Quote:
Originally Posted by Robertb
Dear Polly and all:
Yes, I think from my experience talking to reviewers that they do not get this whole idea. The Kindle model essentially says: "One format, one wireless device, one eBook store, one choice". I tell them the Pocket PRO has 20 formats and end users can buy from hundreds of websites freely and with our blessing. I tell them people really like this feature more than any other and it makes for a good experience. They do the review and write: "Has 20 formats but I only need EPUB, Astak does not have a bookstore of their own, could be a problem finding eBooks, and not a real eBook Reader as it does not have wireless". I call them and say: "you missed the point" and they say: "that is how we saw it".
Sony was the first but Kindle is the yardstick. Everything is measured against the Kindle. Many of the reviewers own a Kindle and that is their perspective of "how an eBook Reader really is".
I am NOT complaining about "poor Astak"... but I am irritated that so many reviewers are using a Kindle yardstick to measure the Kindle and that same yardstick to measure Astak devices. I, personally, am NOT interested in buiding a Kindle and calling it an "Astak". I think what we are selling is better than the Kindle in many ways. That is just my thinking. But, how would it be if a reviewer used the Astak Yardstick to measure a Kindle? That could be fun. Then we might hear: "heavier, bigger, does not come with a case, has only one format, can buy eBooks from only their own website, thicker, has this wireless thing that ties me only to them, needs an SD card slot, and I need to send the device back to get a battery change ".
I have no animosity at all toward Kindle or their end users and mean no offense here... but a level playing field by reviewers would be nice.
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Robert,
I totally understand your frustration. It seems to me those reviewers don't really own an ebook reader and use it on a regular basis. They base their reviews on their speculations and not hands-on experience. And by hands-on experience, I don't mean just fiddling with the reader for a few hours. I mean using it for a reasonable period of time, no less than a few weeks. It's only then you'll find what you really need from an ebook reader.
I for one don't really care for wifi on my reader. I manage my library on my PC and it's much easier that way, then I simply copy everything to an SD card and there I go. And I don't think the current e-ink technology would make for a really satisfactory web-browsing experience. I judge an ebook reader by how good a reading experience it provides, and that means easy-on-the-eyes screen, page turn speed, ease of navigation, bookmarking, table of content support, hyperlink support, library management, text reflow capability, font choice, multi-format support, multi-language support...and so on. And I wouldn't compare an ebook reader to a netbook or a tablet, they are really different gadgets to me. And an ebook reader shouldn't attempt to be something that it is not.