Hello community. My name is Robert and I work for Astak in San Jose, California. Astak is introducing three new eBook devices at the IDPG show in New York on May 14. The eBook devices are known by the name "Mentor". Mentor will come in three sizes: 5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch. They all use E-ink technology and have stereo headphone/earbud jacks. You can do slide shows on them. WiFi (802.11g) and Touchscreen will be options. Resolution is 800 x 600 pixels. One charge lasts for about 8,000 pages. All will have SD card slots expanding the memory up to 4GB. The 5 inch is projected to sell at about $159.

Hello community. My name is Robert and I work for Astak in San Jose, California. Astak is introducing three new eBook devices at the IDPG show in New York on May 14.

What is availablity? Any information available for these devices like specs of weight, formats supported, etc?

BOb

Welcome to MobileRead, Robertb. :welcome:

That is, indeed, very interesting news! Do you have a website we can look at, or are you inviting us to bombard you with questions? :D

Here's one or two to start with: Are these devices Vizplex? What formats will they support?

They do have a website, but it doesn't have anything about the readers.

i second (third ?) the request for more info about formats supported and other specs. some photos would be nice too, if it's possible...

Sounds sweet! I hope the 9" version will be at a competitive price, any idea how much yet? Be nice to see some images of the new devices in action so we can see how aesthetically appealing and ergonomic they are.

I volunteer to test the new device, free of charge to the manufacturer!
:bookworm:

The website is about our Security Cameras. We are putting up the news about the eBook devices. Sorry for the delay.

The Astak Mentor eBook devices come in 5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch. Let's use the 6 inch as an example.

It weighs 7 oz and has measurements of 7.5" by 4.75" by only .35 inches thick (WOW). It has a stereo headphone jack, uses Li-ion 3.7V battery, and lasts for 8000 pages on one charge. It takes a 4GB SD card for extra memory. It uses E-ink technology with an 800 x 600 pixels. 170 dpi, B&W, 4 grayscale.

The price for this is expected just under $200 (YES, THAT IS $200). The 5 inch model will be priced at about $159. The processor is the Samsung S3C2443 at 400 MHz. The formats are not yet set. We know it will have eReader and books can easily be downloaded from Fictionwise. We are negotiating with Mobipocket/Amazon but they want exclusivity. It will, of course, also have TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM. Amazon seems to want to take over the world and we are trying to deal fairly but leave formats open. The Mentor will play stereo music, do slide shows, and much more.

Optional on it will be Touchscreen and WiFi 808.11g. Many, many of you have wanted this WiFi instead of WhisperNet from what we have heard. It will have auto shut-off and many more features. I work for Astak but am pretty new to MobileRead Forums so apologize if I am missing anything here.

All three of these devices will be unveiled at the IDPF Trade Show in New York on May 14. These units are the result of the joining of forces between a panel manufacturer, an electronics manufacturer, and the Astak sales and support staff.

Bob:thanks:

The price for this is expected just under $200 (YES, THAT IS $200).

Thanks for the great info. At that price point it will FLY off the shelves. I hope the you have the capacity and enough eInk screen supplies to keep up.

Can you tell us anything about the OS? Does it allow for any file management on the device like support for folders, moving/deleting/renaming books, etc? Does it support a dictionary and/or searching a book or the library?

BOb

The website is about our Security Cameras. We are putting up the news about the eBook devices. Sorry for the delay.

The Astak Mentor eBook devices come in 5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch. Let's use the 6 inch as an example.

It weighs 7 oz and has measurements of 7.5" by 4.75" by only .35 inches thick (WOW). It has a stereo headphone jack, uses Li-ion 3.7V battery, and lasts for 8000 pages on one charge. It takes a 4GB SD card for extra memory. It uses E-ink technology with an 800 x 600 pixels. 170 dpi, B&W, 4 grayscale.

The price for this is expected just under $200 (YES, THAT IS $200). The 5 inch model will be priced at about $159. The processor is the Samsung S3C2443 at 400 MHz. The formats are not yet set. We know it will have eReader and books can easily be downloaded from Fictionwise. We are negotiating with Mobipocket/Amazon but they want exclusivity. It will, of course, also have TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM. Amazon seems to want to take over the world and we are trying to deal fairly but leave formats open. The Mentor will play stereo music, do slide shows, and much more.

Optional on it will be Touchscreen and WiFi 808.11g. Many, many of you have wanted this WiFi instead of WhisperNet from what we have heard. It will have auto shut-off and many more features. I work for Astak but am pretty new to MobileRead Forums so apologize if I am missing anything here.

All three of these devices will be unveiled at the IDPF Trade Show in New York on May 14. These units are the result of the joining of forces between a panel manufacturer, an electronics manufacturer, and the Astak sales and support staff.

Bob:thanks:

thanks so much for giving us this info !

this definitely sounds like a great device ! it's really brilliant that you are trying to leave formats open. also the native support for html and text formats is great.

can you tell us if there will be feautres such as dictionary lookup ?

as regards the price, that's pretty amazing ! you mentioned that wifi and touchscreen will be optional, how much would these options cost ?

and, i know i said it before, but i would really love to see some photos, to see the design and ergonomy.

oh, one more question : will the battery be user replaceable ?

thanks !

Dear Community:

What we do know is that the Astak Mentor will have the following features: Turn Page, Jump to Page, Progress Bar, Font Increasing, Bookmark, Zoom In, Zoom out, Slideshow, Delete File. Your suggestions help!! That is why we are putting out the info in this manner. We have preliminary samples made and have already made changes to "americanize it" (it is being released throughout the world). WE only know that at IDPF on May 14 we have to have working production samples.

The panel is the easy part. One of our partners is a panel manufacturer so getting panels is easy and they are committed.

The advance projected sales price for the 9.7 inch version is about $299-$349. It will allow an 8.5" by 11" page to read true, will come with WiFi/Bluetooth and Touch integrated, 4GB Enbedded, 3.5 stereo headphone jack, SDcard expansion slot, 1200 x 825 pixels, four programmable functional buttons, and a lot of other bells and whistles and lights. The operating system will be Win CE with splash screen on boot; and it will support English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese (Big 5), and Japanese. The release date for this unit is projected for August. The Li-ion battery will last ten years but is likely not user-changeable. I will place this suggestion.

I will find out for you about estimated cost for TouchScreen and the WiFi options on 5 inch and 6 inch! Will check on dictionary. Good suggestion!!

Pictures are not so easy as changes are still being made. It is an awesome gloss black front bezel with orange sides and back... very attractive. I am afraid to put up pictures as they may change between now and release.

We are trying to add to our website on these devices

Bob:thumbsup:

Well, I'm salivating after that bit of information:2thumbsup
...and I bet I'm not the only one! Best of luck on the Astak Mentor:beer:

Well, I'm salivating after that bit of information:2thumbsup
...and I bet I'm not the only one! Best of luck on the Astak Mentor:beer:

i confirm you are not the only one. :)

i am waiting impatiently for more details.

please don't change the colors : black and orange sounds stellar !! (now i want to see photos even more...). what about ergonomy, where are the page turn buttons ? can the screen display be rotated so that you can hold it with either hand ?

a question about mobipocket support, if negotiations with amazon do not allow you to propose native mobi support, would it be possible to install a mobi reader oneself ?

The price is very competitive! Best luck with the presentation of your new e-reader devices, and please, once you got photos, post them here! Sure we're all drooling by now... :bow2:

If Astak makes their projected sales prices, I think I might have to get one. That would be unbelievably fantastic. I might require a dictionary, though. Since I have a Sony, the main feature I'm looking for in my next e-ink device is a dictionary. It would be nice to be able to read those 8.5"x11" pdf files I have without changing format, though.

I might require a dictionary, though. I have never used eReader Pro software, but it comes with Webster's New World Vest Pocket Dictionary and eReader sells a small number of other dictionaries.

I'm talking about a dictionary built into the reader so I can pull up the definition of a word on whatever page of the book I'm on without having to leave the book or use another device. That's just tedious and would defeat the purpose of having a dedicated reading device.

" The operating system will be Win CE with splash screen on boot; and it will support English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese (Big 5), and Japanese"

Robert

Is this a full Win CE OS and can a user down load a Win CE app from the net and run it on the Astak. If so, does the touch screen support include a touch keyboard.

Mark

What eBook formats will they support?

What eBook formats will they support?

See Robertb's previous answer:

The formats are not yet set. We know it will have eReader and books can easily be downloaded from Fictionwise. We are negotiating with Mobipocket/Amazon but they want exclusivity. It will, of course, also have TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM. Amazon seems to want to take over the world and we are trying to deal fairly but leave formats open.

We know it will have eReader and books can easily be downloaded from Fictionwise. We are negotiating with Mobipocket/Amazon but they want exclusivity. It will, of course, also have TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM.
The problem there is eReader. The format is abysmal. The format is designed for palm sized screens. Most eReader eBooks have no paragraph indents and line spaces between paragraphs. This ruins the reading experience. Makes it not nice on a larger screen. What would be nice is to have Mobipocket as the main DRM format and then have eReader/LIT/BBeB as non-DRM formats available.

When you mention HTML, is this a FULL implementation of HTML? Will we have true folder/subfolder support?

Well... I'm salivating too. Good size, good features and good price. Or, as we say in Spanish, bueno, bonito y barato. Now I think that waiting for buying an eink device was a good idea!


We have preliminary samples made and have already made changes to "americanize it" (it is being released throughout the world).


