Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But, in fairness, the same is true of most readers. If you ignore the "big players", who genuinely can design their own machines, there are really only two manufacturers around: Netronix in the Republic of China, and Jinke in mainland China. All the other machines on the market (with a small number of exceptions) are made by them. Astak sell both Netronix and Jinke devices; Pocketbook are Netronix, as are Bookeen, and Cool-ER. BeBook are Jinke, etc etc.
What distinguishes the various suppliers are whether they use the "stock" factory firmware (as all the Jinke clones appear to) or whether they simply use the manufacturer's hardware and base operating system and write their own firmware (as Pocketbook and Bookeen do, for example).
Speaking personally, I looked carefully at the Pocket Pro, and went for the Pocketbook 360 instead. The Pocket Pro has a number of shortcomings which I disliked, such as the extreme difficulty of navigating hyperlinks, due to the lack of a simple "D-pad" navigation control.
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Excellent observation Harry, all models will eventually be rendered as afterthoughts as the industry evolves. And exactly it will be the brands that invest in developing their own firmware rather than simply re-branding the factory supplied firmware. That was the point I was trying to get at thanks for being more concise for me,
...and great you are finding it fun to use!!
With the PB360 the only thing I am not fond of is the click on the buttons...wish it was a silent click but ya can't have everything. At least its not near as loud when you hold the device compared to flat on a table. to me this is the small issue I don't mind with a device because the use is not diminished. It's only really an issue in a quite setting where others might be trying to concentrate or in bed with a light sleeper sort, but then the light thing inherent to all devices using EPD epaper panels like the Eink brand panels.
My reason on the Astak my sense about Astak being on the ropes already is not based solely on the firmware/reading software issues but also hardware probs as well. from the posts by the Astak rep on MR, Astak seems to have essentially no real input hardware and QC at the factory and apparently little input as to the final product they are being delivered. Maybe that is because while those things can be had, it comes at a price which Astak might not be able to afford or willing to spend. Computers are no different, the same factory can make a models for a dozen brands all with the same firmware and hardware but with QC at different levels. Laptop brands are no different. It can be next to impossible for a small player who is trying to grow a brand to get much in the way of exact hardware specs and end up just silk-screening their name on the front with a custom branded version of whatever OS they can get.
Mfg's/brands that survive will be those who invest in stability of their own firmware and exert real in-house quality control and testing of the devices as they are received from the factory that makes them...face it these factories will push around the weaker brands because they can and these small fishes in the pond with a very small market share. I will say Astak appears to have tried, but seem impotent in terms of results or they are just not very good at putting the wood to the factory...
I too had high hopes for the Pocket Pro (I like the design, colors are fun and the whole 5" size is perfect for novels but the PB360 is vastly more stable and just appeals to me more. Others will feel differently for sure) but like you found, it just fell flat. I feel a lot of the future of the company hinged on the success of the device which will affect their relevance to the factories making the readers. Astak still could improve but it's going to mean serious changes, especially in marketing and an in-house software department.