[eGeezer]

This thread popping back up in my User CP window reminded me that I never came back and said that the firmware update worked just fine for me -- the update itself was a breeze.

Of course, I don't know what it was like BEFORE the update, but page turns seem to be plenty fast enuff for me, and the only "long" page turns are the ones where I didn't press the button hard enuff.

Getting the "bookmark" window up takes a while (press and hold "6"), and erasing a bookmark also seems to take a bit of time (press and hold bookmark number wiht bookmark page open). But with the "last page read" feature when returning to a book, I'm only bookmarking as a back up, and erasing them just to keep them all on one page.

I initially found the button clicks for changing font size back to my "bright light" font to be slightly distracting until the button clicks became habit. Now its no more noticeable than page turning.

I immediately copied the "Free ebook" folder to my computer, and find popping the SD card into a slot is simple and easy for updating the changes I have made to the folder. In reality, it is the only way I can deal with the reader on my Mac because I can't seem to "eject" both the SD and the int memory. I eject one, and before I can get the other ejected, the first one is mounted again. I finally just pulled the USB cable and hoped for the best.

It is the first time I've found a PC does anything better. Darn it. Because of that, I have to use my laptop to download any ADE (Library) books, since I can't just drag and drop ADE books to the SD card.

I did a little house cleaning on the "500+ Free Books", cleaning out cook books from the 1800's, books in languages I don't read, and several, but not numerous, Dickens duplicates.

Its no surprise that the paragraph mark placement in .txt books was irritating. After using a "find and replace" of all .txt paragraph marks with spaces, and then another "find and replace" to insert double paragraph marks after all periods (.) on about 3 books, I finally went to Guttenburg and just downloaded all the .txt books in epub format.

I'm not all that taken with the clock feature, since I have reset it numerous times and even as I type this, it is telling me that it is 05:35 on 01/01. Not sure where I was supposed to find the instructions on getting down to changing the date, but a Robertb post about the new FAQ page finally got me there. Until it can keep real time, I won't be bothering setting it again.

I have pretty much consistently always put it in standby, and the battery still sez it is still full, but will recharge it before I head out for a two week vacation, anyway, since Robertb is constantly telling us that the meter is unreliable until its been charged 3 times. Am certainly looking forward to a vacation with my Astak instead of a bag full of books.

I was on pg 590/1152 of Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" tree book when I got the Astak. I went to the local library looking for it, and was pleasantly surprised to find it, although I had to put a hold on it. Waiting now to see if it shows up before I leave. I am not going to lug my laptop thru airport security just to be able to download it in Hawaii. However, it will certainly be easier reading on the Astak once I get it than the tree book 6 pt font.

In the meantime, while I was at the eLibrary, I was pleasantly surprised to find the first in the R.A. Salvatore "Demon Wars Saga". I have been shopping the used book stores off and on for months, having books 2 and 3 already. Then I bit the (free) bullet and downloaded 2 & 3 anyway, so if "Crypto" isn't available, I'll have the complete trilogy with me to finish on vacation.

I seldom use the left-side page turn buttons, but the 9/0 buttons and the wheel all get a lot of use.

Anyway. Love my Astak EZ PPro. Just thot I'd pop back and say so.