Bookeen Cybook Odyssey

With Bookeen as its partner, Thalia successfully replaced the Oyo series.

At a Glance

The first Bookeen Cybook Odyssey was initially available only through direct order from France. This was evident in the lack of international localization in the software—some elements weren’t translated, and only French dictionaries were available at first. Later on, however, the device was added to Thalia’s product range, these shortcomings were addressed, and it even got its own integrated eBook store. The screen uses E-Ink Pearl technology with a resolution of 800×600 pixels, and the display measures 6 inches.

Operation is via a capacitive touchscreen, which, all things considered, works quite well—a feature that couldn’t be taken for granted at the time. On the downside, the interface was relatively unintuitive and often unnecessarily complicated. Compared to the Sony models available back then, the software offered fewer features.

One real advantage, even back then, was the presence of page-turn buttons on both sides of the display—something many competing devices had already dropped. Many other manufacturers switched to a completely buttonless interface, much to the disappointment of many users.

Thalia essentially positioned the Bookeen Cybook Odyssey as the successor to the ill-fated Oyo series, and thanks to better technology and improved software, it became noticeably more popular. The Bookeen models ultimately led to Thalia discontinuing sales of Sony eReaders altogether.

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Bookeen Cybook Odyssey: Technical Specifications

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