Tech From an E-booker’s Viewpoint

Earlier this month my husband and I went on our first cruise.  In my effort to pack lightly I only took one tech gadget with me and of course that was an e-book reader.  I wanted something small, light, but with enough screen space.  I decided to take me latest acquisition the Jetbook. Here’s my take on the reader along with some photos:

What in the box: Besides the reader itself, you get a neoprene pouch that has a Velcro closure.  The case has what feels like a hard, but flexible plastic sheet for added protection.  I also got an AC adapter, and USB cord.  A Windows CD (by Livingsoft) with phrase books, flashcards, and dictionaries is included.  No software for the reader is included or needed.

TIP: On the reader  there is a pdf with a listing of places to download free books.  Some I have never come across and plan to check them out.

Features: 

This reader is small as well as thin.  I have taken a picture of it next to the Ebookman and Sony reader to give some perspective.  Still, the screen size is really nice at 5 inches.  For me the screen was the biggest selling point.  The reader measures in at 6″ x 4.25″ x 3/8″.  It easily fits in any of my purses and weighs only 7.5 ounces.  Like most e-book readers these days, the Jetbook has MP3 capabilities.  All of the features in this section are user friendly. I loaded one song and one podcast to test it out.  Barry White sounds pretty good, but not as good as hearing it on my iPod.  The spoken word is a lot better.  I listened to TWIT (Leo LaPorte). One of the features of the device is that you listen while you read.  This could be great for kids who are beginning to read.  You could add the audio of the book so that he/she could read along.  I see children books with CDs in the dollar stores all the time.  Of course this could work for adults too.  You could listen to your book while driving (using a FM transmitter) and then later pick it back up and read when you can.  Of course you would have to find your place if you don’t stop at the end of a chapter.  Settings include return to Playlist, the ability to turn off the LCD, Playmodes, Background Music, and Hot Keys.  I saw no way to bookmark, but you can pause but when I returned to what I was listening to it went back to the beginning instead of where I left off.  I doubt if I ever will use the audio with any frequency.  The reader only accepts up to a 2gb SD card.  That is more than enough for simple text, but audio books can eat up space quick.