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Fincary · 07-07-2010, 05:30 PM

I waited and waited for an EZ Reader Plus (I really wanted an 6" reader when I bought my 5" Pocked Pro) but pulled the trigger on on Nook Wifi when the price dropped.

The Nook does support EPUB including Adobe DRM EPUB...same as the Astak devices. Since you can convert all the non-drm formats that Astak reads to EPUB using Calibre, I would contend that the Nook is MORE open since it handles more DRM than the Astak devices. The Nook actually allows MORE choices in ebook stores since it will read any DRM that the Astak devices will read plus the Barnes & Noble DRM and the eReader DRM. The Nook is listed as a "compatible" device for books purchased on www.EZRead.com because of its Adobe DRM support.

The Nook may have been slow when it first came out, but with the current firmware it is just as fast as my Pocked Pro. The display on the Nook is great with no contrast problems. I'm able to pick between 3 different fonts in EPUB documents (the Pocket Pro will not let me change fonts in EPUBs.) Most importantly to me, the page numbers that appears every 1024 characters when reading an EPUB is put on a status bar at the bottom of the page instead of crammed on the right side margin where it overwrites words on my Astak device.

The Wifi is NOT totally locked to B&N. There is a "web browser (beta)" that will allow you to go to whatever site you type in. Surfing the web IS horrible, but since the Astak devices don't have any Wifi, there is no comparison between devices here. I didn't buy a device to surf the web, I bought a device on which to read books.

The Nook is heavier than the Astak devices, and it is noticeable. It isn't uncomfortably heavy, but the position of the page turn buttons made it feel awkward in my hands originally.

Navigation/sorting of your books on a Nook is plain AWFUL. The folder navigation of the Astak devices totally better. On the Nook, a lot of the library sorting features, coverflow, etc. are only available with books purchased from Barnes & Nobles. I dumped about 175 epubs into my Nook (in folders), and it just threw them in a single list sorted by title or author. Series books were scattered. It was pretty horrible to navigate to a book to read.

The Astak devices seem to be easier on the battery. With my reading patterns, I would charge my Pocket Pro about once a month. With the Nook, I'm about 1/2 way through a novel, and the battery is ticking down. I suspect that once I'm into 100% reading mode with it, I'll be charging the battery every two weeks or so. The nook came with a USB wall charger same as the Pocket Pro.

The Nook does NOT come with a case, so if you buy one add $30-$50 to the cost. I have a nice case for mine that I bought in the store for $30 that is far and away better then the one that came with my Pocket Pro.

Now, I'm a pretty tech savy guy, so I was able to "root" my Nook. It isn't as easy a process as, for example, changing my Astak Pocket Pro to the LBook firmware, but it wasn't very difficult either. Without the ability to root my Nook, I probably would have returned it to the store.

By rooting, I was able to eliminate the problem of it feeling awkward in my hands but switching the positions of the page forward and back buttons. Now I hold the Nook further up the side so it is more comfortable.

Rooting also gives you a new library management system, though it still isn't as easy as the folder nav of the Astak devices. The new system (used in conjunction with Calibre to sideload books) appends the series number and name to the title of the book. It also allows you to filter the list by tags that you have set in Calibre. Very easy to find a book in your list now.

I apologize for the novel here, but the misinformation in other posts got to me.

I really liked my 5" Pocket Pro. Now my daughter really likes it. I feel for Astak in this price drop. I think Astak has a really good product, and I would have paid $220-$230 for the 6" Plus months back when it was announced. Now? If they were even close in price (and the 6" Plus were available...) I would buy the Astak. But there is no way I could justify to myself the extra money over a Nook.

07-07-2010, 05:30 PM	#101
Fincary Member Posts: 20 Karma: 20 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Jacksonville, AR Device: Ebookwise-1150; Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro; Nook	I waited and waited for an EZ Reader Plus (I really wanted an 6" reader when I bought my 5" Pocked Pro) but pulled the trigger on on Nook Wifi when the price dropped. The Nook does support EPUB including Adobe DRM EPUB...same as the Astak devices. Since you can convert all the non-drm formats that Astak reads to EPUB using Calibre, I would contend that the Nook is MORE open since it handles more DRM than the Astak devices. The Nook actually allows MORE choices in ebook stores since it will read any DRM that the Astak devices will read plus the Barnes & Noble DRM and the eReader DRM. The Nook is listed as a "compatible" device for books purchased on www.EZRead.com because of its Adobe DRM support. The Nook may have been slow when it first came out, but with the current firmware it is just as fast as my Pocked Pro. The display on the Nook is great with no contrast problems. I'm able to pick between 3 different fonts in EPUB documents (the Pocket Pro will not let me change fonts in EPUBs.) Most importantly to me, the page numbers that appears every 1024 characters when reading an EPUB is put on a status bar at the bottom of the page instead of crammed on the right side margin where it overwrites words on my Astak device. The Wifi is NOT totally locked to B&N. There is a "web browser (beta)" that will allow you to go to whatever site you type in. Surfing the web IS horrible, but since the Astak devices don't have any Wifi, there is no comparison between devices here. I didn't buy a device to surf the web, I bought a device on which to read books. The Nook is heavier than the Astak devices, and it is noticeable. It isn't uncomfortably heavy, but the position of the page turn buttons made it feel awkward in my hands originally. Navigation/sorting of your books on a Nook is plain AWFUL. The folder navigation of the Astak devices totally better. On the Nook, a lot of the library sorting features, coverflow, etc. are only available with books purchased from Barnes & Nobles. I dumped about 175 epubs into my Nook (in folders), and it just threw them in a single list sorted by title or author. Series books were scattered. It was pretty horrible to navigate to a book to read. The Astak devices seem to be easier on the battery. With my reading patterns, I would charge my Pocket Pro about once a month. With the Nook, I'm about 1/2 way through a novel, and the battery is ticking down. I suspect that once I'm into 100% reading mode with it, I'll be charging the battery every two weeks or so. The nook came with a USB wall charger same as the Pocket Pro. The Nook does NOT come with a case, so if you buy one add $30-$50 to the cost. I have a nice case for mine that I bought in the store for $30 that is far and away better then the one that came with my Pocket Pro. Now, I'm a pretty tech savy guy, so I was able to "root" my Nook. It isn't as easy a process as, for example, changing my Astak Pocket Pro to the LBook firmware, but it wasn't very difficult either. Without the ability to root my Nook, I probably would have returned it to the store. By rooting, I was able to eliminate the problem of it feeling awkward in my hands but switching the positions of the page forward and back buttons. Now I hold the Nook further up the side so it is more comfortable. Rooting also gives you a new library management system, though it still isn't as easy as the folder nav of the Astak devices. The new system (used in conjunction with Calibre to sideload books) appends the series number and name to the title of the book. It also allows you to filter the list by tags that you have set in Calibre. Very easy to find a book in your list now. I apologize for the novel here, but the misinformation in other posts got to me. I really liked my 5" Pocket Pro. Now my daughter really likes it. I feel for Astak in this price drop. I think Astak has a really good product, and I would have paid $220-$230 for the 6" Plus months back when it was announced. Now? If they were even close in price (and the 6" Plus were available...) I would buy the Astak. But there is no way I could justify to myself the extra money over a Nook.