What does this mean? Is going to be a different version for USA? Are both versions going to be launched at the same time? Are we from Europe going to be able to buy it? Later or at the same time that the our American friends? And... if the answer to the last question is positive... are you going to apply the real euro-dolar exchange rate or the abusive one (1€=1$)?


Will check on dictionary. Good suggestion!!


Dictionary is a must! Don't forget that the linguistic scenario outside USA is plurilingual. Implementing dictionary integration can increase your sales by a significant factor outside the US.

Regards and good luck,

L.

The problem there is eReader. The format is abysmal. The format is designed for palm sized screens. Most eReader eBooks have no paragraph indents and line spaces between paragraphs. This ruins the reading experience. Makes it not nice on a larger screen. What would be nice is to have Mobipocket as the main DRM format and then have eReader/LIT/BBeB as non-DRM formats available.

When you mention HTML, is this a FULL implementation of HTML? Will we have true folder/subfolder support?

That IS the question! And from a careful reading of the specs, I'm leaning towards the Astak Mentor 6" being a Netronix EB-100. Literally the same specs. Now I don't know how they're going to meet that $200 price point unless they're pre-ordering in greater-than-5,000 unit quantities, because if one is ordering that unit in less-than-5,000 unit quantities the price rapidly climbs towards the individual-unit-order price of $250.

Plus, you have to remember that the industry is experiencing massive shortages because of display shortages. So even if they are placing a 10,000+ order, who's to say their supplier will be able to deliver?

I note the interesting fact that the Astak (and the Netronix) offers CHM support; I also note that the EB-200/210/300 do so with WinCE, but the EB-100 uses Linux 2.4/2.6.

I can't see eReader offering it's format without demanding the same exclusivity that Mobipocket is demanding for the DRM version. I'm surprised, given that there are tools which allow for decryption of the DRM'd versions of both eReader and Mobipocket, that someone hasn't black-boxed DRM support into some other reader app - such as FBReader. Still, I've got an EB-100 on the way. (Just to check things out, of course! :) )

Derek

What does this mean? Is going to be a different version for USA? Are both versions going to be launched at the same time? Are we from Europe going to be able to buy it? Later or at the same time that the our American friends? And... if the answer to the last question is positive... are you going to apply the real euro-dolar exchange rate or the abusive one (1€=1$)?
yes i also would like to know this.
Dictionary is a must! Don't forget that the linguistic scenario outside USA is plurilingual. Implementing dictionary integration can increase your sales by a significant factor outside the US.
agree again : for me (and i'm sure plenty of others), dictionary support is an imperative (i honestly doubt i will buy any device which does not have dictionary support).

snipped

What does this mean? Is going to be a different version for USA? Are both versions going to be launched at the same time? Are we from Europe going to be able to buy it? Later or at the same time that the our American friends? And... if the answer to the last question is positive... are you going to apply the real euro-dolar exchange rate or the abusive one (1€=1$)?

snipped

Regards and good luck,

L.

The abusive one, of course! (It's always best to assume the worst in these cases. :D) And I really don't see the problem; after all, they're claiming a $200 price point. Even if you paid 200euros, you'd still be paying less than you would for a new Cybook. :) I suppose you'll next insist upon a full-function kitchen sink be installed? :)

Seriously, Astak will need to make it clear what its pricing policy is for EU customers.

Derek

yes i also would like to know this.

agree again : for me (and i'm sure plenty of others), dictionary support is an imperative (i honestly doubt i will buy any device which does not have dictionary support).

Given that I live in the US and I've let my knowledge of German and Spanish lapse, (It's been like 30 years since I had any chance to practice! :)) I don't, personally, see the need for a dictionary. However, if the Astak - or Netronix, for that matter - end up with Mobipocket support, I would imagine that some form of dictionary support would be available.

Derek

Given that I live in the US and I've let my knowledge of German and Spanish lapse, (It's been like 30 years since I had any chance to practice! :)) I don't, personally, see the need for a dictionary. However, if the Astak - or Netronix, for that matter - end up with Mobipocket support, I would imagine that some form of dictionary support would be available.

Derek
don't you ever want to look up a word in english ? when i am reading in english, i make frequent use of the built-in english dictionary on my eb1150. However when i am reading in french, i also come accross words whose meanings i am not sure of, or would just like to verify, and i have a french dictionary on my eb1150 which i use to look these up manually. in fact, last night i was reading a paper book (The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin) and there were several words i did not know, so i kept my eb1150 next to me and i looked them up on the dictionary as i went along.

a dictionary is important to me regardless of what language i am reading in, if it's my mother tongue or my second language.

don't you ever want to look up a word in english ? when i am reading in english, i make frequent use of the built-in english dictionary on my eb1150. However when i am reading in french, i also come accross words whose meanings i am not sure of, or would just like to verify, and i have a french dictionary on my eb1150 which i use to look these up manually. in fact, last night i was reading a paper book (The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin) and there were several words i did not know, so i kept my eb1150 next to me and i looked them up on the dictionary as i went along.

a dictionary is important to me regardless of what language i am reading in, if it's my mother tongue or my second language.

Ummm... No. :)

I've been reading, writing, programming and absorbing knowledge from every conceivable source for so long that I can usually determine a strange word's meaning from context. It helps that I was always really, really GOOD with words and definitions. :)

Derek

The formats are not yet set. We know it will have eReader and books can easily be downloaded from Fictionwise. We are negotiating with Mobipocket/Amazon but they want exclusivity. It will, of course, also have TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM. There probably is a market for eReader on E-Ink, but MobiPocket is where the action is. For many of the members here, compatibility with MobiPocket reader software would be enough (i.e. not pre-installed and not supported by MobiPocket, but known to work). However, you would then be missing integration with Desktop MobiPocket Reader's device management. This is worth something for device sales, but it is worth much more to MobiPocket in e-book sales. So I am surprised that they are asking for exclusivity on a WinCE based device when they freely offer Windows Mobile, Pocket PC and (unsupported) WinCE versions.

At the risk of putting too much in one post, I also suggest supporting µBook (http://www.gowerpoint.com/uBook_main.html). This is likely to be significantly better than your OEM's software for HTML/CHM, TXT, RTF formats and it also supports PML, PDB (not sure which ebook formats) and DRM-free PRC (MOBI). If you can't get MobiPocket's ok for its reader, then µBook is even more important - because it provides DRM-free PRC support just like the Kindle. So you would have eReader for DRMed ebooks, and PRC for non-DRMed ebooks.

Ummm... No. :)

I've been reading, writing, programming and absorbing knowledge from every conceivable source for so long that I can usually determine a strange word's meaning from context. It helps that I was always really, really GOOD with words and definitions. :)

Derek
hm, i'm good with words and definitions too, and it's true i can also often deduce the meaning of a word without looking it up. but i still like dictionaries. :) sometimes i like to just page through them for fun and see what crazy words i come accross that i have never seen before.

also, there is the game "dictionary" : two or more people play, one chooses a word from the dictionary and reads the definition, and the others must guess the word. i love that game. (i know, i'm a nerd. please don't mock me.)

Speaking as an ignorant dunderhead:o
How much "digital room" would a *decent* dictionary typically take up on an e-book device? I think it would be fantastic to be able to hi-lite or mark a word and then look it up with the press of a key. It would be a terrific selling point for an e-book device.:2thumbsup

Speaking as an ignorant dunderhead:o
How much "digital room" would a *decent* dictionary typically take up on an e-book device? I think it would be fantastic to be able to hi-lite or mark a word and then look it up with the press of a key. It would be a terrific selling point for an e-book device.:2thumbsup

Ummm... Mobipocket dictionaries work pretty much that way on the Cybook. :)

Derek

(i know, i'm a nerd. please don't mock me.)


No Ma'am! I have no intention of mocking you. (Backing away slooooowly, maintaining eye contact, but with head tilted down in a submissive posture, and attempting to not show fear.) :D :D :D

Derek

Ummm... Mobipocket dictionaries work pretty much that way on the Cybook. :)

Derek

...and on the eb1150...

No Ma'am! I have no intention of mocking you. (Backing away slooooowly, maintaining eye contact, but with head tilted down in a submissive posture, and attempting to not show fear.) :D :D :D

Derek

well all right then.

;)

...and on the eb1150...

...I told you I was a dunderhead:eek:I'm also too lazy to research the answer myself, when there are a number of fine minds in here to leech of off...
But how much room does a decent dictionary take up? Equivalent to one typical e-book novel? Five? Fifty? And is there already something available for the Sony PRS-500/505? Free? Payware?

Thanks! Tim

...I told you I was a dunderhead:eek:I'm also too lazy to research the answer myself, when there are a number of fine minds in here to leech of off...
But how much room does a decent dictionary take up? Equivalent to one typical e-book novel? Five? Fifty? And is there already something available for the Sony PRS-500/505? Free? Payware?

Thanks! Tim

the Webster's eDictionary ver. 2.0 which came pre-installed on my eb1150 takes up 6% of my "bookshelf" (that's what they call the memory card). i should mention, my bookshelf has an awe-inspiring capacity of 64 mo. that's right, SIXTY-FOUR !!! yeah baby. you'll have to do the maths to figure out what 6% of 64mo is, as i am *also* quite lazy sometimes. ;)

[EDIT : oh, and i should mention, even long books rarely take up more than 1%. Mansfield Park with several full-screen illustrations takes up around 4%. I currently have 95 books on my bookshelf with 4.7 mo (7%) free. hey ! look at that ! now we know that the 6% the dictionary takes up is less than 4.7mo. no brain work required. nice !]

the Webster's eDictionary ver. 2.0 which came pre-installed on my eb1150 takes up 6% of my "bookshelf" (that's what they call the memory card). i should mention, my bookshelf has an awe-inspiring capacity of 64 mo. that's right, SIXTY-FOUR !!! yeah baby. you'll have to do the maths to figure out what 6% of 64mo is, as i am *also* quite lazy sometimes. ;)

[EDIT : oh, and i should mention, even long books rarely take up more than 1%. Mansfield Park with several full-screen illustrations takes up around 4%. I currently have 95 books on my bookshelf with 4.7 mo (7%) free. hey ! look at that ! now we know that the 6% the dictionary takes up is less than 4.7mo. no brain work required. nice !]

