Comments on: Catch Up On New eReaders

By: Nico Vreeland

Nico Vreeland — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:21:19 +0000

Hi Kenng, Thanks for stopping by. I'd say, if you want a large backlit screen, your best bet might be an "ultramobile PC," which is essentially a tablet screen that can access the internet and run simple programs. Sometimes these are kind of expensive, like the Viliv x70, which costs about $600. But the Toshiba JournE looks good enough to do ebooks pretty well, and it supposedly only costs $350. No release date. I'd keep my out for those kind of devices if i were you. Nico

By: Kenng

Kenng — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:51:40 +0000

I Still use an old REB/GEB 1200/2150 as my reader of choice. It has a large BACKLIT color screen which allows me to lie in bed and read in the dark (it is important not to disturb your SO)

I am down to my last one (of 4) and there are no more replacements – Why can’t anyone offer an ereader that is portable, large enough fonts to allow an older eyed person to read it, [(size 12 font)without having just a word and a half on the screen if you do enlarge the font]similar to the 1200/2150?

The 1150 offered by ebookwise (I own 3) is a)tiny, b)green tinted back light ( tough on my eyes )and c)limited to non-drm books. I gave one to my son, one to my wife(SO) and the third is waiting for one of the others to break.

It was successfully done once by RCA, why not do it again??

Kenng

By: Nico Vreeland

Nico Vreeland — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:07:28 +0000

Hi Dimitry-

Yeah, if you don’t need DRM, I could see sacrificing contrast for resolution and speed. No doubt about it.

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By: Dimitry

Dimitry — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:04:55 +0000

Contrast or background color is not an issue for me as a jetBook owner. If you ask me – is it sharp enough for you, the answer is – absolutely! I’m 100% sure that this issue will be discussed many more times, but not because jetBook type of screen is inconvenient, but solely because it’s different.
Talking about DRM. I don’t use my jetBook to read books. Imagine that! I use it to download articles from political blogs and read them while I’m on train. But I have to admit, that it has to be a problem for book lovers. Something to think about for Ectaco!

By: Nico Vreeland

Nico Vreeland — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:19:53 +0000

Hi Greg,
Thanks for the link. It sounds like, from jetBook users, that the resolution is sharper, but the contrast (i.e. the difference in color between the white background and the black letters) looks muddier than the Sony’s, at least in the videos and pictures. By all accounts, though, it’s good to read on.

I think the non-backlit LCD screen is a really interesting way to go for ereaders. It looks a lot faster than E-Ink, which is obviously great. The lack of DRM support is a killer for me, though.

By: Greg Weiss

Greg Weiss — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:49:45 +0000

There’s actually a really good review on the jetBook i just found on YouTube, Here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urgm7dAA7-Q

I actually own a jetBook and have not been let down with it once. It’s light, portable, and if you really want you can strip any DRM (there are instructions everywhere how to do this) and read books till you turn purple. On the other hand, that’s fairly frowned upon, so i stick to my classics which i love.

As for the contrast, i had a Sony PRS before this and i’ll tell you that the contrast is actually sharper when comparing the TFT of the jetBook to the e-Ink on Sony. Everyone has an eye for things but this is what i’ve noticed. Reading in the dark is actually much clearer as well on the jetBook and there’s limited glare.

This is kind of my opinion but i would definitely be glad to hear some more commentary. Thanks!

By: Nico Vreeland

Nico Vreeland — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:35:45 +0000

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for reading. I’m going to do another post next week about upcoming and rumored reading devices, and I’ll stick the Sony wireless reader in there.

Personally, I’m more excited about the partnership with the NYPL than the wireless reader. They haven’t been able to make a decent touchscreen yet, so I’m assuming this one won’t be decent either.

Nico

By: Nico Vreeland

Nico Vreeland — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:30:44 +0000

Hi Jon,

Thanks for stopping by. I must say, I mostly agree with you. It’s really frustrating that these devices are as feature-bare as they are, especially considering a lot of them are second- or third-generation devices.

The good news is that the prices are coming down almost to the point where it’s worth it for casual readers to get involved with ebooks.

I’m also really skittish about Sony. They make terrible software, and their customer service is atrocious– it’s one of those companies where you have to keep calling or coming in until you find somebody who’ll fix what’s broken.

That said, though, the PRS-505 is a great piece of hardware (the PRS-700 is a piece of junk, though). Worth checking out at the store, at least.

Nico

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:50:20 +0000

Good stuff. Will you be adding thoughts on Sony’s new model announced today? With wireless and library access it seems to have jumped to the head of the pack. If and when Apple adds the rumored tablet, it will be fun to see how that stacks up too.