Kindle 3 vs. Ectaco jetBook

[Jack Tingle]

Alas, bob1xx, you bought the wrong reader. The Aluratek is not the same as a jetBook. The hardware is identical, but the firmware is vastly different. And that makes a big difference.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[Jack Tingle]

After using the K3 for a few days, I've come to some conclusions. I also took a picture (below) trying for as fair a comparison of screen quality as I could get.

1) The K3, lower right in the picture, is slightly better in contrast than a printed page (top)! Both are better than the jetBook (lower left). That being said, the jetBook's contrast is adequate for almost any condition. On the gripping hand, Ectaco had better have a Pearl version of the jetBook in the plan, or they'll lose out.
1a) The K3 is more pleasing in lower light. [Thwack!] "Don't read in dim light, you'll ruin your eyes, stupid!"--Mom
2) The wireless purchase feature on the K3, which I thought would be a big plus, really isn't that big a deal. It saves a cable attach step. I tend to purchase my books on my laptop, just because you can see more. It's still a plus, but not a big one.
3) The 6" plus keyboard form-factor of the K3 is an annoyance. I prefer the smaller 5"/no-keyboard form of the jetBook. It's not a big difference, but it's there.
4) Control placement for normal functions on the jetBook is much better thought-out. The K3's paging controls are adequate, but nothing to write home about. The keyboard is probably responsible for part of this. The jetBook still excels in this area.
5) Format flexibility is jetBook's win, hand's down. And yes, I know how to convert file formats. The point is I shouldn't have to. These are commercial consumer devices. They're supposed to be idiot-proof. In this respect, jetBook, yes; K3 no. To be fair, I haven't exercised all of the K3 ecosystem's capabilities in this area. With the jetBook, I don't have to think about it.

As yet, it's still a toss up in my mind. HOWEVER, the jetBook had better have a Pearl screen version in the near future, or they won't get many new customers. If Astak manages to get one in their 5" reader, which is the closest in functionality to the jetBook, my jetBook might just wind up on eBay.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

On the gripping hand, Ectaco had better have a Pearl version of the jetBook in the plan, or they'll lose out.
<snip>
As yet, it's still a toss up in my mind. HOWEVER, the jetBook had better have a Pearl screen version in the near future, or they won't get many new customers. If Astak manages to get one in their 5" reader, which is the closest in functionality to the jetBook, my jetBook might just wind up on eBay.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

Ectaco is taking a different tack; their next reader is *now* (finally!) official: the Jetbook Mini is List-priced at US$99. It runs up to 90hrs on AAA batteries. That puts it into an entirely different retail space than the K3. If they really release it in a rainbow of colors as hinted (so far it's either black or canary yellow with black buttons) it would make an excellent reader for tweens and young teens: "My First ebook reader" if you will.

Main downside so far is that the listed format support is questionable.

[bob1xxx]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

Alas, bob1xx, you bought the wrong reader. The Aluratek is not the same as a jetBook. The hardware is identical, but the firmware is vastly different. And that makes a big difference.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

Honestly no I still like the kindle hands down even if I bought the jet book , I admit I was wrong e ink is the superior screen format for black and white text based e reading. Lcd is a power hog and harder to read than e ink and with a decent processor like the k2's and the quicker one in the k3 page turn and book loading performance is excellent and battery life is insane , with whisper mode off (except to download purchased books) I'm averaging 30 days between charges averaging 2 to 3 hours day of reading. I was lucky toward the end of my reading days with the libre if I could get 7 hours of reading so every 3 days or so I had to charge and the quality of build for libre (and the jetbook) is p*ss poor all three (returned two) that I purchase had problems with the usb charging port toward the end it would take about 5 minutes of jiggling the usb cable to ge my stupid libre to charge. The k2 and k3 I've had ZERO, I MEAN ZERO REcharge issues. And the E pub (actually and thing adobe) is a big steam dog poo i can tell you after buying 5 very screwed up e pub books I stop throwing away my money, where as every e book I purchased from amazon works and is readable (and sense mobi one of the oldest e book formats you can find lots of PD books to read for free or convert PG text files to mobi). So beside price that throw out the other advantage for the libre it does add up to get ether jet book or the libre. Save the 139.00 and get the kindle k3 wifi . I honest admit again I should have gotten the K2 six months ago and if you buying new compact e reader K3 is one of very best on the market .

P.S. I was going to give my best friend my libre but I don't want to make a enemy of him with this wonky beast Does anyone have bin laudens address ? I'll send this beast to him to give him the crazys LOL!

[Quake1028]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

I don't plan on getting rid of the jetBook. Its huge format flexibility and the ability to work with library books is too good to pass up. I think the two devices complement each other.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

I have a K3 Wi-Fi, and love it. However, the above paragraph was my justification for purchasing a nook Wi-Fi second hand. I know I *can* read library and epub on the K3 with some fooling around, but I don't want to have to go through all of that. I think the K3 with a multi format reader (I'm sure the Jetbook can read more formats than the nook) is a perfect match, as you said.

