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

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Where did you get it?

http://www.the-ebook.org/rus/


also look at here
http://translate.google.com/translat...istory_state0=

There is a new device called "AzBuka" «Азбука».
Word Azbuka is the name for russian alphabet in russian
- e-ink controler Metronome
- supports USB 1.1 for external devices
- SD slot supporting SIDO (WiFi, GPS cards)
- The entire product is built using Open Source Software
- The device will be initially equipped with a very minimal software that will support FB2, TXT ePub, PalmDoc, zTXT, TCR, Mobipocket (without the protection of DRM). A book in the formats HTML, CHM and RTF are displayed without the support tables. The device is able to open files within the archives of books formats ZIP, tar, gzip and bzip2.
- All buttons are divided into 2 groups: functional and programmable.

They hired OpenInkpot developers under the leadership of Mikhail Gusarova.

Finally someone that really groks reading devices.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by pkovak

Blue: Reflex Blue or 286 (Reflex Blue is directly above 286)
Purple: 2597 or 527
Green: 356

Most probably I would go for Reflex Blue, it's dark enough not to be obtrusive when reading. Keep in mind that red color means danger and human eye&brain company is especially tuned to look for it.
Oh, and please, don't do the same mistake as many companies, eReader surface should be anything but reflexive - you don't want to reflex light to user's eyes and eReaders will be held all the time when used, reflexive surface looks much worse with all those fingerprints. Gleamless surface would fare much better. I am sure you know that, practicaly anyone should know that, but still there are tons of devices in computer industry released every month with reflexive surface.

Dear pkovak and Griffonwing:

I like Griffonwing and appreciate his need for slate blue. BUT... I am thinking also that on plastic it may be better to go one shade lighter... dark but still shows some blue tint. Colors seem to show darker on plastic.

Thoughts?? I will check out 286 and look at 356 for the green.

Ladies, would love to hear your thoughts also!!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by kacir

http://www.the-ebook.org/rus/


also look at here
http://translate.google.com/translat...istory_state0=



They hired OpenInkpot developers under the leadership of Mikhail Gusarova.

Finally someone that really groks reading devices.

Dear Kacir:

This is a nice looking design and I like their color choices. I see they went with an orange instead of pink. Russia is fast becoming fanatic on eBook Readers.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Russia is fast becoming fanatic on eBook Readers.

Yes, Russia is very strong here.
This device, however, is being developed in Ukraine I believe ;-) Just like PocketBook 360 we have been discussing previously.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Kacir:

This is a nice looking design and I like their color choices. I see they went with an orange instead of pink. Russia is fast becoming fanatic on eBook Readers.

They have been fanatics for quite some time. Cool Reader and FB reader are both from that part of the world (although not technically Russian any more.) The also have their own eBook format. (FB2)

Dale

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear pkovak and Griffonwing:

I like Griffonwing and appreciate his need for slate blue. BUT... I am thinking also that on plastic it may be better to go one shade lighter... dark but still shows some blue tint. Colors seem to show darker on plastic.

Thoughts?? I will check out 286 and look at 356 for the green.

Ladies, would love to hear your thoughts also!!

Griffonwing, can you live with one shade bluer: 2955??

The recommendations of 4485, 462, and 463 were good. #463 is a sort of metallic dark brown with a greenish tint. Maybe I can please all who want green and all who want brown with #463.

Likewise, I am thinking of pleasing those who want purple and those who want pink by going with #2385. I see that as a very lively color that men and women should both love.

Comments?

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Griffonwing, can you live with one shade bluer: 2955??

Sure. I'm easy. (ok, no snarky remarks)

Besides, if I am unhappy with it, I can always whip out the Krylon

[AJ Starr]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Griffonwing, can you live with one shade bluer: 2955??

One vote for 2955..

AJ

[griffonwing]

Make that Two!


for 2955

[slayda]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

My choice is 2965 PC - A dark slate blue.

Also, the link didn't work. Here's a direct link to the PDF
http://www.hessler.com/PANTONE(R)%20...0PC%20copy.pdf

That's a nice blue & since griffonwing has cleaned up nicely, I'll vote with him.

[MaggieScratch]

Another vote for 2955. Lovely!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Griffonwing, can you live with one shade bluer: 2955??

The recommendations of 4485, 462, and 463 were good. #463 is a sort of metallic dark brown with a greenish tint. Maybe I can please all who want green and all who want brown with #463.

Likewise, I am thinking of pleasing those who want purple and those who want pink by going with #2385. I see that as a very lively color that men and women should both love.

Comments?

2955 - very nice
4485, 462, and 463 - I personally would not select those
2385 is very nice too,
but I personally prefer reader that is as un-obtrusive as possible. Sometimes when I am bored I go to the back of the room and I pull out the Reader and I to not want to attract attention to the fact that I am reading ;-)
If I wanted to go wild, I might consider 7492

You should also consider the finish of the surface. Will it be matte, semi gloss, high gloss, super shiny?
For a high gloss surface a "Ferrari red" might be an interesting choice


Robert, I hope you have purchased or at least borrowed one of those Pantone guides.
Because the primary reason why Pantone is doing such a good business is that monitors can not represent printed colors. Monitors work by mixing Red Green and Blue colored light and Pantone printed colors work by mixing Cyan Magenta Yellow and blacK ink. Pantone spot colors (and colors for plastic) work by mixing 13 base pigments.
Mixing colors for plastic is even more complex than printing.

