Jetbook with New Formats Now at Bed Bath and Beyond

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Just found this nifty "formats and what's compatible" list, on booksonboard. Very helpful chart.

It is nice but it is already outdated. The Jetbook is listed as incompatible for mobi books. But it should be listed as compatible for mobi non-DRM books as this was recently added in its latest firmware update.

[JSWolf]

The comparison chart that Ectaco put up that compare the Sony Reader and the K1 is very misleading. And in fact, they get features of the 500 and 505 mixed up. And picturing a device for comparison that's no longer available for retail purchase is wrong. It was that way when they first made this chart.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=30

Read the link and you'll see some of what's wrong with it from the Sony comparison. It has a lot of misleading info posted there on the Sony side of things. This is where I get lying from.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by ny10522

Kris, will the English-English dictionary be improved? Right now it will only define the simplest English words and isn't much use. I think a dictionary upgrade is the most important improvement that Jetbook can make.

It would also like to be able to BUY more advanced default Language dictionaries for my Jetbook. Is this being considered?

I have no any information about plans to update English-English dictionary
but I think Ectaco use the same dBase for jetBook that they use for Electronic dictionaries. In case if they will update it for Electronic dictionaries they will update it for jetBook too.
By the way, do you have the list of English words that you can't find in English-English dictionary? I use this feature pretty often and it works well for me.

[JSWolf]

I wonder if we'll ever get a reader with the complete Oxford English dictionary.

iTunes comes close with the Shorter OED available.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by akira28

This is not misleading at all. Why should Ectaco state this? Does the Sony Reader website state that their all their Gutenberg books can already be read on your Palm/smartphone/Jetbook? Do the Sony or Kindle websites state that if you change devices to a different brand all the books you bought with DRM would be rendered worthless? If they don't then by the same measurement you must come to the same conclusions: Sony and Amazon are also misleading.

It is misrepresenting the truth by stating that they have unlimited eBooks available and that they will locate any book you want for free. These claims are not made by other vendors of eBook readers but are made specifically by Ectaco.

Number of titles: Unlimited. 30 popular WEB sites that we have located hold at least 500,000 FREE access books and audiobooks. You can also request a title from us which we will find and send to you right away.

For everybody else they claim that you are limited to only the eBooks available directly from the site which is a lie, pure and simple.

Dale

[JSWolf]

To put it simply, the Jetbook hardware is not the issue here. The deceptive misleading to the point of lying way Ectao markets the Jetbook is the issue.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It is misrepresenting the truth by stating that they have unlimited eBooks available and that they will locate any book you want for free.

I assumed that they were telling the truth, and that they would point you to a darknet copy if you asked them. Has anyone actually tried asking for (say) a Harry Potter ebook?

I agree that all other readers can read the same "free" ebooks, but perhaps only after conversion. They should say that, and the jetBook would still "win" because it is cheaper.

I don't have a problem with DRM-less ebook devices, after all I run OpenInkPot on my EZ Reader, and a few years ago I bought a Nokia Internet Tablet to read ebooks (and I knew then that there was no DRMed Reader available). I do think that ECTACO is encouraging ebook piracy, and that selling a DRM-free ebook reader in a non-specialist store like Bed Bath and Beyond is likely to get lots of returns (but returns may be part of their business model). Selling it in Frys is perfectly ok.

Since FictionWise charges nothing for its eReader SDK, perhaps ECTACO will add eReader DRM to its device. This probably would help sales.

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It is misrepresenting the truth by stating that they have unlimited eBooks available and that they will locate any book you want for free. These claims are not made by other vendors of eBook readers but are made specifically by Ectaco.

A forgivable exaggeration just as Sony claims that they have a "high contrast" screen. Pure malarky.

Originally Posted by DaleDe

For everybody else they claim that you are limited to only the eBooks available directly from the site which is a lie, pure and simple.

You are mistaken. They only state how many books are available at their competitor's site. They do not state anywhere, as you claim, that you are limited to only those.

[acj412]

Originally Posted by akira28

A forgivable exaggeration just as Sony claims that they have a "high contrast" screen. Pure malarky.

High contrast is a relative thing. The contrast of the Sony Reader seemed more than adequate to me. Others may disagree. The Jetbook's contrast may indeed be better than the Sony or the Kindle. But, if you asked people to pick between A) a high contrast device that doesn't let them read the books they want, B) a medium-low contrast device that does let them read the books they want, or C) none of the above, almost everyone would pick B, or maybe C. No one would pick A. The world's best, most high tech device is useless if it fails at its primary task, reading the books that you want to read.

