[Richwood]

Mine arrived from the above mentioned ebay source and was basically unopened. Only problem was it has been in storage so long that the batteries were dead and had leaked into the packaging. Batteries not installed in the reader in the package so no damage to the reader. Unit takes 4 AA batteries and the battery bulge and cover makes for a good handle for holding the reader with the left hand. Listed as working with Alkaline and NIMH batteries and mine is working with the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. The Ectaco is still listed as available on their web site for $99 and they list a firmware update available for download.

Controls and screen are identical with the Aluratek LCD screen reader but the firmware is different. Also the included book content is different and the Ectaco content appears to be aimed more at a school student environment. The Aluratek content is all public domain classic books. Neither is fast responding by current ebook reader standards as the cpu is about 1/5 the clock speed of current readers. Design is old enough so both use the USB generation 1 USB Mini connector.