How Does the Jetbook Lite Screen...

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Livingenzyme (curious name, not to mention the avatar) is correct.

NewEgg just put the JBL on sale. Before I bite the bullet and order it, I have a few more questions.If I loaded up up one of my detestable (couldn't resist, livingenzyme ) image only PDFs while in landscape view, will the JBL be able scroll down to the undisplayed portions of the PDF? Is it a simple push the button scroll or does it do it in increments? Does the zoom for images work like the zoom in an image viewer in a PC or does it depend on the grids that Ken mentioned? Also, does the JBL have the ability to bookmark PDFs?

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Livingenzyme (curious name, not to mention the avatar) is correct.

NewEgg just put the JBL on sale. Before I bite the bullet and order it, I have a few more questions.If I loaded up up one of my detestable (couldn't resist, livingenzyme ) image only PDFs while in landscape view, will the JBL be able scroll down to the undisplayed portions of the PDF? Is it a simple push the button scroll or does it do it in increments? Does the zoom for images work like the zoom in an image viewer in a PC or does it depend on the grids that Ken mentioned? Also, does the JBL have the ability to bookmark PDFs?

No 5 inch black and white display can be considered a good place to
view such PDFs. So avoiding them whenever possible is advised, and for
a lot of material other options are available. When such full page image
files are the only option, such as my magazine scans, and you really want
to read them on your JBL, it can be done, but it will entail difficulties that
are not encountered with other formats.

The default display of the PDF, is navigated by using the direction arrows
on the rocker switch. You use them to pan or scan the page image. Holding
the direction key down allows for a scan in a smaller increment, every half
second, until you release the key. A single press of the direction key will
jump to the next screen full sized part of the page, at that same zoom level.

You can bookmark pages, and select from a list of the pages you have
bookmarked.

The current firmware also has the ability to call up the table of contents,
of PDFs that have them implemented.

Luck;
Ken

[jblitereader]

<edit>

[GhostHawk]

Have to agree with LE.

If your reading PDF scans either OCR them, or find another reader with a letter size screen that can display the whole thing at a readable size.

[jlg432]

One thing that wasn't mentioned is the JBL currently has fewer supported formats than the JB.

Also I would have to say that the jetbook will read PDF's created from scans of magazine pages. As most magazines and news papers place their articles in columns I have found that you can zoom in (in steps of course as it is not step-less) until the column almost fills the screen and then just scroll down until you reach the bottom then move over and scroll up to the top to start the next column etc. If the column doesn't look good in portrait then rotate to landscape and adjust and view. When you want to switch to the nexty page you hit the page button.

I agree with the others about the hassel of doing this and really the next best alternative would be to use your larger PC sceeen. But for view a PDF on a small screen the option of having "Text Flow on/off" is great. Yeah it dosen't work with these scans but then again it will with other PDF's.

One more thing (going on my memory here) If you use the jbL and use the quad-screen or 9-segment screen you cannot advance to the next page until you revert back to normal viewing. It you zoom you can pan around the screen and keep the zoom the way it is then when ready just hit the page advance button or the slider and it will take you to the top left cornner of the next page. Then if your scanning was consistent you could resume your reading without making adjustments. Sounds like a fair compromise to me.

John

[jlg432]

One more point. The Aluratek Libre Pro also has "Text Flow on/off" and is very similar to the JB.

It can be purchased at a local electronics store. Check their web site for retailers. So buy one take it home, try it out. If not happy, return it - no extra charges other than your time. But if you order via online it may cost you to return the unit just because you are not satisfied and your money may be tied up for several weeks.


Most places will ship free but the return may cost you shipping as well as a re-stocking fee and the refund may not show until the item is back in their hands. I know Ectaco charges return shipping and re-stock fee.

John

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by jlg432

One more point. The Aluratek Libre Pro also has "Text Flow on/off" and is very similar to the JB.

It can be purchased at a local electronics store. Check their web site for retailers. So buy one take it home, try it out. If not happy, return it - no extra charges other than your time. But if you order via online it may cost you to return the unit just because you are not satisfied and your money may be tied up for several weeks.


Most places will ship free but the return may cost you shipping as well as a re-stocking fee and the refund may not show until the item is back in their hands. I know Ectaco charges return shipping and re-stock fee.

John

If you buy from NewEgg they don't charge shipping cost and restocking fee.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

oopsie

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Kris777

If you buy from NewEgg they don't charge shipping cost and restocking fee.

Actually, NewEgg will usually charge a shipping fee on most items. They often drop that fee on sale items. Returns usually have a restocking fee (check the return policy towards the bottom of the product description page) and you normally eat the return shipping, even if it was shipped to you free. Sometimes they will pay for return shipping when a product is received DOA but you usually have to ask for it (sometimes "persuasively").

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by jlg432

One thing that wasn't mentioned is the JBL currently has fewer supported formats than the JB.