64 "Mos"? So what would that be in "Sheps" or "Curlys"? Seriously, what's a "mo"? :D :D :D

Derek

64 "Mos"? So what would that be in "Sheps" or "Curlys"? Seriously, what's a "mo"? :D :D :D

Derek

erm.. a MegaOctet... sorry, i'm in such a habit of writing "Mo" that i forget in english you write Mb (mega byte)... :o oops !

[EDIT and what is a sheps or curlys ???]

erm.. a MegaOctet... sorry, i'm in such a habit of writing "Mo" that i forget in english you write Mb (mega byte)... :o oops !

[EDIT and what is a sheps or curlys ???]

Well, to be precise, there's Larry, Curly and Moe in one group. She(m)p (I always forget it's spelled 'shemp') belongs to another interation. The complete list of "The Three Stooges" is:


There were always just three stooges at a time.
Moe Howard
Real Name: Harry Moses Horwitz
Born: June 19, 1897
Died: May 4, 1975
Stooge years: 1922, 1926, 1929-1970


Larry Fine
Real Name: Louis Feinberg
Born: October 5, 1902
Died: January 24, 1975
Stooge years: 1925-1926, 1929-1970


Curly Howard
Real Name: Jerome Lester Horwitz
Born: October 22, 1903
Died: January 18, 1952
Stooge years: 1934-1946


Shemp Howard
Real Name: Samuel Horwitz
Born: March 4, 1895
Died: November 22, 1955
Stooge years: 1922-1925, 1929-1932, 1947-1955


Joe Besser
Born: August 12, 1907
Died: March 1, 1988
Stooge years: 1957-1959


Curly-Joe DeRita
Real Name: Joseph Wardell
Born: July 12, 1909
Died: July 3, 1993
Stooge years: 1959-1970


Emil Sitka
Born: December 22, 1914
Died: January 16, 1998


Sitka was officially named a member of the Stooges following Larry Fine's stroke, but never got to perform with the group.

And if you haven't watched the Three Stooges, you've missed out on some great work! :D

Derek

erm.. a MegaOctet... sorry, i'm in such a habit of writing "Mo" that i forget in english you write Mb (mega byte)... :o oops !

[EDIT and what is a sheps or curlys ???]
Actually... in English it would be MB for MegaByte or Mb for Mega_b_it.

Pedantically yours,

Xenophon

I just want to see it! If the conference wasn't in the middle of the week, I'd consider a trip to NYC to check it out. Sounds like a great device, and I hope it's styled as well as it's engineered.

I just want to see it! If the conference wasn't in the middle of the week, I'd consider a trip to NYC to check it out. Sounds like a great device, and I hope it's styled as well as it's engineered.

Well, it still hasn't been answered whether this is the same as the Netronix EB-100. *I* think it is pretty darned close. As I should be receiving my EB-100 shortly, I'll have to post photos. :)

Derek

Well, it still hasn't been answered whether this is the same as the Netronix EB-100. *I* think it is pretty darned close. As I should be receiving my EB-100 shortly, I'll have to post photos. :)

Derek

if you *don't* post photos, you know we're all going to show up at your house to see it for ourselves. and the drinks are on you.

First of all, thanks for the information on attractive machines. If you can sell 9.7in machine at the stated price, I will pick up one in a heartbeat if PDF support is reasonable.

it will support English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese (Big 5), and Japanese.
BTW, could you consider supporting Korean as well? If you can support Chinese and Japanese, I guess it will not be hard to implement Korean as well. With minimal effort, you may be able to increase your potential market size. :)

:thanks:

if you *don't* post photos, you know we're all going to show up at your house to see it for ourselves. and the drinks are on you.

Alrighty then! BTW, drinks are limited to non-alcoholic (I'm LDS) and someone has to spring for the wood chips, Jack Daniels (for soaking the wood chips) the pork butts & ribs and the beef briskets! I'll go tune up the barbecue! :) :) :)

Derek

Well, it still hasn't been answered whether this is the same as the Netronix EB-100. I agree that this is likely to be from Netronix, but it is probably the EB-200, i.e. with WinCE rather than Linux. For example, the EB-210 will have WiFi and a touchscreen and it runs WinCE. Is there also an EB-110 with Linux? The EB-100 and EB-200 hardware seems to be the same though.

Not crazy about WinCE, but the price point sounds good.

Is LIT considered a dead format? MS Reader would seem obvious on a WinCE machine, wouldn't it? And that would give them another major DRM format. (Not that I care about DRM support, but commercial ebook readers probably need them to make it in the market.)

I'd be interested in knowing if the "optional" touch screen is pressure-sensitive. It was my understanding that the less expensive touch screens are too opaque for reflective-only e-ink screens, which is why the iLiad uses a more expensive pressure-sensitive Wacom screen (despite the fact that the software STILL doesn't support pressure sensitivity).

I'd be interested in knowing if the "optional" touch screen is pressure-sensitive. It was my understanding that the less expensive touch screens are too opaque for reflective-only e-ink screens, which is why the iLiad uses a more expensive pressure-sensitive Wacom screen (despite the fact that the software STILL doesn't support pressure sensitivity). The Netronix EB-300 will have stylus and finger touch capability, which I think rules out Wacom.

Not crazy about WinCE, but the price point sounds good.

Is LIT considered a dead format? MS Reader would seem obvious on a WinCE machine, wouldn't it? And that would give them another major DRM format. (Not that I care about DRM support, but commercial ebook readers probably need them to make it in the market.)

I'd be interested in knowing if the "optional" touch screen is pressure-sensitive. It was my understanding that the less expensive touch screens are too opaque for reflective-only e-ink screens, which is why the iLiad uses a more expensive pressure-sensitive Wacom screen (despite the fact that the software STILL doesn't support pressure sensitivity).

I do not think MS Reader ever ran on WinCE, It needs PPC (Windows Mobile) features to run.

Dale

this sounds great might be everyones Christmas gift this year if they turn out well. toll on May 14th

this sounds great might be everyones Christmas gift this year if they turn out well. toll on May 14th
oh, that's so thoughtful ! now i feel bad, i wasn't planning to get you anything. ;)

I do not think MS Reader ever ran on WinCE, It needs PPC (Windows Mobile) features to run.

Dale

It's confusing, but Windows CE has sort of been the generic name for the OEM version of Windows Mobile (which is what MS is calling the platform this week) since the Dark Ages. I would imagine that a new product like this ebook reader will be using a current OEM version of Windows Mobile. As to what features will be included (including the ability to run MS Reader), that is up to the OEM. They can pick and choose which parts of the OS they want to use. It is all modular. They could even decide to write their own LIT reader, as the SDK and some DLLs are available.

It's confusing, but Windows CE has sort of been the generic name for the OEM version of Windows Mobile (which is what MS is calling the platform this week) since the Dark Ages. I would imagine that a new product like this ebook reader will be using a current OEM version of Windows Mobile. As to what features will be included (including the ability to run MS Reader), that is up to the OEM. They can pick and choose which parts of the OS they want to use. It is all modular. They could even decide to write their own LIT reader, as the SDK and some DLLs are available.

It can be confusing. WinCE is the underlying OS of all Windows based PDAs while PPC aka Windows Mobile since 2003 is a specific set of tools and support on top of WinCE. Note that Windows Mobile platforms requires certification by Microsoft which a charge a lot of money for while WinCE does not. WinCE is certainly the OEM version but it is in no way the same as Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile is also an OEM version that includes the Windows Mobile UI and certification as well as a suite of applications. WinCE can be purchased ala carte with basic features or add ons but the suite of addons is different from a Windows Mobile device. Note that is not a third OS for smartphones which is basically Window Mobile for devices without touch screen.

Dale

Pictures are not so easy as changes are still being made. It is an awesome gloss black front bezel with orange sides and back... very attractive. I am afraid to put up pictures as they may change between now and release.

Bob:thumbsup:

That sounds a lot like the Netronix EB-300, not that there is anything wrong with that. Judging by the image on the Netronix (http://www.netronixinc.com/product_EB300.htm) page (well, the non-dog image on the PDF that's linked from that page), you can see a hint of orange around the sides. I'm assuming you're dealing with similar suppliers.

(I don't want to scare Robertb away as I hope to be buying an e-ink reader from somebody soon, and the more details the better! A guy's gotta budget for these things, you know.)

I have yet to buy a dedicated reader of any kind. This current crop just might do it for me, although I can't decide between a simple 6" model that just reads docs of various types or a more robust 9.7" device that also has wifi access. (If I could add a USB keyboard for creating text documents, I'm in heaven...basically, I dream of a low-powered PADD/ word processor.)

PS: Longtime reader, first time poster. :D

I look forward to seeing this out soon!

It seems like a great product! I am about to buy myself a sony reader when I go to NY this summer. I just might wait and pick one of these up instead. The 9inch screen would be really really great!

Is the releasedate of august a optimistic guess or almost a fact?

