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

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Where did you see this blinking flash? I just thought it was great because it didn't have that...

He did not talk about a "flash" as in flashing light or flashing text, he talked about the technology of presenting animations - that is flash as in "Adobe Flash" (formely known as "Macromedia Flash"). In order to see the content of the page that uses Flash you have to have installed "adobe flash player" - a plugin in your browser. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash

There are many people that dislike pages that include Flash for following reasons:
- Flash is mainly used for those EXTERMELY annoying animated banners, so uninstalling of disabling Flash plugin gets you much, much more pleasant view of the average page. There is even very popular plugin for Mozilla firefox that is called Flashblock
- Flash is proprietary technology, so there is no *recent*, well working player for Linux platform. For FreeBSD, for example, the only working version is quite old (and running under old Linux API)
- why should I install a client (Flash player) into my browser in order to see simple page that is offering, let us say, for example, a reading device and a bunch of books.
- Flash does not work on mobile platforms (PDAs, cellular phones, iPhone, various book reading devices that have rudimentary html support)
- flash prevents people with disabilities from using text to speech, or various magnification tricks.
- flash animations are often magnitude bigger (in kilobytes) than the rest of the page, so people using various mobile Internet solutions that are billed by the megabyte have no choice but to switch the Flash off.
- some people are not allowed to install software on the computer they are using for browsing (various corporate users) so they can not install flash plugin in their browser.

One [very unnecessary, VERY annoying, animated] flash banner on site like GoEZBook is tolerable, especially when you use "flash block plugin". The tragedy is, when menu or other components needed for site navigation are implemented using Flash and the site is unusable with:
- alternate operating systems
- alternate browsers
- mobile devices, readers
- offline browsers (site downloaders)
- software necessary for people with disabilities.

Flash should be used for games (like that "Barbie dress up" that my daughter loves) or interactive animations (like those on www.leatherman.com ).

If Astak really, really, insists on polluting their own page with an animated banner hawking the very product that the page is about, they should have used an animated gif image.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ahammer

im not going to want something to blink and try to get my eye after I seen it once

Originally Posted by kacir

He did not talk about a "flash" as in flashing light or flashing text, he talked about the technology of presenting animations

<snip>

One [very unnecessary, VERY annoying, animated] flash banner on site like GoEZBook is tolerable, especially when you use "flash block plugin". The tragedy is, when menu or other components needed for site navigation are implemented using Flash and the site is unusable with:
- alternate operating systems
- alternate browsers
- mobile devices, readers
- offline browsers (site downloaders)
- software necessary for people with disabilities.

I know perfectly well what flash is... I'm a web developer working for a publisher that makes applications (not sites!) where flash is required (mostly school tests, etc).

The reason I asked where he saw flashing flash images was because I didn't see them. And I don't have flash blocket (would make my work impossible).

[Jellby]

I HATE flash for normal site navigation (it's OK for games, video animations, etc.). Whenever I encounter a site that needs flash I just go somewhere else.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I HATE flash for normal site navigation (it's OK for games, video animations, etc.). Whenever I encounter a site that needs flash I just go somewhere else.

I can't seem to find any flash in there... Only PNG, JPG and GIF images...

That search bar thingie: goezebook_design_07.jpg
That "sticky note" thingie: list.png
The logo: goezebook_design_02.png

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I can't seem to find any flash in there... Only PNG, JPG and GIF images...

I was commenting on flash in general, not on this particular site, which I haven't visited yet (I tried and it was too slow to connect).

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I know perfectly well what flash is... I'm a web developer working for a publisher that makes applications (not sites!) where flash is required (mostly school tests, etc).

Sorry.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

The reason I asked where he saw flashing flash images was because I didn't see them. And I don't have flash blocket (would make my work impossible).

