Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag
By Paul Miller 
posted December 8th 2009 8:10PM
posted December 8th 2009 8:10PM
posted December 8th 2009 8:10PM
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Ok, thats more along the lines of the pricing I would like to see for e-book readers. I'll wait for a review though, I'm sure there will be a number of caveats.
And once again, another company doesn't realize the benefits of E-Ink vs traditional LCD. And really, $179 for this vs $259 (and less on eBay these days) for a properly-supported Kindle? I know where my money went.
@WilliamG
you know, 80 bucks makes the difference to some people if you just want to read some books.
@WilliamG $80 is less than you'll pay for glasses, which is what you'll need after reading on an LCD for as long as it takes to read a book.
@WilliamG
first off. E-ink is still the cause of the outrageous prices of "premium" readers. i like to read and would love to own one. but i just cant justify spending that sort of money on one. and if this screen is really as low power as it claims it should have some pretty decent battery life.
@(Unverified)
The LCD tech in these ebook readers is no more inherently straining on the eyes than an EPD screen like e-ink Vizplex. In fact, in some ways, reflective LCD is easier on the eyes with small fonts and languages like Chinese, where the higher contrast of the LCD doesn't force the reader to squint quite as much as the lower-contrast EPD screens do.
Thinking that the acronym LCD automatically means eye problems or unreadability is nothing short of idiocy.
So this works like a Gameboy Color?
I don't get it. This has been on sale for almost 6 months and has been reviewed on several sites. It's also a clone of the "Jetbook".
Why was the press release just today? Seems odd.
My biggest problem with e-ink is you can't lay in bed with the lights off and easily read. I love LCD for the simple reason it allows me to do that. I do know a lot of people find a LCD screen hard to read for long periods of time, but with font smoothing / cleartype off I've never had a problem.
although reading through the specs on this it says "there is no backlighting" so it'll be interesting to see how readable it is even in normal lighting conditions.
PDF support? SD slot? Backlight? $180?
Bought for wife's online school.
@pencilmind
@pencilmind
glossy lcd? not so much...
Until they realize that E-books should essentially be made in the form of a book IE 2 sides and closeable. I'll read real books
@WyldeChef
that why we are all waiting for the courier.
@WyldeChef
wow, i actually hate to hold real books. its just a pain to hold open a book, especially a thick one, with just one hand. i even prefer my laptop to a ordinary book, because i can just stand it on my stomach and hold it easily with one hand while in bed.
even better with a light slate e-book, which is a breeze to hold one handed.
but maybe im just different...
@WyldeChef
I'd just as soon have the more compact tablet format and give up the rather clumsy side by side pages.
It somehow reminds me of the Motorola Droid. Maybe I should stop reading about it so much...
Cant wait for the next generation to go unibody, sarcasm aside this could actually use it...that's not of upmost importance though
@yulebellow
Utmost
Are people buying these eBook readers?
It seems like a lot of new products for a fringe market.
Old News. This is the same ECTACO you find on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ECTACO-E-Book-Reader-jetBook-Lite-New-Black_W0QQitemZ200415695834QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2ea9b4d3da
Could just pickup a clearance PRS-505 or a Sony Reader Pocket Edition both with true e-ink screens for only $20 more.
@ShinseiRyu
One of the reasons some people choose the JetBook or Libre is because they DON'T want e-ink Vizplex. Vizplex is slow and rather low-contrast, and drives many readers crazy. Good reflective LCDs have higher contrast and are far faster and less jarring (no screen flash). They're not perfect either but they do ameliorate many of the issues many people have with overhyped e-ink devices.
Jokingly, I told myself that I would buy this if it came with The Count of Monte Cristo... then I read the list of included books, and it does indeed come with The Count of Monte Cristo (though of course it does not specify a translation).
I need one for me and one for my old man to keep him from going senile.
Seriously, though, I haven't read any reviews but I suspect that the reflective LCD works just fine compared to e-ink. Is there a battery life advantage? Sure. For the amount of reading I do in a month? I'd have to charge it every two weeks, tops, and that's a REALLY optimistic estimate.
If they made one with a screen that was close to A4/Letter for $300-ish, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
Taking its styling cues from the Kindle. That's sad. The worst design "innovation" of the decade, now with copycats.
@jd123
Yeah, 'cause the first think I thought when I looked at it was "Damn, that looks JUST LIKE the Amazon Kindle."
/sarcasm
Well, at least you can test this one out at the store when it's available. And with a lower price tag than the Kindle, it might just get my dollar. Been waiting for something that doesn't rely so heavily on e-Ink (I can't stand the flashing), so we'll see.
This is the kind of monochrome LCD screen that the original Rocketbook had. That was one of the first generation of ereaders. Seems so long ago, now.
The monochrome LCD in the ECTACO JetBook, the 易博士 M218 series, and the Aluratek Libre are all the same, and it's a relatively new variety of reflective LCD (no, LCD technology is not done evolving). Here are some important points for other readers:
NO backlight. It is a reflective screen that cannot be backlit.
NO innate eyestrain. The letters LCD do not make eyestrain. Hell, even backlit displays don't inherently cause eyestrain. Bad reading/focusing habits do, and those are promoted more on backlit LCDs than on reflected screens.
BETTER than e-ink in some ways. Speed is far superior for pageturns and navigation (none of that "at least it's faster than turning a page manually" rubbish). Contrast is also noticeably higher (see caveat below)
WORSE than e-ink in some ways. Slightly lower resolution in the current generation, constant power draw means slightly more limited battery life, slightly more restricted angle of view for optimal contrast.
e-ink is garbage in several key usability areas. It's good for battery consumption and wide angle of view, but it doesn't live up to the hype some people are regurgitating.
The ECTACO version of it has multilingual dictionary support built-in, which can be nice.
I'm eagerly waiting for the next generation of JetBooks and Libres that may have higher-resolution and higher-contrast LCDs or alternative screen techs, more powerful processors and perhaps more attractive physical design. Even with their current flaws, they're currently some of the best ebook readers on the market as well as some of the cheapest.
@(Unverified)
Thanks for that well-written post. I haven't tried the new LCD display, though I have looked at the e-ink one, and I have to say that, for casual reading, an increase in contrast would be worth the trade-off in resolution for me. A 5" screen with resolution 600x800 (e-ink) is 200dpi, whereas a 5" screen with resolution 480x640 (this new LCD) is 160dpi. The screen on my laptop is just under 120dpi, and holding it as close as I'd hold a book, it's just at the point where I start to tell that it's pixellated. 160dpi is probably perfectly adequate.
Now, for trying to read PDFs, it's not going to be so great. But then again, a 5" screen isn't great either.
Wow really a WHOLE 24 hours of use! Wow!
Which one is better
- this one, or
Amazon Kindle
When eBooks themselves get more realistic in price, then this would be a good bargain.
I mean who in their right mind thinks it's a deal to pay more for the electronic version of a book than the hardcover? What kind of moron thinks this is sustainable? "Nobody wants eBooks, they don't sell" was the claim a while ago when the craze first hit. No, dumbass, they don't want to be ripped off while you save money on binding, rechecking, shipping, stocking, storing...
The Albertsons supermarket chain has the Jetbook for $150 right now.
I'm hoping they'll blow them out like seasonal candy after New Years.