Would you buy a Jetbook Lite Again?

kirbinster · 01-06-2010, 05:05 PM

I am thinking of buying on for my wife and would like to get opinions from people that have them. Do you like yours? Would you buy it again, and if not what might you buy instead? Thanks.

heffe2001 · 01-06-2010, 05:12 PM

My wife loves hers, and hasn't had any real issues yet (although the DRM/firmware issues are there, she's reading a few freebies right now, so it's not a big deal).

If money were no object tho, I'd be looking at one of the 9" or larger readers (for me anyway), that work better with PDF's, for my gaming books. Would be much better than carrying those heavy books whenever we get together.

kirbinster · 01-06-2010, 05:22 PM

What are the DRM/firmware issues - as of yesterday I knew nothing of these devices so this is all new to me. 9" sounds kind of big as she wants to put this in her purse and use it to read books on the train when she commutes to work.

What is the issue with PDF's as I have a bunch of pdf books that I might want to view on it, maybe?

John1997 · 01-06-2010, 05:22 PM

If I were buying it just to read non-secure epub books, yes I would buy it again. It is a very nice reading experience. Fictionwise does offer a few "multi-format" books with a non-secure epub format that I have enjoyed reading on the JBL.

But---I bought it from ereader for the express purpose of reading the secure formats from ereader and fictionwise. The readability of pdb files, both secure and non-secure, is very poor. The flow of the story is interrupted by missing words on many page turns. In addition, the text is cramped in comparison to the formatting of epub books.

If the firmware changes can make the pdb books read as well as the epub, it will be a fantastic choice. But I find myself resenting being misled by ereader into believing that the JBL was ready to read their files. It's just not there yet.

One alternative would be the Nook, which seems to read everything from Barnes and Noble very nicely (a friend let me borrow one for a few days).

I just bought a Fujitus 4121 slate and loaded ereader, the Barnes and Noble eReader, and mobipocket reader. They all seem to work well and it's a generally pleasant reading experience. I want to add Adobe Digital Edition so I can have a wider selection. Yes, it's heavy, 3 lbs as opposed to a fraction of a lb. And I usually have it plugged in while reading because the battery life is pretty brief. But it reads a variety of formats and has a large screen which is very readable both inside in dim light, and outside in bright sunlight.

kirbinster · 01-06-2010, 05:37 PM

Can't you use a program like Calibre to convert the pdb to epub, or does that no make a difference?

John1997 · 01-06-2010, 06:26 PM

For something to carry in a purse, you might consider a PDA. Software is available to read secure eReader (but Barnes & Noble eReader availability is more limited--check the website), and mobipocket so you can have a choice of a wide variety of books. The reading experience is about that of a magazine column. I still use my Tungsten E--the screen is fairly wide and clear, and it fits easily in my shirt pocket. It's ideal for reading in situations where I don't want to carry a book or a larger eReader, for instance a doctor's waiting room.

I haven't done much reading pdf's on an ebook reader. I'll expand my horizons now that I have my Fujitsu slate.

The DRM issues are too varied for me to discuss. All I care about is that many current books are protected by various digital rights management schemes. And it seems to be hard to find a single ereader that will handle all of them. That's one of the reasons I went to my slate.

I think people have had trouble using Calibre to reformat books in a secure format (ie, one with DRM). There are some who have stripped the DRM protection and then converted. I'm somewhat lazy and like the idea of being able to download a book and open it without first running through a conversion process. Of course I often did that in the early days with my Palm because early on the books had to be converted from text to palm doc format using Makedoc.

By the way, the epub books available from Project Gutenberg work fine on the JBL.

