Now that the blush has worn off the rose, I've come to some conclusions about the jetBook and ebook readers in general:
1) For just reading text in daylight conditions, the jetBook is the best thing I've seen. The presentation of pictures is also surprisingly good.
2) The additional utility functions (file management, SD card support, search, dictionaries) of the jetBook also seem to me to be best around in dedicated readers. I could never accept a less-capable device.
3) The grace notes in the software are poor to nonexistent. The presentation layer/renderer/formatter especially leaves a lot to be desired. Only two, sans-serif fonts? Really? They're joking, right?
4) At the very least, there should be a way to follow hyperlinks in the file types that support them. Hello, Tables of Contents, people! Think!
5) My ancient Dell X51 PDA is still a superior ebook reading solution for anything except strong light. This is because of the general-purpose nature of a computer vs. an appliance. I can choose a variety of software to use for presenting the ebook. File management is vastly superior, though the jetBook is adequate. If the Dell's keys and screen digitizer weren't on thier last legs, I'd probably still be using it exclusively.
6) That being said, backlit transflective LCD screens like the Dell suck in bright light.
7) My 2.8" display smartphone is inadequate for reading. It's just too cramped. The 3.5" display on the Dell works fine. The 3.2" screen on my old Aero 1550 was fine as well. I'm inclined to say that's the breakpoint. A 3.2", 320x240 screen is the minimum size for me. Bigger is likely better, up to the point the device is too bulky to carry around. 5" (the jetBook) is OK in that respect. Bigger than that, and I'll just use the laptop. 17 inches and the power supply of an Escalade hybrid works for me.
The next time around (in a year and a half or so), I'll either get a large (3.7"?) display smartphone, or go back to a 3 device combination: dumb phone, PDA, daylight ereader. Assuming Ectaco updates their firmware to keep up with the Joneses, I'll probably stick with the jetBook for the daylight ereader.
Regards,
Jack Tingle