The huge animated banner done in flash is on the main page:
http://store.fictionwise.com/astak/home.htm
Background is horizontal blue-white gradient, with big yellow "Buy now" button, with EZ Reader letters and various pictures of the Reader.
See attached picture.
The name of the flash animation is http://store.fictionwise.com/astak/g.../frontpage.swf

FlashBlock is for people *just* like you.
You need to have flash enabled for sites that you work on, and you want to have it disabled for sites where evil web designers use flash to display huge animated banners that prevent you from reading the site itself.
With FlashBlock each flash animation is represented by a "play" icon. The flash animation is only downloaded and started when you click on the icon inside an area where the flash animation is supposed to be. Simple, easy, elegant.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by kacir

Sorry.

The huge animated banner done in flash is on the main page:
http://store.fictionwise.com/astak/home.htm
Background is horizontal blue-white gradient, with big yellow "Buy now" button, with EZ Reader letters and various pictures of the Reader.
See attached picture.

Flash blocker is for people *just* like you.
You need to have flash enabled for sites that you work on, and you want to have it disabled for sites where evil web designers use flash to display huge animated banners that prevent you from reading the site itself.
With Flash Blocker each flash animation is represented by a "play" icon. The flash animation is only downloaded and started when you click on the icon inside an area where the flash animation is supposed to be. Simple, easy, elegant.

I only saw it once but probably clicked away too fast to notice it was a repeatable (and as there is no way back to that page, I forgot about it...)

(and our flash isn't made by evil web designers, but are functional flash movies and interactions...)

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by derrell

Tried Opera couldn't log in. Never got the popup just a page doesn't exist error. Works fine with firefox 3.0.5.

I have, and use religiously, Opera as well. However, I am using the Opera 10 beta on my laptop, and had no trouble logging in. Not sure about the latest version of 9.

Originally Posted by Chopchurch

I looked the site over but did not see Paypal as a payment option, is it going to be added later? Also did not notice any option allowing you to purchase the readers.

Yes please! The fewer places I have to actually use my CC# the better I feel.

[Sweetpea]

Well, I went ahead, and created an account.

PayPal is a must for me. I will use my CC if I have to, but if there are other possibilities, even if they are more expensive, where I can use PayPal, I'll always use PayPal.

But, let's start at the beginning.


Bookshelf

Organizing is a must. Even at Fictionwise, I can organize my bookshelf (even though I've complained often enough that it's not enough, it is a start). Right now, I've 165 books in my Fictionwise account deviced over 18 categories. If I hadn't been able to organize them, no matter how I sorted, there will be books that will require a lot of paging before you can get to them.

Wishlist

The header titles could be a bit smaller, so they'll fit on one line, instead of being spread out over 2. And what is the difference between Price and Amount?

I like the options for the sorting though!

Account

Simple, straightforward. I like the option "Order history".


Overall

Those header labels are too big on every list. Often, just making them bold is enough.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

(and our flash isn't made by evil web designers, but are functional flash movies and interactions...)

Flash animations have large number of legitimate uses. Like simple games for kids, or those awesome animations on www.leatherman.com, or software that you develop.

But! Those web designers that create those huge awful annoying flashing banners that actively prevent you from reading anything, or developers that use flash animation instead of simple menu are a completely different story ...

[ahammer]

im to slow at seeing I have not read back comments.

I like fash for somethings but not for pages im going there to read/look at content it just slow you down... thinking about it I never look to see if it was fash very will could have been a gif I still would not like it.

note: had a add blocker before have not put one back in from when I wipe my computer a week ago. not sure that chrome has one and that has been what I have been using from when I upgraded to win7.

dont think there is a add blocker for chrome yet. only thing I miss realy

note: I like the ezreader add in the top right very tastefull.

[AJ Starr]

These are my impressions. I have not read the previous posts, so please excuse me if I repeat or contradict items.

Home Page:
The Picture of the EZReader which shows the features and flips shots, I found very distracting. By time I looked briefly at the picture, then tried to read the feature and look back at the picture, it had flipped. Suggestion: slow the flips down by a second or two. (I assume the speed of the flips was not controlled by the speed of my computer.) Suggestion: Let the pictures flip once through, then halt on the first pictures with either thumbnails or numbers showing the remainder shots and the customer can click on whichever one he or she wishes to look at.

