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

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

LIT is one of the more complicated formats and the EZ Reader is slow about rendering and cannot deal with some files at all, although most will work after a fashion.

The new PDF is very good also on most documents, FB2 remains good and Palm-DOC is quite usable. Even word and RTF are workable. I will probably take the time to do a formal comparison at some point.

Thanks for the reply.

I had a hit and miss experience with Palm-Doc - sometimes my paragraphs ran on to one another instead of being spaced apart. I contibuted that to how I was converting it.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

Are you kidding? I market for them, I've created a logo for them, I've promoted them, but Robertb even made me pay 30 bucks MORE than the intro price!

How that for gratitude!

Word gets out fast at MobileRead Forum. I was prohibited from saying much before the press release. SO, here are the facts:

1. In an effort to attract media attention and get reviewers to review our devices, Astak has dropped the price on the exciting and full-featured 5 inch Pocket PRO from $229 to $199!

2. ALL people who have already purchased the 5 inch Pocket PRO (pre-order) WILL BE REFUNDED the $30!! Notice of this refund will be sent out today! If your card was charged $229 (plus shipping) you will recieve the $30 refund!

3. PLEASE do not call!! There is no need; and it only slows things down. IF you do not receive the notice of refund within 5 days from our accounting department... then send an email to support@astak.com!

4. This Special Price will last only until September 30 at 12 midnight PDT.

5. We are doing this to get the attention of the press to a landmark new device that is so crammed with features that there is no other 5 inch truly competing with it!

6. PLEASE, spread the word!! It is inappropriate for me to barge in on other threads... yet people need to know. Please tell your friends and your fellow members!!

[ahammer]

wondering if it did it to get it into engadget. if so good move sir.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/07/a...ndle-a-run-fo/

when I saw this is my feed at 1st thoght it might be a mistake on engadgets part. when it saw it on you site

fig that what it was... makes the sony 300 seem like a joke now
and now you can tell everyone you give it to us at the price you said you toght it would be.

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Word gets out fast at MobileRead Forum. I was prohibited from saying much before the press release. SO, here are the facts:

1. In an effort to attract media attention and get reviewers to review our devices, Astak has dropped the price on the exciting and full-featured 5 inch Pocket PRO from $229 to $199!

2. ALL people who have already purchased the 5 inch Pocket PRO (pre-order) WILL BE REFUNDED the $30!! Notice of this refund will be sent out today! If your card was charged $229 (plus shipping) you will recieve the $30 refund!

Robertb,

As usual, you do the right thing!

That's $30 that will be spent on books from your website once it goes live!

[Jane A]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

Are you kidding? I market for them, I've created a logo for them, I've promoted them, but Robertb even made me pay 30 bucks MORE than the intro price!

How that for gratitude!

Since you've worked sooo hard for it, you'll really appreciate it (at least that's what they say...)

Edited: Just saw Robert's post - so glad those of you who already preordered are getting the promo price, too!

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by Jane A

Since you've worked sooo hard for it, you'll really appreciate it (at least that's what they say...)

But seriously? Don't you think you'll get the promo price? That would be a shabby way to treat those people who are most excited about getting their hands on one!

Oh yea, I'll get my 30 refunded, as Bobby just stated above. But most likely I'll spend it on some legitimate books from their bookstore.

My preferred books would be the King Raven series by Stephen Lawhead, but so far, I've only seen them in Kindle format. (curse you Amazon!!) But I'm still looking.

Great move Robertb! Comparing this to Sonys new 300 machine. It's like comparing a plain hamburger to a fully loaded Big Mac Combo meal!! Yum!

[Jane A]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Yes. In addition to the smaller screen size the Reader software could be from a 3rd party rather than the format provider and even when it is the original provider's software (e.g. on the Pocket Pro, mobile Adobe Digial Editions is used for PDFs and ePubs) the device's limitations can lead to fewer features. The desktop ADE displays ePubs similarly to an EInk device, but the closest desktop analogue is Sony's Windows ebook Reader because it is actually using an early version of mobile ADE. The current Sony software emulates a PRS-700, and I assume the next upgrade will emulate a PRS-600 with the latest mobile ADE. Don't forget that a 600x800 window on your desktop is probably bigger than the 600x800 EInk screen.

In the case of OpenInkPot, its primary Reader software is FBReader and it looks identical on a Linux Desktop as on the EZ Reader (and very similar on a Windows Desktop). So download FBReader and give it a try. It does not maintain as much formatting as some other readers, but it is very customizable and at least some of that customization is available under OpenInkPot.

Thank you for explaining this to me!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by ahammer

when I saw this is my feed at 1st thoght it might be a mistake on engadgets part. when it saw it on you site

fig that what it was... makes the sony 300 seem like a joke now
and now you can tell everyone you give it to us at the price you said you toght it would be.

Dear ahammer:

YES!! Finally my price prediction has happened. It took a lot of hair-pulling and wringing of the wallet... but now you have it where you wanted it!

Please be aware that this was NOT RobertB jousting at windmills to get this price. It took a lot of TEAMWORK. There is a fellow named Walter here who led the charge!! (Think of Walter as "Gunga Din"... "Though we beat you and we flayed you, by the heathen God that made you, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din". There are owners who had to think long and hard on strategy and give up profit to get the word out!!

Astak is tired of being ignored (except by the wonderful people of MobileRead Forum). We are ready to take on the others with far better devices and great price points!! There is a lot more coming from Astak! This is a good start!

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by Musicman

Thanks for the reply.

I had a hit and miss experience with Palm-Doc - sometimes my paragraphs ran on to one another instead of being spaced apart. I contibuted that to how I was converting it.

That is a quite common thing happening with the Aportis palm docs sometimes. Get DocReader and get an additional space between those paragraphs. Bingo, problem gone!

[Robertb]

Dear All:

Please see the nice preliminary review by Aaron Chauncey of the examiner at:

I have recently written a brief article about your product, which can be seen at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1...tive-to-Kindle

Aaron will now be doing a more in-depth review of the 6 inch and then will review the Pocket PRO!

[robvarga]

Originally Posted by Robertb

4. This Special Price will last only until September 30 at 12 midnight PDT.

Hi Robert,

will the new site with the possibility to ship an order to the UK be opened before that time?

Thanks and best regards,

Robert

[jes1]

Ok RobertB, now you are tempting me with the $199 price tag. I have been very happy with my EZ-Reader, but the smaller one is starting to look very appealing.
Also, giving the people who preordered a refund shows Astak is a class act.

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by jes1

Ok RobertB, now you are tempting me with the $199 price tag. I have been very happy with my EZ-Reader, but the smaller one is starting to look very appealing.
Also, giving the people who preordered a refund shows Astak is a class act.

Thing about someone you know who loves to read, perhaps someone who has a birthday coming up? Maybe an anniversary? Your current reader would make an excellent present.

Or maybe you know someone who USED to read alot, but got caught up in all the crappy 'reality' shows, and now spends all their time in front of the tube!

This would make an excellent wake-up call for them, and you'd get a newer reader!

[pjssilva]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:

Please see the nice preliminary review by Aaron Chauncey of the examiner at:

I have recently written a brief article about your product, which can be seen at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1...tive-to-Kindle

Aaron will now be doing a more in-depth review of the 6 inch and then will review the Pocket PRO!

Reading the review I saw that you are now selling the EZ reader (6") from newegg. Good move! Newegg is a very good internet store.

[pdurrant]

It's there already:

http://www.astak.com/ezreader/step1.asp

Originally Posted by robvarga

will the new site with the possibility to ship an order to the UK be opened before that time?