MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - jetBook-Lite review by By Jerry P. Danzig

Kris777 · 12-17-2009, 10:18 PM

I just found this review on Amazon website:

FINALLY -- An Affordable Ebook Reader!!!

Yahoo -- I have been waiting for an ebook reader with excellent readability and ergonomics for $150, and here it is: the Ectaco Jetbook Lite.

No, the JBL doesn't have wireless capability, and no, it doesn't play mp3s. I have a little device called an mp3 player that does that!

What the JBL does do is serve up a variety of ebook formats, including the mobi format the New York Public Library supports, along with eReader DRM, FictionBook, plain text, PDF, EPUB, and others.

The JBL doesn't use e-ink technology. Instead it sports a VERY readable LCD screen with the added advantage over e-ink screens of fast page turning: as fast as you can turn a paper page, in fact.

The JBL screen delivers high-contrast black text against a white background, comparable to the Nook unit and better than the Kindles, from the photos I've seen.

I have been reading "The Mysterious Island" on the JBL for several hours with NO eye fatigue. Though the light in my dark first-floor apartment is not the best, the background picks it up beautifully.

There are two page-turning controls, one on the left side of the unit, the other on the front under the screen. Both are eminently suitable for convenient use in your left hand, leaving your right hand free to hold onto a subway pole or strap.

The JBL sports several built-in dictionaries, making it easy to look up words in English or translate them from other languages. The unit also comes with a number of classics onboard, including Shakespeare, Dickens, Joyce, the Bible, and more.

You can also plug in an SD card, expanding the memory to hold a prodigious number of ebooks -- enough for even the longest vacation abroad or the most protracted cruise!

The JBL also "plays well" with Windows XP. My computer recognized it right away (well, after pausing for the obligatory restart), and it's easy to copy files using My Computer.

I had a little trouble finding some Mobi books I copied using the Mobipocket reader on my computer; I found them using the unit's file manager routine, in a second folder it had created for the purpose. I subsequently used My Computer to move these files into the unit's primary book folder, which makes resuming reading much faster and easier when you turn the unit on.

The JBL is rated to run for more than 20 hours on four AA batteries. I have been using high-capacity NiMH rechargeables, and the power meter is still reading full after several hours of reading. This sure beats the Franklin eBookman I used to have -- and the JBL doesn't lose its memory when you change the batteries!

You may not see it in the photos, but the unit has a backside bulge on the left to accommodate the battery chamber. This actually makes the reader comfortable to hold in your left hand, and it serves as a handy stand when you switch to landscape format while you're eating at the table.

Finally the JBL fits nicely into my back jeans pocket.

What can I say? If you don't care about wireless capability... if you already have an mp3 player... and if you have better things to do with your money than spend more than two hundred clams on an ebook reader... check out the Ectaco Jetbook Lite.

It holds and displays an entire library of ebooks with first-class readability and ergonomics, and that's what really matters!

12-17-2009, 10:18 PM	#1
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	jetBook-Lite review by By Jerry P. Danzig I just found this review on Amazon website: FINALLY -- An Affordable Ebook Reader!!! Yahoo -- I have been waiting for an ebook reader with excellent readability and ergonomics for $150, and here it is: the Ectaco Jetbook Lite. No, the JBL doesn't have wireless capability, and no, it doesn't play mp3s. I have a little device called an mp3 player that does that! What the JBL does do is serve up a variety of ebook formats, including the mobi format the New York Public Library supports, along with eReader DRM, FictionBook, plain text, PDF, EPUB, and others. The JBL doesn't use e-ink technology. Instead it sports a VERY readable LCD screen with the added advantage over e-ink screens of fast page turning: as fast as you can turn a paper page, in fact. The JBL screen delivers high-contrast black text against a white background, comparable to the Nook unit and better than the Kindles, from the photos I've seen. I have been reading "The Mysterious Island" on the JBL for several hours with NO eye fatigue. Though the light in my dark first-floor apartment is not the best, the background picks it up beautifully. There are two page-turning controls, one on the left side of the unit, the other on the front under the screen. Both are eminently suitable for convenient use in your left hand, leaving your right hand free to hold onto a subway pole or strap. The JBL sports several built-in dictionaries, making it easy to look up words in English or translate them from other languages. The unit also comes with a number of classics onboard, including Shakespeare, Dickens, Joyce, the Bible, and more. You can also plug in an SD card, expanding the memory to hold a prodigious number of ebooks -- enough for even the longest vacation abroad or the most protracted cruise! The JBL also "plays well" with Windows XP. My computer recognized it right away (well, after pausing for the obligatory restart), and it's easy to copy files using My Computer. I had a little trouble finding some Mobi books I copied using the Mobipocket reader on my computer; I found them using the unit's file manager routine, in a second folder it had created for the purpose. I subsequently used My Computer to move these files into the unit's primary book folder, which makes resuming reading much faster and easier when you turn the unit on. The JBL is rated to run for more than 20 hours on four AA batteries. I have been using high-capacity NiMH rechargeables, and the power meter is still reading full after several hours of reading. This sure beats the Franklin eBookman I used to have -- and the JBL doesn't lose its memory when you change the batteries! You may not see it in the photos, but the unit has a backside bulge on the left to accommodate the battery chamber. This actually makes the reader comfortable to hold in your left hand, and it serves as a handy stand when you switch to landscape format while you're eating at the table. Finally the JBL fits nicely into my back jeans pocket. What can I say? If you don't care about wireless capability... if you already have an mp3 player... and if you have better things to do with your money than spend more than two hundred clams on an ebook reader... check out the Ectaco Jetbook Lite. It holds and displays an entire library of ebooks with first-class readability and ergonomics, and that's what really matters!