Color jetBook Color Hand-On Review

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

I hope they not only fix issues, but also introduce new options in the device with each fw update.

Any news on how long the battery last so far? (I know many of you just had the device, but perhaps the ones who received them 1 month ago already needed to recharge?

It seems to lose battery a lot more quickly than my Sonys but I can't really do a direct comparison as I've been using it very differently. On the Sonys I load up a couple of books then just read page after page for a week or two - probably closely mirroring how they do the battery life tests. The jetBook on the other hand I've been playing with - inserting and removing an SD card, browsing around the menus, opening and closing different documents etc. Come to think of it, loading content from the card might take more power than internal memory, I don't know. Having said all that it can lose 2 bars (out of 4) just in a day's worth of playing so that does seem quick. For all I know the wifi might be on too, although I doubt it.

Andrew

[ProDigit]

External SD card uses very little energy over internal (only because both internal and external devices are powered).
So to extend battery life you'd have to rely on the internal memory. Though I doubt it's going to make a lot of difference.

I read somewhere the power consumption of a SD card is in the ranges of 250mW in use, 60mW idle.
Let's say that it just runs idle all the time, you'd basically be using up 1W every 4 hours just having the device plugged in.

I suspect the jetbook Color has 2x 3.6V @1000mAh batteries installed, in other words, you'd be losing about 3,5% battery life per hour just having a SD card plugged in; peaking at 15% battery use at constant read/write use.

Rough estimates...

Internal memory might use more battery than SD, but is faster, and is always on.
So even if it's idle, you'd still be using power for the SD card, plus the internal memory.

[LuBiB]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Backlight is not harmful to the eyes, as long as you don't put it too bright.
With color comic books it's even less harmful.
There's only 2 things that could potentially be harmful on LCD screens:
1- Too bright setting for reading black on white text
2- Flickering LCD's, which nowadays are a non issue anymore. It was even more an issue with CRT screens, but LCD's are largely unaffected by this.

Here's a link to the professor/ophthalmology genius my friend worked for: Dr. James Sheedy - this guy was an apparent magician in the field and was published everywhere in everything pertaining to studying the eye.

In one of the MILLIONS (might be a little exaggerated) of studies he's done, my friend stated they always lead to the idea that reading on backlit screens for times over 20 minutes lead to eye strain and vision degradation.

I'll see if i can pull up some more precise studies on this from her.

[LuBiB]

Originally Posted by nayagan

This is after using adobe digital editions to connect to the device. Some pdfs work great. Some don't. Is there any way of fixing it?

I've tried Calibre but when it converts... it just doesn't come out as polished as the original.

If someone is interested I've uploaded one of the pdfs so that one can play around with it and see if there's a simple solution to the problem that I'm missing. Thanks.

Other than this little quirk, I'm loving the device. Reading journal articles as pdf is not a problem. I'm happy that works... If it didn't that would have defeated the point of the device for me.

Try re-formatting the PDF on your comp to fit the resolution better i.e. 1600x1200 and the borders should line up.

[LuBiB]

Originally Posted by enjayes

I have'nt seen any body else confirming the problems I have with text search nor that they do NOT have problems with text search..

Mine doesn't work with PDF (yet), but it works with ePub, txt, and fb2 (the only files i've tried so far). Like yourself and Andy, we're all awaiting the next update to sort out some of the kinks.

[ProDigit]

Originally Posted by LuBiB

Here's a link to the professor/ophthalmology genius my friend worked for: Dr. James Sheedy - this guy was an apparent magician in the field and was published everywhere in everything pertaining to studying the eye.

In one of the MILLIONS (might be a little exaggerated) of studies he's done, my friend stated they always lead to the idea that reading on backlit screens for times over 20 minutes lead to eye strain and vision degradation.

I'll see if i can pull up some more precise studies on this from her.

The basics between reading a book from sunlight and reading a text from an LCD screen is still the same!
It all bases on photons being radiated from the screen's surface or reflected from a book's surface.
Technically there's no difference between reading from LCD screen, and reading a book under a TL (except then that the LCD filters out horizontal or vertical light waves).