JeePea · 01-06-2010, 07:24 PM

I would definitely buy the JetBook Lite again. While there are still some problems with DRMed books, I feel that on the whole the device performs admirably. I read mainly books that I've converted from other formats to epub and the JBL handles this format quite well. I've also read a couple of PDF format books and find them to be very readable in landscape mode. I believe that as the firmware matures, the JBL will come into its own and give those annoying to read (and more expensive) e-ink devices a run for their money.

ngrant · 01-06-2010, 07:37 PM

I got mine for $117 and am very pleased with the performance, battery life and easy-to-read screen. However, I bought it primarily to read non-DRMed books that I already had on my computer - from Gutenberg and other sources in txt, html and rtf. JBL is fantastic for these. I tried with typing in name and credit card for ereader books but found it a pain; so those and Amazon and Sony books (and PDFs) I just read on my 21 inch computer screen with the free reader software that each of these stores provides. I don't mind using whatever best suits the format of the book, and spend a lot of time on my computer anyway. I doubt if you will find a single device that meets ALL your needs for under $200 anyway, so my advice is to start with your budget and try to get the biggest bang for the buck. Everyone's needs and level of tolerance are different!

mitchwah · 01-06-2010, 08:05 PM

I prefer variety, so since I already have (and love) my Jetbook Lite, I would try another device..

The Pocketbook 360 maybe.

GA Russell · 01-06-2010, 08:37 PM

Because my jeBook Lite cost only $117 (Newegg has it on sale today for $120), I am not picky. At this time I am only interested in public domain books. I figure that after eight free books the device will have paid for itself.

I have only been reading books that came for free with the device, and I am satisfied so far. In the future, I will bookmark the table of contents of every book I read so that I can go back and forth on it.

I have set the bar pretty low. What do you expect for $117? But I am happy.

Jack Tingle · 01-06-2010, 08:43 PM

I have the non-lite version, and in hindsight, I might not buy one. I love the screen, the compact size, and the general ease of use. Ask me on a bright, beautiful summer day from my hammock and I'd say "of course". But it's a dark winter's night here.

The lack of hyperlinks and multiple fonts would make me think twice. Lack of DRMed formats (on the non-lite) is iffy. Since they're not there, they can't screw things up. OTOH, having them, assuming they're implemented properly, it does allow additional capability.

A definite maybe.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

smithno · 01-06-2010, 08:52 PM

I like mine. I would buy it again. I took advantage of the Fictionwise deal with $50 in MicroPay $.

kirbinster · 01-06-2010, 09:54 PM

Thanks, just ordered one from Newegg for $119.99 -- guess I missed the $117 special

causticmuse · 01-07-2010, 01:10 PM

I bought my JBL during the Fictionwise large transaction bonus sale for Buywise members last month, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. I really wanted a reader that could support Secure eReader books and PDFs since those types of files make up the bulk of my ebook library, and I didn't want to pay $269 for a Nook. The Micropay bonuses that came with the JetBook Lite and Foxit's eSlick readers through Fictionwise were another draw for me.

Yes, the missing words between pages on PDB files are annoying, but not so much that I can't still enjoy the book. I'm confident that the problem will be addressed soon in a new firmware update. ePUB, Mobi, txt, and RTF files read just fine, and my big collection of workout manuals, recipes, craft patterns, and game FAQs in PDF format are perfectly readable on the JBL in landscape format.

The size is fine for carrying around in a normal purse and for one-handed operation by my average sized female hands. It's also surprisingly durable knocking around in my purse with a checkbook, wallet, pen, digicam, and phone, even without a cover.

Hope your wife likes hers as much as I like mine!

01-06-2010, 05:05 PM	#1
kirbinster Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Jetbook Lite	Would you buy a Jetbook Lite Again? I am thinking of buying on for my wife and would like to get opinions from people that have them. Do you like yours? Would you buy it again, and if not what might you buy instead? Thanks.

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01-06-2010, 05:12 PM	#2
heffe2001 Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 38 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage 3g	My wife loves hers, and hasn't had any real issues yet (although the DRM/firmware issues are there, she's reading a few freebies right now, so it's not a big deal). If money were no object tho, I'd be looking at one of the 9" or larger readers (for me anyway), that work better with PDF's, for my gaming books. Would be much better than carrying those heavy books whenever we get together.

