Color Just ordered a Color Jetbook

I've wanted something that can allow me to read PDFs for a long time, but couldn't afford the Kindle DX and got a Kindle 2. I think it has finally died.

I'm an academic so read a lot of 8.5x11 papers, journals, and reference books that use graphs that all seem to end up in PDF and wouldn't render very well on a 6-inch screen even if they came in MOBI or ePub. However, I do read a lot of novels and other literature so do get some value out of the Amazon archive thing.

I debated about getting a non-Amazon device, but the fact that Amazon frequently discontinues good eReader products in favor of itsy-bitsy video viewers, and they have a 5 to 7 week backorder on the new PaperWhites, and I just decided to get more universal, and/or wait for Amazon to get a little less proprietary.

I'm used to reading a somewhat grayish screen with the Kindle 2 so I'm wondering if the Triton screen is much worse or better? The pictures of the Jetbook screen on the Ectaco (bad Mexican?) website imply a white background, but I gather that's a ways south of wishful thinking?

Also, while I'm thinking of it, can I buy and sync books from other suppliers without a lot of hassle? It doesn't appear that Jetbook is compatible with the DRMed-MOBI but is it compatible with books purchased online at B&N or Google Books, etc..? Is Amazon going to sell a DRM-ed ePub in future, or is that more wishful-thinking rumor?

How klunky *is* the software on the Jetbook Color? Will it seem bad after the Kindle 2? I use Calibre, so it looks like I can buy through their "Get Books" function, but how easy is it to use Calibre to organize a library structure on the Jetbook Color?

Do I have to keep typing "Color?"

Anyway, it looks like I have about two weeks to try it out and get advice and work out any potential kinks, so just wanted to touch base with you folks in anticipation of some back-and-forth.

[Ken Maltby]

Well I don't have an Ectaco jetBook Color (JBC), but I have been following it both here and at
the Ectaco Forum. It appears to me that if you are looking for a reading device, you are more
likely to value the JBC than you well if you are looking for a multimedia tablet.

Luck;
Ken

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Well I don't have an Ectaco jetBook Color (JBC), but I have been following it both here and at
the Ectaco Forum. It appears to me that if you are looking for a reading device, you are more
likely to value the JBC than you well if you are looking for a multimedia tablet.

Luck;
Ken

I first ordered a Fire HD, then cancelled it. Then I ordered a Keyboard 3G (which is almost like my Kindle 2) but then cancelled that, because it was too much like what I'd already had. Then I ordered the little 5th Generation Kindle thinking I'd just go cheap for now, but then cancelled that too. I still wanted a real upgrade and really wanted a reader large enough and with the right aspect ratio to read PDFs. I even considered buying a cheap used DX but couldn't find any. I finally came across a review of "Kindle alternatives" that mentioned the Jetbook and it looked pretty much like what I wanted. I'm a bit disillusioned that the WiFi doesn't really amount to much, and that I can't use it for online reference material, but perhaps they'll get that worked out. It looks like they're aimed at the K12 market, but there isn't really much competition for that niche in higher ed. Profs use iPads and various other similar devices, but they have terrible battery life and the displays are hard on the bifocal population.

This hardware would be ideal if married to some sort of Linux implementation. I'm a little concerned about the programming expertise. It was sort of a bad sign when I clicked on a few of the hypertext links on Ectaco's main page and nothing appeared to happen until about three hours later when the page suddenly opened. First time I've ever encountered anything like that, but maybe it's some quirk of my browser.

[Ken Maltby]

There could be some impact from the storm (try Google maps and checkout their location.

As far as I know, the only use the wifi capabilities are being put to is for Atom feed downloads.

Luck;
Ken

[LuBiB]

I wrote a review of the jetBook Color when I first received it and i've been busy with it since. My office now uses the jetBook Color for document storage and editing.

It's just easy to get along with. You input a microSD or just load your files to the device via miniUSB.

Best part: no dreaded software (cough cough itunes cough cough).

I think you'll like it and if you have questions i know the community here is helpful and they do have youtube videos on some of the workings as well.

The list of features seem to evolve over time, but I noticed that they have an "optional 3G mode." Do they actually have that, and would it potentially allow syncing with Amazon, or some other cloud-like service?

I also noticed last night that they're selling the Deluxe for the same price if you become a "member" so asked if I could upgrade. It's not clear to me what the Deluxe is, other than the scanning pen, but suppose it still works with the stylus. The scanning pen might be interesting for some quick applications where I don't have time or access to a printer/scanner.

Originally Posted by LuBiB

I wrote a review of the jetBook Color when I first received it and i've been busy with it since. My office now uses the jetBook Color for document storage and editing.

It's just easy to get along with. You input a microSD or just load your files to the device via miniUSB.

Best part: no dreaded software (cough cough itunes cough cough).

I think you'll like it and if you have questions i know the community here is helpful and they do have youtube videos on some of the workings as well.

Thanks for the reassurance. I noticed they even have a "video manual" up on the alternate www.jetbookcolor.com site now that was pretty informative. They're dealing with education bureaucracies and trying to respond to their needs, but one advantage of that is that they could end up with a lot of users. There is a big hole in the market to respond to this niche, but if they start making inroads Amazon and Apple may respond with their own versions to protect their education market share. That will be good for users too. I expect they may come out with a version more targeted to global business as well. Amazon and Apple have left things wide open by aiming at the "tiny movie screen" crowd instead of developing a larger eReader.