Astak's 5" Pocket Pro $199

[Kralik]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Yes, people use the term "zoom" wrongly. Technically, eBook Readers change the font size and do not "zoom" per se (as far as I know).

I'm thinking of the jetBook I have that does an actual PDF zoom by percentage. It preserves the entire page layout and can let you zoom in on particular pieces of the page if desired. So am I understanding it correctly that the Astak does not have a real zoom but only font size changes (PDF reflow)?

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Kralik

I'm thinking of the jetBook I have that does an actual PDF zoom by percentage. It preserves the entire page layout and can let you zoom in on particular pieces of the page if desired. So am I understanding it correctly that the Astak does not have a real zoom but only font size changes (PDF reflow)?

The EZ Reader and Pocket PRO use Font Size Increase. I certainly would not say "only".

[wodin]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Robert,

Might I suggest you guys put up a comparison table listing the Asktak, Sony and CyBook 5inch devices...(on your web site) the features and formats, price, warranty of each and let the facts speak for themselves.

This way you can have an objective listing of the facts that you could point people too rather than some subjective post saying "infinitely better".

BOb

I agree, an objective comparison chart would most useful. And having the jetBook there would also be appropriate as it is also a 5" device.

[slayda]

Pilotbob & Wodin, do you have all the data on those other products. I would personally find it difficult to "objectively" find all the necessary comparisons over what is in the MR wiki.

[Kralik]

Originally Posted by Robertb

The EZ Reader and Pocket PRO use Font Size Increase. I certainly would not say "only".

Well, that's what I needed to know! I have some books that are scanned as PDF images, and so a real zoom vs. a text-only reflow is important to me. I'll still think about it though.

[hike_gc]

I've been watching this thread and have looked at the Astak website. It looks to me like both the 5 and 6 inch models are being released later this month. Why are you pushing the 5 inch model so much? I'm actually interested in a 6 inch device. I do not read books on my PDA and have no desire to read something that small. Both models look good on paper, but I am waiting for the real live user reviews. Yes, I'm a skeptic.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by hike_gc

I've been watching this thread and have looked at the Astak website. It looks to me like both the 5 and 6 inch models are being released later this month. Why are you pushing the 5 inch model so much? I'm actually interested in a 6 inch device. I do not read books on my PDA and have no desire to read something that small. Both models look good on paper, but I am waiting for the real live user reviews. Yes, I'm a skeptic.

the 6 inch device is already released and has been available since late last year. You can order it now. It has new firmware that provides most of the same features as the new about to be released 5" device. There is a comparison on the site.

Dale

[hike_gc]

I couldn't figure out why the 6 inch model has only 4 gray scale and the 5 inch model has 8. It's because the 5 inch model is the latest and greatest. I'm not really sold on the 5 inch models. I want a device that will fit in my purse but still be able to read the screen without a magnifying glass or doing a page turn every 10 words.

[Dragon_Well]

I own a 6" EZ Reader and I just pre-ordered a Pocket Pro for the following reasons: I'm a medical student, soon to be resident, and the EZ Reader has made my life much easier. I live out of my white coat for many hours at a time, and being able to carry one ebook as as opposed to the 5+ pocketbooks I was carrying before has saved my shoulders lots of anguish.

The slightly smaller size and lighter weight of the pocket pro will hopefully fit even better in my white coat. Since I am constantly looking up info, even a slight decrease in page refresh time will also help. I'll definitely post a comparison once the Pocket Pro arrives.

[basschick]

i wouldn't go that far, but it is a way to alienate possible buyers.

i write reviews for part of my living. a couple years ago, i rewrote a couple hundred reviews for a client. the original reviewer wrote in nothing but enthusiastic positive terms and sales weren't great. i rewrote the reviews from scratch, bringing balance to them - i wrote about negative features as well as positive features, issues as well as the good stuff, and more specifics. i never used what i call "marketing text". the result was that the new reviews sold so much better that i've been writing for that client ever since.

Originally Posted by Abecedary

I'm assuming you're referring to the numerous threads that robertb has started here pimping Astek's wares? To be totally honest, his incessant posting about how great his own company's products are have ensured that I will never buy anything made by them. I even work in marketing and I think his methods cross the line.

[griffonwing]

I persoanlly think that Robertb actual "text" is being misconstrued (in my opinion). Not his words, but simply his presentation. I bring this up to join with Basschicks's post about how reviews (and also posts) are read and understood.

"THIS is one for YOU!" as opposed to "This is the one for you!

The first sounds like he is yelling enthusiastically, while the second, he is only inflecting the words. CAPS may simply be the way he bolds the words.

I say this because when watching the video of him with the EZ Reader, he never came off as a wild, used-car salesman. He was a slow speaker, and inflected specific words. I highly doubt your personality will change that drastically from video to blog.

Robertb has decided to jump into a new media, which has new and different, and constantly changing rule system. I think it's better to err on the judgment that he used CAPS for bold, than to simply assume he was screaming at the top of his lungs.

My 2 cents.

[rixte]

I think even the bolding would make it feel really spammy. I think Basschick hit it spot on in that issue is that there seems to be no balance - no reader is perfect, but RobertB spins the Astak devices as so. Witness his response just a little bit earlier to the issue on if there's zoom or if it's just font size changes, where he said "The EZ Reader and Pocket PRO use Font Size Increase. I certainly would not say "only"

Why not say only? That IS the only kind of zoom the devices use and it doesn't make the Pocket Pro a horrible device or not worth buying or anything. It is simply accurately reporting its features so somebody can make an educated decision on what they want. Not everything has to be 'spun' and I feel like way too much is and it makes me uncomfortable and not very confident in the devices.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

I'm assuming you're referring to the numerous threads that robertb has started here pimping Astek's wares? To be totally honest, his incessant posting about how great his own company's products are have ensured that I will never buy anything made by them. I even work in marketing and I think his methods cross the line.

Not only that, but his postings on other threads that trash his competitors' products, even before said products have been released.

The constant posting extolling Astak's virtues while trashing the competition, and the broken promises about the Mentor line do not lead me to have any confidence in the company.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by rixte

I think even the bolding would make it feel really spammy. I think Basschick hit it spot on in that issue is that there seems to be no balance - no reader is perfect, but RobertB spins the Astak devices as so. Witness his response just a little bit earlier to the issue on if there's zoom or if it's just font size changes, where he said "The EZ Reader and Pocket PRO use Font Size Increase. I certainly would not say "only"

Why not say only? That IS the only kind of zoom the devices use and it doesn't make the Pocket Pro a horrible device or not worth buying or anything. It is simply accurately reporting its features so somebody can make an educated decision on what they want. Not everything has to be 'spun' and I feel like way too much is and it makes me uncomfortable and not very confident in the devices.

To some extent I agree. I'm going to make a very large assumption here and assume that many of us who are "first adapters" are technically literate. And also that other technically literate people, as I am, prefer facts to hype. Sales people are often not as technically literate, nor is the average buyer. To some of them there is no difference between hype and facts. However to us who are technically literate there is a huge difference, so much, in fact, that we quickly become disgruntled when we can not find the facts among all the hype.

I personally believe that it is really the lack of sufficient facts, rather than the abundance of hype, that upsets us. I know it is for me. I'm used to "weeding out" the hype in commercials.

Again - just one man's opinions.

[cvkemp]

I normally research what I am thinking about buying so that when I do buy I do not have to deal with salesmans. That is true more so with any thing technical including cars. I love to read tech notes and specs and that is what I want to see.

Chuck