Ectaco 5" jetBook eBook Reader for only $50! - Page 2

ProDigit · 11-21-2011, 04:36 AM

If they still had em for that price, I'd suggest it for the openinkpot programmers!

It's really a gem! It works quite fast, faster than my Sony Reader, though that's because of the TFT screen.

If it was upto me, they would have had to place a LED in the background, and choose an even less responsive TFT screen (uses less energy, and is cheaper).
To me, the screen is about 4-8 times faster than the cpu (cpu can't give it a decent framerate), and thus a waste of energy and resources!

Also, perhaps replacing the back of the TFT screen with a metal foil, instead of a white plastic!

cromag · 11-21-2011, 05:18 PM

As a result of our Halloween snow storm we lost power for slightly more than a week. I had no trouble reading with a clip-on reading light that I got at a local dollar store. It had a "goose neck" which was probably a good arrangement -- I don't think indirect side-lighting would have worked as well.

ProDigit · 11-22-2011, 05:48 AM

I was more thinking in the likes of backlight like an LED screen, only very lightly.
The plastic substrate below the LCD crystals works as a good light diffuser, that's why it's possible to build a (few) LEDs behind the screen; but without the effect of an LED screen, as it's use is to illuminate in dark places, not as a primary background light!

ProDigit · 11-25-2011, 10:42 PM

I think I may have found a bug in the device!
It seems when loading a music file of 266MB, 189 minutes, that after half of the recording, the device freezes (~128MB) (I was reading a book meanwhile, so background music was enabled).
I'm just wondering if the reader reads audiofiles in RAM memory, and freezes when all the ram has been used?

Also in the software it would have been nice to be able to adjust audio volume while reading; since both the slider bar, as the page flip buttons, as well as the 4-way direction knobs are assigned to flipping pages. That's 4 ways to flip a page, and none to adjust volume nor change the tracks of the background audio!

So far I get an average of 12-15 hours reading (or after a good 4 hours of audio playback at 128kbits 44.1kHz, the bar diminishes with 1 block).

ProDigit · 12-10-2011, 06:53 AM

I'm so fond of this device, that I'm contemplating on buying the jetbook mini!
But only if the price drops to the same $50 as I bought the regular jetbook!

The mini does not support many of the feats the jetbook supports, but would be excellent for reading text files, and perhaps epubs with title and text formatting.

The 90 hours battery life makes this ebook reader very intriguing, though the right price would be $50 for the mini!
Especially when you can get tablets and cellphones that can do so much more than this device, for the same price!

Can't wait for the holidays, and perhaps then 3 months past New Year, to buy a Jetbook Color, when the prices have dropped considerably!

499 is good for pre-order devices, but once newegg will stock these items, and buy them in bulk, I'll probably buy them from newegg!

I can see in the near future, the Jetbook Color dropping price by at least $100, and later down to $199 (at the exit from the market probably 3 years from now, as more advanced products hit the market), probably even on a good deal you'd be able to buy this for $120! The technology of this device really is not that expensive.
The initial cost of the device mainly is to pay for creating the manufacturing process and assembly lines. Once they are out of their cost (usually after selling 10k units), the price drops considerably.

DebbyS · 12-10-2011, 10:38 AM

I'd consider buying a Jetbook Color if it were a lot less expensive -- which it could be if they had a version for people who aren't teachers or students, i.e., a very basic Jetbook Color without tons of extras aimed at the education market. Currently, though, whenever I think about indulging in a tablet of some kind, I have to stop and think, would it be better than my tiny, ~3 year old MSI U100 netbook with Windows XP? Nothing beats that yet...

ProDigit · 12-11-2011, 12:36 AM

yeah, the price is a real bummer, but that's because it's on pre-order.
If the resolution is 800x600, it won't be a good device for pdf's. You'll need at least 1024x720 or more commonly 1024x768 to be able to read most pdf's!

taosaur · 12-12-2011, 08:48 AM

I'm contemplating the very similar Aluratek Libre as a gift. It's $50 with a promo code today only according to Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tem=58-653-003

It seems like people are reasonably satisfied with the screen, if they didn't have e-ink expectations, and the battery life is better than most LCD devices.

GA Russell · 12-12-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taosaur

I'm contemplating the very similar Aluratek Libre...

It seems like people are reasonably satisfied with the screen, if they didn't have e-ink expectations...

taosaur, I think it's fair to say that nearly all of us here who have the jetBook/Lite/Libre Pro consider its screen to be superior to eInk because the text is so black and because the page turning is so quick.

taosaur · 12-12-2011, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

taosaur, I think it's fair to say that nearly all of us here who have the jetBook/Lite/Libre Pro consider its screen to be superior to eInk because the text is so black and because the page turning is so quick.

That sounds like one of those ongoing discussions I'd be better off avoiding

Still, I found some video reviews and the screen seems just fine. Overall the simplicity of this thing seems just about right for my 100% tech-illiterate uncle. I was trying to keep all my gifts in the $15-30 range this year, but I'm sorely tempted

ProDigit · 12-30-2011, 12:26 AM

Now, the 5" Aluratek Libre PRO eBook Reader ; basically the same device; in clearance for ONLY $40!

Can't get any lower than that!!!

Grab 'em while you can!
Almost makes me want to buy 2 of them!
I find $50 a nice price for the mini, but this one is worth at least $60 if you ask me!

GA Russell · 12-30-2011, 01:34 AM

Link, ProDigit?

