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

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

I know mobipocket DRM is by ID, and ereader is by Cr Card no., but how is pdf and epub's DRM controlled?

They are controlled by AdobeID, which is your account on Adobe's servers. There can be 6 devices per account, but one typically has to be a Windows PC or a Mac to download the ebooks. They are also used to register your EInk device with Adobe's servers (connect via USB and select Authorize in Desktop Adobe Digital Editions). Registration is a one time operation. There is no Linux ADE, so Windows or a Mac is required for registration, but there may be a work around for actually downloading ebooks if you only have Linux (Cybook Opus?).

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by slayda

RobertB, we're still here, reading and waiting for you to be ready to sell us our very own PPEZR (Pocket Pro EZ Reader) - waiting impatiently I might add.

Dear Slayda:

You may not have too long to wait.



In the meantime, I want a pre-sell list as soon as the talks end in China. I want to MOVE on this and they are just being cautious.

I just keep seeing SO many people on the Cool-er thread and cannot imagine it. It makes no sense. The Pocket PRO is so far beyond Cool-er and has far better colors and speed and features and price.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by SaraD

Yes, what Griffonwing just said. Until the Astak GM has that new/confirmed information we are all just kind of waiting. It has been a long haul to get here so I'm not surprised that there isn't much right now. Just wait until early next week when the new information becomes available or the website suddenly opens for orders!

I'm also hoping that a few more drips of information will come back about upcoming units (that you can legitimately pass on) and maybe a few pictures or mock-ups. During a trip to San Diego, CA a few weeks ago I visited Fry's Electronics just to see a Jetbook next to a Sony (the display was being moved so there wasn't an EZ Reader to hold) and how much of a size difference there would be in the 5" and 6" device. I did prefer the 6" screen size, but I am so tired of waiting. But I also don't want to buy a Pocket Pro and find out that what I really really want will be available for order in another month. Decisions, decisions, decisions... Sometime soon I will actually have to make one!

Of course everyone will say I am Sales and therefore an ogre and a lier automatically. BUT, I swear to you, I thought reading on the 5 inch would also be somewhat disappointing. At least for all of us here, we were pleasantly surprised. Remember... it is ONE DIAGONAL inch shorter. So, I really did not seem to notice it at all.

A 5 inch screen has the same 200 DPI as a 6 inch screen so you end up wiith higher resolution. THAT is what you do notice. Everything seems much blacker ink on the same white background and much clearer. It actually seems, to me, better and not worse.

In the end, it is your decision. New models are always coming out. BUT, I know of nothing new coming that is as fast, has so many features, fits comfortably anywhere you go, and plays music near as well as the EZ Reader Pocket PRO. Bigger will come out but better? I am not seeing anything at this point that has so much packed into it.

[griffonwing]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I just keep seeing SO many people on the Cool-er thread and cannot imagine it. It makes no sense. The Pocket PRO is so far beyond Cool-er and has far better colors and speed and features and price.

The reason, to my mind, is the people today wants things today that they see today.

The Cool-er is 'new'. It's in 'HoT CoLoRs'. It's available right now!

Woooo, Must Buy The New Thing! Must Buy The Cool Thing! It has COOL in the title, it MUST be COOLl!!

If you hadn't come out a couple months early and let us know what was in the works, then many of us would have already purchased the COOL-er, not knowing that something better was just around the corner.

Taking the fact that the new PPro is still a few more weeks out, and the Cool-er is out now, people really hate to wait. If you had JUST NOW come out with the advanced knowledge of the PPro, or perhaps just a couple weeks before release, then yes, this thread would be filled with people in anticipation. Just as it had been in the early days of this thread.

People are still waiting for its release. Once released, this thread will again be filled with new owners lauding the praises of the PPro, or voicing complaints about it.

In the meantime, the other thread is doing that now.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Robertb

By the way, I am getting exaspirated again. I have the fastest and most powerful pocketable device coming out in 6 colors and loaded with TTS and ADE and this great old thread seems to be largely deserted. Have I missed something? Everyone seems to be hot for paying more money for a lot less product. Kindle breaks the $300 barrier and THAT is news. Cool-er has nothing that remotely rivals the speed and power of the Pocket PRO and yet it is news.

I am beginning to believe that this thread has kinda run its course. It just is a very peculiar time for so little chatter.

Robert - after my disappointment with Bookeen, I'm not getting exciting about what probably, likely soon will be available.

I've been watching your threads for what seems like a year - looking forward to the first eInk reader that will support my favorite DRM format, eReader. (As far as any DRM format can be a favorite, anyway).

So when you post that you have a PocketPro or an EZReader or whatever with firmware that includes eReader right out of the box, I'll come dance a jig and turn into a raving fangirrrl on your thread.

Until then...promises, promises. I've heard it all before.

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear AJ:
For audio books you would not want to adjust the volume downward. For regular books, however, one Forum member suggested just putting it on TTS and turning the volume down and that way you essentially get auto-page turning. It was just a hepful hint!

I believe I suggested this (much earlier in the thread) -- this is what I do. It works fine, but not perfect. The problem is that I can read faster than the voice can speak. Given nothing else it works find as a work-around. However, ideally I would prefer auto-page turning that lets me switch pages much faster.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Robertb

A 5 inch screen has the same 200 DPI as a 6 inch screen so you end up wiith higher resolution. THAT is what you do notice. Everything seems much blacker ink on the same white background and much clearer. It actually seems, to me, better and not worse.