01-06-2010, 05:22 PM	#3
kirbinster Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Jetbook Lite	What are the DRM/firmware issues - as of yesterday I knew nothing of these devices so this is all new to me. 9" sounds kind of big as she wants to put this in her purse and use it to read books on the train when she commutes to work. What is the issue with PDF's as I have a bunch of pdf books that I might want to view on it, maybe?

01-06-2010, 05:22 PM	#4
John1997 Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 80 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Jetbook Lite	If I were buying it just to read non-secure epub books, yes I would buy it again. It is a very nice reading experience. Fictionwise does offer a few "multi-format" books with a non-secure epub format that I have enjoyed reading on the JBL. But---I bought it from ereader for the express purpose of reading the secure formats from ereader and fictionwise. The readability of pdb files, both secure and non-secure, is very poor. The flow of the story is interrupted by missing words on many page turns. In addition, the text is cramped in comparison to the formatting of epub books. If the firmware changes can make the pdb books read as well as the epub, it will be a fantastic choice. But I find myself resenting being misled by ereader into believing that the JBL was ready to read their files. It's just not there yet. One alternative would be the Nook, which seems to read everything from Barnes and Noble very nicely (a friend let me borrow one for a few days). I just bought a Fujitus 4121 slate and loaded ereader, the Barnes and Noble eReader, and mobipocket reader. They all seem to work well and it's a generally pleasant reading experience. I want to add Adobe Digital Edition so I can have a wider selection. Yes, it's heavy, 3 lbs as opposed to a fraction of a lb. And I usually have it plugged in while reading because the battery life is pretty brief. But it reads a variety of formats and has a large screen which is very readable both inside in dim light, and outside in bright sunlight.

01-06-2010, 05:37 PM	#5
kirbinster Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Jetbook Lite	Can't you use a program like Calibre to convert the pdb to epub, or does that no make a difference?

01-06-2010, 06:26 PM	#6
John1997 Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 80 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Jetbook Lite	For something to carry in a purse, you might consider a PDA. Software is available to read secure eReader (but Barnes & Noble eReader availability is more limited--check the website), and mobipocket so you can have a choice of a wide variety of books. The reading experience is about that of a magazine column. I still use my Tungsten E--the screen is fairly wide and clear, and it fits easily in my shirt pocket. It's ideal for reading in situations where I don't want to carry a book or a larger eReader, for instance a doctor's waiting room. I haven't done much reading pdf's on an ebook reader. I'll expand my horizons now that I have my Fujitsu slate. The DRM issues are too varied for me to discuss. All I care about is that many current books are protected by various digital rights management schemes. And it seems to be hard to find a single ereader that will handle all of them. That's one of the reasons I went to my slate. I think people have had trouble using Calibre to reformat books in a secure format (ie, one with DRM). There are some who have stripped the DRM protection and then converted. I'm somewhat lazy and like the idea of being able to download a book and open it without first running through a conversion process. Of course I often did that in the early days with my Palm because early on the books had to be converted from text to palm doc format using Makedoc. By the way, the epub books available from Project Gutenberg work fine on the JBL.

01-06-2010, 07:24 PM	#7
JeePea Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 58 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Ectaco Jetbook Lite	I would definitely buy the JetBook Lite again. While there are still some problems with DRMed books, I feel that on the whole the device performs admirably. I read mainly books that I've converted from other formats to epub and the JBL handles this format quite well. I've also read a couple of PDF format books and find them to be very readable in landscape mode. I believe that as the firmware matures, the JBL will come into its own and give those annoying to read (and more expensive) e-ink devices a run for their money.

