[Robertb]

Dear All:

When last I said anything on the Cool-er thread I was told to butt out. So I did. Here is a most recent post:

Device: none Let me relate to you my epic tale of misery and woe.

I ordered a Cool-er the moment they were available. As soon as I got it (very quick) I put it through its paces. I loved the eInk display. The menus were a bit clunky but fine. Although PDFs weren't great, ePub was a dream.

But clicking that bloody button was agony.

What the hell were they thinking when they designed this? I had decided to test the ergonomics of the device by reading A Study in Scarlett in one session. I read it in 40 mins if you include interruptions. It wasn't frigging War and Peace. But by the time I was done I had shooting pains and pins&needles in my arms. The pins&needles continued for two days.

Now, to be fair, I do spend my whole day typing at work, so my daily "bad ergonomics allowance" gets used up there. Perhaps someone who spends their day doing something other than clicking a mouse wouldn't experience the same problem. Maybe.

I emailed Interead and requested a refund as the stiff buttons meant it was not a practical replacement for a paper book. They said the stiffness was a feature rather than a flaw (hah!) but agreed to the refund. I was sad, because I really loved the eInk display, but glad Interead's reasonable attitude meant I hadn't wasted €250.

Oh yeah, the review - it doesn't matter what the software is like if you can't turn the damn page. Don't buy it.