Originally Posted by akira28

You are mistaken. They only state how many books are available at their competitor's site. They do not state anywhere, as you claim, that you are limited to only those.

Yes, they never claim that. But, a head to head comparison is supposed to be complete. If I am doing a head to head comparison and I claim that product A has X and I say nothing about X when I talk about product B, everyone is going to assume that B does not have X. Otherwise, how can you do an honest comparison when you only mention the good features of product A and none of product B? It's a misleading and dishonest comparison in that case.

Originally Posted by acj412

High contrast is a relative thing. The contrast of the Sony Reader seemed more than adequate to me. Others may disagree. The Jetbook's contrast may indeed be better than the Sony or the Kindle. But, if you asked people to pick between A) a high contrast device that doesn't let them read the books they want, B) a medium-low contrast device that does let them read the books they want, or C) none of the above, almost everyone would pick B, or maybe C. No one would pick A. The world's best, most high tech device is useless if it fails at its primary task, reading the books that you want to read.

Let's be fair here, shall we? Sony never mentions that their screen contrast is much worse than reading a book, which it is. In fact they claim that it is "paper-like". I have never read a book with gray paper and darker gray print, have you? This can be construed as misleading.

Originally Posted by acj412

But, a head to head comparison is supposed to be complete.

True, but this isn't a head-to-head comparison. No one but Ectaco is participating. This is strictly a marketing piece.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by akira28

You are mistaken. They only state how many books are available at their competitor's site. They do not state anywhere, as you claim, that you are limited to only those.

This is what Ectaco claims for the Jetbook....

Number of titles
Unlimited. 30 popular WEB sites that we have located hold at least 500,000 FREE access books and audiobooks. You can also request a title from us which we will find and send to you right away.

Cost of titles
FREE. Ask us what you need and we will run Internet search for you FREE[/b]

This is what Ectaco claims for Sony....

Number of titles
70,000 from Sony site. Mostly paid titles from $1 to $30 per download

Cost of titles
Requires to buy limited number of books in Sony store

This is what Ectaco claims for Amazon....

Number of titles
110,000 books at Amazon store. Cost from $1 to $30 per download

Cost of titles
Books at Amazon store. Range from $1 to $30 per download

From reading that if I didn't know better, I would say that Ectaco is better because they allow me to request any book I want and they will find it and send it to me free of charge where if I have a Sony or Kindle, I have to go to Sony or Amazon to PAY for books which can be as expensive as $30.

So yes, Ectaco is saying the only place for me to get eBooks for my Sony is from Sony and I only have a limited number to choose from and Ectaco has 500,000 free access eBooks which to most people, the term "free access eBooks" means nothing at all.

And if you look at the outdated comparison chart, you will see the Jetbook falls flat on formats. And if Ectaco did actually update this chart, you'd see a lot of the wins in the Jetbook column would no longer be wins. Well, that is if they actually told the truth and didn't mislead and fudge the facts.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by akira28

True, but this isn't a head-to-head comparison. No one but Ectaco is participating. This is strictly a marketing piece.

But look at all the mistakes, lies, misleading info and other nonsense in that chart. It's just silly.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But look at all the mistakes, lies, misleading info and other nonsense in that chart. It's just silly.

Silly? Perhaps, but that's not a word I would have chosen. Lies, Misleading? No more so than any pieces put out by other manufacturers.

Look, Jon, this is a marketing piece put out by Ectaco to try and separate themselves from the [very formidable] competition. They are going to use the type of language that will try to get you to notice them and their product. They are probably being more aggressive than they need to be in this regard. But as educated consumers we must take all these at face value and realize that they may not be objective or contain all the information we need to make our decision.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by akira28

A forgivable exaggeration just as Sony claims that they have a "high contrast" screen. Pure malarky.





You are mistaken. They only state how many books are available at their competitor's site. They do not state anywhere, as you claim, that you are limited to only those.

well perhaps I am mistaken but here is the exact text from their comparison:

Cost of titles: For Jetbook: FREE. Ask us what you need and we will run Internet search for you FREE

For Sony: Requires to buy limited number of books in Sony store

For Amazon: Books at Amazon store. Range from $1 to $30 per download

Exactly what does the word requires mean to you?

Dale