RobertB of Astak is back... let's talk!!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear GA, Maggie, Fizzy, CV, sweetpea,neilmarr, lady, sylver, dixie and numerous more:

Thank you, my great friends!!It is good to be back but also depressing too.

Depressing?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear vgiridar:

Yes it has!! This morning I read where there is a Kindle that has Wi-Fi and sells for $139. What is happening here is Kindle could end up (yet) having a monopoly on eBooks. It is NOT only their device sales that grow... it is their format that grows. Mobipocket may yet take over the entire world. If everybody who buys the new Kindle HAS to have it with Mobipocket... and Kindle becomes the ONLY source for Mobi eBooks... where does that leave Astak?

So, yes, I have a lot of thinking to do on this entire subject. The landscape HAS changed. Short run.. good for consumers. Long run... could be a disaster for consumers as one massive monster controls everything they buy, see, read, and think they own.

Me? I like freedom of choice and value that highly. I see this as a threat!

Honey, the Monster doesn't control this old, Irish bitch!

[Xanthe]

Glad to have you back, Robert!

Much as I love Amazon, I'm not ready to drink the Kindle Kool-aid. I'm still waiting for the Plus. ;->

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Depressing?

Dear Lady and Xanthe:

Only depressing because I am waiting for info and I am told NOT to post until I am updated. I just wish THEY were as anxious to get the word out as I am. I do not like suspense and hope soon to have straight answers. I want to get the word on PLUS progress!!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Lady and Xanthe:

Only depressing because I am waiting for info and I am told NOT to post until I am updated. I just wish THEY were as anxious to get the word out as I am. I do not like suspense and hope soon to have straight answers. I want to get the word on PLUS progress!!

Good! You had me worried for a moment.

[cfrizz]

Welcome back Robert! I wish THEY would move forward as well, with results we can actually SEE & USE!

[booknut]

First, welcome back! And I hope the pain is bearable. I know knee surgery, hip replacement, and similar surgery can go really smooth for some people and cause others to think "why did I ever do this"!

Second, my eyes are old (well, the rest of me is old too) and I am considering the new Kindle simply for the better screen. I already had my mouse pointer on the order button and then decided to read the legal stuff for chuckles, and the way I understand it, Amazon reserves the right to check what you have on your Kindle when you connect with their bookstore via wifi. That is completely unacceptable! So, you either never use your Kindle with Amazon's bookstore or you consent on being snooped on and I guess this would result in a barrage of advertising depending on what you read. Anybody out there that can correct me on this?

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by booknut

First, welcome back! And I hope the pain is bearable. I know knee surgery, hip replacement, and similar surgery can go really smooth for some people and cause others to think "why did I ever do this"!

Second, my eyes are old (well, the rest of me is old too) and I am considering the new Kindle simply for the better screen. I already had my mouse pointer on the order button and then decided to read the legal stuff for chuckles, and the way I understand it, Amazon reserves the right to check what you have on your Kindle when you connect with their bookstore via wifi. That is completely unacceptable! So, you either never use your Kindle with Amazon's bookstore or you consent on being snooped on and I guess this would result in a barrage of advertising depending on what you read. Anybody out there that can correct me on this?

Dear Booknut:

Every time I even start to rant and rave about the Kindle they yell at me. I am NOT supposed to say anything negative about my competition. This seems peculiar as I cannot find much GOOD to say about them.

What I can say is I am back and the knee functions well. The pain for the first 48 hours was worse than I could have possibly imagined! So bad that without my wife I could not have gotten out of bed to stand, made the restroom, or tolerated it. THAT is some mean pain!! It was constant and NO position lessened it. There simply was no escaping it. Pain meds had maybe a 10% effect... but pretty much you just lay in agony wanting a bullet to put you out of the misery. My God... can women suffer even worse when giving birth?? I have a high threshold for pain thanks to Shiatzu teachings but I could not block any of this.

I have NOT seen the screen on the Wi-Fi Kindle yet. I do not understand WHY they say it is better. I only know that the new Astak EZ Reader PLUS is the same 6 inch size, is a lot lighter, has 16 level gray scale, and sports the Epson high-speed controller and 400 MHz processor with a 64MB SD-RAM. AND... we do not snoop into your privacy. I wish I could really give you a full comparison but I do not have enough to go on yet!

Thank you!!

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by booknut

First, welcome back! And I hope the pain is bearable. I know knee surgery, hip replacement, and similar surgery can go really smooth for some people and cause others to think "why did I ever do this"!

Second, my eyes are old (well, the rest of me is old too) and I am considering the new Kindle simply for the better screen. I already had my mouse pointer on the order button and then decided to read the legal stuff for chuckles, and the way I understand it, Amazon reserves the right to check what you have on your Kindle when you connect with their bookstore via wifi. That is completely unacceptable! So, you either never use your Kindle with Amazon's bookstore or you consent on being snooped on and I guess this would result in a barrage of advertising depending on what you read. Anybody out there that can correct me on this?

It's said to be a feature of having Wifi on your book reader. The way Amazon implemented it you can have up to 6 devices authorized at the Kindle store at one time. For example, your PC, book reader and cell phone running the Kindle app.

One day you get caught in a line so you start reading your book on the cell phone. When you get home you can (don't have to) connect your bigger screen book reader to the store over Wifi and it will update your book reader to your current location in the book, plus any bookmarks or page notes you made on one of the other devices you authorized.

Amazon says they won't do anything to your books other than these updates or invade your privacy. It's all automated and no one is looking. Anyway, this is how Amazon describes it and it's one of the selling points to getting a Wifi enabled device like the Kindle, nook, etc.

