07-20-2009, 07:57 AM | #61 |
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I started looking into the JetBook not long after getting my PRS-505. Since I live in Taiwan, most of these devices aren't available locally and need to be imported. After what I paid for the Sony, I had to admit being slightly put off by the limited contrast and clarity of the screen. I don't think the JetBook will totally resolve that dissatisfaction, but the TFT screen seems to be a potential step in the right direction. I hope the next few product generations show more development in screen clarity and contrast, and not just more tagged-on functions and features. Market-driven innovation being what it is though...
Were I starting from scratch though, and knowing I'd be making my own custom PDFs the way I am for most of my books, I'd probably have gone with the JetBook rather than the Sony, even if the JetBook has the aesthetics of a 1980s boombox. I find my Sony ugly enough as it is, the JetBook takes it to a new level of potential distraction. |
07-20-2009, 08:24 AM | #62 | |
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I guess you are just hoping the next generation of eink stuff will be better and I agree. The jetbook looks good at 169 , and I would love to hear more from people that have both the jetbook and 505 , so I can hear more how they stack up against each other. And which one you take with you the most. Last edited by richman; 07-20-2009 at 08:37 AM. |
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07-20-2009, 09:40 AM | #63 | |
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I actually did change fonts on my reader, and I started a thread back in the 505 forum here regarding font choices. I'm satisfied with the readability of my fonts, but more than $200 for a specialized text viewer that can't produce sharp, clear text is a bit of a letdown no matter how you slice it. I'm into typography, and ebook readers just can't make beautiful text yet. That's one of the big things I'm hoping will be resolved. It's why I can't bear to read the ebook version of any book I have a hard copy of, unless the hard copy is falling apart...the text quality of ebook readers is so much lower than that of even the most cheaply printed mass market paperbacks and print-on-demand setups that I don't even particularly enjoy reading with my Sony that much. It's just a compromise that I tolerate so that my cramped apartment can continue to sustain life, not much better than my EEE PC. But yeah, in a few years, who knows? Perhaps the display technologies will improve enough to satisfy those of us who are not content to stop at "readable". TFTs seem to have promise in that regard...e-ink I'm not so sure about. Last edited by LDBoblo; 07-20-2009 at 09:44 AM. |
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07-20-2009, 10:32 AM | #64 |
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gee, you know your stuff. I didn't know you were formatting the pdf's in such a cool way. And you knew all about the other stuff. I'm just happy I can read books again without my glasses on, so I increase font size so I can read again. You love the ART of reading and the font types and all the other stuff. You need a much more advanced ereader. I'm so happy I can read on this thing, so what makes me happy is very basic for these devices.
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07-20-2009, 11:57 AM | #65 | |
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I do hope the technology points in the direction of improving the viewing experience, rather than giving the device more complex and bloated software and functions to make it a poor PDA/netbook substitute. Convergence may be inevitable, but my hope is that refinement of pre-existing technology will come sooner. The JetBook is a nice way of showing that some alternative techs can reach the market...hopefully it paves the way for more advanced mono TFT options. Hopefully it takes some lessons from competitors though in terms of design. |
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07-20-2009, 12:14 PM | #66 | |
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I have figured out a superb XeTeX (XeLaTeX, actually) setup for CJK characters, using a freely available font that supports over 70,000 CJK characters and looks great on the Sony Reader. Drop me a PM if you are interested in getting your hands on that. - Ahi |
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07-23-2009, 03:35 AM | #67 |
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First post, on topic of the original thread:
I have been researching a replacement eBook reader for my EB-1150 for some time now, and had almost bought a PRS-505 before I found this site. After checking out several different readers that I hadn't yet heard of, I finally settled on the jetBook. Number of formats/features, no backlight, and the price ($170 from NewEgg) made it an easy choice. $100 less than Sony! (more or less) Using it for a few hours, I love it already. I have a couple wishes (such as having the down scroll turn the page at the bottom of a PDF), but it's working well so far. Looking forward to firmware updates (I hear HTML support is coming along with some "killer" feature?) I adapt PDF's with PDFill's tools to cut out headers and some whitespace (jetBook takes care of the rest). I don't care about the DRM issue - I want to read mostly classics and don't have much of a program removing DRM from a book I BOUGHT to use on MY OWN DEVICE. :P But I'm not too likely to buy many contemporary books anyway (I wouldn't pirate, FYI) Anyways, I wanted to point out that although JSWolf has been bashing ECTACO and the jetBook comparison chart, he missed a crucial point: If you look closely at the picture of the Sony, it is the PRS-500 shown, NOT the PRS-505. Wouldn't that make the comparison much more valid and not a heap of lies as JSWolf claims? For example, the 500 does indeed have problems with leftovers after page refresh. Take it with a grain of salt. For the price, I think the jetBook is the way to go! Probably would have taken the Sony for $150 if I had got on that deal, but on the other hand... I don't need to open more credit. Also: after I bought from NewEgg, I noticed that Bed Bath and Beyond has the jetBook for a scant $200 on their website. With a 20% off coupon, you could get black for $160! White isn't my first choice, but it's growing on me. |
07-23-2009, 08:04 AM | #68 |
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So many of the jetBook-bashing comments just didn't make any kind of sense to me either. I strongly suspect it was more of an eink-vs-LCD bias than any real issues with the jetBook. The more I use jetBook (I've had mine about 6 weeks now) the more I enjoy it! IMHO, if you can strip DRM or live without DRMed books, it's a wonderful, cost-effective, portable ebook reader solution. And I am pleasantly surprised - I am always surprised when a manufacturer provides after-purchase service and upgrades for free! - at the new firmware releases that continue to come out.
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07-29-2009, 06:25 AM | #69 |
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I guess this forum room "which ereader should I buy" is where jetbook people meet to discuss the jetbook.
I would like to see a jetbook dedicated forum room , like we have a 505 room and kindle room. Last edited by richman; 07-29-2009 at 06:34 AM. |
07-29-2009, 07:47 AM | #70 | |
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I'll hope to have it end of this week and will post about my experience. Last edited by mgmueller; 07-29-2009 at 04:20 PM. |
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07-29-2009, 07:50 AM | #71 | |
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The only problem is NOW you will have to go back to your 8 ereader threads and UPDATE to 9 ereaders! Why you are at it , any chance you are gonna buy the jetbook too , you are one of the only guys on this site that practically has them all. It is great to have a onsite ereader reviewer like you that practically has all of them, I look forward to your review of the opus. |
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07-29-2009, 11:28 AM | #72 | |
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I thought about Foxit's ESlick for a second or two...But I guess it doesn't have any real advantage over my existing readers. Rumor has it, Sony might release a new reader, containing WiFi and G3. I'm pretty sure I'll buy that one. I probably won't purchase the Hanlin V5 or BeBook, based on my experience with the existing BeBook (depends on the design - "plasticy" or not). Whatever I choose, I'll update my thread accordingly. |
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