Who is next?

Kris777 · 06-17-2009, 01:22 AM

jetBook is the first 5" e-Book reader available to US Market since April 2008.
Who will produce 2nd and 3rd 5" e-Book readers for US Customers next and when?

rgeorg · 06-17-2009, 01:42 AM

I had assumed that readers would get over 6" (besides the Kindle DX) before we see many 5" models. Now, it seems as though the 5" Hanlan model (v5?) will be available in Europe (BeBook) and the US (Astak). It may be that Astak has a second line of readers that also has a 5" model - but I'm so certain about that or when. In general, there seems to be alot of interest in the portability of the 5" model.

I had thought that I wouldn't like the 5" screen size (too small), but now I find that I prefer it to my 7" or 9" netbooks. The increased screen size doesn't make up for he additional bulk.

sirbruce · 06-17-2009, 01:55 AM

I have no desire for a 5" reader either; the 6" is fine for me, and I can always use my cell phone if I don't have the 6" with me.

Kris777 · 06-17-2009, 09:05 AM

7 from 10 Bestsellers in Computers & PC Hardware section on amazon.com have 10" and 8.9" screens
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/ref=sv_pc_1

Why small screen netbooks more popular than 14" or 15" notebooks? Is it only the price issue? I don't think so.

astrodad · 06-17-2009, 09:28 AM

I don't think the market here is very open to 5-inch models. I think we will see larger screens becoming the norm.

Sweetpea · 06-17-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jplumey

I don't think the market here is very open to 5-inch models. I think we will see larger screens becoming the norm.

I think, once the prices go down a bit, you'll find people having two readers, one small one (5" or 6") and one big one (over 8"). Larger screens are more difficult to take with you (unless they're rollable or foldable) but easier for magazines, newspapers and such. The smaller screens will be used mainly for novels and "free-time" reading.

griffonwing · 06-17-2009, 10:05 AM

I think if you love reading, you'll read on anything. The screen size will not matter.

However, if you mainly read on the go, away from home, then portability would be your main concern. I used to want an 8" or 9" reader, but the only way to carry it would be to.. actually carry it. Unless you slipped it into a backpack or shoulder bag. Heck, even some purses wouldnt hold it.

But with a 5", you can slip that puppy into a back pocket, or inside jacket/blazer pocket, small purse. True reading-on-the-go.

Of course, if your need for a reader stems to more than just reading, such as studying or any business-related reading that you do at work or home, then your best bet will be a larger 8" or 10" device, or larger.

Astak is coming out with two 5" readers here shortly. The EZReader PocketPRO, and the Mentor Lite. The PocketPRO will have the new faster Epson controller, support up to 16GB SD card and a new updated 400mhz processor. I'm not quite certain what the Mentor Lite will have.

Check the large Astak thread, starting with page 155 or so, and you'll find the post where RobertB compares the two devices.

Robertb · 06-17-2009, 07:07 PM

Dear ALL:

Astak is bringing the new EZ Reader Pocket PRO to North America and we will ship worldwide.

WHY a 5 inch device? PORTABILITY. You will hardly notice a screen that is only 1 inch smaller DIAGONALLY; and it fits in a pants pocket, jacket pocket, or the smallest purse. We could have made this a smaller version of the 6 inch EZ Reader; but the factory fortified the hell out of this little 5 inch. It has the Epson Controller (blazingly fast page turns), DOUBLE the processing speed, a 16GB SD card slot, Text-To-Speech, and the best Stereo MP3 (has an equalizer) of any device. All this and it weighs LESS than 6 ounces!!

Of course it has E-Ink and a replaceable, rechargeable battery! Then we took this and are introducing it in 6 colors chosen BY MobileRead Forum members!!

Now, project this selling at around $200 and I say we have heard MobileRead Forum members very well!!

Lighter, Faster, Thinner, THREE page controls, a scroll wheel, and USA support and technical assistance with enough memory slot space for 4,000 books and your music. Oh, yeah, it it handles about 14 formats and is Open Format... buy from YOUR choice of hundreds of websites.

Go to the major Astak thread today (the longest thread ever on MobileRead Forum) and see the colors.

Sonist · 06-17-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris777

... Why small screen netbooks more popular than 14" or 15" notebooks? Is it only the price issue? I don't think so.

Nope, I'd bet for most price is the main reason.

If you have to carry an 8", you might as well have a 13" or 15". You still have to stick it in a pack (unless you have a REALLY large pocket), so in practice, a couple of extra inches wouldn't matter for most.