Also I would have to say that the jetbook will read PDF's created from scans of magazine pages. As most magazines and news papers place their articles in columns I have found that you can zoom in (in steps of course as it is not step-less) until the column almost fills the screen and then just scroll down until you reach the bottom then move over and scroll up to the top to start the next column etc. If the column doesn't look good in portrait then rotate to landscape and adjust and view. When you want to switch to the nexty page you hit the page button.

I agree with the others about the hassel of doing this and really the next best alternative would be to use your larger PC sceeen. But for view a PDF on a small screen the option of having "Text Flow on/off" is great. Yeah it dosen't work with these scans but then again it will with other PDF's.

One more thing (going on my memory here) If you use the jbL and use the quad-screen or 9-segment screen you cannot advance to the next page until you revert back to normal viewing. It you zoom you can pan around the screen and keep the zoom the way it is then when ready just hit the page advance button or the slider and it will take you to the top left cornner of the next page. Then if your scanning was consistent you could resume your reading without making adjustments. Sounds like a fair compromise to me.

John

Formats won't be a problem as long as the JBL can read e-Pubs and PDFs (anything else can be converted in calibre). So far, I fully agree with what everyone has to say about my PDFs would be better read on a reader with a larger screen. However, one of the more desireable features one could want in an e-book reader is portability; I can't shoehorn a large one into my purse. I did carry around a "purse" big enough to carry a netbook but the thing was enormous--I've seen young men groan under its weight (10 lb)--but that got old fast (I was already old). The purse I have now is half the size of the old one (I don't have to carry the netbook around with me daily anymore; I just put it in my luggage when I travel) but will hold a 6" Astak Mentor (nice reader that handles e-books well but has no zoom for PDFs) and it weighs in at only 4 lb. (I still have to register it as a lethal weapon).

If I can just zoom enough to pretty much fill the page (and that zoom is persistent) then pan (or scroll) down until time to go to the next page, that should (hopefully) be a happy compromise for me.

I also like the idea of the JBL being able to use AAs. I should be able to use the Eneloops I always carry around with me anyway (usually two sets of four in my purse). That way, if the batteries run down on me, I can just pop in another set. If I should somehow find myself without batteries, I can pop over to the nearest 24 hr convenience store for a set of (overpriced) alkalines or (really overpriced) lithiums.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Well, I picked up my JBL from my mail service the other day, after I got back in town, and sat down last night to play with it. The resolution was a bit disappointing; it's not as good as the Astak Mentor I have (and it has a 6" screen) but it's still useable. After I figured out how to get a card to work in the machine (nowhere in the directions did it say a card has to be formatted for fat, not fat 32, which the card I was using happened to be), I loaded the PDF image book I have that has the largest pages and smallest font into the JBL. Even using it in portrait would be a dramatic improvement over the Mentor since there is a "Fit Screen" option...if the resolution was as good as the Mentor's. It's not so it is a toss up. However, in landscape, the JBL shines. Using the Fit Screen option, the book zooms itself to fit nicely across the screen with no margins showing (something the Mentor was unable to do; readability was far worse with the Mentor in landscape due to the lack of zoom). Although the contrast and resolution of the Mentor's screen is much better, the JBL's is much more readable.

Scrolling down each page is...ah...interesting. The last line of the previous screen is repeated on the next screen (in other words, the screens overlap slightly). This is a good thing because there will be no danger of winding up with half lines between screens but took a bit of getting used to. On this particular book, the last screen of a page overlaps the previous screen by 50%, a little disconcerting but I was able to adapt to that as well. When reading a real e-book, I miss the 6" screen of the Mentor.


The JBL starts much faster than the Mentor except occasionally for initial loading (then it's a tossup).

It's far too soon to tell if being able to use my own rechargeables in the JBL will be an advantage over the longer charge life of the proprietary battery in the Mentor. I do like the idea of being able to change batteries with ones I always have on hand anyway when they run low instead of having to be tethered to a power source when it happens.

As expected, the JBL is a compromise between using a reader (or tablet) with a larger screen and having a more portable unit that has potentially longer life since the batteries are easier to change and replacements (for me) are more available. The JBL fits in my purse better than the Mentor since the Mentor is a 6" reader and has a leatherette cover that opens like a book. Pity JBL doesn't offer the same. They have a leatherette cover on their website (I hear the silicone cover is a joke) but it appears to just be a sleeve and having to slip the JBL in and out would be a nuisance I do not wish to put up with so I may have to get a screen protector until I have enough time (and ambition) to make my own cover (I have some rusty leatherworking skills). A cover would be desireable for more than just screen protection since the JBL doesn't feel as well constructed as the Mentor. The JBL body feels like flimsy plastic while the Mentor has a more solid feel and a rubberizedlike (is that a word?) coating that make it easier to grip although the JBL's battery wart does assist in gripping it. A flip cover would go a long way toward making the JBL less vulnerable to accidental damage.