01-06-2010, 07:37 PM	#8
ngrant Gadget Lover Posts: 472 Karma: 4721182 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: MS, USA Device: Oasis 2, Mobiscribe Origin, Fire HD tablets	I got mine for $117 and am very pleased with the performance, battery life and easy-to-read screen. However, I bought it primarily to read non-DRMed books that I already had on my computer - from Gutenberg and other sources in txt, html and rtf. JBL is fantastic for these. I tried with typing in name and credit card for ereader books but found it a pain; so those and Amazon and Sony books (and PDFs) I just read on my 21 inch computer screen with the free reader software that each of these stores provides. I don't mind using whatever best suits the format of the book, and spend a lot of time on my computer anyway. I doubt if you will find a single device that meets ALL your needs for under $200 anyway, so my advice is to start with your budget and try to get the biggest bang for the buck. Everyone's needs and level of tolerance are different!

01-06-2010, 08:05 PM	#9
mitchwah Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 66 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Jetbook Lite, Ematic 7" eReader	I prefer variety, so since I already have (and love) my Jetbook Lite, I would try another device.. The Pocketbook 360 maybe.

01-06-2010, 08:37 PM	#10
GA Russell Argos, Riders advance Posts: 7,632 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Because my jeBook Lite cost only $117 (Newegg has it on sale today for $120), I am not picky. At this time I am only interested in public domain books. I figure that after eight free books the device will have paid for itself. I have only been reading books that came for free with the device, and I am satisfied so far. In the future, I will bookmark the table of contents of every book I read so that I can go back and forth on it. I have set the bar pretty low. What do you expect for $117? But I am happy.

01-06-2010, 08:43 PM	#11
Jack Tingle Punctuation Fetishist Posts: 557 Karma: 1070000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Bluest Commonwealth In East America Device: Kindle PW, Nexus 7 (2013), Galaxy S5 phone, Galaxy Tab 4 8.0	I have the non-lite version, and in hindsight, I might not buy one. I love the screen, the compact size, and the general ease of use. Ask me on a bright, beautiful summer day from my hammock and I'd say "of course". But it's a dark winter's night here. The lack of hyperlinks and multiple fonts would make me think twice. Lack of DRMed formats (on the non-lite) is iffy. Since they're not there, they can't screw things up. OTOH, having them, assuming they're implemented properly, it does allow additional capability. A definite maybe. Regards, Jack Tingle

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01-06-2010, 08:52 PM	#12
smithno Groupie Posts: 152 Karma: 222484 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tenn., US Device: jetBook, jetBook Lite, Kindle 3, Galaxy Note II	I like mine. I would buy it again. I took advantage of the Fictionwise deal with $50 in MicroPay $.

01-06-2010, 09:54 PM	#13
kirbinster Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Jetbook Lite	Thanks, just ordered one from Newegg for $119.99 -- guess I missed the $117 special

01-07-2010, 01:10 PM	#14
causticmuse Binge Reader Posts: 63 Karma: 172 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Orlando, FL Device: Treo 650, JetBook Lite, Asus eeePC 900a (Linux), Palm Pre	I bought my JBL during the Fictionwise large transaction bonus sale for Buywise members last month, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. I really wanted a reader that could support Secure eReader books and PDFs since those types of files make up the bulk of my ebook library, and I didn't want to pay $269 for a Nook. The Micropay bonuses that came with the JetBook Lite and Foxit's eSlick readers through Fictionwise were another draw for me. Yes, the missing words between pages on PDB files are annoying, but not so much that I can't still enjoy the book. I'm confident that the problem will be addressed soon in a new firmware update. ePUB, Mobi, txt, and RTF files read just fine, and my big collection of workout manuals, recipes, craft patterns, and game FAQs in PDF format are perfectly readable on the JBL in landscape format. The size is fine for carrying around in a normal purse and for one-handed operation by my average sized female hands. It's also surprisingly durable knocking around in my purse with a checkbook, wallet, pen, digicam, and phone, even without a cover. Hope your wife likes hers as much as I like mine!