How will these devices be distributed? Retail stores like Walmart and Target in addition to book stores like B&N and Boorders would be ideal. Of course being able to get them online from Amazon and ebooks stores like Fictionwise, BooksOnBoard and eReader would be nice too.

BTW: Seems to me if you are going to choose between eReader support and MobiPocket support that Mobi is more popular than eReader. Or is that not true?

BOb

Trouble is, Amazon wants MobiPocket format only, or no MobiPocket format at all. They don't want to share the sandbox.

So it's not a question of eReader or MobiPocket, it's a question of just MobiPocket or anything else.

Trouble is, Amazon wants MobiPocket format only, or no MobiPocket format at all. It is worse than that, because Amazon wants MobiPocket exclusivity but they don't provide user-level support for their software on these devices. If you have a problem with MOBI on the iLiad or the Cybook it is iRex's or Bookeen's responsibility to fix it. All these companies are getting for exclusivity is a license and example code, with perhaps some coding support for implementation and maintenance.

I don't have a problem with license-only deals (such a license could allow binary-only versions of uBook or FBReader to legally support DRMed MOBI for example), but to then require exclusivity seems a bit much. MobiPocket presumably gets a cut of every DRMed MOBI ebook sold, so the exclusivity requirement appears to be an attempt to potentially for go sales today in the hope of driving other formats out of business in the long term.

It is worse than that, because Amazon wants MobiPocket exclusivity but they don't provide user-level support for their software on these devices. If you have a problem with MOBI on the iLiad or the Cybook it is iRex's or Bookeen's responsibility to fix it. All these companies are getting for exclusivity is a license and example code, with perhaps some coding support for implementation and maintenance.

I don't have a problem with license-only deals (such a license could allow binary-only versions of uBook or FBReader to legally support DRMed MOBI for example), but to then require exclusivity seems a bit much. MobiPocket presumably gets a cut of every DRMed MOBI ebook sold, so the exclusivity requirement appears to be an attempt to potentially for go sales today in the hope of driving other formats out of business in the long term.

[ off topic ] sheesh, the more i hear about amazon, the less i like them. shades of Micro$oft and all...[ /off topic ]

and back on topic : regarding sales, how will that work for international customers ? will you rely on other distributors or sell directly (via an online shop for example) ?

Trouble is, Amazon wants MobiPocket format only, or no MobiPocket format at all. They don't want to share the sandbox.

So it's not a question of eReader or MobiPocket, it's a question of just MobiPocket or anything else.

I've asked about that. It's not "Mobipocket only" so much as "DRM'd Mobipocket only". They're not that particular about non-DRM'd Mobi support. So no support for DRM5 MS .lit *and* Secure Mobipocket *and* eReader *and* Sony LRX *and* Kindle Secure AZW. Not as long as Amazon and Mobipocket have any say in the matter.

Derek

All this sounds VERY interesting but just as a sanity check, Pythagorean's theorem does NOT confirm that a 9.7 inch diagonal screen will show an 8.5x11 PDF at full size even if you assume the original had 1 inch margins all around and the reader could trim off these margins. Admittedly it is closer than a 6 inch screen.:rolleyes:

Personally I might opt for the 5 inch screen with wi-fi and touch screen, just because it would fit in my pocket better (and of course the price is "barato" - you can determine the meaning from the context.)

It's always nice to see new players in the field, but...

Jump to Page
Why, oh, why would you use page numbers on a device that has variable-sized pages? That's insane! It means that either the page number for some particular point in the text changes as you adjust the font, line height, margins, layout, ..., or you have page numbers that in no way correspond to the actual pages. Please come to your senses and use percentage-based navigation instead, because it actually works consistently and thus isn't confusing.

The operating system will be Win CE
Oh, no, please, no. I really don't want my ebook to keep crashing/rebooting, like my WinCE-based satnav does (and as all other WinCE-devices I've ever tested do).

The Li-ion battery will last ten years
No, it won't. That is, unless you store it at 0°C (unlikely if you're using it in an e-ink device) and at 40-60 % charge (also quite unlikely). A li-ion (incl. li-pol) battery is dead as a doornail in way less than 10 years. If you use the device in the sun a lot and keep it charged it might well be dead in a year.

Why, oh, why would you use page numbers on a device that has variable-sized pages? That's insane! It means that either the page number for some particular point in the text changes as you adjust the font, line height, margins, layout, ..., or you have page numbers that in no way correspond to the actual pages. Please come to your senses and use percentage-based navigation instead, because it actually works consistently and thus isn't confusing.


So what? If you have page numbers can't you do the math? If you know you want to go to 50% of the book, and the font size you are at is 500 reader pages, then, lets see um, page 250 would be right. If your font size makes this same content 600 pages, then (give me time here), page 300 would be 50% in.

What you CAN get from page numbers you can't get from percentage. I have the Sony and NEVER once have I looked at the page number where it said for example, Page 123 of 684 and said to myself... damn I wish I knew what percentage of the book that was. It is so INSANE to have these page numbers. However, many times I have thought, oh damn I really should get to bed... wait I'm at page 652 of 678... I'm gonna finish this sucker. But, if it said, 96% read I have no idea if that mean there are 3 pages left or 100.

Stealing the term from John Stossel, "Give me a break...!"

BOb

Why, oh, why would you use page numbers on a device that has variable-sized pages? That's insane! It means that either the page number for some particular point in the text changes as you adjust the font, line height, margins, layout, ..., or you have page numbers that in no way correspond to the actual pages. Please come to your senses and use percentage-based navigation instead, because it actually works consistently and thus isn't confusing.


So long as you give the total length also. Knowing that you have read 80% is raher useless if you do not know if the book is 30 paper pages or 1000 paper pages.

If this device is also targeted toward readers of PDF (or other fixed-page formatted) business documents and ebooks, then a fine-grained zoom and a simple mechanism for transferring files would be ideal.

The Sony Reader's crippled two-stage zoom greatly reduces its usefulness for reading some PDFs (http://wowio.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/sony-reader-mammal-or-dinosaur/) that are not specifically formatted for the device, since significant portions of the available display real estate are wasted on margins.

A much better solution is a variable-zoom display that allows for finer increments of zooming. Examples include the % magnification control provided in Adobe Reader or even better, the visually adjustable interactive zoom on the iPhone. I realize that the latter (as implemented on the iPhone) is unlikely because of the slow refresh rates on e-ink displays, but perhaps an e-ink friendly interface can be developed.

Including this functionality greatly extends the potential market for this device to all of those who use the ubiquitous PDF format for both ebooks and other types of business or technical documents. Like everyone here, I'm very much forward to seeing this new machine!

So what? If you have page numbers can't you do the math? If you know you want to go to 50% of the book, and the font size you are at is 500 reader pages, then, lets see um, page 250 would be right. If your font size makes this same content 600 pages, then (give me time here), page 300 would be 50% in.
When you look at the number that's what you'll remember. So, when you remember something was at around 75% then you can find it, but if you remember it was at around page 500 then you also have to remember what page size you used at that time.

What you CAN get from page numbers you can't get from percentage. I have the Sony and NEVER once have I looked at the page number where it said for example, Page 123 of 684 and said to myself... damn I wish I knew what percentage of the book that was. It is so INSANE to have these page numbers. However, many times I have thought, oh damn I really should get to bed... wait I'm at page 652 of 678... I'm gonna finish this sucker. But, if it said, 96% read I have no idea if that mean there are 3 pages left or 100.
Doesn't sony use some arbitrary, page-size independent "page size"? So how many of Sony's actual pages did that 678-652 translate to? Also, unless you just jumped to 96% then you surely have some idea whether you've read 72 pages or 2400 pages.

And c'mon, I never said to use only percentage. E.g., you could have the word count of the text shown either on demand or all the time in the corner or whatever. Then you'd know how big the text is, and since you're so good with math you'd easily figure out how much a certain percentage is (not that it's very hard, since it's 10-based).

And percentage isn't the only sane alternative. E.g. word count, which I just mentioned, is tons better than page counts since it's page-size independent, and thus not inconsistent on page-independent formats. Even character count would be saner than page count. (You'd probably want it expressed in kchars instead of chars, though.)

Knowing that you have read 80% is raher useless if you do not know if the book is 30 paper pages or 1000 paper pages.
a) True, which is why percentage is not enough.
b) "paper page"? Are you kidding me? How much text is a paper page? An A2 filled with a gazillion letters in 6pt text? An A9 with one letter?

Doesn't sony use some arbitrary, page-size independent "page size"? So how many of Sony's actual pages did that 678-652 translate to?


When I set the Sony to Medium font size and it shows the pages at the bottom, page 1 is the first page and the last page is the last page number it displays.

So, it is how many pages it takes to display on the Sony at the current font size. Page=Full Screen of text. So no, I would not say it is "arbitrary".

Frankly I don't care either way... as long as the reader remembers the last page I read and brings me back to the page when I choose the book from the menu I would be fine with no page or progress indicator.

I just objected to your black and white "It's Insane" to show page numbers on a ebook reader device.

BOb

When I set the Sony to Medium font size and it shows the pages at the bottom, page 1 is the first page and the last page is the last page number it displays.

So, it is how many pages it takes to display on the Sony at the current font size. Page=Full Screen of text. So no, I would not say it is "arbitrary".
Either you must think that "Medium" isn't an arbitrary font size (and can't you adjust margins, line heights, fonts, etc on the sony?), or the sony changes the total page count of a text, depending on your settings.

I just objected to your black and white "It's Insane" to show page numbers on a ebook reader device.
OK, but then it should follow that it's not insane to force a square peg through a round hole (instead of the proper square hole next to the round one), even if it takes a bit of hammering.
I think both are insane, even if the job gets kinda done. Also, even insane stuff can be somewhat useful.

