Quote:
Originally Posted by Freddy Bastiat
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. |
Dear Freddy:
I work for Astak.
Thank you for the post and welcome to our forum. Think of the EZ Reader PLUS as an EZ Reader Basic on steroids! They have gone from a 4 level grey scale to 16 level grey scale. The PLUS has exactly the same great Epson Controller with 400MHz processor as the Pocket PRO... which is very fast on page turns and bringing up books. The PLUS has USB 2.0. The PLUS has 64MB SD RAM. Both the Pocket PRO and the PLUS support 16GB of SD card... enough for about 8,000 eBooks and your music!
When the Pocket PRO first came out it did not support Hyperlinks or have a search function or a visible clock. All that was added later with firmware upgrades. New buyers of the Pocket PRO still have to do the firmware upgrade to gain those features.... but it is simple to do. The PLUS will have it all on there already and embedded!
ALL Astak devices ONLY come out with 20 formats, 26 langauges, and the USER-Replaceable rechargeable battery. Having such an easy access to the battery allows you to carry a second battery on a trip, fully charged, and pop it in as a spare in about 50 seconds. It is just one of the PLUSES that are inherent in Astak product.
ALL Astak devices come with a crush resistant leather case (although we will all forever argue if it is real leather or close to it). The EZ Reader line comes with ear buds included too.
Dale is right, one major advantage of the Pocket PRO is that it has a scroll wheel. This little wheel, hardly even mentioned when it came out, has become a wonderful way to turn pages and adjust music volume while you read. The Pocket PRO has 8 level grey scale and the PLUS has 16 level. Only the Pocket PRO comes in 6 colors!
So, you have a hard choice. BOTH the PLUS and Pocket PRO are exceptional devices that (in MY opinion) makes them far better than any other device on the market. I LOVE my product! In about 6 weeks there will no longer be an EZ Reader Basic... the PLUS will replace it and yet at NO increase in price!! That, to me, is astonishing!