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.

Continue reading “Ectaco Jetbook review”

This weekend I finally got around to using the Kindle.  The packaging it comes in is really nice.  It looks like a book.  I could have lived without all that though. Maybe if Amazon had used a plainer package it could have knocked a few bucks off the Kindle’s price tag.  Yes the Kindle is still homely looking, but softer on the eyes in person.  I like the way the device feels in my hand.  I have rather large hands with long fingers.  I also have nails, but I try to keep them short.  I was concerned about finger placement on the reader, but my fingers naturally fell in the right place.  The Kindle is also quite light and I had no problems using it with one hand.  I am not a fan of rubber grips and it has been one of my few dislikes reference the EBW1150.  That said, the one on the kindle is not too thick, and not too much of a rubbery feeling.I purposely did not read any user guides.  I wanted to see just how user friendly the Kindle is straight out of the box.  It took me a few hours to figure out how to get to the SD card slot underneath the gray rubberize back.  Then, when I wasn’t trying to remove the cover, it just popped off. Go figure.  I was surprised to see what looks like a user replaceable battery.  I hope that Amazon will start selling these separately.  It would be a real plus if they come out with a battery charger.  The reset button is also located under the rubber backing.  I don’t like having to remove the backing just to do a reset. It shouts potential hassle.  I hated the location of the reset button on the Sony reader.  I was so afraid I was going to break the reader snapping that cover on and off. I can also see the little slot inserts getting broken too. 

The case looks like a moleskin notebook.  It is leather, but it feels bulky and is cumbersome when trying to use the Kindle.  The power switch for the Kindle is on the back and it is hard to get to it with the case on.  I have gotten to the point where I store the reader in its case and then remove it when I am using it.  I was at M-edge and they are coming out with a case for the Kindle in January 2008.  So I won’t have too long to wait.  The site says that the case will be available in a variety of colors.  No word on pricing though. 

The screen is no better or worse than any other e-ink device I have.  I like the keyboard and the scroll wheel.  The keys feel solid, but I won’t be speed typing on it.  It took me more than a minute to realize that the scroll wheel has a window.  The window is directly above it and runs the length of the screen.  The position indicator is hard to see.  It’s a light silver color and blends in.  At first I had to hold the device a certain way to see it, but that could just be me.  It’s not so bad now, so I must be getting use to it.  I am just glad the scroll wheel is there.  It makes it so much easier to navigate.    Hopefully tomorrow, I will cover my Kindle set up and book purchase experience.

“Mommy the screen is just too small for me” was the final statement from my son Kellen. At first he was drawn to the small size.  It’s funny because he thought the entire top of the laptop was the screen.   So when he turned the laptop on he thought he did something wrong.  After I explained that the speakers were on the side he asked why.  I didn’t have an answer and quite honestly I would like to know why too.  Maybe it was the only place the speakers could go.  I wouldn’t be surprise if the next generation Eee has a larger screen in the same place and the speakers located on either side of the touch pad.  While Kellen did like the laptop, he was taken a back by its different interface.  He kept expecting it to be like Windows.  The big difference was Yahoo! Messenger versus Pidgin.  He uses it to send messages to his sister, who is away at college.  Pidgin just doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that Yahoo! has.  He was also disappointed when he found out that the webcam doesn’t work in Pidgin.  Still, I think that over time he will get use it.

I gave the Eee PC to Kellen without explanation.  He immediately knew what to do.  The only thing I had to point out was the tab layout.  Of course he quickly found the Play section.  The first day he played some of the games, but became somewhat bored after a few minutes. He wanted me to add more software and was disappointed when I told him I couldn’t.   I suggested the learning software and he promptly quit that after a couple of minutes. 

I think that main reason why Kellen hasn’t taken a shine to the Eee PC is because of his Internet experience.  He likes playing a couple of the games on Cartoon Network’s site.  One of them he told me would keep freezing up.  I don’t know if my son is the typical child that Asus is targeting.  He’s a tech kid, because he has a tech mom.  I still have to wonder though.  Even if the target group has no computer, certainly these children are exposed to them at school or the library.  Would it be enough?  I am sure that as time goes on there will be more software available.  All I know for sure is that now I really like it.

Related:  WSJ article The First-Grader’s First PC

After I bought the Nokia N770 for my husband, I found it hard to put in down.  When I told him I was going to get one for myself, he suggested that I buy the N800 since we already had a N770 in the house.  I was somewhat hesitant given the price difference, but I am glad that I took my husband’s advice.  So how do they compare?

Aesthetics:  The N800 certainly has a slicker look to it compare to the understated finish of the N770.  I think the screens are the same size and from the specs they also have the same resolution.  However, in use I feel like the N800 seems a bit bigger.  Since the N800 also has a built in camera it doesn’t lie flat.  This makes it a bit more bulky.

Hardware:  I like the finish on the N770 more.  My hand doesn’t slide as much as it does on the N800.  The only time I notice it though is when I am reading in portrait mode.  I also think that the N770 is made sturdier.  The buttons don’t feel like Chiclets.  The separation of the Home, menu drop down, and escape key makes it easier to use.  The same thing goes for the zoom, power, and full screen buttons on top of the tablet.  I really think that I have more control with the N770.  I have nails (not long ones) and often on the N800 I slip and end up pushing the wrong key.  The N800 has dual speakers and the sound is much better when listening without earphones. The N770 has a separate stand, which means another thing to carry. It’s built into the N800, but it covers the USB port.  I use Velcro to attach mine to a case, so that means that I have to remove my tablet to hook it up to my PC.  That can be a pain.  Another thing that Nokia dropped when they came out with the N800 is the slide on cover.  The hard cover on the N770 puts the device in suspend mode and protects the screen.  There’s no need to get a case. I hope that the next generation tablet includes the hard cover and either has a separate stand or moves the USB connection port.  The only gripe I have about the N770 is that it only uses RS-MMC cards.  That limits me to 2 gb.  The N800 has two memory slots, that means that I can have up to 16 gb of space, fantastic for storing movies and music.

Use: I mainly use my N800 for reading.  Since I like reading in portrait mode, I think that I would rather read using the N770. It’s just easier to grip and feels better in my hand.  I recently got a Bluetooth keyboard so now I also use my N800 to take notes in class (for some reason people ask me if it is a Blackberry or iPhone).  I also downloaded Maemo WordPy.  It’s a Wordpress client that allows users to create blog entries and post directly from the tablet.  The N800 is definitely faster, but not noticeable when reading e-books.

I can’t recommend one over the other.  They are both great devices.  I think that it all depends on how you plan to use the tablet.  If you are looking for something to read e-books then you can save some money and just go for the N770.