Astak Mentor eBook readers with WiFi and Touchscreen (read-only)

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Fry's online offered the Astak reader for $229.

Fry's only sells the EZ Reader for in-store pickup. They will ship the ECTACO jetBook (the only other eBook reader they sell).

[wayspooled]

Sounds good but replaceable batteries is a strong selling point with many, including me. Please do be sure to make the suggestion.

Excellent! Thanks for coming here and posting!

[AbFabGab]

Originally Posted by emellaich

So, were you not aware of Fry's online? Or is their some reason they won't ship to your location?

I took a look at their site because this made me curious.
I'm wondering if their allotment set aside for internet orders
has run out and that's why they only have in-store pick-up?

===
Shipping: Unavailable for Shipping (try in-store pickup)
Notify me when product is available
Store Pickup: Available
===

They do have an "email me when available" option
which makes me think they just need to increase their stock.

[Darqref]

Wireless is growing on me

I used to think wireless connectivity was an unnecessary luxury in an ebook reader. I still don't really like Amazon or it's service for Kindle, but recent developments look more favorable for generic wireless, at least for me.

My favorite newspaper went online-only this month. Oh, it's still got a new weekly edition, but the daily one was what I regularly read with breakfast. Now, I need to use Calibre to grab a daily edition of the website, and then load it on my cybook. Seems a waste, and it means I need to connect a lot more regularly.

My past habits have been to store stuff on the SD card, and only bother to move books on or off the card when I've read a substantial amount of what I had loaded. Or when I really want the next book in the series I'm re-reading, or whatever. It amounts to only connecting about every couple of weeks. I recharge much more frequently though. Now, because I want my Monitor with breakfast, I'll need to remember to both grab the feed, and then move it onto the cybook. (And the editors of the Monitor don't have their practices ironed out yet, and the format looks a bit weird.)

Might be easier with wireless, and that thought is growing. Not enough to make me give up the cybook (yet), but it will probably influence what I buy as a replacement, whenever the screen breaks again.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Fry's only sells the EZ Reader for in-store pickup. They will ship the ECTACO jetBook (the only other eBook reader they sell).

did they quit selling the Sony?

Dale

[AbFabGab]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

did they quit selling the Sony?

Dale

I got my RED Sony 505 from Frys.

I just checked and they have all the Sonys available..
so I'd say "No, they did not quit selling the Sony."

[egret17]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Fry's only sells the EZ Reader for in-store pickup. They will ship the ECTACO jetBook (the only other eBook reader they sell).

I'm puzzled about this statement, as I live in a completely non-Fry's market (Minneapolis, MN) and ordered an EZBook from them just a few weeks ago.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by egret17

I'm puzzled about this statement, as I live in a completely non-Fry's market (Minneapolis, MN) and ordered an EZBook from them just a few weeks ago.

I am going by Fry's EZ Reader page, which says

Shipping: Unavailable for Shipping (try in-store pickup)

I also missed the PRS-505 at frys.com, but all I can say is that their search function does not work well. They are selling PRS-505's and they do ship these as well. So it isn't clear why they won't ship the EZ Reader.

[AbFabGab]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I am going by Fry's EZ Reader page, which says

I also missed the PRS-505 at frys.com, but all I can say is that their search function does not work well. They are selling PRS-505's and they do ship these as well. So it isn't clear why they won't ship the EZ Reader.

My guess is that they have a separate stock for internet orders
and they need to get more into their warehouse.

[egret17]

Originally Posted by AbFabGab

My guess is that they have a separate stock for internet orders
and they need to get more into their warehouse.

That makes sense. I read the original comment, looked at my recently received EZReader, and was muy puzzled. I picked it up for $249 with a $20 rebate... but my rebate form was returned as address no longer good. Working with Fry's on that right now.

[kacir]

Dear Robert.

You seem to be a big fan of sudoku.
Have a look at the KAKURO device The current price is $4.95

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by AbFabGab

My guess is that they have a separate stock for internet orders
and they need to get more into their warehouse.

Dear all:

FRY's.com and some FRY's stores are out of stock on the EZ Reader. This is because they ran a sale that brought the price down to rather incredibly low levels and we were in the midst of ordering from Jinke. SO... we are out of stock now also. The next shipment should arrive the first week in May.

As I have mentioned before, FRY's sets their own pricing. We had envisioned that they would occasionally have them on sale at $269... not the prices they are charging. We are trying to get FRY's to not sell under $259 so we can please other stores that want to carry the EZ Reader. Instead, their price is driving everybody else into not wanting to carry the device... which is Astak's problem.

I apologize for this confusion. The fact is that the EZ Reader is an outstanding eBook Reader worth every penny at $299. FRY's, rather than getting the batteries installed in the demo devices working on the store shelves so that people could try them and see the value, decided to drop the price way down. Of course, at this low price there was a landslide of sales and it was unanticipated.

Please wait two weeks so we can re-supply FRY's and talk with them (not an easy thing to do).

Robert B

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Also, if you give people the choice of going Wi-Fi or 3G, the wireless providers kick up a fuss. Prices for SIM cards require a cost PLAN and AT&T know they may not see the numbers they need so they jack up the cost of the plan. And what about retailers? COSTCO or Wal-Mart does not want choices... they want SALES. Bring them in... watch them fly out the door.

A lot of phones nowadays let you transfer the phone into a WiFi access point using the 3G in the phone. So for me WiFi is the most important since you do not want to have two data plans.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I am going by Fry's EZ Reader page, which says

I also missed the PRS-505 at frys.com, but all I can say is that their search function does not work well. They are selling PRS-505's and they do ship these as well. So it isn't clear why they won't ship the EZ Reader.

Dear Wallcraft and all:

FRY's.com will ship the EZ Reader. However, they are out of stock due to the rather unreal low price. We haven't been able to get a Run Rate from FRY's due to a new rule they now have. Only a Buyer himself can authorize a Run Rate to the Vendor.

As such, we will not restock here at our warehouse in time to meet FRY's low price sale. Our factory shipment will arrive here during the first week of May, and then it takes time to get them out to FRY's. FRY's.com sold a ton of EZ Readers!! They were suggesting that people try the stores as some still have a few.

I am sorry for the confusion.

Robert B

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by tompe

A lot of phones nowadays let you transfer the phone into a WiFi access point using the 3G in the phone. So for me WiFi is the most important since you do not want to have two data plans.

Dear tompe:

For all my reasons (cost of putting 3G on the device at the factory, cost of SIM card, cost of plan to End User) I like Wi-Fi. Particularly since AT&T and Verizon are planning their own eBook Readers... which makes it very hard for Astak to work with them constructively.

The problem is that most retailers (such as COSTCO) are vehement on wanting 3G as it locks the end user into buying books only from them.

The worst thing that could have happened to the end user was AT&T and Verizon looking at another profit center; and making things a cloudy mess on 3G for other eBook Reader manufacturers.

Robert B