|
|
ECTACO has revolutionized the way you read with the JetBook eBook reader! At just 7.5 ounces and with dimensions smaller than a standard hardcover novel, the JetBook lets you carry a stack of books in the palm of your hand and read them wherever you want. It comes preloaded with the CIA World Factbook and a German Dictionary, and can hold thousands more texts with support for an optional SD memory card up to 2GB in size. With its USB mass storage capability, simply connect the JetBook to your PC via USB and drag and drop new content; you can also back up what you already have on the device instantly. The battery is charged via the included power supply or USB, and once charged can provide you over 20 hours of continuous active use, so you will always be ready to read.
Sporting a reflective, long lasting coating, the huge 5-inch VGA screen is easy on the eyes under various lighting conditions (including direct sunlight) and won’t get dirty even after extended use. With screen rotation support, you can always read your eBooks in the most comfortable and suitable manner. Even readers who have difficulty seeing print books will have no trouble with this reader's adjustable text size and font face.
An MP3 player rounds out the advanced features, so you can listen to your favorite music as you read. The well placed control buttons let you move forward or backward, add bookmarks, choose font sizes or rotate the screen simply by pressing the corresponding button. You can read almost anything on the JetBook, with its native support for over 10 different file formats including PDF, Mobi, HTML, TXT, MP3, BMP, JPG and more. Get yourself this versatile eBook reader from ECTACO now and experience the joy of reading in a uniquely different style!
-
- 5
-
- 60%
- 4
-
- 0%
- 3
-
- 20%
- 2
-
- 0%
- 1
-
- 20%
| Product Rating: |
 
|
| Total Reviews: |
5 |
Superior eBook Reader
- Pros: Excellent value, well designed, and a convenient easy-to-use device; very simple to navigate since the controls are consistent and logical; for the many file formats supported, simply throw the books on an SD card (or load via USB) and start reading; jetBook combines SD files seamlessly into file views; display very readable from direct sunlight to lower light conditions even with small font size; many advanced features (dictionary & language translate/lookup per word, text search, records portrait/landscape plus font size for each bookmark per file, can play MP3 in background while reading); native PDF and Mobi/PRC support; long battery life per charge; excellent size to fit in coat or pants pocket; protective case included; regular software feature upgrades/patches (e.g. new file formats); page turns are relatively quick (but PDF images take longer on every other page); monochrome graphics (in JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP) are surprisingly good for only 16 shades on 640 by 480 TFT display
- Cons: Minor issues: no native DJVU support yet; device documentation is minimal (not all capabilities written up so user is left to discover them) but less needed since the context menus function so logically; I don't believe hyperlinks are supported with the software but it could via navigational controls (even without a touch display); audio hardware geared toward speech reproduction (don't buy as an MP3 player) but that's consistent with jetBook's primary purpose; minor but noticed light-gray appears to "strobe" in bright sunlight especially with a larger font size (and _underline_ character)
- Other Thoughts: I've only had it for a few hours but can see it doesn't have the same deficiencies as my eBookMan 911 (e.g. long battery life, more font size choices, file conversion steps not necessary). jetBook is not a PDA so all features are consistent with providing an excellent reading experience. Not really competing with Kindle since that product focuses on book buying via 3G connection; I wanted a device to leverage my existing library of ~30K ebooks. jetBook delivers the features with no negative surprises. Tried all file formats so far (except RTF); especially pleased with versatile FB2 format so may convert many titles to FictionBook. I found that PDF in landscape mode is best plus you control the zoom level. Sort by author or title if you use jetBook's author#title convention. Easy file management of internal flash or SD card is unusual. Newegg delivery was fast and set a good price; another happy customer!
the price is right
- Pros: Small, plays most of my formats I need, fast enough I'm not bothered by it for most formats (this was a deal breaker for some other models I've used). It was quite easy to get up and running even with limited documentation. The picture feature actually works fairly well even for B&W comics.
- Cons: You need to make the firmware update before it will play all the formats as advertised here. FB2, PRC and Mobireader files require the updated firmware from the jetBook website.
The screen is small for PDFs. You can zoom and landscape mode works for many PDFs but if your PDF has small font you're going to be scrolling left to right to read it. Not a deal breaker for me as I prefer the smaller screen and portability to the PDF functionality.
- Other Thoughts: I got this on sale so it was a great way to get into the ebook market. I'm not sure the technology has gotten there yet but I will certainly be using this daily. The open source application Calibre has worked well for getting news and RSS from the web to my jetBook and can convert almost any files in bulk if you need it.