It's the same with TVs. Most buy 42" or less, not because most don't prefer larger screens, but because these are generally the most affordable.

I believe the e-reader market will move to screens larger sthan 6", as the prices drop.

(I'd love to see the backside of all those guys with ereaders in their back-pockets.... It'd make "wallet-butts" look like nothing

)

Kris777 · 06-17-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear ALL:

Astak is bringing the new EZ Reader Pocket PRO to North America and we will ship worldwide.

When it will be available?

Kris777 · 06-17-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonist

I believe the e-reader market will move to screens larger sthan 6", as the prices drop.

I think 5" will be most popular for many people, the same as 10" most popular for netbooks/notebooks now.

fugazied · 06-18-2009, 01:25 AM

After using a larger device it's hard to back to a smaller size. Manufacturers realize this and after the Kindle DX was released I am sure they are now rushing their new larger products to market. I think Sony will be the next company to release a new shiny large reader, but who knows! Certainly not Apple anyway, slow as hell those guys.

MaggieScratch · 06-18-2009, 10:11 AM

I don't think I'd ever carry around a larger reader, though I might like to have one at home.

Most women carry a handbag of some kind, and I personally prefer to carry a smaller bag, too small for a larger-screened reader.

emellaich · 06-18-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fugazied

After using a larger device it's hard to back to a smaller size. Manufacturers realize this and after the Kindle DX was released I am sure they are now rushing their new larger products to market. I think Sony will be the next company to release a new shiny large reader, but who knows! Certainly not Apple anyway, slow as hell those guys.

I am quite satisfied as a user of a Kindle 2, and I am not looking to switch. However, fugazied, look at your own avatar picture of a Kindle 2. The screen has header and footer areas. Then it has a top, left, right, and bottom margin. If you measure the actual text area you will find it is under five inches. I understand, that the screen is 'pretty', but if you had a 5" device that used the full screen for text it would be larger than the Kindle 2.

Michael

wodin · 06-18-2009, 01:33 PM

When I got my first dedicated reader (Sony PRS505) I soon became dissatisfied because the size was just a little too large to conveniently carry around. I also didn’t like the slow page change and flashing of the eInk display, but that was not a deal breaker.

Then I got my jetBook, and I loved the fact that it would fit in my pocket, and carried it everywhere. I also liked the rapid, clean page changes. The firmware was not quite ready for prime time, but it remains a work in progress, and unlike the Sony seems to have a fairly rapid development cycle.

Then I dusted off my Nokia N800 that I had become disillusioned with several years ago, and experimented with FBReader. I soon learned that the newer version of that application largely addressed the issues that the “official” Maemo version had and it became a viable reader. Plus it was even more portable than my jetBook. Now I carry the N800 nearly everywhere and read the jetBook at home when there is adequate lighting. The only issue I have now is keeping them synchronized. Luckily both have a relatively robust word search capability, and while inconvenient, that is not a huge issue.

06-17-2009, 01:22 AM	#1
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	Who is next? jetBook is the first 5" e-Book reader available to US Market since April 2008. Who will produce 2nd and 3rd 5" e-Book readers for US Customers next and when? Last edited by Kris777; 06-17-2009 at 01:33 AM.

06-17-2009, 07:07 PM	#8
Robertb Astak Director, Bus. Devl Posts: 2,560 Karma: 2500000 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Astak Pocket PRO	Yes, and it comes in colors!! Dear ALL: Astak is bringing the new EZ Reader Pocket PRO to North America and we will ship worldwide. WHY a 5 inch device? PORTABILITY. You will hardly notice a screen that is only 1 inch smaller DIAGONALLY; and it fits in a pants pocket, jacket pocket, or the smallest purse. We could have made this a smaller version of the 6 inch EZ Reader; but the factory fortified the hell out of this little 5 inch. It has the Epson Controller (blazingly fast page turns), DOUBLE the processing speed, a 16GB SD card slot, Text-To-Speech, and the best Stereo MP3 (has an equalizer) of any device. All this and it weighs LESS than 6 ounces!! Of course it has E-Ink and a replaceable, rechargeable battery! Then we took this and are introducing it in 6 colors chosen BY MobileRead Forum members!! Now, project this selling at around $200 and I say we have heard MobileRead Forum members very well!! Lighter, Faster, Thinner, THREE page controls, a scroll wheel, and USA support and technical assistance with enough memory slot space for 4,000 books and your music. Oh, yeah, it it handles about 14 formats and is Open Format... buy from YOUR choice of hundreds of websites. Go to the major Astak thread today (the longest thread ever on MobileRead Forum) and see the colors.