Is it a refurb?

ProDigit · 01-06-2012, 04:20 AM

sorry, I'm no longer having a fixed inet!
Same as the other link in the other thread. Last time I saw, it went up to $47.99.

I bought a jetbook mini, and absolutely love this device even more, despite it not reading many file formats!

ProDigit · 01-31-2012, 08:10 AM

http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=1255
They sell a refurbed one for $46. They regularly have cheap sales on these ereaders!

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11-21-2011, 04:36 AM	#16
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	If they still had em for that price, I'd suggest it for the openinkpot programmers! It's really a gem! It works quite fast, faster than my Sony Reader, though that's because of the TFT screen. If it was upto me, they would have had to place a LED in the background, and choose an even less responsive TFT screen (uses less energy, and is cheaper). To me, the screen is about 4-8 times faster than the cpu (cpu can't give it a decent framerate), and thus a waste of energy and resources! Also, perhaps replacing the back of the TFT screen with a metal foil, instead of a white plastic!

11-21-2011, 05:18 PM	#17
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,290 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	As a result of our Halloween snow storm we lost power for slightly more than a week. I had no trouble reading with a clip-on reading light that I got at a local dollar store. It had a "goose neck" which was probably a good arrangement -- I don't think indirect side-lighting would have worked as well.

11-22-2011, 05:48 AM	#18
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I was more thinking in the likes of backlight like an LED screen, only very lightly. The plastic substrate below the LCD crystals works as a good light diffuser, that's why it's possible to build a (few) LEDs behind the screen; but without the effect of an LED screen, as it's use is to illuminate in dark places, not as a primary background light!

11-25-2011, 10:42 PM	#19
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I think I may have found a bug in the device! It seems when loading a music file of 266MB, 189 minutes, that after half of the recording, the device freezes (~128MB) (I was reading a book meanwhile, so background music was enabled). I'm just wondering if the reader reads audiofiles in RAM memory, and freezes when all the ram has been used? Also in the software it would have been nice to be able to adjust audio volume while reading; since both the slider bar, as the page flip buttons, as well as the 4-way direction knobs are assigned to flipping pages. That's 4 ways to flip a page, and none to adjust volume nor change the tracks of the background audio! So far I get an average of 12-15 hours reading (or after a good 4 hours of audio playback at 128kbits 44.1kHz, the bar diminishes with 1 block).

12-10-2011, 06:53 AM	#20
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I'm so fond of this device, that I'm contemplating on buying the jetbook mini! But only if the price drops to the same $50 as I bought the regular jetbook! The mini does not support many of the feats the jetbook supports, but would be excellent for reading text files, and perhaps epubs with title and text formatting. The 90 hours battery life makes this ebook reader very intriguing, though the right price would be $50 for the mini! Especially when you can get tablets and cellphones that can do so much more than this device, for the same price! Can't wait for the holidays, and perhaps then 3 months past New Year, to buy a Jetbook Color, when the prices have dropped considerably! 499 is good for pre-order devices, but once newegg will stock these items, and buy them in bulk, I'll probably buy them from newegg! I can see in the near future, the Jetbook Color dropping price by at least $100, and later down to $199 (at the exit from the market probably 3 years from now, as more advanced products hit the market), probably even on a good deal you'd be able to buy this for $120! The technology of this device really is not that expensive. The initial cost of the device mainly is to pay for creating the manufacturing process and assembly lines. Once they are out of their cost (usually after selling 10k units), the price drops considerably.

12-10-2011, 10:38 AM	#21
DebbyS Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 1472692 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Device: Jetbook Lite; Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)	I'd consider buying a Jetbook Color if it were a lot less expensive -- which it could be if they had a version for people who aren't teachers or students, i.e., a very basic Jetbook Color without tons of extras aimed at the education market. Currently, though, whenever I think about indulging in a tablet of some kind, I have to stop and think, would it be better than my tiny, ~3 year old MSI U100 netbook with Windows XP? Nothing beats that yet...

12-11-2011, 12:36 AM	#22
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	yeah, the price is a real bummer, but that's because it's on pre-order. If the resolution is 800x600, it won't be a good device for pdf's. You'll need at least 1024x720 or more commonly 1024x768 to be able to read most pdf's!

12-12-2011, 08:48 AM	#23
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I'm contemplating the very similar Aluratek Libre as a gift. It's $50 with a promo code today only according to Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tem=58-653-003 It seems like people are reasonably satisfied with the screen, if they didn't have e-ink expectations, and the battery life is better than most LCD devices.

12-30-2011, 12:26 AM	#26
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	Now, the 5" Aluratek Libre PRO eBook Reader ; basically the same device; in clearance for ONLY $40! Can't get any lower than that!!! Grab 'em while you can! Almost makes me want to buy 2 of them! I find $50 a nice price for the mini, but this one is worth at least $60 if you ask me!

12-30-2011, 01:34 AM	#27
GA Russell Stampeders are hot! Posts: 7,692 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Link, ProDigit? Is it a refurb?

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01-06-2012, 04:20 AM	#28
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	sorry, I'm no longer having a fixed inet! Same as the other link in the other thread. Last time I saw, it went up to $47.99. I bought a jetbook mini, and absolutely love this device even more, despite it not reading many file formats!

01-31-2012, 08:10 AM	#29
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=1255 They sell a refurbed one for $46. They regularly have cheap sales on these ereaders!