ECTACO Inc., a New York based company best known for their budget series of jetBook eBook readers, hand-held electronic translators, and translating software have launched the most affordable eBook reader available on the market — the ECTACO jetBook-Lite, with an MSRP of $149. The product was unveiled to the public at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany earlier this month.
According to the company’s CEO David Lubinitsky, “The idea behind this new product was to offer the lowest price without risking quality and functionality. We’ve listened to our customers’ feedback and modeled the jetBook-Lite after its predecessor by stripping all the unnecessary additions and leaving the most essential reading options. By user’s demand we incorporated four AA batteries to add flexibility wherever the eBook reader is used. They can be replaced with rechargeable batteries if necessary. The other breakthrough is an option to download and read books from the Barnes and Noble website using the new built-in eReader DRM.”
With virtually no limit in formats, and now Barnes and Noble’s backing, the jetBook-Lite supports eReader DRM, ePub, Mobi, PRC, RTF, .txt, .pdf, .fb2, .jpg, .gif, .png, and .bmp, along with support for many languages including English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Chinese and others. The pocket size, low-power crisp TFT screen with fast refresh rate, universal power source, multilingual interface, built-in dictionaries, and thousands of books downloadable directly from barnesandnoble.com and jetBook.net allow this eBook reader to be highly useful for public schools, college students, travelers, and your everyday avid reader.
jetBook Lite features include:
- Support of ePub, Mobi, PRC, RTF, .txt, .pdf, .fb2, .jpg, .gif, .png, and .bmp file formats
- Support of DRM format through Barnes & Nobles
- True pocket-sized portability for thousands of eBooks
- Support for e-Book contents in Albanian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Faeroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian and other European languages
- Bidirectional dictionaries for certain European languages (incl. German and Spanish) are available
- Multilingual interface options that include German and Spanish
- Pre-loaded CIA World Factbook
- Bookmarks and auto page turn functionality
- Adjustable font type and size
- Screen rotation support for both portrait & landscape modes
- SD card slot
- Batteries 4xAA (ordinary rechargeable batteries can be used as well)
Lightweight and super-portable, ECTACO jetBook Lite is the ultimate pocket library. Capable of storing thousands of books in the world’s most popular languages, plus music and picture files, it is a universal mobile library for professional, business and leisure reading. With an easy to scan high-resolution 5-inch display and a viewing angle close to 180°, it is fully customizable. Even readers who have difficulty seeing print books will benefit from its adjustable text size and font face. And weighing in at only 9 ounces, this handy device fits perfectly into the palm of your hand. When reading, jetBook Lite allows text to be searched and cross-referenced using bookmarks which makes it an excellent choice of format for dictionaries and other reference books.
Readers can begin reading as soon as they download a book without needing to visit a bookstore ever again. And ECTACO jetBook Lite is eco-friendly too, because it doesn’t consume the paper, ink, or other resources that are used to produce printed books. Moreover, e-books downloads are always less expensive than the same books on paper; with hundreds of thousand available online for free!
To help you get started, jetBook Lite comes pre-loaded with the CIA World Factbook to make every trip you take more informative and enjoyable. The CIA World Factbook is one of the best geographic resources in the world. It includes comprehensive geographic, economic and political information for over 270 countries.
Large Screen
jetBook Lite uses a huge, state-of-the-art 5-inch VGA reflective monochrome screen to provide readers with an easily viewed display that is kind on the eyes. jetBook Lite uses a huge, state-of-the-art 5-inch VGA reflective monochrome screen to provide readers with an easily viewed display that is kind on the eyes. The revolutionary display reflects light without the need for backlighting which tires the eyes when reading for long periods. So easy to see and read, jetBook Lite can be used anywhere – in the bright midday sun or the subdued lighting at home.
A Whole Library In Just 9 oz.
Weighing an easy to carry 9 oz., jetBook Lite is one of the lightest e-books in the world. Slimmer than even a standard paperback, it easily fits in the palm of your hand for an incredibly comfortable reading experience. The built in flash-memory allows you to store your favorite books to read whenever and wherever you like. An SD slot accepts interchangeable SD cards (purchased separately) of up to 32 GB in size so that you can increase your portable library almost without limit.
Multilingual Support
jetBook Lite comes complete with its own collection of books pre-installed so you will already have a head start on building your new library. Allowing you to quickly and easily download and add content from different sources, jetBook Lite displays .txt, .pdf and .fb2 files as well as .jpg. It is also able to display books in a number of the world’s most popular languages including Albanian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Faeroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian and other European languages! In addition, use jetBook Lite to study a new language or communicate while traveling with ECTACO translating Dictionaries. What’s more, jetBook Lite is the world’s only eBook Reader that includes a German interface option as standard!
Designed For Comfort
jetBook Lite is the most comfortable ‘book’ you will ever own. Not only is it smaller and lighter than a standard paperback, it also offers numerous different ways for you to read its content. With control buttons located on both its side and face for instant access to all of its advanced features, support for ‘portrait’ and ‘landscape’ display modes, adjustable font and type size and a viewing angle that lets you set the book down and still be able to read it, it is truly the world’s most easy to read book.
T9 Text Input
jetBook Lite uses the advanced T9 text input method that refers back to its pre-installed dictionaries to complete words as you type them. The comfortable alphanumeric keypad familiar from mobile phones makes entering the word you want quick, easy and accurate.
Bookmarks and Auto Page-turn Functionality
jetBook Lite makes it easy to add bookmarks and find the pages you need instantly. An advanced auto page-turning function makes reading an effortless experience. Set the auto turn to your average reading speed and simply sit back and enjoy your book. Of course you can always switch the page-turning feature off and ‘turn’ the pages manually as you like.
More than Just a Good Book
jetBook Lite incorporates SD Card expandability (cards available separately) in addition to the built-in 100 MB flash memory so that you can easily store not only a complete library but your favorite music files and pictures too. With its USB mass storage capability, simply connect the jetBook Lite to your PC with a USB cable and add new content or backup what you already have on the device instantly. jetBook Lite displays .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp formatted images.
Adjustable Typeface and Size
jetBook Lite features a choice of 6 different font sizes and several popular typefaces so that you can customize your reading experience. Even those who have difficulty reading a conventional book will find it easy and enjoyable to read with jetBook Lite.
Screen Rotation Support
jetBook Lite offers a choice of ‘landscape’ and ‘portrait’ screen display orientation so that you can use your e-book in the manner you find most comfortable and most suitable to the text you are reading.
Battery
In order to make the jetBook Lite as affordable for you as possible, ECTACO selected ordinary 4XAA batteries to power the device. A new set supplies you with over 23 hours of continuous, active use. That’s enough for even the longest plane journey. Ordinary rechargeable batteries, of course, can be used as well.
What comes with your ECTACO jetBook Lite?
- USB 2.0 cable – YES
- 4XAA batteries- YES
- User’s Manual – QUICK START
- jetBook is fully compatible with both Mac and Windows-based PCs
Availability
jetBook-Lite is expected to appear in US retail stores later this month. European release is scheduled for spring 2010.