Either you must think that "Medium" isn't an arbitrary font size (and can't you adjust margins, line heights, fonts, etc on the sony?), or the sony changes the total page count of a text, depending on your settings.


Medium is a "specific" font size which the reader labels as "medium". I am sure internally it equates to a specific point size.

Yes, the total page count is adjusted based on the 3 font sizes available. I also don't see a problem with that.


I think both are insane, even if the job gets kinda done. Also, even insane stuff can be somewhat useful.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I don't see why adjusting the total page count is a problem since the total page count DOES change as the font size changes.

If you pick up a HardCover copy of a book and a softcover property of the same book and a large print version of the same book, I bet you that ALL 3 will have different number of pages and page 150 will have different text in each one. Is this in any way confusing to you?

Although I still think the definition of insane isn't: "msundman doesn't agree with it."

BOb

b) "paper page"? Are you kidding me? How much text is a paper page? An A2 filled with a gazillion letters in 6pt text? An A9 with one letter?

I wrote "page" first but then I thought people would complain that it was not well defined so I wrote "paper page" as a shorthand for approximately the number of words on a normal paper size of an ordinary mass market paper back.

Medium is a "specific" font size which the reader labels as "medium". I am sure internally it equates to a specific point size.

On the Sony that's not the case. "Medium" is whatever font size the document uses, "small" is a bit smaller than that, "large" is a bit bigger. I've got documents where the "small" size is about 4 point, just enough to be able to tell that it's probably writing (and large is barely big enough to read comfortably), and one that must have been converted by a large print fan because in "large" mode I get about 3 words per line.

I do hope these Astak Mentor thingumajigs will be available, eventually, in the UK. They sound most satisfactory - pricewise and displaywise. Now all we need to know is, will they be satisfactory formatwise. Belatedly, thanks for the info Robert.

Tommy

All this sounds VERY interesting but just as a sanity check, Pythagorean's theorem does NOT confirm that a 9.7 inch diagonal screen will show an 8.5x11 PDF at full size even if you assume the original had 1 inch margins all around and the reader could trim off these margins. Admittedly it is closer than a 6 inch screen.:rolleyes:

Personally I might opt for the 5 inch screen with wi-fi and touch screen, just because it would fit in my pocket better (and of course the price is "barato" - you can determine the meaning from the context.)


It depends. If the PDF was originally formatted with 1-1.25 inch margins all around, then PDF Cropper could whittle away at the blank space and fit each page into a 9.7" display screen.

Derek

It depends. If the PDF was originally formatted with 1-1.25 inch margins all around, then PDF Cropper could whittle away at the blank space and fit each page into a 9.7" display screen.

Derek

A letter sized page needs a 14" reader to read it successfully. So you would have to pull 4.3" off the diagonal to make it. Admittedly you could probably shrink it a bit without serious consequences but the math with 1" margins does not compute for 100% image.

Dale

I've been exchanging emails, and would like to share some of the contents.

The Astak Mentor is a joint project between PVI (screens), Netronix (assembly and design and Touch expertise), and Astak (end design and sales). We developed it in-house in Taiwan and are now refining it in San Jose, California.

The software issue is still being resolved. We have received a ton of help and cooperation from Fictionwise and will include their eReader. We are negotiating in Europe with Mobipocket now. Mobipocket (Amazon) wants exclusivity and we do not want that. Our reasoning is that exclusivity places everybody in Amazon's teeth. We argue that Amazon stands to lose a ton of book sales if they insist on the exclusivity angle. We would have to go without them in at least North America. We are hoping that Amazon will realize this and drop the exclusivity of their agreement. We have released an SDK to Fictionwise for porting.


There is more, but since I don't have explicit permission to post this I decided to only quote the parts that have already been discussed here.

thanks for the info ! any other news you can share ? like about features (dictionary lookup ?) or price for the 6 inch version including touchscreen and wifi, or vendors / price in europe ?

Much is still up in the air.

Aww i just bought the Sony Psr505 :(

Aww i just bought the Sony Psr505 :(

It is my belief that each household should have several e-ink readers, from a range of the producers. Bookeen, Sony, Amazon, Astak, Netronix, iLiad... And if one has any money left over from ereaders and ebooks, one can then pay the rent/mortgage, buy food, etc. :D :D :D

Derek

I decided to only quote the parts that have already been discussed here.

:) Thanks Nate, great to be kept up to date.

Much is still up in the air.
well, you know where to find us, when gravity begins to take effect... :rolleyes:

Medium is a "specific" font size which the reader labels as "medium". I am sure internally it equates to a specific point size.
Ah, OK, so this is just a communication error. By "arbitrary" I didn't mean it's unknowable or variable, but "whatever someone at sony happened to pick, more or less by random". (And, by the way, I apologize for expressing that in a way that had no good "outs" for you, but you responded gracefully (instead of in anger, like many others would have done) so kudos to you for that.)

Yes, the total page count is adjusted based on the 3 font sizes available. I also don't see a problem with that.
Oh, I though it wasn't. Someone else said that the page count is fixed, but depending on your setup it sometimes advances 2 page numbers when you turn a page, or it might advance the page number only after turning 2 pages. However, if it indeed always advances one page number for each page you turn no matter what your setup is then I've been misinformed.
Well, either way is inconsistent. You're of course free to not mind having such an inconsistency. (And you're free to hammer your square pegs through any which hole you want.)

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I don't see why adjusting the total page count is a problem since the total page count DOES change as the font size changes.

If you pick up a HardCover copy of a book and a softcover property of the same book and a large print version of the same book, I bet you that ALL 3 will have different number of pages and page 150 will have different text in each one. Is this in any way confusing to you?
Yes, it is indeed confusing to me if I switch between the 3 versions, and I thought I already described (or at least hinted at) why. And it's obviously inconsistent.

P-books have this limitation, but e-books don't. In fact, I hate that none of the e-book readers I've tried support overlaps when I "turn the page". My current reader's 150-200 ms page flips makes this less of an issue than would, say, a 2000 ms page flip of a sony reader. But still, why can't they have a user-specifiable number of rows of the next page visible at the bottom, and similarly at the top? Probably precisely because the makers of the software are so used to the limitation of page breaks that the feature just hasn't occurred to them. OTOH, they have seen webpages, which are completely pagesizeless, so they figured you can also have e-books be completely pagesizeless and have the text just scroll across the screen, one pixel/text line at a time (and at this time the observant ones start realizing how illogical it is to be talking about pages when everything's just one, long, scrolling page). That's the other extreme, and kinda inherits the limitations of that too, and I don't quite like that either.

I understand that many people want new stuff to have the same limitations that old stuff had (like how powerpoint moronically copies the worst limitations of physical slides *shudder*); it's familiar, it feels comfortable, and you don't have to adjust your way of thinking in any way. However, it's not sane as such, even though some of its implications might be sane.

Although I still think the definition of insane isn't: "msundman doesn't agree with it."
Of course it isn't, which is why I wrote the actual reason why it's insane (and even that isn't the definition if the word). I even added the thing about the square peg through the round hole in a try to make it more clear. (Yes, yes, I know they sometimes make round pegs by doing just that, but that'd be out-of-context.)

thanks for the info ! any other news you can share ? like about features (dictionary lookup ?) or price for the 6 inch version including touchscreen and wifi, or vendors / price in europe ?

eReader has dictionary lookup. For features look at the product that is already released.

Dale

I hate that none of the e-book readers I've tried support overlaps when I "turn the page". My current reader's 150-200 ms page flips makes this less of an issue than would, say, a 2000 ms page flip of a sony reader. But still, why can't they have a user-specifiable number of rows of the next page visible at the bottom, and similarly at the top? Probably precisely because the makers of the software are so used to the limitation of page breaks that the feature just hasn't occurred to them. OTOH, they have seen webpages, which are completely pagesizeless, so they figured you can also have e-books be completely pagesizeless and have the text just scroll across the screen, one pixel/text line at a time (and at this time the observant ones start realizing how illogical it is to be talking about pages when everything's just one, long, scrolling page). That's the other extreme, and kinda inherits the limitations of that too, and I don't quite like that either. I agree that there are two intrinsically different models of how an e-reader should work, one is page based and the other is text stream based. Converting a document to PDF with a fixed page size (optimized for the target device) is the purest version of the page approach, and an unmodified web browser is at the other extreme. Actual readers are somewhere between these two poles, but most want to present the page model to the user even if it is not used internally. It has been mentioned in other threads that a good test is to try to goto the middle of a page somehow (e.g. search). If this ends up at the top of a page after all, then the reader isn't enforcing a fixed page layout for the document as a whole.

FBReader is a good example of a reader that does not enforce pagination, and it allows overlap between pages if you want (or not if you don't want). I also agree that overlap between pages could be implemented by a genuine paginating reader (e.g. this is in principle possible when converting to PDF), but I am not aware of one that does so.

eReader has dictionary lookup.
i did not know dictionary lookup support was a feature of the format software, not the product firmware / os.

For features look at the product that is already released.

Dale

Astak has already released a product ? which one ?

It is my belief that each household should have several e-ink readers, from a range of the producers. Bookeen, Sony, Amazon, Astak, Netronix, iLiad... And if one has any money left over from ereaders and ebooks, one can then pay the rent/mortgage, buy food, etc. :D :D :D

Derek

Food?? We don't need no stinking food! Words are food for the soul.:thumbsup:

i did not know dictionary lookup support was a feature of the format software, not the product firmware / os.



