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

[Greg Anos]

Thank you for the feedback, Robertb.

Which will come first, folder for sony reader, folders for cybook gen 3, or the Astak? I'd wager on the Astak....

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by Robertb

My point is that "Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Right". Astak is trying to do that yet still try to control ever rising costs that every member is already feeling in their purse or wallet. Yes, projected prices have climbed. But the value will still, we think, make it a bargain.

Agreed. And to me, it's worth waiting for if it means that it will assure it being done right.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I appreciate your response. Hopefully everyone will be patient until you get everything right. For my part I will do all I can to help. We all want you to succeed!

Dale

yes, i completely agree with that. and robert, i think we are all grateful to have had such an active role in this process ; it's rare that the manufacturers listen to the consumers, and it's appreciable. i can believe it must have been pretty hair-raising for you at times but i think it's a very worthwhile way to have gone about it, and you are completely right to feel satisfied with your choices. bravo, sincerely. can't wait to see the end result !

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Thank you for the feedback, Robertb.

Which will come first, folder for sony reader, folders for cybook gen 3, or the Astak? I'd wager on the Astak....

Ok, I'll take that bet and say CyBook.

BOb

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ok, I'll take that bet and say CyBook.

BOb

Hanlin V3. I win! OI and MadShelf already *do* folders on the V3. (Granted, MadShelf is very *much* W-I-P, but it *does* folders...)

Derek

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Hanlin V3. I win! OI and MadShelf already *do* folders on the V3. (Granted, MadShelf is very *much* W-I-P, but it *does* folders...)

Derek

Well, I could of said Jetbook, I win. But neither of those were part of his proposed bet.

BOb

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, I could of said Jetbook, I win. But neither of those were part of his proposed bet.

BOb

Ah, but I claimed first. And limiting it to a very narrow subset is just another way of claiming to be an Egyptian... (Massively in de Nile!)

Derek

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

What the availability of eReader books compared to Mobipocket/Amazon/Sony? Does anyone know. eReader seems to have the least restrictive DRM, but do they have the same amount of books as some of the others? BOb

So here's a problem with eBook reading software. There is "old" Mobipocket DRM and "new" Mobipocket/Kindle DRM. The old DRM can't read copyrighted books compiled for the Kindle because Amazon changed the DRM scheme they use with the Kindle. Apparently, Amazon isn't licensing the new version of Mobipocket with the Kindle DRM to outsiders. BooksOnBoard warns people that the Mobipocket formatted books they have will not work on the Kindle, so there seems to be some problem.

The trouble with sources for eBooks poses another problem in counting the number of current releases available. Amazon is the only source for the new Kindle DRMed stuff, but there are numerous bookstores on the WEB selling eReader books and books using the old Mobipocket DRM scheme. I've discovered that competition has its advantages. For example, I've found books at one store that I couldn't find at another site, and several prices for the same title at different shops.

In the end, eReader simply has a different business model than Amazon. Of course, that's something else that Amazon can change if they choose to. So far, apparently no one knows how it's all going to shake out.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Ah, but I claimed first. And limiting it to a very narrow subset is just another way of claiming to be an Egyptian... (Massively in de Nile!)

Derek

Hello, this is Cleo

In the US/Europe, the big guns are Sony and CYbook (Kindle has already made it's closed world statement very clear). Not dissing Hanlin, but is doesn't have a good distribution setup in the US. Note, here at MR we have PD books for native mode SONY (.lrf) and CYbook gen 3 (.PRC). That's why I phrased the bet as I did.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Hello, this is Cleo

In the US/Europe, the big guns are Sony and CYbook (Kindle has already made it's closed world statement very clear).

Maybe I'm confused but in my short time here I've been under the impression that Sony is only officially available in the U.S. and recently Canada? If that's so, it's not much different than the Kindle in distribution. In the Kindle forum there's a post hinting at a UK release.

[HPG]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Maybe I'm confused but in my short time here I've been under the impression that Sony is only officially available in the U.S. and recently Canada? If that's so, it's not much different than the Kindle in distribution. In the Kindle forum there's a post hinting at a UK release.

Sony hasn't been released in Canada yet -- their website has a "next-in-line" button against the thing, which it's had for some time. Also their bookstore has a good many titles marked "US Only". So it's not clear to me that they would be a good buy when and if they're released here unless, of course, they do something about the "US Only" stuff.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Hello, this is Cleo

In the US/Europe, the big guns are Sony and CYbook (Kindle has already made it's closed world statement very clear). Not dissing Hanlin, but is doesn't have a good distribution setup in the US. Note, here at MR we have PD books for native mode SONY (.lrf) and CYbook gen 3 (.PRC). That's why I phrased the bet as I did.

Rumor has it that there may well be someone attempting to become a reselling agent in the US (and Canada and Mexico) for the V3... Of course, with OI's developement strutting along, this is a "good thing", I think.

Derek

[alanastoz]

While your discussing availability, the Astak is coming to Australia and retailers are currently being contacted to see which ones wish to be the first to distribute them This means that they should be out in Australia at roughly the same time as the launch in USA!

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

So here's a problem with eBook reading software. There is "old" Mobipocket DRM and "new" Mobipocket/Kindle DRM. The old DRM can't read copyrighted books compiled for the Kindle because Amazon changed the DRM scheme they use with the Kindle. Apparently, Amazon isn't licensing the new version of Mobipocket with the Kindle DRM to outsiders. BooksOnBoard warns people that the Mobipocket formatted books they have will not work on the Kindle, so there seems to be some problem.

Read this thread for a solution to this problem:

Reading Mobi DRM on a Kindle

Dale

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

So here's a problem with eBook reading software. There is "old" Mobipocket DRM and "new" Mobipocket/Kindle DRM. The old DRM can't read copyrighted books compiled for the Kindle because Amazon changed the DRM scheme they use with the Kindle.

No they didn't. The DRM is the same - it's just that the Kindle store uses its own private licensing server, which means that books purchased at other Mobi stores won't run on the Kindle.

There are "workarounds" available.