ECTACO's jetBook reader will purportedly change your life

ECTACO wants you to know something: it's about to change the way you read... forever! That's right, as we journey into the future, nothing will ever be the same about books, reading, or reading books. According to the company, its jetBook reader will allow you to, "Kiss your old-fashioned, dusty library goodbye," and you can rest easy because, "Not a single tree was cut down to make it!" The "completely amazing" bright red device houses a 5-inch grayscale display, and features multi-language support, bookmarking ability, playback of MP3 files, and an SD slot. The game- and life-changing reader -- which will crush and dismember your stupid, old, and ugly real books -- is available now for just $349.95.

[roflercopterer @ Mar 24th 2008 12:05PM]

How many trees did they cut down to make the user manuals? Or worse did they not include one?

Overly green-centric statements ftl.

[TRLK @ Mar 24th 2008 12:07PM]

I was thinking of the same thing, but if the manual is a pdf....
Oh yea, what about the box?

[submang @ Mar 24th 2008 4:29PM]

are these guys stupid with that logo? i'm desparately trying to find the jetBlue tie-in, and I realize . . no, they are just dumb. how long before this gets nipped in the bud?

[scotjo @ Mar 24th 2008 1:12PM]

It's a Kindler, gentler ebook reader.

Sorry...

[Steve @ Mar 24th 2008 12:08PM]

Not to mention paper used in the design process and the contracts for production...

[cristiana @ Mar 24th 2008 12:09PM]

That logo looks remarkably like the jetBlue logo.

[Dave @ Mar 24th 2008 12:13PM]

Note to the ECTACO folks: you might want to consider changing your logotype pronto.

http://www.jetblue.com/i/logo.gif

[Bobs @ Mar 24th 2008 12:30PM]

Mmmmm, tacos rule.

[Bobs @ Mar 24th 2008 12:32PM]

Now that I think about it, the name sounds like some taco saving terrorist organization like ALF, only with tacos.

[Dave @ Mar 24th 2008 12:37PM]

@ Bobs

The name reminds me of the old Hi-C green "Ecto Cooler" drink. It had Slimer on cover because it was all Ghostbusters and whatnot.

[Wwhat @ Mar 24th 2008 1:23PM]

Uhm, you say they copyrighted using capitals in words? Or what are you smoking?

*the use of capitals in the words Or and Uhm was done with approval of JetBlue (-I'm sure).

[Dave @ Mar 24th 2008 1:39PM]

@ Wwhat

Copyrighting CAPS is not what I'm saying but apparently what you are implying. I used to work for a magazine so I know a bit about this.

A logotype is stylized lettering used for advertising, and is trademarked or copyrighted as presented. Compare the two logotypes and you'll see they are similar. ECTACO goes even further by adding a freaking jet to theirs.

Bah, none of it will probably matter in the end with this product. Oh, the name and LEGOLAND is copyrighted as such and must be presented in print as all caps. Now go home and engage yourself in a nerve-wracking game of dominoes.

[CraigJ @ Mar 24th 2008 2:42PM]

But they made it red, so it's OK...

[Wwhat @ Mar 25th 2008 5:27PM]

I still say that if a company elects to make their logo simple letters, with capitals as special feature, that they don't stand that much of a chance in court. And that's how it should be IMHO.

[Tyler @ Mar 24th 2008 12:14PM]

Any tech company that has "taco" in its name isn't likely to get very far selling something that...well...doesn't have anything to do with tacos. Unless of course they gave you an eBook recipe on how to make a taco...

[Dan Davis @ Mar 24th 2008 12:25PM]

mmmm... tacos

[Raheem @ Mar 24th 2008 12:17PM]

This thing is uglier than Nicole Ritchie.

[L @ Mar 24th 2008 12:33PM]

Agree.

The Kindle *really* isn't the sexiest thing out there, but compared to this abomination...

[trumpton @ Mar 24th 2008 12:18PM]

Not exactly a looker is it?