-
- 5
-
- 60%
- 4
-
- 0%
- 3
-
- 20%
- 2
-
- 0%
- 1
-
- 20%
| Product Rating: |
|
| Total Reviews: |
5 |
20 hours ? Try 5 instead.
- Pros: Jetbook is a very nice reader and does a splendid job of displaying .TXT ebooks as long as you ONLY need to read between lengthy charging times.
- Cons: Potential buyer NEEDS to know:
1 - Claimed battery life of 20 hours is VERY misleading and if you are very lucky it will give you 5 hours total use - and then must charge for 5+.
2 - JETBOOK CANNOT BE USED AT ALL WHILE CONNECTED TO EXTERNAL POWER !!!
3 - Battery is sealed inside and proprietary.
If these will be issues then I suggest avoiding this product.
- Other Thoughts: Support is about the worst I've ever encountered and when asked about the awful battery life they responded by emailing a copy of the manual's charging instructions.
Further attempts yielded no better results.
Nice reader!
- Pros: Good battery life, no screen flicker when transitioning pages (like e-Ink readers), now comes with updated firmware (so disregard the firmware cons in other reviews-- that no longer is an issue and it comes out of the box supporting all the advertised formats). The SD slot is nice, I ordered a cheap 2 gig SD card and when all is said and done, the 2 gigs plus the 64 megs on the device should be able to hold hundreds of books. My entire 800-1000 ebook collection could fit on here. I love being able to switch between portrait and landscape, and the page turn buttons are intelligently placed. I don't have problems hitting buttons I don't mean to. Looks great as long as you have light, and is easy on the eyes.
- Cons: PDF support is weak. When I loaded a PDF, it was very small; when I zoomed in, once I got zoomed in far enough to read, I had to scroll side-to-side as well as up and down to see the text, which really bugs me. To get around this, I just downloaded Calibre (google it) and converted my PDFs into FB2's and they look great.
No support for LIT files (must convert with Calibre).
- Other Thoughts: Overall very pleased with the device. I've read two books on it already, and had no eye strain.
Also to note, for some reason, copying to the SD card I put in it seems to be much faster than copying to the device. I'm using the same USB cable on the same plug and the card is faster than the actual device... kinda odd, but no biggie, I just put all my books on the card instead.
The best formats I have found to go on the device are RTF and FB2. I have not tested MOBI, but have tested TXT, PDF, RTF, LIT, and FB2, and FB2 is my favorite with RTF coming in a close second.
first is a sour cherry
- Pros: Support of different languages: Latin and Cyrillic scripts are supported natively.
English-English, Russian-English, English-Russian, English-German, English-Polish dictionaries are built in. This is very helpful for those who learn English or Russian. Just select the word and press "OK" - and you get the word translation.
Selection of fonts - you pick one which is convenient to read.
Very good viewing angle for the screen.
Availability of SD slot - you can add your own books on the SD card.
Good navigation strategy - using side buttons and scrolling.
Very fast delivery by the NewEgg. Thank you, Newegg!
- Cons: Now, this is the interesting part.
Battery was shot from the very beginning. It may be just a bad unit (actually I am waiting for a replacement to come).
For someone who is deciding to buy or not, here is what I suggest - charge your jetBook completely, preferably overnight. In the morning, turn the unit on, select a big book, set the page autoturning for 60 seconds and let it sit. Check from time to time how the battery is discharging.
Mine unit was dead in 3 hours versus 20 hours claimed.
I've done this four times - charged for five hours and discharged. The result was the same.
Customer Service in Ectaco is poor. Waiting time from 20 minutes to an hour. Get yourself charged with the full dose of patience. Phone support is not 800 number - you pay.
Now the LCD screen is not as clear as e-ink, but it's okay. You would need a really good source of light.
SD card only limited to 2GB.
PDF takes a long time to resize and display. I don't recommend to use it. Stick with .txt, .rt
- Other Thoughts: I had it only for three days. Since the battery is definitely in problem, did not think twice to ask for a replacement.
Since the first unit was not functioning - hence the one egg. I paid my own 10 bucks shipping. So the cost is = price + $10.
Now, if you on the market for Russian capable reader - this is the one. Well, you could use the Sony reader, but you would need to hack it. You can find how to on the Internet. Even, the newer Sony readers still do not support Cyrillic scripts.
The availability of built-in dictionaries made me to buy one.