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06-17-2009, 01:42 AM	#2
rgeorg Guru Posts: 675 Karma: 3314796 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Europe & USA Device: K3/3G(2x), Glo HD, Amazon Voyage	I had assumed that readers would get over 6" (besides the Kindle DX) before we see many 5" models. Now, it seems as though the 5" Hanlan model (v5?) will be available in Europe (BeBook) and the US (Astak). It may be that Astak has a second line of readers that also has a 5" model - but I'm so certain about that or when. In general, there seems to be alot of interest in the portability of the 5" model. I had thought that I wouldn't like the 5" screen size (too small), but now I find that I prefer it to my 7" or 9" netbooks. The increased screen size doesn't make up for he additional bulk.

06-17-2009, 01:55 AM	#3
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	I have no desire for a 5" reader either; the 6" is fine for me, and I can always use my cell phone if I don't have the 6" with me.

06-17-2009, 09:05 AM	#4
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	7 from 10 Bestsellers in Computers & PC Hardware section on amazon.com have 10" and 8.9" screens http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/ref=sv_pc_1 Why small screen netbooks more popular than 14" or 15" notebooks? Is it only the price issue? I don't think so.

06-17-2009, 09:28 AM	#5
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	I don't think the market here is very open to 5-inch models. I think we will see larger screens becoming the norm.

06-17-2009, 10:05 AM	#7
griffonwing Suave Swabby, Savvy? Posts: 1,602 Karma: 520350 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Harrison, ARrrr, USA - southern Ozark mountains Device: Slate Blue PEZ (Astak Pocket Pro), CVSCX-9300 Quad-band watch phone	I think if you love reading, you'll read on anything. The screen size will not matter. However, if you mainly read on the go, away from home, then portability would be your main concern. I used to want an 8" or 9" reader, but the only way to carry it would be to.. actually carry it. Unless you slipped it into a backpack or shoulder bag. Heck, even some purses wouldnt hold it. But with a 5", you can slip that puppy into a back pocket, or inside jacket/blazer pocket, small purse. True reading-on-the-go. Of course, if your need for a reader stems to more than just reading, such as studying or any business-related reading that you do at work or home, then your best bet will be a larger 8" or 10" device, or larger. Astak is coming out with two 5" readers here shortly. The EZReader PocketPRO, and the Mentor Lite. The PocketPRO will have the new faster Epson controller, support up to 16GB SD card and a new updated 400mhz processor. I'm not quite certain what the Mentor Lite will have. Check the large Astak thread, starting with page 155 or so, and you'll find the post where RobertB compares the two devices.

06-18-2009, 01:25 AM	#12
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	After using a larger device it's hard to back to a smaller size. Manufacturers realize this and after the Kindle DX was released I am sure they are now rushing their new larger products to market. I think Sony will be the next company to release a new shiny large reader, but who knows! Certainly not Apple anyway, slow as hell those guys.

06-18-2009, 10:11 AM	#13
MaggieScratch Has got to the black veil Posts: 542 Karma: 2144168 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Device: Kobo Aura One, Kindle Paperwhite 2	I don't think I'd ever carry around a larger reader, though I might like to have one at home. Most women carry a handbag of some kind, and I personally prefer to carry a smaller bag, too small for a larger-screened reader.

06-18-2009, 01:33 PM	#15
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	When I got my first dedicated reader (Sony PRS505) I soon became dissatisfied because the size was just a little too large to conveniently carry around. I also didn’t like the slow page change and flashing of the eInk display, but that was not a deal breaker. Then I got my jetBook, and I loved the fact that it would fit in my pocket, and carried it everywhere. I also liked the rapid, clean page changes. The firmware was not quite ready for prime time, but it remains a work in progress, and unlike the Sony seems to have a fairly rapid development cycle. Then I dusted off my Nokia N800 that I had become disillusioned with several years ago, and experimented with FBReader. I soon learned that the newer version of that application largely addressed the issues that the “official” Maemo version had and it became a viable reader. Plus it was even more portable than my jetBook. Now I carry the N800 nearly everywhere and read the jetBook at home when there is adequate lighting. The only issue I have now is keeping them synchronized. Luckily both have a relatively robust word search capability, and while inconvenient, that is not a huge issue.

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