[David @ Mar 24th 2008 12:22PM]

I want to view my photos in grayscale! and you say it's only $349.95 what a bargain.

[Greg @ Mar 24th 2008 12:22PM]

I smell a fish. I checked out their site -- both the ectaco and jetbook one -- and there's precious little information on it. Things like size, weight, what file formats it supports, operating system or what the screen is like (LCD, I'm sure and not e-ink).

So why the heck would you buy something more expensive than the Sony reader, with a smaller (and LCD) screen and in diaper rash red?

Weird, but I can't figure out the scam.

[Wwhat @ Mar 24th 2008 1:24PM]

Of course it's epaper, why would you think it's a LCD? Seems a very weird thought.

[Sonar @ Mar 24th 2008 1:33PM]

Because it says so here -->

http://www.ectaco.com/main.jsp?do=products-view_item&item=19205&refid=29532

$350 for a reader having an lcd is a ripoff.

[Raheem @ Mar 24th 2008 1:48PM]

Display 5.01” VGA reflective monochrome TFT

Not an e-book person myself, but this is what the website said. Anyone care to shed light?

[Greg @ Mar 24th 2008 2:26PM]

Even if it was e-paper, that is still expensive than the Sony reader, which has a 6" screen.

(Do they even make a 5" e-ink screen?)

[Wwhat @ Mar 25th 2008 5:30PM]

WOW, just wow, they try to ship a fake ebook reader eh, pfft.

[Pythagoras @ Mar 24th 2008 12:23PM]

I bought a $250 electronic dictionary from Ectaco several years ago that was dead out of the box. I called them and they told me to change the batteries. I did, and it worked for a few minutes and then died again. After many phone calls (random people answered the phone - like a family or something) they finaly told me there was a short in the unit but that they could not replace it!

[Greg @ Mar 24th 2008 12:31PM]

Yeah, something tells me the entire Ectaco organization fell off the back of a truck.

Ectaco? It's like ectoplasm with the hint of chipolte. We found it all over the stacks when we visited that haunted library in Oaxaca.

[phanbouy @ Mar 24th 2008 4:13PM]

is that the best theorem you got?

[stromm @ Mar 24th 2008 12:37PM]

$350!!!!! For crying out loud what's up with these things costing so freaking much? For less than that one can buy a nice Palm Tx, read the same books, higher resolution, color screen, brightness control (for in-bed reading without disturbing the wife/sig-other), better size to hold in the hand, game support, web browsing, email, etc.

Book sized screens are not needed on digital readers. Why? Because we can scroll the text, easily page down/up, change font size, color, background, etc.

I've been reading ebooks on my Palms for 10 years. There's no way in heck that I'm going to spend $350 on a huge non-backlit digital book reader.

[Wwhat @ Mar 24th 2008 1:26PM]

look up 'epaper' or 'e-paper' to know why it's expensive, it's not LCD and uses no power when not changing the screen and doesn't need backlighting and is easier on the eyes.
Also buying it is optional.

[uberholt @ Mar 24th 2008 2:07PM]

Wwhat: there is nothing in the product specs to suggest that it's made with e-ink/e-paper. Someone else (Raheem) above found a spec - "Display 5.01” VGA reflective monochrome TFT".

By definition, not e-paper.

[stromm @ Mar 24th 2008 3:34PM]

Wwhat wrote "look up 'epaper' or 'e-paper' to know why it's expensive, it's not LCD and uses no power when not changing the screen and doesn't need backlighting and is easier on the eyes."

I know all about epaper. It's not worth the cost. Great for page by page reading, but horrible for auto-scrolling.

Power savings only come in to issue when using large screens. Take my Zodiac for example. I can use it and read for 12+ hours between charges.

As to not needing a backlight, honestly tell me that again after you get one and try to read in bed with your sig-other trying to sleep beside you (or her reading while you try to sleep). With my Zodiac I can turn the brightness down to almost nothing for night time reading or up for daylight reading. Yes, epaper is cool that it reflects light similar to real paper, but how many times to you read without turning a light on?