As soon as I get a replacement unit, I will post the update.
I crossed my fingers for the second one.
| General |
| Brand |
ECTACO |
| Model |
JB5W-EN |
| File Formats Supported |
| Text |
.txt, .pdf, .fb2, Mobi, PRC, EPUB, RTF |
| Image |
JPEG/GIF/PNG/BMP |
| Audio |
MP3 |
| Display |
| Screen Size |
5" |
| Viewing Angle |
180° |
| Features |
| Features |
True pocket-sized portability for thousands of eBooks
Unique support for e-Book content in Albanian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Faeroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian and other European languages make it the best choice for foreign language reading, study or pleasure
Bidirectional translating Dictionaries for many popular languages are now available to deliver instant translation wherever you go
Supports books in the new and popular .fb2 format
Pre-loaded with Fodor's Travel Guide and CIA World Factbook
Bookmarks and auto page turn functionality
Adjustable font type and size
Screen rotation support for both portrait & landscape modes
Built-in MP3 player that supports background playback |
| Built-in Dictionary |
Yes |
| Card Reader |
SD |
| Connections |
| Headphone Jack |
Yes |
| PC Connections |
mini-USB |
| Power |
| Battery Type |
Li-ion Polymer, 2800mAh |
| Battery Life |
20 hours |
| Dimensions & Weight |
| Dimensions |
6.02" x 4.33" x 0.51" |
| Weight |
7.5 oz |
Introduction
ECTACO has revolutionized the way you read with the JetBook eBook reader! At just 7.5 ounces and with dimensions smaller than a standard hardcover novel, the JetBook lets you carry a stack of books in the palm of your hand and read them wherever you want. It comes preloaded with the CIA World Factbook and a German Dictionary, and can hold thousands more texts with support for an optional SD memory card up to 2GB in size. With its USB mass storage capability, simply connect the JetBook to your PC via USB and drag and drop new content; you can also back up what you already have on the device instantly. The battery is charged via the included power supply or USB, and once charged can provide you over 20 hours of continuous active use, so you will always be ready to read.
Sporting a reflective, long lasting coating, the huge 5-inch VGA screen is easy on the eyes under various lighting conditions (including direct sunlight) and won’t get dirty even after extended use. With screen rotation support, you can always read your eBooks in the most comfortable and suitable manner. Even readers who have difficulty seeing print books will have no trouble with this reader's adjustable text size and font face.
An MP3 player rounds out the advanced features, so you can listen to your favorite music as you read. The well placed control buttons let you move forward or backward, add bookmarks, choose font sizes or rotate the screen simply by pressing the corresponding button. You can read almost anything on the JetBook, with its native support for over 10 different file formats including PDF, Mobi, HTML, TXT, MP3, BMP, JPG and more. Get yourself this versatile eBook reader from ECTACO now and experience the joy of reading in a uniquely different style!
Highlights
 |
Thin and Light
The Ectaco JetBook measures just 0.5 inches thick and weighs only 7.4 ounces, so you can take it anywhere and enjoy reading for hours on end without getting tired.
|
 |
Easy-to-read Display
The Ectaco JetBook features a large 5-inch VGA reflective-type display that can be easily read from almost any angle and under virtually any lighting condition. The revolutionary display reflects light without the need for backlighting, leading to dramatically longer battery life.
|
 |
Adjustable Font Sizes and Display Options
The Ectaco JetBook provides a choice of 6 font sizes and horizontal/vertical display options to suit your reading preference.
|
 |
112MB Internal Memory with SD Card Expansion
The Ectaco JetBook comes preloaded with the CIA World Factbook and a German Dictionary in its built-in 112MB flash memory, and provides a SD expansion slot that can accommodate a card up to 2GB in size for extra storage capacity.
|
 |
Integrated MP3 Player
The Ectaco JetBook plays back MP3s so you can enjoy your favorite music while reading.
|
 |
USB Connectivity
Easily download eBooks, MP3s and more from your PC, update the unit with the latest firmware, and charge the internal Lithium-ion battery with the convenient USB connection!
|
Quick Specs
| Brand | ECTACO |
| Screen Size | 5" |
| Card Reader | SD |
| PC Connections | USB Port |
| Built-in Dictionary | Yes |
| Audio | MP3 |
| Image | JPEG/GIF/PNG/BMP |
| Battery Type | Li-ion Polymer Battery |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
|
Reviewed By: rwid on 5/29/2009
Tech Level: somewhat high - Ownership: less than 1 day