Vision degradation comes from always staring at the same screen from the same distance for prolonged time. It's the same as staring to the same book from a same distance for prolonged time. Most baby boomers wearing glasses have it from reading books. Most x-generation have it from computer and TV screens with too high bright settings and radiation levels.
LCD does not radiate 'dangerous' (for the eye) radiation like a CRT.
Most late 80's and later CRT's have a filter to filter out this radiation.
Modern LCD's that are based on LED lights, have even less an issue with radiation.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by LuBiB

Mine doesn't work with PDF (yet), but it works with ePub, txt, and fb2 (the only files i've tried so far). Like yourself and Andy, we're all awaiting the next update to sort out some of the kinks.

are you sure these are text based pdfs and not just image pdfs? with image pdfs of course the reader cant distinguish between one word and the next. if you(any one wanting to be sure) are not sure open a text program like word type a test note to yourself and save the text as a pdf. then see if the reader can search that text

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

are you sure these are text based pdfs and not just image pdfs? with image pdfs of course the reader cant distinguish between one word and the next. if you(any one wanting to be sure) are not sure open a text program like word type a test note to yourself and save the text as a pdf. then see if the reader can search that text

Have you got a jetBook color? Searching is borked, no doubt about it. Sometimes it seems that it's found results but the next/previous result arrows on screen don't do anything. Then when you press the "Back" hard button it jumps to the result. Sometimes.

Andrew

[ProDigit]

I hope we might be able to read CBR/CBZ comic books in the future from the device! It seems an awesome device for that!

[ProDigit]

they're planning on raising the price to $689! :-(

In all honesty, far above an acceptable price.
I guess I'll buy mine next year,when prices are down by at least 30%!
I find the device is being sold for twice the price of it's worth!

I know it's e-ink, but I'd rather spend $150 for a tablet with much broader capabilities, but lasts only 4 hours on battery, than spend almost 700 on a device that runs only a day or two on batteries anyway!

Long battery life is really the only reason I buy a jetbook or an e-ink device. If they can't perform with long battery life, I'll just buy a regular tablet for the mean time,and wait until other manufacturers come up with better solutions.
Color is not the main reason I wanted to buy this device (eventhough it has color);
High resolution screen and pdf fileformat from reading from SD is the reason I want it, something the kindle has missing, and other book readers seem to have OS troubles...
I'm pretty fine with B&W,just need hi-res e-ink.

Little much disappointed in the device's upcoming price!

http://www.jetbook.net/

[PF4Mobile]

That is just a marketing trick to rush the buyers in now!
My feeling is that the sales are not getting the expected steam

[Ken Maltby]

WHAT, you won't spend money to educate the childeren?? What kind of a low
life anti-intellectual barbarian are you?? It's for our children!! You have got to vote to
allow this spending.

Believe me they have little trouble squeezing money, for this kind of thing, from elected
officials or the voting public. It becomes part of a bond issue "that won't raise your taxes".
And the people/suckers buy it every time.

It looks to me like Ectaco has discovered the governmental contractor gravy train, and
intends to have a good ride. Hopefully, they will come out with a civilian version with
features and pricing in line with the consumer market. If not, there is always the
Hanvon "WISEreader C920". (If they ever arrive on the local market.)
http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/eb...ucts-C920.html

Luck;
Ken

[PF4Mobile]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

WHAT, you won't spend money to educate the childeren?? What kind of a low
life anti-intellectual barbarian are you?? It's for our children!! You have got to vote to
allow this spending.

A barbarian who attended schools where they never heard of ereaders, the robot and the computer were fictitious entities in Asimov's imagination.

[ProDigit]

Willing to invest in my children, yes...
1- I only don't have children
2- The device is for ME, not a 6 years old that will break it in no time
3- I'm not willing to go broke over a device like this! It will cost me about 6 months to save money for this! I know many more who won't even be able to save $100 per month,so I consider myself lucky!

[LuBiB]

Where did this price come from?!!!