Astak has already released a product ? which one ?

they have already announced that they will use eReader. Look at it.

dale

It has been mentioned in other threads that a good test is to try to goto the middle of a page somehow (e.g. search). If this ends up at the top of a page after all, then the reader isn't enforcing a fixed page layout for the document as a whole.
Yes. Or to jump to a chapter. Or to a bookmark added with a different font/margin/line-height/whatever-changes-the-pagesize.
And I wouldn't mind seeing other user-specifyable options either, such as whether new chapters start right after the previous one ends or on a new page (such an option is of course impossible with fixed-page systems).

FBReader is a good example of a reader that does not enforce pagination, and it allows overlap between pages if you want (or not if you don't want).
FBReader seems nice, but unfortunately there isn't a version for Symbian S60. :( (I'm stuck with QReader for now, which wouldn't be totally bad if it only would support some half decent format (e.g., some format that actually specifies what encoding the text is in (which is the first "feature" that should be added to any format, but apparently all devs who create formats are super-ignorant americans that don't use anything above ascii 127 and believe that "plain text" actually exists), so that I don't have to modify the encoding manually all the time just to get it to display the damn text).)

FBReader seems nice, but unfortunately there isn't a version for Symbian S60. FBReaderJ (http://www.fbreader.org/FBReaderJ/) is in Beta for the Android emulator only, but will have a version for J2ME devices (like Symbian mobile phones) in future releases.

FBReaderJ (http://www.fbreader.org/FBReaderJ/) is in Beta for the Android emulator only, but will have a version for J2ME devices (like Symbian mobile phones) in future releases.
I know, but j2me really sucks on symbian in general and on the e61 in particular. It takes forever to start (6+ seconds, but much more if the program is large or inefficient at starting), and whenever you try to put a java program in the background it immediately exits.

QReader, OTOH, is native S60v3 and sits happily in the background for days on end, and it takes 150-200 ms to bring it to the foreground to start reading exactly where I left it. (If QReader for some reason isn't in the background (e.g., after I've rebooted the phone) it still takes less than 3 seconds to start it and open the last book where I left it.)

I'm still dying for details here, Robertb, May is very, very far away.

...tapping foot, looking at watch.

Is it May yet?

...tapping foot, looking at watch.

Is it May yet?

While we're waiting, let me ask a...ahem...personal question. You already have a Kindle and an Iliad, what are you looking for in an e-reader device that you don't already have?

Second, as mother of two, where do you find the disposable income? ;)

You already have a Kindle and an Iliad, what are you looking for in an e-reader device that you don't already have?Duh. Gadget Lust. :rolleyes:

Second, as mother of two, where do you find the disposable income? ;)

As you can see from her avatar, her cat has a job, he works on computers.

BOb

Ouch, I was asking for it. :)

As you can see from her avatar, her cat has a job, he works on computers.

BOb

lucky. mine are just 2 hairy freeloaders. i don't even think they're trying. every time i ask them how the job search is going they roll their eyes and tell me unemployment is sky high, the economy is in the toilet, and no-one is hiring.

<------ That's an old picture circa 2002, the cat only would get on top of my old Gateway case, she won't get near any of my more recent rigs. Maybe it was the color but I suspect it was the heat, that computer put out a lot of BTUs. Of course, the cat hates LCD monitors, no tube to generate heat.

Yeah, gadget lust and looking for the perfect or at least better device. The Iliad is fine if I had oodles of time to tinker and troubleshoot but I don't. What really sells me on the Kindle is all the content pushed right to my device, sure it's paid but I don't have to spend time finding, formatting and loading it on another device.

Budgetwise, I'm a geek, I don't spend money on bars and restaurants, my wardrobe is modest (when you work at home how much do you really need?), and my vehicles are low mileage 13 and 17 years old. I spend money on gadgets, one day I'll find the perfect one.

Yeah, gadget lust and looking for the perfect or at least better device. The Iliad is fine if I had oodles of time to tinker and troubleshoot but I don't. What really sells me on the Kindle is all the content pushed right to my device, sure it's paid but I don't have to spend time finding, formatting and loading it on another device.

Thanks for indulging me. I was being nosy, but I meant the first question seriously. I think there are parts of the Kindle I'm interested in (mainly content and connectivity) and parts of the Iliad (mainly the touchscreen stuff), as well.

For me, though, price trumps. The Kindle is on the upper end and the Iliad is out of the park.

What I'd probably like is a Iliad sized eInk Palm TX. A multipurpose device that has a killer reading app. Color would be nice but I can be happy with grayscale. To duplicate some of the TX functions on the Kindle I tried Google calender but making entries with the Kindle results in 30+ duplicate entries on the Google calender. At least I can view my calender on the Kindle. I converted my contact list into a .PRC file but I can't make entries.

The main reason I purchased the TX was for the large screen for reading and the TX was not that much less than the Kindle! I never was completely happy with reading on the TX, constant page turns, eye fatigue, and can't read outside but I liked it far better than toting around pbooks. The eInk screen is the best for me but I'm still searching for my perfect device. I realize that the controlling factor is battery size, the more functionality the larger and heavier the battery.

A dedicated reader is fine for now but one day I hope to have a PDA-like device.

What I'd probably like is a Iliad sized eInk Palm TX. A multipurpose device that has a killer reading app. Color would be nice but I can be happy with grayscale. To duplicate some of the TX functions on the Kindle I tried Google calender but making entries with the Kindle results in 30+ duplicate entries on the Google calender. At least I can view my calender on the Kindle. I converted my contact list into a .PRC file but I can't make entries.

The main reason I purchased the TX was for the large screen for reading and the TX was not that much less than the Kindle! I never was completely happy with reading on the TX, constant page turns, eye fatigue, and can't read outside but I liked it far better than toting around pbooks. The eInk screen is the best for me but I'm still searching for my perfect device. I realize that the controlling factor is battery size, the more functionality the larger and heavier the battery.

A dedicated reader is fine for now but one day I hope to have a PDA-like device.

Hey Tall, I agree completely but want the color & speed of the TX. I would also want it to "fold" to the size of the TX.

TallMom, I don't understand how you can say that the TX is not that much different from the Kindle, the screen is much much smaller and for me at least there is a world of difference, which is why I don't mind carrying the Kindle around in my hand (as it does not fit in a pocket).

Query: eink is a technology developed, I think, by Philips and Sony. How can this company produce eink screens, as seems to be implied, quite easily? Wouldn't it need a license and, if so, how can it be sure to get it?

What I'd probably like is a Iliad sized eInk Palm TX. A multipurpose device that has a killer reading app. Color would be nice but I can be happy with grayscale. To duplicate some of the TX functions on the Kindle I tried Google calender but making entries with the Kindle results in 30+ duplicate entries on the Google calender. At least I can view my calender on the Kindle. I converted my contact list into a .PRC file but I can't make entries.

The main reason I purchased the TX was for the large screen for reading and the TX was not that much less than the Kindle! I never was completely happy with reading on the TX, constant page turns, eye fatigue, and can't read outside but I liked it far better than toting around pbooks. The eInk screen is the best for me but I'm still searching for my perfect device. I realize that the controlling factor is battery size, the more functionality the larger and heavier the battery.

A dedicated reader is fine for now but one day I hope to have a PDA-like device.

I think I need to subscribe to your newsletter...that's exactly what I dream about.

First, I want to replace my TX with a good reader, but ultimately I want a PDA with a decent-size screen. I don't want a small laptop or even a UMPC, I want a reader that's easier on the eyes and with some notetaking, personal organization and, at most, easy text entry abilities.

A dedicated reader is fine for now but one day I hope to have a PDA-like device.

Funny... I pretty much think of it in the opposite way.

I'd be good with a small b/w device for straight reading of books. In fact, for just books, I'm good with a PDA. For periodicals like magazines, I'd want a larger device, and I'd want color. So in terms of Astak's products, I might want the smaller device now, and hold out for a larger color device in the future (or once more magazines go online).

Funny... I pretty much think of it in the opposite way.

I'd be good with a small b/w device for straight reading of books. In fact, for just books, I'm good with a PDA. For periodicals like magazines, I'd want a larger device, and I'd want color. So in terms of Astak's products, I might want the smaller device now, and hold out for a larger color device in the future (or once more magazines go online).

There are actually a lot of magazines online already. But most are for online reading only. Check this page: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Free_eBooks#Online_Reading

In particular check http://issuu.com/
Dale

Query: eink is a technology developed, I think, by Philips and Sony. How can this company produce eink screens, as seems to be implied, quite easily? Wouldn't it need a license and, if so, how can it be sure to get it?
Since you asked, here's a brief history lesson

Electrophoretic displays were first developed in the 70's, at MatsushiIta Electronics. However they were abandoned because of various problems.

A group at MIT's Media Lab developed a means to solve many of those problems and spun out to form E Ink in 1998. Philips partnered with E Ink to develop and manufacture the displays used in the Sony Librie, however Philips has gotten out of the display fab business, and licensed/sold the electrophoretic backplane technology to PVI, who is currently the sole* production manufacturer of the bare panels used in the Sony PRS, Amazon Kindle, Bookeen, etc. So anyone is free to buy displays from PVI provided they jump through whatever hoops PVI requires of their customers. This company is simply buying screens from PVI attaching them to whatever embedded computer they chose, and putting it all in a nice package**.


*Irex being a Philips spinout has a different OEM for their backplanes (I'm not sure who it is).
** Gross understatement of the work and effort required to produce an ebook.

