[dcalder]

Frankly, the other very basic improvement that needs to be made is the online store. I had intended to purchase an EZ Reader but there were simply too many obstacles placed in my way and I ended up purchasing from BEBOOK instead.

First off, the EZ Reader online purchase process only offers options for US purchasers; international customers can't use the shopping cart form and have to contact someone directly in order to place an order. Then, the next obstacle - a major one, as far as I am concerned - crops up. Namely, the lack of a convenient payment method.

I was informed that the only payment method available was by T/T (wire transfer to bank account). Bzzt! Nope, that's one order barrier too many. Paypal would have been fine, credit card would have been fine, but a wire transfer is just way too inconvenient and doesn't offer enough purchase protection for a first-time customer. It may be different in other international venues, but wire transfers just scream "beware" to me as a Canadian. Wire transfers are the stuff of email and web scam horror stories. Yes, I'm well aware that they have legitimate uses as well but they don't have positive connotations for the (moderately well-informed and cautious) general public. Add in the inconvenience of the process of arranging the transfer (plus any unknown service fees associated with doing so) and I went with the simple, smooth checkout process offered by BEBOOK. Although the reader's cost was slightly higher, I considered the better order process to be well worth it. In the end, factoring in the referral discount and the fact that I didn't end up getting charged any additional fees by customs when my BEBOOK arrived, the total costs probably ended up very close to even anyway.

Astak's upcoming PRO model sounds extremely interesting and may even draw me into the market for yet another reader - but Astak is going to have to fix their online purchase process first. Better payment options and a simplified ordering process for international customers are a must if they want to compete.