The 5" screen has the same number of pixels (600x800) as the 6" screen. So the 5" screen has 200 PPI vs 167 PPI for the 6". I can see how this might end up looking better overall.

[Stensie4JC]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I am beginning to believe that this thread has kinda run its course. It just is a very peculiar time for so little chatter.

I have been reading this thread but haven't posted because I'm new and this whole e reader thing is WAY more complicated than I expected, and I don't feel like I have anything intelligent to contribute. I don't think it's a peculiar time for a lull. You've told us all you can tell us, and I think all the questions have been questioned out. Now we're just waiting for the launch, which sounds like it's days away. Once something breaks I am sure there will be a new flurry of activity, and another surge once the devices ship and we have to figure out how to use them. Don't be discouraged. Once it hits the market it will speak for itself. Until then, you're the guy calling home right before bringing his fantastic new college girlfriend home for Thanksgiving.

[Hajo]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I just keep seeing SO many people on the Cool-er thread and cannot imagine it. It makes no sense. The Pocket PRO is so far beyond Cool-er and has far better colors and speed and features and price.

Guess what? Me and all these Cool-er buyers are just a little bit stupid, plain and simple. Or maybe we live in those tiny, unimportant places of the world where Astak doesn't sell its products. Or maybe we still remember the announcement of the soon to be released five inch Mentor in 2008. Maybe they are just tired of all the talking. I know I am. How many marvelous devices have you announced in the last couple of weeks? How many new products has Astak launched in the last couple of months?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Robertb

A 5 inch screen has the same 200 DPI as a 6 inch screen so you end up wiith higher resolution. THAT is what you do notice. Everything seems much blacker ink on the same white background and much clearer. It actually seems, to me, better and not worse.

No, Robert, you are mistaken.

The 5" screen has the same 800x600 pixel resolution as the 6" screen. This means that the pixel density is higher: 200dpi for the 5" screen against 167dpi for the 6" screen.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

However, I fail to understand what the volume has to do with it, unless that is the speed control for the advance. Sounds logical.

No.
You start TTS.
As the artificial voice reads the text, the pages are turning, so the text that is "being read" is always on the screen. This is great for people that use TTS as an aid with reading text. Like people studying English that want to read and hear at the same time or people with Dyslexia that need a little help.
So if you start TTS and then turn the volume down, all you see is page turning. The unique feature here is, that if there is little text on the page the TTS "voice" will read it quickly and turn the page much sooner than a full page of text.

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

The reason, to my mind, is the people today wants things today that they see today.


Taking the fact that the new PPro is still a few more weeks out, and the Cool-er is out now, people really hate to wait. If you had JUST NOW come out with the advanced knowledge of the PPro, or perhaps just a couple weeks before release, then yes, this thread would be filled with people in anticipation. Just as it had been in the early days of this thread.

People are still waiting for its release. Once released, this thread will again be filled with new owners lauding the praises of the PPro, or voicing complaints about it.

I agree with griffonwing that when people hear of a new product they want it now and not six months from now. The fiasco with Frys just undersores your need to get your new site up and running as soon as possible, to give buyers an alternative. That will also generate more discussion here.

As I see it now, we are in a holding pattern waiting for your site to come online and the pocket Pro to be available for ordering.

[AJ Starr]

Originally Posted by kacir

No.
You start TTS.
As the artificial voice reads the text, the pages are turning, so the text that is "being read" is always on the screen. This is great for people that use TTS as an aid with reading text. Like people studying English that want to read and hear at the same time or people with Dyslexia that need a little help.
So if you start TTS and then turn the volume down, all you see is page turning. The unique feature here is, that if there is little text on the page the TTS "voice" will read it quickly and turn the page much sooner than a full page of text.

Now I understand. Thanks. The page turning is a feature of TTS, not a separate function. My misunderstanding stems from the fact that I would rather have the TTS reading, and I would just put the device down. But the combination sounds great to me. I can have the best of both worlds.

[MaggieScratch]

Speaking for myself, I'm an ebook geek, and I find the discussion about price cuts on the Kindle and first deliveries of the COOL-er interesting, though I'm not interested in purchasing either device at this time.

I'm with those above who have expressed the opinion that this topic will pick up again when there is *news*--a firm release date, preordering availability, a new website. Until then we're all just sitting here being entertained by Griffonwing and his parrot. (Do you do karaoke?)

[rixte]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Slayda:

You may not have too long to wait.

We will know more Friday or Monday as our General Manager sits down with the factory on the Pocket PRO. The present word is they may arrive the first week in August; but I am trying to say second week to allow a little leeway.

In the meantime, I want a pre-sell list as soon as the talks end in China. I want to MOVE on this and they are just being cautious.

I just keep seeing SO many people on the Cool-er thread and cannot imagine it. It makes no sense. The Pocket PRO is so far beyond Cool-er and has far better colors and speed and features and price.

While I understand that you're biased, you have to realize that your reader isn't going to meet everybody's needs or preferences. Particularly things as subjective as which has 'better color' - while I am waiting for some more live photographs of both, I lean toward the Cool-er colors, since the Astak ones tend to be very loud.

Not to mention until your product is actually available for purchase, the Cool-er reader is going to be superior - because now people can actually get it. And I won't believe the Pocket PRO's price until it's being sold, because, perhaps through no fault of your own, you haven't yet been able to actually deliver any of your readers at the original promised price.