[AnemicOak]

Glad you're back and your surgery went well.

Originally Posted by Robertb

I have NOT seen the screen on the Wi-Fi Kindle yet. I do not understand WHY they say it is better.

The screen info can be had direct from PVI/eInk it has better contrast (aprrox 50%) than the older Viziplex screens everything else currently uses (including the Hanlin V3+).

I only know that the new Astak EZ Reader PLUS is the same 6 inch size, is a lot lighter, has 16 level gray scale, and sports the Epson high-speed controller and 400 MHz processor with a 64MB SD-RAM.

I don't know about a lot lighter, but certainly a little bit. I'd think the biggest thing the Plus has going for it is format support and that's what you guys would be playing up. Also although the V3+ doesn't have a lot of internal memory it does support SDHC cards which is another big plus to promote.

AND... we do not snoop into your privacy.

Proof that they've ever done this please, or are you just trying to spread the same old FUD? To my knowledge Amazon hasn't snooped in anyones Kindle.



Are you guys doing anything new with the bookstore?

[JSWolf]

Welcome back Robert. You've been missed. So when is Astak going to have a reader with a Pearl screen at at least 6"?

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Welcome back Robert. You've been missed. So when is Astak going to have a reader with a Pearl screen at at least 6"?

Dear Friend JS:

Thank you. It is great to be back with you and all.

When they got inside the knee it was worse than what the MRI showed so they did a lot of cartilage work also.

I must admit I know nothing yet about that Pearl. I will research!

We are looking at several new models right now to see how they will pan out. I am dying for something really great!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Glad you're back and your surgery went well.




The screen info can be had direct from PVI/eInk it has better contrast (aprrox 50%) than the older Viziplex screens everything else currently uses (including the Hanlin V3+).



I don't know about a lot lighter, but certainly a little bit. I'd think the biggest thing the Plus has going for it is format support and that's what you guys would be playing up. Also although the V3+ doesn't have a lot of internal memory it does support SDHC cards which is another big plus to promote.



Proof that they've ever done this please, or are you just trying to spread the same old FUD? To my knowledge Amazon hasn't snooped in anyones Kindle.



Are you guys doing anything new with the bookstore?

Dear Anemic Oak:

I was only responding to the post that mentioned "snooping", the post above mine. I did not bring it up. I try to keep things nice here.

Dear CFrizz and Anemic Oak:

ALL of the effort is going into the bookstore right now. You simply cannot imagine. We changed the company name to EZRead, Inc, have our own company now, have all new business cards and letterhead, and have funding. Some of what is comingis VERY secret and I cannot hint but other great stuff I am free to talk about.

1. The hold-up on Agency Model titles is not us. The publishers are ensuring that they have all the taxes covered and we are waiting on that. We are ready to go. I hope that at least TWO of the big 5's titles will be up by this weekend and a third one just ratified the contract wording so that is to be ready soon. The other two are moving forward.
2. We now have brand new R&D in Taiwan and in China regarding this eBook Store. Where we had only one webmaster before by himself, we now have ten and are growing more. This means no more long waits and must faster speed in getting from idea to finished product!!
3. We have a total and complete redesign going on of the eBook Store (www.EZread.com) and they are redoing everything from overall design to various functions we want added. Items like the WishList are being added now. I hope this can be approved in 3 weeks. It is not being done by us (that is good). We hired a professional firm.
4. All the time I was recuperating I tested and played with our new Interactive Forum! It is ready but will not be released until the redesign is ready. This interactive forum will handle: chit-chat, gossip, interview with authors, requests for interviews, recommendations on books, book reviews, problems experienced and solutions, and so much more... all hosted by The Renegade Intern! This will REALLY be fun and bring books alive!!
5. This pales in comparison to what I cannot tell you. Please believe that our little eBook Store is going major!
6. We are slated to do two book festivals in October to get more Indy authors and we are just adding large amounts of independent author titles by Untreed Reads and Independent Publishing Group as a result of BEA. That is a real coup for us!!

So, yes, the fun is about to really begin!! CFrizz, stay tuned, soon you will be able to see and experience!!

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

Amazon says they won't do anything to your books other than these updates or invade your privacy. It's all automated and no one is looking. Anyway, this is how Amazon describes it and it's one of the selling points to getting a Wifi enabled device like the Kindle, nook, etc.

The way I interpreted Amazon's wording was they only pulled information regarding ebooks you have bought from them. My understanding is, say you bought ebooks from Baen you can't sync current page etc across devices. Am I correct, or do they update ALL ebooks regardless of origin?

[booknut]

I am not saying that they ever have done that or are going to do that - all I am saying is that there is the possibility, at least that is the way I interpret their user agreement. I never had to agree to a license agreement when buying any other ereader. I am also not trying to spread any rumors or badmouth any particular company, I am a very frequent Amazon.com customer myself, but I am concerned about becoming a target of advertising based on my reading habits.
Here is the respective excerpt of the Kindle licensing agreement:
"The Software will provide Amazon with data about your Kindle and its interaction with the Service (such as available memory, up-time, log files, and signal strength). The Software will also provide Amazon with information related to the Digital Content on your Kindle and Other Devices and your use of it (such as last page read and content archiving). Annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights, or similar markings you make using your Kindle or Reading Application and other information you provide may be stored on servers that are located outside the country in which you live. Any information we receive is subject to the Amazon.com privacy notice located at www.amazon.com/privacy."

I think it is, of course, ultimately up to each person to decide what to buy or what to agree to, and that screen is sounding oh so tempting, never mind the low price; however, my experience over the past 50 odd years has been that if something sounds too good to be true, it either is or has some big BUT attached.