MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - E-Reader Advice

Freddy Bastiat · 03-26-2010, 11:59 AM

I've been debating purchasing an e-reader for a few months now. My search has led me to this forum, which has been great in helping to me to narrow my choices so thanks to everyone that contributes here on a regular basis. I'm pretty sold on the Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro for the following reasons:

It's not tied to one particular book seller - most of what I read is free anyhow. The books I usually read are older and aren't offered for sale online anyhow.
Removable battery
Memory card slot
Can handle more formats than any other device I've seen
Seemingly good customer service and continued product development
Comes with protective cover

I don't care that it doesn't have mobile capabilites. Not a big selling point for me. If it were about $50 cheaper I probably would have bought it already without much further thought. However, I do have a few questions of those of you who own one.

1. I've got my eye on the 5" Pocket Pro, but have since seen discussions of the 6" model recieving a number of "enhancements". Portability is of some importance for me, but readability is probably ranked higher in my evaluation. Is the 6" reader more "readable" than the 5"? Readable for me is comfort of viewing, how it feels in your hand, flow of text on screen, page turns, etc. I will do most of my reading at home (inside or outside on my deck) or at kid's soccer games. I may, on occasion, even throw it in my backpack for an extended trip into the backcountry.

2. I noticed that the new 6" model handles hyperlinks. Does the 5" model not handle hyperlinks? I need more background on this feature.

3. Will the 6" model come with it's own cover like the 5"?

4. I read a lot of pdfs currently on my computer - well, actually I usually end up just printing them off and binding them...part of the reason I'm considering getting an e-reader in the first place because I'm starting to have this stuff pile up. How well does each model handle pdfs where the text is from a scan (older books)? I don't expect much from this because I understand how scanned pdfs are displayed and can't really be reflowed as text. But are e-readers a good option for reading these types of files at all?

5. What is the best way to recieve RSS feeds from websites and then reformat them to place them on the device?

6. Given my questions, which model would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help with these questions.

03-26-2010, 11:59 AM	#1
Freddy Bastiat Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 60 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: EZ Reader Pocket Pro	E-Reader Advice - Astak 6" or 5" I've been debating purchasing an e-reader for a few months now. My search has led me to this forum, which has been great in helping to me to narrow my choices so thanks to everyone that contributes here on a regular basis. I'm pretty sold on the Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro for the following reasons: It's not tied to one particular book seller - most of what I read is free anyhow. The books I usually read are older and aren't offered for sale online anyhow. Removable battery Memory card slot Can handle more formats than any other device I've seen Seemingly good customer service and continued product development Comes with protective cover I don't care that it doesn't have mobile capabilites. Not a big selling point for me. If it were about $50 cheaper I probably would have bought it already without much further thought. However, I do have a few questions of those of you who own one. 1. I've got my eye on the 5" Pocket Pro, but have since seen discussions of the 6" model recieving a number of "enhancements". Portability is of some importance for me, but readability is probably ranked higher in my evaluation. Is the 6" reader more "readable" than the 5"? Readable for me is comfort of viewing, how it feels in your hand, flow of text on screen, page turns, etc. I will do most of my reading at home (inside or outside on my deck) or at kid's soccer games. I may, on occasion, even throw it in my backpack for an extended trip into the backcountry. 2. I noticed that the new 6" model handles hyperlinks. Does the 5" model not handle hyperlinks? I need more background on this feature. 3. Will the 6" model come with it's own cover like the 5"? 4. I read a lot of pdfs currently on my computer - well, actually I usually end up just printing them off and binding them...part of the reason I'm considering getting an e-reader in the first place because I'm starting to have this stuff pile up. How well does each model handle pdfs where the text is from a scan (older books)? I don't expect much from this because I understand how scanned pdfs are displayed and can't really be reflowed as text. But are e-readers a good option for reading these types of files at all? 5. What is the best way to recieve RSS feeds from websites and then reformat them to place them on the device? 6. Given my questions, which model would you recommend? Thanks in advance for your help with these questions.