Quote:
Originally Posted by solara
Okay, since I could not touch and see an actual 5" model, I went to Fry's and looked at their older 6" model for sale there, sitting next to Sony's 5" model.
For those who have seen and held both the Astak 5" and 6" - I have some questions. First, is the feel of the plastic case the same on both models?
Second, how is the speed of the page turns on the 5" compared to the 6" - the 5" should have the newer, faster processor???
Third, how is the text resolution of the 5" compared to the 6" Astak?
Reason I ask is because the Sony 5" model was definitely faster with page turns than the 6" Astak. And I'm not sure if it was the book, or font used, but the text on the Sony seemed slightly sharper than the 6".
I would rather get the 5" Astak over the Sony 5" because of all the formats it supports, but need to compare/contrast more.
Since Astak is based in San Jose - any chance I could come to the company office and get a hands-on demo of one since I'm from the Bay Area?? 
I'll even volunteer to test out new models for you!  |
Dear Solara:
I think most on this forum would say they love the feel of the Astak Pocket PRO. That is what I have heard. Please, all. chime in!!
The 5 inch Pocket PRO uses the latest EPson Controller with a 400MHz processor. Most will say it is plenty fast, I think! I use the scroll wheel to turn pages and with that it is really fast. BUT... that is my opinion and I am biased. I will tell you that the 6 inch EZ Reader Basis is not slow; but the 5 inch is really quick (unless you drive a Ferrari)! The 5 inch is the newer model and the Epson is the fastest controller on the market! Reviewers at CES LOVED the speed of the Pocket PRO. That is a fact!
The Sony is a fine device. I do not talk down my competition. BUT, it is accurate to say it is essentially stripped! You do not even have an SD card slot. No way to expand the memory. The Sony charges you extra for case and ear buds. These are included on the Pocket PRO! The Pocket PRO has Text-To-Speech! The Pocket PRO has the scroll wheel and plays MP3 WHILE you read. The Pocket PRO has me around on MobileRead Forum and that (I hope) is a plus! The battery on the Pocket PRO is user-replaceable rechargeable (Sony is sealed in).
Reviewers at CES lauded the display on the Pocket PRO. It is very clear and has 9 levels of font increase. It displays horizontally and vertically.
Finally, YES, you can come to Astak!! Just jot me a PM on this forum so I can give you my email address and we can pick a time!! The door is always open at ASTAK... but I am often very busy. I will make you gourmet coffee!! How is that for an invite?? You cannot review new models yet but you can report on Robert B!!