Got myself the gift basket!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

I just bought a Pocket Pro (and love it so far, flashed the firmware last night, no problems), but didn't order the charity pack because the links made it look like it was Christmas (I'm not Christian) and Dickens (I don't much care for him) oriented. Still, Second Harvest is awesome, and if I'd read more closely, I'd probably have bought it to help support them.

I did get the 2 gig card, with the Halloween stories and the 300 PG books, though. It wasn't on the invoice or the box (it came last Monday). I assumed someone just chucked it in. I'm more than willing to pay for it or to send it back, as it appears it was an error. Robertb, just drop me an e-mail if I can make this right.

It was very nice to get it, though. Gave me something to read right away after the initial charge. My friends were impressed, too.

I am sorry to call them Christmas titles and not Holiday Classics. I understand that we need to be as open to all... no matter what religion or no religion.

Dop me a P.M. and I can give you a link to downlaod the Holiday Classics! I have done this for others and they said it worked great!

[QIbHom]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dop me a P.M. and I can give you a link to downlaod the Holiday Classics! I have done this for others and they said it worked great!

I shouldn't have gotten the 2 gig SD card, as I didn't buy the gift basket. That's why I was offering to return it or to pay for it.

Not that it isn't a lovely touch!

[polly]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

I shouldn't have gotten the 2 gig SD card, as I didn't buy the gift basket. That's why I was offering to return it or to pay for it.

Not that it isn't a lovely touch!

The 2 GB SD card loaded with books has been included with all Astak purchases since at least October. It is a very lovely touch and part of what makes Astak such a class act.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

I shouldn't have gotten the 2 gig SD card, as I didn't buy the gift basket. That's why I was offering to return it or to pay for it.

Not that it isn't a lovely touch!

Dear QIbHom:

Our Head Techie does some nice things even I do not know about. His including the 2GB card is one of them. He does this because WE at Astak feel that it is frustrating to open a new box with a new device and then NOT be able to use it. It would be like buying a radio where there is no signal.

The key thing is we at Astak are always trying to be down-to-earth and in touch with our customers. We do not look at the sale being the end... we see it as the beginning!

Enjoy your 2GB card with classics pre-loaded!!

[QIbHom]

Ah, thank you, Polly and RobertB. It was, indeed, a very nice touch. It has impressed my friends who have Kindles and Sonys and such. I'd downloaded a bunch of stuff from Baen and PG, but I didn't have time to load them after the initial charge.

In fact, one of my co-workers saw me with it today, and asked for the url to get one after playing with it for about a minute flat.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

Ah, thank you, Polly and RobertB. It was, indeed, a very nice touch. It has impressed my friends who have Kindles and Sonys and such. I'd downloaded a bunch of stuff from Baen and PG, but I didn't have time to load them after the initial charge.

In fact, one of my co-workers saw me with it today, and asked for the url to get one after playing with it for about a minute flat.

In a better economic climate, Astak would be advertising and meeting press. Not this year. We have a fine product... but friends and co-workers are going to be the way word spreads.

I hate being the "Best Kept Secret". This is a really fine device that offers so much more. I just wish more people knew about it!!

Thank you for showing it to the coworker!!

Do not forget to feed the FAQ sheet on [url]www.theEZreader.com under support. That is filled with great info!!

Always recharge when the battery life meter shows a little below half. Meters are never very exact and doing it this way has worked wonderfully for me!!

[QIbHom]

Always recharge when the battery life meter shows a little below half. Meters are never very exact and doing it this way has worked wonderfully for me!!

Good to know. One of the main reasons I got it was because I commute 4 hours a day, give or take, on trains and buses. I was sick of mis-estimating when I'd finish books. So, running out of power would annoy me. Although the instructions said to fully discharge and fully charge the battery the first 3 or so cycles.

I'm going to a library vendor conference with a heavy technical component in March. One of my librarians has a couple different e-readers, so we're going to round up a few more friends with e-readers, and do a BOF in the bar one evening. Let folks play with them, answer questions, stuff like that. Very informal. Should be fun, and it is hard to drop serious money on a device you've never gotten to fondle. Lot of interest in e-readers among library technical staff.

Word of mouth is slow, but once it reaches a certain critical mass, it is danged near unstoppable.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

Good to know. One of the main reasons I got it was because I commute 4 hours a day, give or take, on trains and buses. I was sick of mis-estimating when I'd finish books. So, running out of power would annoy me. Although the instructions said to fully discharge and fully charge the battery the first 3 or so cycles.
.

Only 4 Hours of reading EVERY day for a week, on a battery charge, is a piece of cake on my PEz.

[theducks]

Could not sleep , so I plugged in a set of Sony MDR-V150 over the ear headphones (more efficient and better sounding than the ear buds) into my PEz and read for over 4 hours with the music playing the whole time.

Only down 1 bar and I did not start with a full charge wit the music or page turns OR battery life.

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I am sorry to call them Christmas titles and not Holiday Classics. I understand that we need to be as open to all... no matter what religion or no religion.

