Quote:
Originally Posted by grimo1re
I'm tossing up between the Astak 5" Pocket Pro and the PocketBook 360. Or maybe I should go with the Sony Pocket Edition? I like the 8 levels of grey ...or maybe that doesn't make much of a diff? I currently have a Sony PRS 500 and I'd like to have fresh new, little reader that supports ePub. I love the look of the PocketBook 360, it's sweet. The Astak looks great for SD card support and removable battery, that's nice. Not sure what the use of Adobe DE is for me, is that what public libraries offer? My library here in Australia doesn't (yet), so I don't have a great need for that.
Sorry, rambly post. As you can see, I really can't decide...
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Based on the ergonomics alone the PocketBook 360 hands down. It gets the best design gold from me and I never handled one. Yeah, to me it is The Design for a reader device.
Of course either device has ZERO track record for reliability or support. Of course those who swallowed the Astak Kool Aid will dispute that but of course they who bow down to Astak here will get Jiffy Service, they offer a direct pipeline to the world by posting their kudos here. Let's see where the devices shake out over time.
I am waiting for the more fully featured 360 promised soon. I want the wireless service, wifi at minimum. But you know the best feature to me on the device, after the design, and that is the solid cover that just flips off and can be attached to the back while reading or using the device.
I really believe that PocketBook has a winner here and their road map is right on...it seems they are planning a more robust system and have far better developers than other companies. Look what they have done with the same hardware that others still struggle with...
That all said, I also thing the Astak is not a bad device, it has some nice reviews and I have not read a bad review...yet...and has nice potential. But to me the ergs of the Astak line are mundane/trivial at best and poor at worst...the same can be said for any of the Jinke/Hanlin re-badged clones...
I have yet to see and handle the Sony 300 but I like it as well. The thing Sony has going for it is the brand...then again, that can also be a neg as well as Sony is known to just orphan devices w/o warning and when Sony orphans a device it is dead as last year. I don't see the Sony having much better ergs than the Astak 5" reader. Astak has a few more features though.
As of now though if I was going to buy a reader, as I mentioned, the PocketBook 360 wins for me...BUT...I would check into the service procedure if you buy direct as currently there is no active US reseller, according to the last vid review by Charbax
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55723
Also, somewhere around here is a rep from PocketBook answering questions. Someone is sure to have a link.
Suddenly it is sort of nice to see all of the options, even if a number of them are simply re-badged clones.