TallMom, I don't understand how you can say that the TX is not that much different from the Kindle, the screen is much much smaller and for me at least there is a world of difference, which is why I don't mind carrying the Kindle around in my hand (as it does not fit in a pocket).

I don't think I said that but I would like to have a combo of a Kindle/Iliad and a TX.

Funny... I pretty much think of it in the opposite way.

I'd be good with a small b/w device for straight reading of books. In fact, for just books, I'm good with a PDA. For periodicals like magazines, I'd want a larger device, and I'd want color. So in terms of Astak's products, I might want the smaller device now, and hold out for a larger color device in the future (or once more magazines go online).

Right now I carry around a cell phone, PDA, and a reader (mostly the Kindle). Since I refuse to carry a backback or a large purse my small purse is over full. But the reading experience with an eInk reader is so superior to the PDA I'm willing to carry around an extra device .....for now.

That's why I never went with a smartphone such as the Treo, too bulky for a cellphone and too small a screen, at least for me, for a PDA.

I really want to see the Astak devices.

I'd be good with a small b/w device for straight reading of books. In fact, for just books, I'm good with a PDA. For periodicals like magazines, I'd want a larger device, and I'd want color. So in terms of Astak's products, I might want the smaller device now, and hold out for a larger color device in the future (or once more magazines go online).

I think I have arthritis in my right thumb because of all the scrolling on my TX. And while color would be wonderful, it is on my list of things I'm willing to forgo. (Granted, my TX also doubles as my baby-pictures-shower-offer -- coming soon twice the kids, triple the action!) If I would want a larger-than-6" device it would be fore PDFs, but I'm happy to go smaller if there's an acceptable work-around.

I like the freedom of surfing on the TX (although, I admit it is a bit of an extravagance, I can accompany my toddler in her alloted TV-viewing time without having to shoot myself...unless it is Arthur or Yo Gabba Gabba, but I digress), but even with the TX I still could use much more screem space.

And to digress further , after playing with my friend's OLPC XO, I think an LCD screen with an XO-like ebook mode would read nearly as well as eink, would do color when necessary and be much cheaper. Color eink is, of course, inevitable, but I'm talking about what I'd be willing to pay for now.

I think I have arthritis in my right thumb because of all the scrolling on my TX.
Now that is why it's important for readers to have page-flip control(s) for whichever hand you're holding the device with. It doesn't have to be thumb-buttons either, but could be other fingers too (or nose or elbow or whatever body parts you manage to poke the device with (now stop thinking dirty)).

Seamus, thanks for the history lesson, I needed it. What you say then makes me doubt the claims now made by Astak of being able to produce a large amount of readers at their price point: one of their partners may well be a screen manufacturer but can it produce these screens, and can it get rights from PVI?

TallMom, sorry if I misunderstood, but that's how I read the following sentence you wrote: "The main reason I purchased the TX was for the large screen for reading and the TX was not that much less than the Kindle!"

Seamus, thanks for the history lesson, I needed it. What you say then makes me doubt the claims now made by Astak of being able to produce a large amount of readers at their price point: one of their partners may well be a screen manufacturer but can it produce these screens, and can it get rights from PVI?

One of Astak's partners is PVI. see the wiki

Dale

You're right, I should have checked that. It will be interesting to see what happens here, since if these devices appear at these prices, Amazon and Sony will not, to say the least, be happy. It looks 1) as if PVI is going into competition with its main customers and 2) possibly seriously overcharging them.

The Astak/PVI connection was only briefly touched on, more than anything the comment is on DaleDe's diligence getting the detail in the Wiki, than anything else. :nice:

There is a recent item (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22885) (like, today, actually) on PVI doubling their production capacity, that could have some bearing on the price drop, or anticipated price drop in the panels that Astak seems to be anticipating. :shrug:

One thing's for sure, if Astak does manage to bring out devices as cheaply as they're claiming to expect, then Sony, Bookeen, iRex, et. al. will be feeling some pressure to drop their prices too. Hopefully that'll be because the costs drop.

We've been speculating around here for two years (that I've been a party to) about what happens when the economies of scale start to kick in on e-ink, maybe we're reaching some sort of transition point where that's starting to have some effect. :shrug:

TallMom, sorry if I misunderstood, but that's how I read the following sentence you wrote: "The main reason I purchased the TX was for the large screen for reading and the TX was not that much less than the Kindle!"

I meant pricewise. A TX is $300 and a Kindle $399. :)

I meant pricewise. A TX is $300 and a Kindle $399. :)

I knew what you meant.

Just for comparison I created this image of a 8.5x11 sheet. The grid represents where the text would appear with a one inch margin all around. Each of the colors represents a different diagonal screen measurement while keeping the 8.5x11 aspect ratio for diagonals of 4", 5", 6" & 9.7". The 4" diagonal is roughly the size of my Palm TX.

This may be of no help to others but it helps me understand the relation between the various sizes.

Just for comparison I created this image of a 8.5x11 sheet. The grid represents where the text would appear with a one inch margin all around.

Cool. It might be useful to add 8" since that seems to be another popular size.

But for me, I'm "least unhappy" with the current 6" as a balance between a bit too small for reading on and uncomfortably large in my pocket.

I'd be fine with 9.7" as I carry my reader around in my bag and it would fit fine.

I'd be fine with 9.7" as I carry my reader around in my bag and it would fit fine.

I wonder what the weight is on the 9.7" model. The Netronix EB-300 PDF lacks that bit.

Now some folks will complain about feature creep (what folks? Shhh...hypothetical folks), but they can cram all they want into them as long as the interface makes sense and it doesn't weigh as much as a laptop.

I wonder what the weight is on the 9.7" model. The Netronix EB-300 PDF lacks that bit.

Now some folks will complain about feature creep (what folks? Shhh...hypothetical folks), but they can cram all they want into them as long as the interface makes sense and it doesn't weigh as much as a laptop.


Hanlin V9 is spec'd at 320g including the battery. Check the wiki for the specifcations. http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Hanlin_V9

Dale

Hanlin V9 is spec'd at 320g including the battery. Check the wiki for the specifcations. http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Hanlin_V9

Dale

Thanks, I always forget that all of these devices are essentially the same with different features.

Hanlin V9 is spec'd at 320g including the battery. Check the wiki for the specifcations. http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Hanlin_V9

Dale

11.3 ounces? Hmmm... That's really not that bad considering one would be getting about twice the number of pixels. I could live with that as a tech manual/textbook reader. And if Astak meets what we've heard may be it's price range for the 9.7" unit, well that would make it a darned nice reader!

Derek

Looks interesting. I like having another choice and competition for the other readers but the name of the company in English sounds like a pain in the you know what.

Do we really need all these different incompatable file formats?

Do we really need all these different incompatable file formats?Nope. But the problem is getting folks to settle on a single one. :(

Hi,
will astak mentor say definitive price in May?

Hi,
will astak mentor say definitive price in May?

Unlikely I believe. I would take their estimates with a grain of salt and not make purchase decisions today based on what they might cost in September or December.

Dale

:drool::drool::drool::drool:

A reader tht displays a full page in pdf without me having to use a magnifying glass? I can hardly wait!!!!:D

Assuming this is an 8x11" page, the reader will have to be that size too. Do you want to carry something that big? I don't.

Assuming this is an 8x11" page, the reader will have to be that size too. Do you want to carry something that big? I don't.

It's a matter of personal prefrence and intended use. Me, I use my to read when in bed. The biggest problem I have is that I enjoy reading older books that are scanned into google and they do not easily (nor comfortablly) fit onto my Sony. Some of them you can't read without using a magnifying glass (or so it seems)

For me it's not the size that matters but how you use it....:D

Understood. That's the problem with pdf - it's designed with a set page size in mind and there is almost no good way to shrink it down so it fits well on a smaller page, so either you shrink the print (and then you need that magnifying glass) or you butcher the page.

Understood. That's the problem with pdf - it's designed with a set page size in mind and there is almost no good way to shrink it down so it fits well on a smaller page, so either you shrink the print (and then you need that magnifying glass) or you butcher the page.

typically, if you split the page in half it will work fine with a large eBook reader in landscape mode. Not too much butchering but still can be problem on mulicolumn PDFs.

Dale

Yesterday I read through the nine pages of posts regarding the Astak Mentor and just thought it was too good to be true so, I sent a note to Astak asking for confirmation that they are indeed intending to issue an ereader. Here is their reply:

Yes, at the IDPF show in New York, May 14, Astak will introduce three new eBook reading devices known as "Mentor". They will be in 5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch. WiFi, Bluetooth, and Touchscreen will be options on smaller models and standard on the larger ones. Stereo music is standard and it will read 8,000 pages on a single charge. Astak is a partner in the manufacture and design and sales of these units. Expected sales dates will be between July and September for all three.

The designs and the price are still not fully set... but we expect the 5 inch to retail at less that $200. All the features are not cast yet in concrete but they should be far better than anything else on the market.

Thank you,

Bob Barry

I sent a follow up regarding a proected cost on for the 9.7 inch version and will post when I hear back but I would gues about $300-$400.

Assuming this is an 8x11" page, the reader will have to be that size too. Do you want to carry something that big? I don't.I agree: not for reading I wouldn't.

However for a professional usage, I'd naturally have different needs and parameters of what I'd put up with. For that I'd love to have something that size. Especially if I could integrate using it with OneNote -- I've been using that application for about 8 months now, and it's really working well for managing my projects. An A4 reader with stylus support that could talk to OneNote would be really nice. :yes:

Although, I wouldn't be carrying it around all that much, and when I did, it'd be in a briefcase, which handles things in that size range nicely. :nice:

I agree: not for reading I wouldn't.