Both on the Picture and on the sample thumbs of the books, the term "BUY NOW" was highlighted and very big. I felt that was intimidating. I felt the site was pushing too hard for a sale. I also felt that the "Buy Now" was irreversible and once I clicked it would take me to the check out. The words "Add to Cart", as shown on the pages with the books, is less intimidating, and more likely to get me to click it.

On the Command Line, there is no "Home" button so that once you are in one of the other pages you can return to the Home. There is a Home button at the bottom of the page, but when I clicked it, I got a security warning about resending information. I also felt the order of the selections in the command line was not logical. Suggestion: HOME — ACCOUNT — BOOKSHELF — WISHLIST — VIEW CART — CHECKOUT — FREE BOOKS — SIGN-IN — HELP — ASTAK.COM

Depending on the reason for it, I suggest the Astak.com be moved to the bottom of the page only. Although if that is where you are going to sell the Readers from, you need to make that clear, otherwise I would assume this just takes me to the company site for advertising.

At the end of the Command Line is the thumbnail of the EZReader and it's selections. What happens when you have more than one product. Suggestion: add a command line item: PRODUCTS

If you are going to have the Thumbnail of the product only, with it's three selections, then you will need to work on how to delineate the Specs and the FAQ when you have more than one product there. Though the majority of the FAQ and Specs will be the same, there are some differences, i.e., the Pocket Pro's SD card size, Text to speech, etc.

Under the "Search" line, the descriptor line that shows where you are is in a font that is too large for the space. It always ran over to the frame below it.

I did not see anything listed about the choice of colors on the Reader, just as I didn't see anything about the Pocket Pro, not to mention there colors. I assume these will show up in the check out, but it should be indicated both on that flipping descriptions and the Technical Specs.

On the Free Ebook page, should you list MobileRead Forum?

TECHNICAL GLITCH which I'm sure will be corrected: but on the Technical Specs page there was a coding problem: <! [end if]> showed up.

Though I'm sure it's just a glitch, everytime I tried to change pages the #%&##!! Sign-in form popped up. It wouldn't take my login that I registered with, and IT WOULDN'T LET ME OUT until I cancelled about 10-15 times. This maybe because it said it was loading pictures, but it shouldn't take that long to load a picture, and it should let me login and or cancel.

Apparently, logging out of your site LOGGED ME OUT OF EVERY SITE I LEAVE MY LOGIN ON, i.e., Mobileread, and another one. This was very irritating, logging out of your site should not affect my other sites.

My overall impression is that this site is set up to sell books, with the reader just the means to an end. Is this what you wanted, or did you want a site to sell the readers with books as a side line?

Thanks for the ability to evaluate this.

AJ


Still anxiously waiting to order the Pocket Pro!!! (In blue, of course)

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

These are my impressions. I have not read the previous posts, so please excuse me if I repeat or contradict items.

Home Page:
The Picture of the EZReader which shows the features and flips shots, I found very distracting. By time I looked briefly at the picture, then tried to read the feature and look back at the picture, it had flipped. Suggestion: slow the flips down by a second or two. (I assume the speed of the flips was not controlled by the speed of my computer.) Suggestion: Let the pictures flip once through, then halt on the first pictures with either thumbnails or numbers showing the remainder shots and the customer can click on whichever one he or she wishes to look at.

Both on the Picture and on the sample thumbs of the books, the term "BUY NOW" was highlighted and very big. I felt that was intimidating. I felt the site was pushing too hard for a sale. I also felt that the "Buy Now" was irreversible and once I clicked it would take me to the check out. The words "Add to Cart", as shown on the pages with the books, is less intimidating, and more likely to get me to click it.