[bob1xxx]

Hmmm public library books a vastly over stated reason to buy a e pub reader. Here in So CAl PL's have convert so few books (except crap best sellers to epub) there no selection. And most books have waiting lists months long because the will only loan out the e pub books to only 2 to 5 readers depending on the library ....so sorry public library access is a straw man argument in my book.

[soondai]

Originally Posted by bob1xxx

Hmmm public library books a vastly over stated reason to buy a e pub reader. Here in So CAl PL's have convert so few books (except crap best sellers to epub) there no selection. And most books have waiting lists months long because the will only loan out the e pub books to only 2 to 5 readers depending on the library ....so sorry public library access is a straw man argument in my book.

gonna both agree and disagree with you there bob.

it is an overblown issue, not because the libraries are not great sources (they are) but because having a Kindle should not preclude you from reading those books.

I am also in Southern California.
Now is the selection great in that you can think of a book before hand and then go find it for sure? Nope.

But is it great in that you can flip thru the (thousands) of books they have and find great stuff? Heck yeah.

I'm a recent ebook convert and have only been using their systems for a couple months. Here's a smattering of books I've gotten.

recent Science books:
The Grand Design by Hawking
Sex at Dawn

Social Science:
a couple of Gladwells (I'd be tempted to file these under "crap bestsellers," but still worth skimming)
Influence by Cialdini
the updated Black Swan
The Evolution of God

Current Economics:
13 Bankers
Too Big to Fail

not even gonna get into all the history, sci fi, literature I've gotten.

These are books I've gotten, not just ones they have listed. Sure there's a wait for some, but that is the trade off for not buying. I don't have to have them instantly since I have plenty of other stuff to read in the meantime.

I'm happy for those that have the means to buy a Kindle subscription and buy hundreds of books at ten bucks a pop. I don't.

What I do have is several years worth of challenging material on paper. Stuff I want to mark up.

And an ereader with access to years worth of excellent (less technical, read-it-straight- thu) material available for free via the library.

But in all fairness this is exactly the same approach I would have taken with a Kindle. I just don't have to convert.

[Ranga]

Originally Posted by Kris777

nice review, thanks!

[Flyingredgoat]

Originally Posted by bob1xxx

Hmmm public library books a vastly over stated reason to buy a e pub reader. Here in So CAl PL's have convert so few books (except crap best sellers to epub) there no selection. And most books have waiting lists months long because the will only loan out the e pub books to only 2 to 5 readers depending on the library ....so sorry public library access is a straw man argument in my book.

I would think that would change over time, no?

K

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Flyingredgoat

I would think that would change over time, no?

K

Theoretically.
But Library funding is under pressure in many places. When the survival of the library itself is at stake ebook funding isn't guaranteed.

[Flyingredgoat]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Theoretically.
But Library funding is under pressure in many places. When the survival of the library itself is at stake ebook funding isn't guaranteed.

So I would think that the libraries would host a lot of project gutenberg. Free, and makes their collection (and therefore their use) much larger.

FRG

[Jack Tingle]

.rant on

Aarrgh! How the heck^2 does anyone manipulate other content on the stupid Kindle? I hate this.

Calibre, Mobi Creator, emailing... WTF? Jeff Bezos (who I often speak kindly of) is an IDIOT! So is everyone else who puts up with this mess. Including the mothers of Calibre, which sucks!

.rant off

Whew! I feel better now. I was attempting to read two .rtf files of short fiction. For my jetBook:
1) Open cover & remove SD card.
2) Stick SD card into laptop and wait for beep.
3) Open SD card window.
4) Drag .rft file to card window.
6) Remove card and replace in jetBook.
7) Move files to long term storage folder.

For the stupid K3:
1) Fire up Calibre.
2) Add files.
3) Convert files to .mobi
4) Write files.
5) Hook up K3 with USB cable. Wait for beep.
6) Find Calibre's converted files.
7) Drag to Kindle document folder
8) Eject K3.
9) Unhook USB and restow.
10) Delete Calibre's crap.
11) Move files to long term storage folder.
Ridiculous.

The jetBook will be with me a very long time.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[Logseman]

Can't you transfer files directly from Calibre to the Kindle 3?

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

.rant on

Aarrgh! How the heck^2 does anyone manipulate other content on the stupid Kindle? I hate this.

Calibre, Mobi Creator, emailing... WTF? Jeff Bezos (who I often speak kindly of) is an IDIOT! So is everyone else who puts up with this mess. Including the mothers of Calibre, which sucks!

.rant off

...Ridiculous.

The jetBook will be with me a very long time.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

Thanks for your candor, Jack! We are now seeing Kindle owners admit that their Kindles are less than perfect.

First the slow page-turning issue, which appears to be a product of overheating and may be a hardware design flaw (but maybe only a firmware flaw), and now your comments.

Newegg is currently out of stock of both the JB and the JBL. I sure hope that Ectaco isn't planning to discontinue those models.

[Jack Tingle]

Originally Posted by Logseman

Can't you transfer files directly from Calibre to the Kindle 3?

Probably, but you still have to put up with Calibre's bulls#@t. It generates huge, useless, directory structures and junk files. I only want the file conversion features.

I'll have to try its CLI and see if that minimizes the crap.

Regards,
Jack Tingle