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(More customer reviews)Yahoo -- I have been waiting for an ebook reader with excellent readability and ergonomics for $150, and here it is: the Ectaco Jetbook Lite.
No, the JBL doesn't have wireless capability, and no, it doesn't play mp3s. I have a little device called an mp3 player that does that!
What the JBL does do is serve up a variety of ebook formats, including the mobi format the New York Public Library supports, along with eReader DRM, FictionBook, plain text, PDF, EPUB, and others.
The JBL doesn't use e-ink technology. Instead it sports a VERY readable LCD screen with the added advantage over e-ink screens of fast page turning: as fast as you can turn a paper page, in fact.
The JBL screen delivers high-contrast black text against a white background, comparable to the Nook unit and better than the Kindles, from the photos I've seen.
I have been reading "The Mysterious Island" on the JBL for several hours with NO eye fatigue. Though the light in my dark first-floor apartment is not the best, the background picks it up beautifully.
There are no less than three page-turning controls, one on the left side of the unit, another on the front under the screen -- plus you can turn pages with your right hand using the arrow keys on the bottom right.
The JBL sports several built-in dictionaries, making it easy to look up words in English or translate them from other languages. The unit also comes with a number of classics onboard, including Shakespeare, Dickens, Joyce, the Bible, and more.
You can also plug in an SD card, expanding the memory to hold a prodigious number of ebooks -- enough for even the longest vacation abroad or the most protracted cruise!
The JBL also "plays well" with Windows XP. My computer recognized it right away (well, after pausing for the obligatory restart), and it's easy to copy files using My Computer.
I had a little trouble finding some Mobi books I copied using the Mobipocket reader on my computer; I found them using the unit's file manager routine, in a second folder it had created for the purpose. I subsequently used My Computer to move these files into the unit's primary book folder, which makes resuming reading much faster and easier when you turn the unit on.
The JBL is rated to run for more than 20 hours on four AA batteries. I have been using high-capacity NiMH rechargeables, and the power meter is still reading full after several hours of reading. This sure beats the Franklin eBookman I used to have -- and the JBL doesn't lose its memory when you change the batteries!
You may not see it in the photos, but the unit has a backside bulge on the left to accommodate the battery chamber. This actually makes the reader comfortable to hold in your left hand, and it serves as a handy stand when you switch to landscape format while you're eating at the table.
Finally the JBL fits nicely into my back jeans pocket.
What can I say? If you don't care about wireless capability... if you already have an mp3 player... and if you have better things to do with your money than spend more than two hundred clams on an ebook reader... check out the Ectaco Jetbook Lite.
It holds and displays an entire library of ebooks with first-class readability and ergonomics, and that's what really matters!
UPDATE: I made the mistake of ordering the silicon sleeve Ectaco sells to "protect" the JBL. It doesn't fit very well, it doesn't protect the screen, and at $34 delivered, it offers poor value for money.
It also feels rather slippery; it needs texturing to improve your grip. In short, I fear it will make me drop the JBL while turning a page, obviating its usefulness protecting the unit. I do NOT recommend it and suggest that you seek a protective sleeve/pouch from a third-party vendor (Ectaco's other fancier pockets were more expensive, at $50 and $100 respectively, not including shipping).
I would return it, except that Ectaco charges a 6% restocking fee and won't refund the exorbitant $14 shipping charge. Phooey!
UPDATE NUMBER TWO: When I bought the JBL in December, it was still having problems with DRM books (the pdb titles, available at Barnes & Noble). You couldn't select font size, text was missing as you went from page to page, and it took a long time to open a book.
I am pleased to report that the latest firmware upgrade seems to have solved all these problems. The only remaining issue appears to be a problem opening DRM reference titles like Webster's Dictionary; it takes a full ten minutes to open this sucker -- not practical for a quick word check.
Regular DRM books seem to be working fine, however. And these fixes were accomplished without users having to send their unit back for refurbishing, as users of the base Sony reader had to recently. (If your JBL is having DRM issues, visit the general forum at Ectaco.com and follow the links and instructions for updating to the latest firmware; the process works without glitches, and I'm no rocket scientist, I'll confess.)
Thus the JBL handles with aplomb the latest bestsellers from B&N as well as all the free mobi titles available at Guttenberg, the New York Public Library, and other sources.
In short, it does everything you can ask of an ebook reader for a lot less $$$ than other units available. Highly recommended.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Ectaco Jbl-en Jetbook-lite Ereader
5" screen640 x 480 resolutionTrue pocket-sized portability Capable of storing 1000s of eBooksStores music & picture filesSupport of DRM format through Barnes & Noble(R)Pre-loaded CIA World FactbookBookmarks & auto page turn functionalityAdjustable font type & sizeScreen rotation support for portrait & landscape modesBuilt-in dictionarySecure Digital Card (TM) slot Supports ePub, Mobi, PRC, RTF, txt, pdf, fb2, HTML, jpg, gif, png & bmp filesSupport for eBook contents 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 & other European languagesBidirectional dictionaries for certain European languages (including German & Spanish) availableMultilingual interface options including German & SpanishRequires 4 AA batteriesDim: 6.02"L x 4.33"W x 0.51"HWeight: 9 oz
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