LOL. Wouldn't that imply that there would be Classics from from Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Cinco de Mayo, as well? Perhaps Mother's Day, even tho' its not technically a "holiday"?

I know. This PC thing can get out of hand at times and makes advertising a challenge, and I don't envy your position trying to avoid offending someone somewhere.

The gift pack is a generous offering, no matter what type of books are included, which are but a small part of what makes the package what it is -- and can be erased if not to the recipient's liking.

However, perhaps you have inadvertently hit on why the Halloween books are still included.

By the way, I got mine, but all I am allowed to see is this big cardboard box. Sigh.

And did you really mean the Holiday package needs to be ordered by January 18? Are you sure you don't mean Dec 18? Probably were looking at the same calendar when quoting the date of the expected firmware update, eh?

Ahhhh. Perhaps "Seasonal Classics" would be a better description.

[nimblem]

I also bought myself the gift pack! I am very very happy with the deivce. After reading tons of reviews and doing much research on the Kindle, Sony reader and Nook, I decided to go with the Pocket Pro. I went to diff. bookstores to try out all the devices before I bought but was not able to find that had Pocket Pro. However, after reading reviews on all the devices I was extreamly pleased to several users saying things such as "the support offered by astak is outsounding", "I have never dealt with a company that has such great coustomer service". One person mentioning that astak had called him directly after realizing that there was a flaw in the paint (from what I read it's corrected now) and offered to send him a replacement free of charge. While the device it self was the primary reason for going with astak, the coustomer sevice reviews had a huge part in my choice. I am happy to see that a company is concerned with everyones satifaction.

Now, my question.... I have seen online that some people were able to change thier greetting screens to display names and address. I would like to know if anyone knows how to do this. I would much rather have it stored in the device than have to put an ugly address sticker on it in case it gets misplaced.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by nimblem

Now, my question.... I have seen online that some people were able to change thier greetting screens to display names and address. I would like to know if anyone knows how to do this. I would much rather have it stored in the device than have to put an ugly address sticker on it in case it gets misplaced.

I think you need to download the logomaker application from Jinke.

[Javed]

Originally Posted by jusmee

I think you need to download the logomaker application from Jinke.

@Nimblem
The logomaker Jusmee mentioned is available from the Astak website also. There are versions for both the 5" and 6" readers. This is how to do it:

Method of update logo

1. Prepare two pictures in bmp format, size is 600×800 pixels, one is booting logo and the other is power off interface.

2. Use LogoMaker to produce logo.bin and logo.md5.

3. Create /jinke/logo/ folders under the root index of SD card, copy logo.bin and logo.md5 to this folder.

4.Insert SD card to device

5.Enter into settings fuction, the item will be appeared, which is "Update boot and shutdown logo".

6. Press number key and press OK to update logo.

7.The device can automatically restart after successfully update.

If you ever want to go back to the original start up and close down screens (instead of the custom ones) this is possible by reinstalling the firmware.

[QIbHom]

e-Geezer, I'm not being PC, just pointing out that not everyone is Christian. Heck, aren't you a little sick by now of "Frosty the Snowman"? Especially when done musak-style?

There are good alternatives. As someone pointed out, "holiday" is too vague. But, something like the "Dickens and Friends Gift Basket" or the "Second Harvest Gift Pack" would also get the point across. Even "Post-Ghost Scrooge Basket" might work.

It isn't a big deal. Only meant to comment that a *quick* glance at the gift basket made it look less attractive than it really was, to me. My co-worker is getting one, though, so it all works out. It isn't like I can't send a check off to Second Harvest (excellent choice of charity, btw, they rock) without aid.

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by QIbHom

e-Geezer, I'm not being PC, just pointing out that not everyone is Christian. Heck, aren't you a little sick by now of "Frosty the Snowman"?

LOL on the Frosty comment. (He is, however, only a Winter song, not a Christmas song.)

Sorry for the confusion. I didn't mean to be commenting on your comment. While I enjoy a Christmas carol now and then, at this time of the year, I tune off my normal "Oldies" station because the day after Thanksgiving, they start playing nothing but Christmas carols.

I was merely commenting on Robert's position (as with all retailers) in having to twist in knots to avoid offense during this season, which is supposed to be one of celebrating joy and peace -- such as there might be.

The rest of the year, PC is just fine, but the Christmas Season is the Christmas Season, and it celebrates the birth of a famous historical figure upon whom a somewhat extensive set of religions has been based. (Acknowledging, of course, that the birth was actually in March and some roman emperor wanted the March gift-exchanges to take place during HIS celebration in December)

I only roll my eyes at all those who want to celebrate the season without acknowledging (or having anyone else acknowledge) the historical reference while demanding that they, too, be recognized merely for NOT buying (pun intended) into the original basis for the season. I may or may not be in one camp or the other, but its all just silliness just the same.

But I do heartily agree in this instance that some other more generic term would be appropriate, and was just sympathizing with Robert's position.