I'm hanging onto the Mentor to keep comparing to JBL. Also, there is always a chance Astak may come up with firmware that will give it the zoom it so sorely needs, which then would mean the competition would be over alleged longer times between charges vs. the ability to easily change batteries with non-propriety batteries. It will take a while to do this informal test since I also have (and will continue to have) a bunch of paper books to also read.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Well, I picked up my JBL from my mail service the other day, after I got back in town, and sat down last night to play with it. The resolution was a bit disappointing; it's not as good as the Astak Mentor I have (and it has a 6" screen) but it's still useable. After I figured out how to get a card to work in the machine (nowhere in the directions did it say a card has to be formatted for fat, not fat 32, which the card I was using happened to be), I loaded the PDF image book I have that has the largest pages and smallest font into the JBL. Even using it in portrait would be a dramatic improvement over the Mentor since there is a "Fit Screen" option...if the resolution was as good as the Mentor's. It's not so it is a toss up. However, in landscape, the JBL shines. Using the Fit Screen option, the book zooms itself to fit nicely across the screen with no margins showing (something the Mentor was unable to do; readability was far worse with the Mentor in landscape due to the lack of zoom). Although the contrast and resolution of the Mentor's screen is much better, the JBL's is much more readable.

I know the resolution is different between the two, but when it comes to reading how is the resolution disappointing in the JB? I know it is less but I don't see how it could be disappointing if there are a reasonable number of lines of text on the screen in a clear and reasonable sized font.

I asked this on another thread, but will ask again. The JB used FBReader as I understand. The recent firmware upgrade has included Adobe Digital Editions. Are you able to select reading either ADE or FBReader for non-drm'd epubs at all? I personally am not a fan of ADE with the page numbers on the right hand side of the screen. I've been for a while intrigued by the JB and am tossing up on another reader to buy. Currently I own an Astak (which i think is great) but am thinking if I am to buy something else I should look for another brand and experience something else.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

I know the resolution is different between the two, but when it comes to reading how is the resolution disappointing in the JB? I know it is less but I don't see how it could be disappointing if there are a reasonable number of lines of text on the screen in a clear and reasonable sized font.

I asked this on another thread, but will ask again. The JB used FBReader as I understand. The recent firmware upgrade has included Adobe Digital Editions. Are you able to select reading either ADE or FBReader for non-drm'd epubs at all? I personally am not a fan of ADE with the page numbers on the right hand side of the screen. I've been for a while intrigued by the JB and am tossing up on another reader to buy. Currently I own an Astak (which i think is great) but am thinking if I am to buy something else I should look for another brand and experience something else.

The screen background on the JBL is darker than on the Astak Mentor I have. Both have black text. The text is not as sharp on the JBL as on the Mentor when viewing image PDF books (such as one would have when scanning a book directly to PDF without OCR) even though it is much larger on the JBL as on the Mentor. When the text of an image PDFis somewhat fine, it looks a bit like an old laserjet printout that has some of the print starting to flake on the edges; not to the point unreadability but definitely noticeable.

I don't know how well built the JB is since all I have is the JBL but if it is similar to the JBL, then the Mentor (the only other e-Book reader I have to compare to) appears to be much better built. For reading non-DRMed e-books, it appears to be a toss-up although the JBL boots much faster. Whether being able to change batteries "in the field" with already charged, non-proprietary batteries (AAs) will be an advantage great enough to warrant using a reader of lower quality remains to be seen (although the normal price of the JBL is only 2/3 of the Mentor, once one allows for the lack of a cover for the JBL and that a cover comes with the Mentor). At least with the JBL, I won't have to keep up with a separate charger and deal with being tethered to a power source when the batteries run down which In have to do with the Mentor (although careful planning should alleviate much of the tethering problem). I have version v15d on my JBL so I can't comment about it's ability to read ADE (I don't plan on purchasing any books in ADE since most are DRMed). I use calibre so converting ADE to, say, ePub wouldn't be a problem as long as it was DRM free.

[X4arms]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

The JBL also has a couple of selection grids you can call up when in a PDF, by pressing
the "OK" button (in the middle of the rocker). You can then navagate the grid with the
rocker. If I recall correctly one click of the "OK" button gives you a nine element grid and
two clicks gives you a four element grid.

Luck;
Ken

Hi Ken,

What version firmware is (or was) on your JBL when you could get the PDF grid? I ask because I recently got one, and it came with the latest firmware (v0.16e - Released 8/2010) and it no longer has the grid/segment zoom function. Official reply from Ectaco was "This feature is not available anymore." I would very much like to try an older firmware to see whether it's a better fit for me with that function.

Thanks.

[Ken Maltby]

OK, but the 0.16e is the first of the firmware that has a PDF reader that implements a
PDF Reflow feature. Note as well the other comments about how a 5-inch display is
not a great way to read PDFs no matter what software you use.

That said, the sticky at the top of the first page of this forum still has links to the
0.15d and the 0.15g. I have had no problem downgrading from 0.16e to 0.15d, so
you might want to give that a try first. (I think they both handled PDFs the same.)

Luck;
Ken