We might help you to choose the color but it is extremely important that you view an actual printed Pantone Guide before ordering devices.
Also make sure the factory has one

I worked in DTP and I have seen quite a few people that were severely disappointed by a printed color that was chosen on RGB monitor. *The* most often misused color is blue. If you choose blue color according to the RGB space (0,0,256) and transform it automatically into CMYK, the printed material will have very strange mix of kinda bluish magenta hue.
Basic desktop inkjet printers compensate for this, but if you have materials printed at the shop using offset CMYK printing you are in for a surprise. And with plastic ...

Please have a look at the disclaimer at the end of pdf file (address provided by griffonwing)

[griffonwing]

Good thinking, kacir I work marketing for an architect firm (brochures, website, portfolios, etc..) and i've had some hard time learning about CMYK, vs RGB. Throwing this Pantone 13-pigments into the mix, I'm just glad I'm not the one in charge.

Also, if it comes down to the finish of the unit, I would like to request a flat matte finish. For one, I can't conceive of a earthtone slate blue in any kind of gloss. It goes against the very nature of earthtone.

Perhaps you can have a series of earthtones, and market them in some way to denote their colours.. Slate blue, brick red, burnt orange, deep brown, charcoal gray, beige-yellow, hunter green. Sort of like if Ipod wanted to, they could do a Skittles series. That's what their bright vibrant colours remind me of. Every colour of Skittles.

Plus, COOLer has vibrant colours, Sony has vibrant colours, Kindle has.. white. This would be a way to set yourself apart from everyone else. Otherwise, regardless of the inner workings, your reader might get lost in the crowd.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

Make that Two!


for 2955

Thank you bothfor the great feedback on 2955. That will be one of the colors.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by kacir

2955 - very nice
4485, 462, and 463 - I personally would not select those
2385 is very nice too,
but I personally prefer reader that is as un-obtrusive as possible. Sometimes when I am bored I go to the back of the room and I pull out the Reader and I to not want to attract attention to the fact that I am reading ;-)
If I wanted to go wild, I might consider 7492

You should also consider the finish of the surface. Will it be matte, semi gloss, high gloss, super shiny?
For a high gloss surface a "Ferrari red" might be an interesting choice


Robert, I hope you have purchased or at least borrowed one of those Pantone guides.
Because the primary reason why Pantone is doing such a good business is that monitors can not represent printed colors. Monitors work by mixing Red Green and Blue colored light and Pantone printed colors work by mixing Cyan Magenta Yellow and blacK ink. Pantone spot colors (and colors for plastic) work by mixing 13 base pigments.
Mixing colors for plastic is even more complex than printing.

We might help you to choose the color but it is extremely important that you view an actual printed Pantone Guide before ordering devices.
Also make sure the factory has one

I worked in DTP and I have seen quite a few people that were severely disappointed by a printed color that was chosen on RGB monitor. *The* most often misused color is blue. If you choose blue color according to the RGB space (0,0,256) and transform it automatically into CMYK, the printed material will have very strange mix of kinda bluish magenta hue.
Basic desktop inkjet printers compensate for this, but if you have materials printed at the shop using offset CMYK printing you are in for a surprise. And with plastic ...

Please have a look at the disclaimer at the end of pdf file (address provided by griffonwing)

Dear kacir and Griffonwing and all:

ALL outstanding points. I have had my LCD screen calibrated to Pantone Standards BUT I always check our Pantone Bridge Charts. The factories both have the same Pantone Bridge Charts. STILL... things can look great on paper and look lousy on plastic. So, the factory sends us two sample plastics in each color before we start and we have to approve. Your point is well taken. Thank you for the caution. Last time we did this for the EZ Readers at the CES show and it worked quite well. Jinke, as you can imagine, is even more unrelenting than us. They KNOW anything can go wrong so the samples check signed off is their guarantee.

Mr.Griffonwing is now sporting a clean and well-groomed look but still has that sharp mind. I had not given much thought until today on finish. I also think that too glossy and too bright cheapen a product. It is a little like "lets paint it in bright colors and they will never notice it is junk" (no reference intended to any other eBook Reader manufacturer living or dead). We have always gone with matte and I see no reason to switch. The screen is glossy enough and I think the matte finish makes the screen look brighter and clearer.

The finish itself may change a bit. We like the "feel" of the Mentor Lite finish. It is not slippery and just feels good in the hand. The EZ Reader basic has a nice finish and feel... but I do want to cut down a tiny bit more on any potential slickness. Retailers have voiced the same feelings so I think we are onto something.

Thank you for good feelings about 2385. I also have noted the brown choices and will look longer into that. I know Slayda and others have liked the blue choice so that is great to hear. AND... when these do hit the market you can tell all around you that YOU helped choose that color. Everybody has really been nothing but helpful.