Cybook Opus

The basics

Another entrant in the eBook reader race – and this compact model is the first we’ve seen that features a built-in accelerometer – but is that enough to compete with the Amazon Kindle?

The good

There's 1GB of built-in storage (enough for 1,000 ebooks according to the manufacturer), which is decent. There’s also a microSD card slot for space, and the aforementioned accelerometer – this allows you to switch the 5-inch screen between landscape and portrait modes by simply rotating the e-reader.

The Opus is reasonably user-friendly - you charge the battery (good for 8,000 page turns) and transfer books (epub, txt and pdf are supported) via USB, and navigate by hitting physical buttons. The page turn controls could benefit from being slightly larger and more responsive, but overall the e-reader is fuss-free to use.

The screen does a decent job of displaying text and greyscale images nicely, and offers similar image quality to rival models. It’s a little laggier to change to a new page than the Amazon Kindle, but we’re talking a matter of a split second or so.

The bad

The Cybook Opus feels cheaper than many of its rivals. OK, it’s lightweight and small, which are positives, but it’s also plasticky and flimsy compared to the Sony Reader Pocket or Amazon Kindle. Surprisingly, though, it’s actually significantly pricier than either of these.

The bottom line

We can’t really see much to justify the Cybook Opus’ lofty price tag. The small size is definitely a plus, as is the expandable storage and range of files supported, but the Amazon Kindle delivers more for less money. The Opus performs its basic e-reader functions well, but struggles to stand out from the crowd.