On the Command Line, there is no "Home" button so that once you are in one of the other pages you can return to the Home. There is a Home button at the bottom of the page, but when I clicked it, I got a security warning about resending information. I also felt the order of the selections in the command line was not logical. Suggestion: HOME — ACCOUNT — BOOKSHELF — WISHLIST — VIEW CART — CHECKOUT — FREE BOOKS — SIGN-IN — HELP — ASTAK.COM

Depending on the reason for it, I suggest the Astak.com be moved to the bottom of the page only. Although if that is where you are going to sell the Readers from, you need to make that clear, otherwise I would assume this just takes me to the company site for advertising.

At the end of the Command Line is the thumbnail of the EZReader and it's selections. What happens when you have more than one product. Suggestion: add a command line item: PRODUCTS

If you are going to have the Thumbnail of the product only, with it's three selections, then you will need to work on how to delineate the Specs and the FAQ when you have more than one product there. Though the majority of the FAQ and Specs will be the same, there are some differences, i.e., the Pocket Pro's SD card size, Text to speech, etc.

Under the "Search" line, the descriptor line that shows where you are is in a font that is too large for the space. It always ran over to the frame below it.

I did not see anything listed about the choice of colors on the Reader, just as I didn't see anything about the Pocket Pro, not to mention there colors. I assume these will show up in the check out, but it should be indicated both on that flipping descriptions and the Technical Specs.

On the Free Ebook page, should you list MobileRead Forum?

TECHNICAL GLITCH which I'm sure will be corrected: but on the Technical Specs page there was a coding problem: <! [end if]> showed up.

Though I'm sure it's just a glitch, everytime I tried to change pages the #%&##!! Sign-in form popped up. It wouldn't take my login that I registered with, and IT WOULDN'T LET ME OUT until I cancelled about 10-15 times. This maybe because it said it was loading pictures, but it shouldn't take that long to load a picture, and it should let me login and or cancel.

Apparently, logging out of your site LOGGED ME OUT OF EVERY SITE I LEAVE MY LOGIN ON, i.e., Mobileread, and another one. This was very irritating, logging out of your site should not affect my other sites.

My overall impression is that this site is set up to sell books, with the reader just the means to an end. Is this what you wanted, or did you want a site to sell the readers with books as a side line?

Thanks for the ability to evaluate this.

AJ


Still anxiously waiting to order the Pocket Pro!!! (In blue, of course)

DEAR ALL:

I am reading every single comment that you are posting and copying it to an email and sending it to the Astak group that is in charge of the website. PLEASER do not think you are being ignored as you are not. Aftert the trial walkthrough is over we will assemble all the comments and discuss it this Friday in group! From there we weill demand changes of the website designer as a group and not just me.

I will say, quickly, that I agree that the flash is WAY too fast, distracting, frustrating, and maybe should be done entirely differently. I will see that weraddress all concerns.

So... your comments are being noted!!

Thank you!!! The amount of people responding with a lot of text is warming to my heart. I know you are giving it your all as you do care!!

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Robertb

DEAR ALL:

I am reading every single comment that you are posting and copying it to an email and sending it to the Astak group that is in charge of the website. PLEASER do not think you are being ignored as you are not. Aftert the trial walkthrough is over we will assemble all the comments and discuss it this Friday in group! From there we weill demand changes of the website designer as a group and not just me.

I will say, quickly, that I agree that the flash is WAY too fast, distracting, frustrating, and maybe should be done entirely differently. I will see that weraddress all concerns.

So... your comments are being noted!!

Thank you!!! The amount of people responding with a lot of text is warming to my heart. I know you are giving it your all as you do care!!

No, it shouldn't be done away with entirely. Especially not at the start. What AJ Starr wrote is a very good alternative. Slow it down and most importantly, don't put it on repeat...

I have faith the errors will be solved by the time you you life, and hopefully some of the nice-to-haves will be added

Anyway for your willingness to listen to the community!

[ahammer]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

No, it shouldn't be done away with entirely. Especially not at the start. What AJ Starr wrote is a very good alternative. Slow it down and most importantly, don't put it on repeat...

I have faith the errors will be solved by the time you you life, and hopefully some of the nice-to-haves will be added

Anyway for your willingness to listen to the community!

im good with that. maybe add a replay button incase you want to see what you missed.