EBookMan 911 Review Page Five
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This is a "user's viewpoint" review,
and comparison to Wizard OZ-770 and OZ-800,
of the EBookMan 911 by Marshall St. John

The EBM comes with a very nice grey plastic cover that flips up and down over the screen. It is easily removable by simply snapping it on and off. It also comes with a pretty good manual. For technical support, Franklin has a series of 12 pages of questions and answers on the internet, and you can send in more questions if you can think of one. Click on this link to find the most up-to-date Desktop Management software, and Operating System, as well as a new Manual for the 911.

Here is an advertising description and specifications for the EBM-911:

Large, easy-to-read screen shows 87% more pixels than leading handheld devices, while still remaining pocket-sized.

Display: � 240 x 200 pixel LCD � 16-level grayscale display � High-resolution touch screen with enhanced polarizers � Adjust type size for comfortable reading. Alternate between portrait and landscape reading modes.

Record your own personalized voice messages for anytime playback. Enter data in your handwriting or through a pop-up keyboard.

Hardware features: � USB port � MultiMediaCard (MMC) slot � Headphone jack � Speaker � Microphone � Backlight. Accessories: � Stylus � Removable lid � Cradle with USB connector (serial cradle sold separately). Battery: 2 AAA batteries (included). Memory: � 16 MB SDRAM � MMC slot for expandable memory (up to 64MB).

PC system requirements: � IBM-compatible 486 PC or higher � 256 color VGA monitor � Mouse or other pointing device � Windows� NT 4.0, Windows� 98, ME, or Windows� 2000 � 50 MB free disk space � 32 MB RAM (recommended) � available serial or standard USB port3 � Internet connectivity � Microsoft Internet Explorer� 4.0 (or above) OR Netscape Navigator� 4.02 (or above).

Software: eBookMan Desktop Manager with MS Outlook� synchronization powered by Intellisync� for eBookMan. Operating system: eBookMan Operating System 2.0 (You must download and synch it to make it work).

Documents: � Quick Start Guide � Online User's Guide. Franklin's suggested retail price: $229.99 (USA).

Another comparison between the Sharp Wizard OZ-770 and the EBookMan has to do with MS Outlook versus the Sharp Daytimer application. I have used both, and I find that the Sharp is more intuitive, gives more information on the screen, and offers many more possibilities for printing your information on paper.

Conclusion: The Franklin EBM-911 far surpasses the Sharp OZ-770 as a book reader. 64MB versus 3MB is an overwhelming advantage. And the 911 is a very capable Ebook reader. (I just purchased a CD on EBay that contains 2000 full-length books on every subject imagineable, formatted for use on the EBookman, for $20 USA, including shipping from New Zealand.) Here's a scan of the cd with the ebooks:

It also has the nifty capability of downloading daily news reports from a number of outlets on the internet. However, the EBM-911 really falls down in the area of data-entry. So, I plan to continue to use my Wizard as a PDA, and for note-taking. But I'm very glad to have the EBookMan as an electronic reader that has instantly added 2000 volumes to my personal library.

If you want to buy an EBookMan 911, you can get one for about $100 on EBay. Try this link.

This is the last page of my EBM-911 review.

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