Public Library

[GhostHawk]

Well Russell you spend 30k on a new car your not done paying for it either, gas, oil, insurance, wash/wax jobs, fancy steering wheel cover.

My point is that how much you add to that original investment is pretty much up to you.
You can get by without an SD card, or a single set of rechargeable battery's.

100$ for an E-reader is still a great place to start. How much you add to that is in large part up to you. And its still going to be cheaper than a 300$ competitors unit.

[GA Russell]

Yes, Bill, I wholeheartedly agree that it is good to have the option to buy just what you need to fill out the JBL. And the items I have purchased (batteries and SD card, etc.) can be used for other purposes. So no complaints.

However, I get the impression that the competition which costs $230-$250 includes all that you need. So to compare apples with apples, it's not really fair to compare the JBL at $99 with the PocketBook 360 at $230. For me it's more like $170 vs. $230.

[GhostHawk]

Well the regular jetbook needs no batterys, and really wouldn't need an SD card if money is tight. Course that runs about the same as a JBL with SD card and rechargeables.

Still at 170$ all tricked out vs 250 = 300$ Jetbook seems pretty reasonable.

I don't know how much capacity the competition has without an SD card.
I do know some can use them, and some can't.

I was perfectly happy with my Jetbook for some 4 - 5 months before we started
adding big SD cards, card readers, covers and such.

And Russel you and I both know that those rechargeable battery's are going to pay for themselves in short order. So I really don't see that as a cost, more like an investment.

[GA Russell]

It's interesting that the JBL can be sold on its merits, but a great many interested in it are attracted first and foremost to its low price.

I think that the competition devices have too many bells and whistles for their own good. Polls have been clear that folks won't consider buying an eBook reader until the prices come way down. So why there are so many fancy units offered for $250 is a mystery to me.

I think a major appeal of the Kindle is that (as far as I know) once bought, most people are set. Just as no kid likes to receive a Christmas present that says, "Batteries not included", I imagine there are a huge number of people who expect to receive everything that they need when they purchase a gadget.

So I think that Ectaco (or the retailers) should state plainly, "This package does not include everything that you are going to need to enjoy using this product and get your money's worth out of it. You might already have everything that you will need for this, but if you don't you've got more spending to do."

[jblitereader]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Yes, Bill, I wholeheartedly agree that it is good to have the option to buy just what you need to fill out the JBL. And the items I have purchased (batteries and SD card, etc.) can be used for other purposes. So no complaints.

However, I get the impression that the competition which costs $230-$250 includes all that you need. So to compare apples with apples, it's not really fair to compare the JBL at $99 with the PocketBook 360 at $230. For me it's more like $170 vs. $230.

It costs you $70 to get sd card and rechargeble batteries? Hate to break this to you, but you got ripped off.

[SciFiGal777]

I already had some rechargeable batteries I could use and I was able to get a case and 2gb sd card from Amazon for $15 total. I got the JBL for $113, so it cost me less than $130 total. (Now I wish I waited for the $100 price tag on JBL, but oh well.)

[jblitereader]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

It's interesting that the JBL can be sold on its merits, but a great many interested in it are attracted first and foremost to its low price.

I think that the competition devices have too many bells and whistles for their own good. Polls have been clear that folks won't consider buying an eBook reader until the prices come way down. So why there are so many fancy units offered for $250 is a mystery to me.

Between my iphone, ipod, and laptop for work, I already could check my email, listen to music, and watch movies whenever I want. I've been at a loss to why people insist to have another device that does the same thing.

A quick search for reviews still turn up reviews of people complaining this unit doesn't have wifi or mp3 player. I mean... no offense but people seem to be more retarded than I originally thought. If they want all of that packaged into one thing, just get a laptop, mini, ipad, or iphone. There are plenty of devices out in the market for them to do all of these.

There's a reason why it's called an ebook reader. It reads ebooks.

I think a major appeal of the Kindle is that (as far as I know) once bought, most people are set. Just as no kid likes to receive a Christmas present that says, "Batteries not included", I imagine there are a huge number of people who expect to receive everything that they need when they purchase a gadget.

This has been my beef about people for years now. They'd rather pay an obscene amount of money for an overpriced product than spend a little of extra effort. My ex wanted to get her muffler fixed. I've always been good with my hands and know quite a bit around electronics and cars. I told her I could spend an afternoon patching it up for next to nothing in costs. But before I know it, she had taken it to the shop and they charged her $300. I looked at their work and it was even less than what I was going to do for her piece of crap car. And not to boast, but I put one of my old cars together from pieces I got from the junk yard after I totalled it in a crash. I was able to use it for another year before I traded it in for a new car. So I think I know a little something about cars...

I think the popular belief among people who don't know any better is something has to be better just because it costs more. This is, of course, a misconception that allows corporations to overcharge their products.

Again, why pay twice or thrice as much on an ereader just so you could have so-called nicer looking fonts, internet access, and mp3 player? Don't tell me these people didn't already have internet on their phones or ipods or some kind of other mp3 player of some sort.

So I think that Ectaco (or the retailers) should state plainly, "This package does not include everything that you are going to need to enjoy using this product and get your money's worth out of it. You might already have everything that you will need for this, but if you don't you've got more spending to do."

I don't know about other people, but when I was looking up products, I thought Ectaco made it abundantly clear that all that was going to be included in the package was the unit itself and perhaps some AA batteries. I already had sd cards lying around because I keep my eyes open for clearances and sales.

The only thing that potentially costs more money for everyone is the ebooks that they plan to buy to read. But again, to complain about this is like blaming the breed beagle for the dog pooping on the lawn. Well, gee, I didn't know more expensive breeds don't poop.