ECTACO are probably better know for their electronic hand held translators, but now they gone and released their very own reader; the jetBook eBook Reader.
The jetBook does not use an E-Ink screen, however, this does give it an advantage over all the other eBook readers that are currently out there; a crisp and very white screen! One of the issues people have with the current E-Ink (and VixPlex) standard is that the page contrast is not high enough – usually with E-Ink screens you have a light gray background displaying dark gray text, making low light reading a challenge.
Well, if you think this will be an issue then perhaps you would be better suited to a jetBook. These use a reflective monochrome LCD screen so that the background is nice and white, allowing the text to be read much easier.
[The jetBook has] an easy to scan high-resolution 5-inch display and a viewing angle close to 180°, it is fully customizable. Even readers who have difficulty seeing print books will benefit from its adjustable text size and font face. And weighing in at only 7.5 ounces, this handy device fits perfectly into the palm of your hand.
They go on to say that this “revolutionary display reflects light without the need for backlighting”, which according to reviews gives a similar reading experience to an E-Ink screen.
For me however, the most impressive feature of the jetBook is its ability to search and cross-reference the text using bookmarks making it a great choice for dictionaries – I’m not sure if this means you can do a word lookup from within a book. I’ll try to find out and post an update.
Another jetBook feature is that you can search the contents of your e-library and get a list of every instance found in the book’s content…how cool is that!
Now there is one rather big caveat; the only book formats that it can read are .txt and .pdf. If you aquire most of your books from Project Gutenberg then there really is no issue here and as the jetBook supports PDF then you can always download your bestsellers from eBook.com in the PDF format.
The ePub factor
According to David Rothman’s TeleRead blog, Dr Helen Hage says that ECTACO are working on the HTML issue. Will they then start working implementing the IDPF’s .epub format? Let’s hope they do because this format is really starting to take off and as its an open standard we are now starting to see many websites, both commercial and free, with ePub books.
Here’s is the official jetBook features list;
- Support for e-Book contents in Albanian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Faeroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian and other European languages
- Bookmarks and auto page turn functionality
- Adjustable font type and 6 different sizes
- Screen rotation support for both portrait & landscape modes
- Built-in MP3 player that supports background playback
- Support for .txt, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .png and .bmp file formats
- SD card slot (up to 2 GB)
- Internal Li-ion polymer battery
- Battery: 20 hours of continuous, active use!
Where to buy the jetBook Online
Amazon and ECTACO.com – available in Burgundy, Gray and White.
I really like this reader, with one exception – more formats are needed. I received one as a holiday gift. I have not yet tried the mp3 feature but am enjoying the screen and many project gutenberg books.
Mobi and ePub are coming to the jetBook:
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/12/24/ectaco-jetbook-ups-epub-stakes/
I don’t know if that will mean *DRMed* ones, but even non-DRM would be a big boost.
It’s certainly about time the jetBook started supporting more formats and with or without DRM, it’s definitely good news to hear it will be the EPUB format.
I’m debating btwn Jetbook and Sony 505. Two key critia: contrast and ability to reflow complex pdfs well. Please provide your thought if you have experienced both ereaders. Thanks in advance to your help!
Hi Amber. I only own the Sony PRS-505 and read a fair number of PDF documents. Although I don’t often experience the reflow mode, the few time’s I have it’s been okay. If you are just reading novels then it should be good but for more advanced PDF layouts perhaps not so.
When reading PDF’s (often with advanced layouts) I almost always switch to landscape mode – this actually splits the PDF page into two halves. Reading in this mode doubles up your pages number but allows the Sony to keep the layouts in tact and make the font size big enough to read.
Don’t waste your time with the Ectaco e-book. I made the stupid mistake of doing so and quickly became disenchanted with their “customer (not) service”. There are virtually NO BOOKS you can buy for this device. They make you return it within 7 days (with a 6.5% return fee) AND if you try to get questions answered during your trial period, they don’t answer phones or emails. Their business model is to sell and charge for return. Nothing but a scam as far as I can tell.
I like my jetBook (have it for 6 month already and use updated firmware that support ePub, PRC, Mobi and RTF formats)
Customers who purchased jetBook on NEWEGG.COM website have very good experience:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16858723001
Just one example:
Pros: If you are a Project Gutenberg or a Project Gutenberg Australia fan (as am I) and are looking for a convenient way to plow through its vast library, then this is definitely a device to look at. I’ve had mine for three months now, and am completely in love with it. I can stand up on the subway, hold the rail with one hand and the JetBook with the other, and easily read a long novel that would have been completely unwieldy if printed on paper. I have no problem using the sidebar to turn pages with one hand, and the I find the LCD display actually preferable to the newer e-Ink that is used by the Kindle and the Sony reader.
Cons: It’s still a bit pricey–even with the Newegg discount. Also, to reiterate what some of the other reviewers have pointed out: if you’re looking for an ebook reader in order to read the latest titles and the current bestsellers, this is NOT the device for you; you’d be better off with a Kindle, a Sony Reader, or even an iPhone.
Other Thoughts: In txt files, there are only two fonts available: Verdana and Arial. However, you can read books in any font you like, as long as you first convert the file to pdf. (I’ve been doing all of my reading in Garamond font, for example.) When you open the text file, convert it to the font you want, change the font size (I use 18 point, but it’s up to you) go to Page Setup and choose 6in by 7.5in (no margins), and then save it as a pdf file. Voila! Your JetBook will easily be able to read this file. (You might want to choose “Full Screen” as your viewing option, which will make the display more aesthetically pleasing.)
Hi,
I read mobipocket prc format. Anyone can confirm the following points:
1. Jetbook can show link and can jump from the selected link to the linked content?
2. Dictionary look up support in prc file?
Would be very much appreciated on the reply.