTPUT: +18Vdc, 1.0A with Plug Tip barrel 5.5mm (od) x 2.5mm (id) plug, center positive for INPUT: 100-240-VAC, 46 - 63 Hz Max, 18W MAX), protective cover, 8MB CF card and phone cord

Device Features

REB 1200 internals (front)

REB 1200 internals (back)

• Expandable memory - Allows an ETI-1 devices to carry dozens of full-color training manuals, books and personal documents in one compact unit. 8 MB up to 2 GB CF cards are known to work, but for 2 GB CF cards to work, the firmware must be v4.2f22 or greater.
• Long battery life - Read for up to 8 hours without recharging; can be used for reading while charging.
• Built-in modem and Ethernet ports - Use a phone line or Ethernet to instantly receive desired content. No linkage with a PC is required.
• Full-color, high-resolution display - 480 x 640 presents user's with electronic books, training documents and personal content in vivid, clear color.
• Backlit screen - Adjustable brightness and contrast controls allow reading anywhere, even in the dark.
• Variable text size - Increase the text size for easy reading.
• Shortcut - A frequently used feature (e.g. auto-update, change font size, search, sleep, settings) may be dynamically associated with the "shortcut" button on the eBook device to provide one-touch access to a user-selected feature.

REB1200 Hardware

from: http://krausyaoj.tripod.com/reb1200.htm

• Motorola MCF5102 ColdFire
• 8MB memory, Mitsubishi M2V64S40DTP
• 2MB video memory, ICSI IS41LV16100S-50T
• 4MB flash memory, Toshiba TC58FVB160FT
• MC68L711 - masked 6811 - an I/O controller
• Epson display controller chip SED1356F0A
• AMI chip is the address decoder

Adding eBooks

Content can be added to the unit in the following ways:

• Purchased or downloaded content in IMP (be sure and select the version for the REB 1200 or GEB 2150) file format can be copied to an external CF card using a card reader to mount the card. The card can then be inserted in the device and used. Powering up the device will convert the IMP file to the internal format. Lots of sites provide books in this format. With the ETI firmware 1150 books also work but only use a part of the screen.
• Content from Fictionwise, eBookwise, and Filament Books can be download via an online Bookshelf using the device attached to an Ethernet cable. The online bookshelf supports DRM content.
• Content from the above 3 sources can be retrieved from the same web site using the built in 56K modem. This is slow and needs a phone number and login such as your ISP.
• Content can be downloaded direct via Ethernet cable from a third party program such as GEB Librarian, Impserve or the now free REB librarian.
• GEB Librarian, the online Bookshelf, and other programs can convert files in several other formats to IMP files to transfer to the device.
• It can display simple webpages if a book with links is loaded, such as the online no-frame version of baen free library books.

History

As manufactured this unit is now called the ETI-1. The ETI-1 is a replacement for the earlier GEB 2150 and REB 1200 (Original List Price: US$699) after Gemstar went out of business. It has new firmware provided by ETI to remove any dependency on the Gemstar web servers. It was originally based on the grayscale Softbook Reader by SoftBook Press, Inc.

See Also

For more information see:

• http://www.ebooktechnologies.com/ - The (current) manufacturer
• REB 1200 User's Guide (2000 edition)
• Take a tour of the ETI-1 (REB 1200/GEB 2150)
• REB 1200 for Dummies - Repository for simple information on getting content onto a REB 1200
• LCD_E-Book_Reader_Matrix - Ebook Reader Matrix for LCD based ebook readers like the REB 1200 and eBookwise-1150.
• CNET Full review of RCA REB1200 eBook - Originally reviewed by Ken Feinstein on 02/21/2001 (Rating 4/10)
• True REB 1200 specifications retrieved from the Gemstar era using the WayBackMachine at archive.org! Also, RCA REB 1200 specifications from late 2000!
• A savy user named Jeffrey - lots of current information

GEB 2200

The GEB 2200 hardware is a completely new architecture compared to the 1200. The Motorola 68K CPU used in the 1200 was replaced with the Cirrus Logic 7312 (which is an ARM Ltd, RISC processor). This means that the 2200 can render, and process about 60 times faster than the 1200. It may not be immediately obvious, since the 1200 was pretty good at this, but if you were to hold them side by side, you would notice the difference in drawing pages as you flip them fast.

The battery change on the 2200 was made for costs. A battery in a case and the associated connectors and mechanical parts (battery door, etc) are a significant cost. The goal is to produce a product that competes with the 1200, but can be sold for a lot less. Very few people were buying new batteries, so the decision was made that people would prefer to pay less than to have the removeable battery.