Astak's 5" Pocket Pro $199

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by wodin

No. I don't recall anyone even saying I had to pay a "use tax". The issue of allowing states to charge sales tax on internet sales comes up regularly in congress, but has been roundly defeated each time.

But living in Hawai`i I get hit big time for shipping, for instance the cheapest shipping on a 5" pocket pro is just a little under $30 and goes up to $70 for 2nd day ...

They only ship USPS to Canada and Puerto Rico. Robertb! Why's that? Since your normal shipping rates are so exhortation?

Dear Wodin:

Realize Astak is only a poor little eBook Reader manufacturer. We do not set the rates. We DO get excellent discounts from UPS and FedEx because we ship large quantities... but we charge you exactly what they charge us. We do not mark up or even try to make any profit on shipping! Nor do we charge you, like some companies, a "handling charge". Everything we do is designed to keep your cost as low as possible.

I know we are trying to do more USPS (United States Parcel Service) as it is cheaper for the end user. Let me talk with our shipping department!

[CharlieBird]

I just finished searching in vain for a thread comparing book lights. It was awhile back if I recall correctly. Can anyone give me a clue? My daily tasks are such that I usually read in bed at night so I will need a light.
Am really looking forward to my first eInk reader! Getting in at the start of the discussions!

[AJ Starr]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Wodin:


I know we are trying to do more USPS (United States Parcel Service) as it is cheaper for the end user. Let me talk with our shipping department!

RobertB,
Has anyone checked that ad the US Post Office has out for the same shipping cost for the same box no matter where in the US it is shipped?

AJ

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by CharlieBird

I just finished searching in vain for a thread comparing book lights.

Perhaps it was Best Case-Agnostic Light. If that isn't the thread you want, search for actual product names mentioned there in other threads.

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

RobertB,
Has anyone checked that ad the US Post Office has out for the same shipping cost for the same box no matter where in the US it is shipped?

AJ

Is this "Continental US", if so, it excludes Hawaii and Alaska.

Although, technically, Alaska is on the continent, it's just you have to sail there or go through Canada.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

This is interesting. At the lowest font setting the unit displays a full page of text in PDF mode. The image will be scaled to fit the page. The first time you hit the zoom button the image will be resized along with the text. It will typically grow to the size of the screen depending on the aspect ratio. As the zoom button gets pressed again the text size will grow but the image will not unless it was really small. An image the size of the text characters will grow at about the same rate as the text.

The cover image is different. It will zoom every time and get bigger than the screen but you can't pan it.

So the name zoom is more than just changing the text size in so far as images are concerned.

Note that a page that was built for the screen size originally (600x800 pixels) behaves a bit strange sometimes. At the smallest zoom it displays the page perfectly. The first zoom level may just rearrange the text while not changing its size and I have seen the image actually shrink a slight amount to remain within the side margins. subsequent zooms increase the text while the image stays, again unless it was really small to begin with.

This may a longer answer than you wanted but I hope it was clear.

This information is based on the EZ Reader Basic running the new firmware.

Dale

One correction to this answer. I have found that jpeg images continue to zoom each time the zoom button is pressed even though they get bigger than the screen. Before I only thought that was true for the cover image. However, I was correct in that you cannot pan them so the fact that they zoom doesn't help much for reading Comic books.

Dale

[imabuddha]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

One correction to this answer. I have found that jpeg images continue to zoom each time the zoom button is pressed even though they get bigger than the screen. Before I only thought that was true for the cover image. However, I was correct in that you cannot pan them so the fact that they zoom doesn't help much for reading Comic books.

Thanks for the update. It does seem to be an unnecessary limitation, and hopefully OpenInkpot or a future official firmware update fixes this.

It's easy to imagine a multi-level zoom, with panning by whole (or nearly whole) screen. To help the user a small graphic in a corner of the screen would show which region of the entire image is currently displayed, and a small bar indicating current zoom level.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

RobertB,
Has anyone checked that ad the US Post Office has out for the same shipping cost for the same box no matter where in the US it is shipped?

AJ

Dear AJ:

I am looking into this now!

Thank you. Great suggestion!

[CharlieBird]

Thx, Wallcraft. It was the Mighty Brite that I remembered but the Verilux looks pretty neat.
I couldn't find a picture w/the PocketPro in its carrying case.
Robertb, could you take a quick look and see if you think it will clip to the PocketPro's protective leather cover?
BTW, does the cover fold comfortably back for reading or is strictly for transporting?
thx, d

http://www.amazon.com/Verilux-Natura...3908065&sr=8-1

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by Robertb

ALL Pocket PRO colors wil ship out on the same dates. Although the black and white ones may arrive a few days before the other colors, it was a good decision to ship all six out at the same time to be fair to all.

If they are all shipping on the same day, then how is it that the black and white ones arrive earlier?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Patricia

If they are all shipping on the same day, then how is it that the black and white ones arrive earlier?

He said he will be shipping them the same day. It does not matter when or in what order they arrive at his facility. He is probably shipping in the order the order was received.

Dale

[bbusybookworm]

RobertB

I've got a question for you?

I'm thinkng of buying the Pocket Pro as as a replacement for my Cybook Gen3 (Which is fine, but has been gifted to a very happy Uncle)

The question I have is how do I order it? I'm in the UK, and when I try to order through the www.theezreader.com site, it only allows addresses in US or Canada.

I remember you mentioning in the original thread that While you may not be distributing the EZ reader through retail channels in Europe, you would still be willing to sell to individuals there.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

Is this "Continental US", if so, it excludes Hawaii and Alaska.

Although, technically, Alaska is on the continent, it's just you have to sail there or go through Canada.

No it's not continental US, it is US period, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Island and Guam.

USPS flat rate boxes are the best deal in town for shipping to or from Hawaii. A flat rate box big enough to ship a Pocket Pro costs less than ten bucks, and they even supply the box. UPS Ground (it goes by truck to LAX then they put it on an airplane) cost nearly thirty dollars. That’s why I was POed when I went to pre order a Pocket Pro, and the website said USPS went to Canada and Puerto Rico only.

Somebody at Astak needs a lesson in geography. If it was one of the other territories (Guam or US Virgin Islands) it would be even worse! What is it that makes Puerto Rico special?

[slayda]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

RobertB

I've got a question for you?

I'm thinkng of buying the Pocket Pro as as a replacement for my Cybook Gen3 (Which is fine, but has been gifted to a very happy Uncle)

The question I have is how do I order it? I'm in the UK, and when I try to order through the www.theezreader.com site, it only allows addresses in US or Canada.

I remember you mentioning in the original thread that While you may not be distributing the EZ reader through retail channels in Europe, you would still be willing to sell to individuals there.

Look at www.astak.com and find the pre-order for the 5" there. There they sell to the rest of the world. Don't ask me why it's not all at the same place or at least with links to the right place.

Or just go straight to http://www.astak.com/ezreader/step1.asp

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by CharlieBird

Thx, Wallcraft. It was the Mighty Brite that I remembered but the Verilux looks pretty neat.
I couldn't find a picture w/the PocketPro in its carrying case.
Robertb, could you take a quick look and see if you think it will clip to the PocketPro's protective leather cover?
BTW, does the cover fold comfortably back for reading or is strictly for transporting?
thx, d

http://www.amazon.com/Verilux-Natura...3908065&sr=8-1

Dear CharlieBird:

The cover folds back for easy reading. It does clip to the leather case and it does take a nuclear detination to get it out of the clips... it holds maybe a little too tightly. When the factory designs a case they really do it right!

I hope that the attached pictures will help. I want better pictures and will take them early next week. The last attached shows the clips well.