The EXTACO jetBook eBook Reader sounds like it can do what the Kindle was supposed to do: change the way we read. Sure, the iPhone 3G and the Kindle both do very good jobs of being eBook readers, but does the job as well as the jetBook.
Unlike the Kindle, the jetBook does not use an E-Ink screen but instead a crisp, white screen--meaning that low light reading shouldn't be as big a problem. Also, users can search and cross-reference the text using bookmarks.
Users will also be able to search the contents of the e-library and get a list of every instance found in the book's content. For more, here's a comparison table with the jetBook and its rivals.
Here's a feature list from the company's website:
• Support for e-Book 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 and other European languages
• Bookmarks and auto page turn functionality
• Adjustable font type and 6 different sizes
• Screen rotation support for both portrait & landscape modes
• Built-in MP3 player that supports background playback
• Support for .txt, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .png and .bmp file formats
• SD card slot (up to 2 GB)
• Internal Li-ion polymer battery
• Battery: 20 hours of continuous, active use!
Retailing for $349.95, it comes with a power adapter, USB 2.0 cable, storage pouch, user's manual, and a bonus CD. It's also fully compatible with both Mac and Windows-based PCs.
The only major flaw I see is no WiFi access so I can't access my RSS feeds--which may be something that the company may want to consider when creating its successor.
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August 15, 2008 6:31 PM
Looks like an interesting device, but their claim that they will get you any book for free (right there in their own comparison table) indicates to me they are in league potentially with pirate sites.
Also their claim of 14,000 page turns on one charge, if you do the math you would have to be able to read a full page in just a few seconds. Maybe if you are evelyn wood...
So it looks interesting but I find a couple of their claims disturbing.
August 15, 2008 6:40 PM
I agree with some of Steve's concerns. And where you find one or two unrealistic claims, you're sure to find more....
On their website I found this swf:
http://www.ectaco.com/info/jetBook.swf
He points his jetBook at a library and books fly into it. He points it at an ATM-esque booth and papers fly into it.
I need a bit more detail here; I'm not spending 350 bucks on something from Harry Potter!
August 16, 2008 11:13 PM
I'm not so skeptical. The potential for e-book readers like this or the Kindle have been tossed around for a long time.
Now the whole bit about it flying into a library might be a desire on the part of the designers to partner with libraries to provide books on the device instead of paper copies to people who might want them. Imagine walking into a library and checking out all of your books on a tablet device like this instead of a bag of text? Or maybe both, if you prefer? Or perhaps walking into a library with one of these and walking out with your checked out books on it (harder to implement, but a better idea), and no need to worry about going back to the library to check them in, when the device will automatically delete them when your check-out period is over?
Additionally, as for having access to thousands and thousands of books for free? Yeah - you already have access to thousands and thousands of books for free, completely legally. Check out The Gutenberg Project, or even WOWIO.com to see. Ever hear of public domain? It's depressing that people automatically equate free with illegal - that's the kind of thinking that makes sure our trademark and patent laws stay good, broken, and in favor of IP interests.
August 17, 2008 12:21 AM
I'm not so skeptical. The potential for e-book readers like this or the Kindle have been tossed around for a long time.
Now the whole bit about it flying into a library might be a desire on the part of the designers to partner with libraries to provide books on the device instead of paper copies to people who might want them. Imagine walking into a library and checking out all of your books on a tablet device like this instead of a bag of text? Or maybe both, if you prefer? Or perhaps walking into a library with one of these and walking out with your checked out books on it (harder to implement, but a better idea), and no need to worry about going back to the library to check them in, when the device will automatically delete them when your check-out period is over?
Additionally, as for having access to thousands and thousands of books for free? Yeah - you already have access to thousands and thousands of books for free, completely legally. Check out The Gutenberg Project, or even WOWIO.com to see. Ever hear of public domain? It's depressing that people automatically equate free with illegal - that's the kind of thinking that makes sure our trademark and patent laws stay good, broken, and in favor of IP interests.
August 17, 2008 2:11 AM
It's a brilliant idea. I guess the only option that is missing is the phone option? this looks so much like a PDA.
August 17, 2008 11:50 AM
No wireless connectivity? Fail.
The *major* benefit I get from my Kindle is that I can sit on the ramp at SEA, browse for a new book and have it downloaded to my Kindle in about a minute. That's the key feature of the Kindle + the thing that's missing from this device that makes it (for me at least) worthless.
August 18, 2008 11:26 AM
The Ectaco looks cool. However, when I was purchasing my eBook reader, I realized that none of the retailers I was interested in purchasing from actually support the Ectaco. Why? The Ectaco doesn't read anything that has DRM... so forget about reading anything new/any bestsellers. For roughly the same price, I purchased a Cybook ebooks reader, which supports both non-DRM and DRM formats. If you're looking into an eBook reader, I recommend the Cybook without reservations.
September 7, 2008 5:57 AM
I personally like the idea. I do a great deal of reading ancient texts that do not appear in print anymore, but were safely transferred to digital form before the old books fell to dust, or were outlawed for some stupid reason. To have an ebook at your fingertips that does not have the wrong formatting or split words is very attractive to the obsessive studying type like myself, besides, if you self publish ebooks this looks good too. Power to the progressive evolution of mind and technology. (Sorry, got a bit excited) Besides, lets see some crazed self-rightous book burners destroy this!
October 5, 2008 10:26 PM
Disappointing.
Reading the classics no problem.
But try to download newer books from one of many
book sites and this is not an option.
something not made very clear.