"easier on the eyes" That's an opinion not fact. It may be for some, but not for me. At least in all cases. Yea if I'm sitting in a nice bright room or where the sun is lighting everything up. No if I'm in a dim room or in bed.

[John @ Mar 24th 2008 12:42PM]

What's the DRM status on this? If it does not use it i'm in whole hog.
stupid prindle

[Mark @ Mar 24th 2008 12:47PM]

One day soon, someone will get this right. But after playing with the Sony reader and the Kindle, I have to wonder if the companies involved in ebook production to date ever bothered to spend one minute thinking about usability. These are some of the most awkward, counterintuitive devices I've ever run across.

I'm not one to think that Apple is the be all and end all of design, but Apple's design department could craft a better device with one eye poked out and fire ants nipping at their toes. The current generation of ebook readers is aggressively awful.

[Wwhat @ Mar 24th 2008 1:29PM]

So would you care to highlight some of the worse gripes you have with current ebook readers please? Just in case someone from the manufacturers reads along and so we can take it into consideration when considering purchase.

[Andrew @ Mar 27th 2008 11:40AM]

@Wwhat:

Refresh needs to be different than blacking the whole screen and then clearing out out again, or make it happen so fast that a person isn't distracted. I'm a fast reader, and when I get into a book I don't consciously see the text. A flick of my thumb on my pda switches the page instantly and there's no delay to draw my attention away. But the eink style can't do that.

I want an ebook reader is think and light enough that I can hold and change pages with one hand for hours. Page turns need to me instantaneous, the menu/folder system needs to be capable of letting me group books by author/genere and read or unread. I'd like a low power color OLED screen.

Any added functionality should require a touchscreen, as more buttons = harder to hold with one hand in various positions without hitting something.

Tbh, an OLED gen3 cybook with a bit better menusystem would be perfect. I can hold it in landscape position and switch pages with my thumb and not hit 20 other buttons - unlike the Sony and Iliad.

[martin @ Mar 24th 2008 1:00PM]

HOW MUCH!!!! theres an ebook reader available for free with the N95 and thats a phone too, and the phone was free too

[Wwhat @ Mar 24th 2008 1:30PM]

Well ebook readers are free too (if someone buys one for you).

[martin @ Mar 24th 2008 1:37PM]

well by that logic a ferrari can be free (if someone else buys it)
what sort of answer was that :-s

[Raheem @ Mar 24th 2008 1:43PM]

The logic stems from the fact your phone is subsidized therefore someone is buying it for you.

[duncan.macleod @ Mar 24th 2008 1:04PM]

Im sorry, but 350 is not a sweetspot for a book reader. I got my palm for 179 and it does great with mobipocket. You show me a single use device (yes i know it plays mp3s and all that jazz, but thats not a good mp3 player.) at 100 dollars to read books, and ill bite.

[nathan.wong @ Mar 24th 2008 1:27PM]

Once again, someone that knows nothing about e-ink.

[duncan.macleod @ Mar 24th 2008 2:15PM]

I can buy probably 35 - 70 books for that price. IM talking about the PRICE $$$$ not the technology in ANY WAY. I mention my Palm because it was almost 200 dollars cheaper for the same use.

[martin @ Mar 24th 2008 1:18PM]

i like paper books.

[TheCow5 @ Mar 24th 2008 1:23PM]

Engadget, you reporting sucks.
Don’t simply tell us what they want you to say but what it can do. Tell us supporting formats, does it have WiFi, tell us compatibility. We are not all brain dead and simply want a pretty picture and useless reporting.
Flame on

[ecobore @ Mar 24th 2008 1:25PM]

It's hideous, and RED for chrissake!!! NOPE, won't be buying this one!

[Z @ Mar 24th 2008 1:36PM]

yeah, i have an ebook reader on my ipod touch......

[Z @ Mar 24th 2008 1:37PM]

but u cant upload ur own ebooks on it, but there's quite a few on installer...ya know...

[OneLove @ Mar 24th 2008 2:23PM]

my life has changed just reading this