However for a professional usage, I'd naturally have different needs and parameters of what I'd put up with. For that I'd love to have something that size. Especially if I could integrate using it with OneNote -- I've been using that application for about 8 months now, and it's really working well for managing my projects. An A4 reader with stylus support that could talk to OneNote would be really nice. :yes:

Although, I wouldn't be carrying it around all that much, and when I did, it'd be in a briefcase, which handles things in that size range nicely. :nice:

So which tablet pc are you using (I presume you are using onenote with some sort of tablet pc) and if you do, do you do any professional reading on the tablet as well? How does that feel compared to the e-ink devices?

I'm using an HP/Compaq TC4400, and no, I try not to read on the thing if I can help it. I even use an external monitor when I'm not traveling. I do love taking it to meetings to take notes on, but if I could come up with an A4 e-ink device that would fill that niche, I could switch back to a normal laptop and probably have less trouble with the crapware that came on it (work can't give me a clean install of XP Tablet, because they don't have a license for it, so I'm stuck with some of the crapware :sad:).

Suppose you could project a holographic screen from your ebook reader. How large would you want it? (i.e. no penalty for larger display)

:drool: I'll take two!

Suppose you could project a holographic screen from your ebook reader. How large would you want it? (i.e. no penalty for larger display)

Newspaper size. :D So I could spread it over my desk and refer to multiple documents at once.

Robert at Astak responded to my query on the projected cost of the 9.7 inch model:

The projected cost so far for a full boat 9.7 inch is "under $350". This is the best estimate I have.

If that holds true then, that is an awesome price!:2thumbsup:2thumbsup:2thumbsup

And some more bit of information from Astak...

I am finally finding time to get something on our website (www.astak.com) on the Mentor eBooks. I have been on the road for two weeks. It should be up soon.

Once it is up I will try to update promptly on availability and where it can be purchased. I expect, almost immediately, that Wal-Mart and Costco and Target will be selling it... or I can sell it to you also. We also are sure that Fictionwise (ebooks) will be carrying our full line!

Bob Barry

They are sure being ambitious about the Mentor!

thanks aleks for the updates !! i'm quite interested to see these devices when they are finalised.

They are sure being ambitious about the Mentor!I'm quite eager to see the rascal, myself.

And does anybody know if they are going to be avalaible worldwide?

L.

I'm not sure we know when they'll be available at all. :shrug:

I think they were aiming at June on that, but these things seem to be perpetually delayed.

All three of these devices will be unveiled at the IDPF Trade Show in New York on May 14.Anyone going to be in New York on May 14th?

Anyone going to be in New York on May 14th?

I might be able to be there.

I think I need to subscribe to your newsletter...that's exactly what I dream about.

First, I want to replace my TX with a good reader, but ultimately I want a PDA with a decent-size screen. I don't want a small laptop or even a UMPC, I want a reader that's easier on the eyes and with some notetaking, personal organization and, at most, easy text entry abilities.

Exactly what I want as well. A larger screen PDA/reader color or BW really doesn't matter to me as my current paper and pen are black and white and that is really all I need :)

This cannot be that hard to produce and market.

Exactly what I want as well. A larger screen PDA/reader color or BW really doesn't matter to me as my current paper and pen are black and white and that is really all I need :)

This cannot be that hard to produce and market.

Producing it is not an issue. Selling it is a HUGE issue.

Such items were the trend years ago. Most of the ones with larger screens used a mini-laptop configuration, but some were convertible to tablets (the Intermec 6651 was quite nice) and some were only tablets (Viewsonic made one at some point). The products were there and, sadly, stayed right on the shelf. As much as I personally liked them, they just did not sell well.

Smaller machines, the actual PDAs, did well for a while with Palm, HP/Compaq and Psion (internationally) doing very well. The next trend, however, was convergence, which brings us to the smartphone world we have today. Jealousy of the Blackberry connectivity was also an issue. While I loved my Psion Series 7, and it was far more functional than a smartphone, it was not nearly as portable or as connected.

Mini-laptops have been around for quite some time, and can fill some of the need if you do not mind the battery life. Modern sleep modes have made up for a lot of the start-up time issues. And new processors (the Atom, for instance) promise to continue improving the battery sitch.

One of the big issues from years ago remains for many people, and that is price. The price for these larger or advanced PDAs often rivals that of the inexpensive laptops (especially the recent wave of Eee-PC wannabes), and the PDA generally offers fewer features or less performance or expandability. Of course, if you really want the features it does offer (portability and convenience), it is not really much of an issue.

If a PDA is a good fit for you, and I am starting to lean that way myself recently, HP and Palm both still sell them, though not with the larger screen you request. For that, look at some of the new MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) or Nokia's line of Internet Tablets for some nice solutions.

Jack

Wow, I know what I want for my birthday... :D
But let's keep in mind that good specs can be ruined by bad software/programming.

It'd be great if a mobilereader in the NY area could check it out.

And of course we all know what will happen weeks after the release: iLiad V3 a 9 inch cybook...

But if everything works out the mentor will be my next reader.

And does anybody know if they are going to be avalaible worldwide?

L.

Dear Leandroide:

Yes, they will be offered worldwide. My understanding is that our partners, Netronix in Asia and Longshine in Europe will be the distribution there.

Thank you for the interest!!

Robert Barry

Wow, I know what I want for my birthday... :D
But let's keep in mind that good specs can be ruined by bad software/programming.

It'd be great if a mobilereader in the NY area could check it out.

And of course we all know what will happen weeks after the release: iLiad V3 a 9 inch cybook...

But if everything works out the mentor will be my next reader.
Dear BKeeper:

Thank you for your text. I honestly believe that the Mentors when released (5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch) will be state-of-the-art and the Touchscreen and WiFi (802.11g) and Bluetooth will make them even better.

Robert Barry

:droolm:

Dear BKeeper:

Thank you for your text. I honestly believe that the Mentors when released (5 inch, 6 inch, and 9.7 inch) will be state-of-the-art and the Touchscreen and WiFi (802.11g) and Bluetooth will make them even better.

Robert Barry

I think you've already sold a dozen or more of these things. So, would you deliver them already. It's MAY!

BOb

i second that.

Price seems reasonable, has the features we want I think you have a winner there!:thumbsup:

I think you've already sold a dozen or more of these things. So, would you deliver them already. It's MAY!

BOb

So where do I sign up .... I'm sure you have a waiting list going RIGHT !!!!!!!!

I really hope for a june-july release! If the price for the 9.7 is 350 I will buy one directly, what the hell I might even buy two :D

Hello Robert,

I work in a company one of whose activities is state-of-the-art Management Education. Right now, we are looking for a reader device that we could use as an academic tool (for textbooks and notes taking) and we had almost decided on iRex iLiad, when I found info about Astak Mentor.

I was pleased to find an A4 reader device at such an affordable price, and I would like to have more information about it, so that we can consider issuing Mentor to students this academic year (starts in July).

I am listing out a few doubts, and I request you to clarify them:

1. Does Mentor have plastic screen?
2. Does it support multi-folder management?
3. Does it have note-taking facility with stylus/touchscreen keyboard (touchscreen keyboard is preferable)?
4. What is the charge retention time with stylus and WiFi?
5. Can Mentor be shipped to India?
6. From when will A4 Mentor be commercially available?

4GB embedded is wonderful! Will this have internal speaker?

Please reply. you can contact me at: renushan@vestalcorp.com

Glad to see a great device at a competitive price. Good luck to Astak!

Best Regards,

Renu.

Welcome to MobileRead, renushan! :hatsoff:

You're not alone in looking for the sort of device you're describing, and should you find one, do please let us know about it too!I was pleased to find an A4 reader device ....The Mentor does look promising, at least a step in the right direction, size-wise, but I did want to note one thing: A4 isn't 9.7" diagonal, it's closer to 14" diagonal, so A4 "pages" will still be a bit cramped on the 9.7" display. :sad:

9.7 is if my memory serves me correct a A5, half a A4, that should be pretty ok to view a A4 page on it if you can remove the margins from the A4.

Good point. :yes:

9.7 is if my memory serves me correct a A5, half a A4
Close, but not quite.
A4 is 210x297 (mm), so the diagonal is 364 mm = 14.3".
A5 is 148x210 (mm), so the diagonal is 257 mm = 10.1".

So, although 9.7" is smaller than half of an A4 it should still be able to display an A4 quite well if the resolution is at least 180 ppi.

... if the resolution is at least 180 ppi. ... and if your eyes are good enough. ;)

although 9.7" is smaller than half of an A4 it should still be able to display an A4 quite well if the resolution is at least 180 ppi.
... and if your eyes are good enough. ;)
I deliberately avoided that issue by only saying what the device would be enable to do, but yes, if your eyes are good enough then you will also be able to see what the device is able to display. :)

I'm myself used to my E61's 140-150 ppi display on which I mostly use characters ~9 pixels high (i.e., less than 2 mm), so I'm sure I'd be perfectly fine with A4s on a 9.7" display, but I know many who might not be.

If it can rotate to landscape mode and show you half pages, that might work for those that really need the print to be full size.

I am almost ashamed about how fannish I've become over the potential of the Astak Mentor and this new generation of devices. But I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more news.

I know there's that show next week in NYC, but where's the buzz on all the gadget sites about "the Kindle's first real challenge" or some such thing?

Should I be saving up my pennies for the Mentor? Is this the real deal? Or another compromise?

(Pardon the venting)

Will we be seeing an Astak Mentor Sticky soon? Seems like a lot of folks are interested and following developments closely.