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Budget e-reader launches costing

01.01.70 | Catherine Neilan

An e-reader costing just $149 (£91) has been launched in the US, billed by the manufacturer ECTACO as the cheapest device on the market.

The jetBook-Lite uses four AA batteries, instead of a standard built-in battery as other devices do. ECTACO claims it offers 23 hours of continuous reading. It supports the Barnes & Noble e-book store, as well as a variety of file formats, including PDFs.
 
However, according to technology website gadgetell.com, the budget device lacks many of the features that make other, more expensive, devices, attractive. "What the jetBook-Lite doesn’t offer, however, is the good looks of the Nook, or the wireless downloads of the Nook and Kindle," the website said.
 
"It might not be the best eBook reader, or the most attractive, but for the price, and for some the replaceable batteries and the cheap price could put it over the Nook, Kindle and Sony Reader."

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• Catherine Neilan
• digital
• e-reader
• jetBook-lite
• Kindle
• nook
• Sony