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

[Emu]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

How can you claim to own the factory, but then claim your employees won't do what they're told to do? Then fire them and hire someone else who will do it. No, rather I think it's something *your* CEO or VP or whomever doesn't actually want to do. So stop trying to foist your management's incompetence off on the "dumb asians"'. I know you weren't trying to look racist; I understand the difficulties you're encountering having done business with such people before. But you make them do it, or you get someone else to do it.

sorry but that sounds neither nice nor right. I think you got the wrong end of the stick of roberts comment

[moz]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

the mobile wireless be a modular thing. You know either a USB dongle or a simple card

If the thing could accept a 3G USB adapter that would be useful for those not stuck in the USA. The chances of getting a mobile wireless device approved and linked into at least one network in every country where at least one person wants it seems remote to me. I have no interest in the Kindle for that reason - the chances that it will ever actually work in Australia are low, and that a US model will work here zero. But virtually very country with mobile phones has some kind of USB data dongle on sale.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Emu

I just thought about a perfect 6" reader. And what is missing is better resolution. So robert, do you know about any plans for e-ink displays with higher res. comming? While 6" is a perfect pocket format, 800x600 is sometimes just not enough for comics and mangas. And normal text would look even better on a high-res screen....

A high-res 6" would be something I would buy for sure. maybe with touch? A 9" is a difficult decision as long as it is expensive. and it would be more bulky than a 6"

Dear Emu:

Great question. Let me ask E-Ink people I know and get a definite answer. I do not know that E-Ink actually has much to do with the resolution though. That sounds more like a panel manufacturer. I will meet with PVI on May 12 at the IDPF show.

However, E-Ink would likely know who is working on what.

Will reply on this!

Robert B

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

Seems you hit the point where you are out of your depth here. I am surprised at your comments since they really are very contradictory.

OK, so engineers get paid NOTHING by your company, yet because you want your cut it is impossible to deliver sub-$200 devices to us "whining" consumers?

Also, Lenovo, Dell, HP and others ALL manage to build CTO laptops all built outside the US. This is especially true for HP & Lenovo.

As for modular it only needs be CTO if it is not modular in design and the components do not have user accessible slots for installation. Yes this would mean going back to the boards but it may be a fatal mistake to force a one-size-fits-all family of devices when we are all being far more sensible with our cash these days. Staying behind the curve rather than proactively going beyond run of the mill will be a mistake in the long run. That is not to say these need to be this way now, but rather it should be the goal in the near term. Make the features available as accessories not integral to the device. This is bound to happen anyway as the eink improves to actually be of any real use so the devices will merge with the idea of a netbook.

But for now we should all never believe what marketing spins before our eyes. At this point I am seeing more and more that I am very likely not to ever be an Astak customer. The spin is simply starting to trip over itself.

Dear Snipenekkid:

I was quoting what the average engineer makes in Taiwan and not what we pay. I was trying to tell you factually that there is a drastic difference in pay scales between countries... not between our factory and any other. We pay the going rate every time.

Consumers do not whine... they state what they would like. YOU are normally very level-headed so I am sorry that you took this wrong.

Robert B

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Emu:

Great question. Let me ask E-Ink people I know and get a definite answer. I do not know that E-Ink actually has much to do with the resolution though. That sounds more like a panel manufacturer. I will meet with PVI on May 12 at the IDPF show.

However, E-Ink would likely know who is working on what.

Will reply on this!

Robert B

MUCH higher resolution would be wonderful. Especially if it used a resolution-independent UI. I'd really like to have good typography (which depends on the combination of res & grayscale & OS & display software) without getting the jaggies in my fonts (which depends mostly on res & grayscale).

I'm one of those folks who is bothered by the difference between a good 600DPI laser printer and a good 1200DPI laser printer (emphasis on "good," as there may be no difference between units that aren't good). The ~180DPI res we have on current generation eInk readers is just barely sort-of kind-of acceptable. And I care about this issue far more than about color, or refresh-speed (as long as it's not much slower than current). In fact, if I could improve only one thing about current eInk displays (while changing nothing else, including price), I'd pick much-higher-resolution in a heartbeat.


Xenophon

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Emu:

Great question. Let me ask E-Ink people I know and get a definite answer. I do not know that E-Ink actually has much to do with the resolution though. That sounds more like a panel manufacturer. I will meet with PVI on May 12 at the IDPF show.

However, E-Ink would likely know who is working on what.

Will reply on this!

Robert B

This highest resolution e-Ink devices are currently the 5" models at 200 ppi achieve 600x800 in a 5" diagonal display. At 213 ppi you could achieve 768x1024 on a 6" device. This is the current capability of 8" devices and might be a reasonable goal for folks who want high ppi. I think that anti-aliasing techniques could do just as well on the current devices using high gray scale displays and at lower cost. But people with 5" e-Ink devices might want to comment on how much they like the increased resolution.

Note that Jetbook does not count here as it has the same resolution as 6" E Ink devices which computes to about 640x480 on a 5" screen.

Dale


Dale

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

How can you claim to own the factory, but then claim your employees won't do what they're told to do? Then fire them and hire someone else who will do it. No, rather I think it's something *your* CEO or VP or whomever doesn't actually want to do. So stop trying to foist your management's incompetence off on the "dumb asians"'. I know you weren't trying to look racist; I understand the difficulties you're encountering having done business with such people before. But you make them do it, or you get someone else to do it.

Dear SirBruce:

As often said in this thread, MY Mandarin is not even to the point of where you could laugh at it. IF anyone would be held to ridicule for language it is me.

I was trying to illustrate that language has to be in what is commonly known as "small English". This is an Asian term and not mine. It means that most conversation use smaller, simpler English words and that there is then a problem in trying to get the point across sufficiently. Dumb Asians?? Hell... the average Asian mind works a lot faster and better than mine. It is me who runs to keep up.

Also, firing people is cold and heartless. The factory has had to make some changes... but they try to keep people working in other areas where their talents are better suited and are needed. They do what they are told... and they get good results... but you leave management to the factory. They are there and we are not. You will find that Americans often assume they know better. We know we do not. It is a partnership and not old "the ugly American" philosophy.

Robert B

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Robertb,

I know I should just bookmark your sites myself -- but here is a tip.

When I want to find your company's web site or blog I have to go back through this thread to find them. It would be helpful for me if you would add a signature to your posts with your web sites in the signature. Something like:

===================
Robertb, Astak
My blog: www.wherever.com/blog
Astak ebooks: www.wherever.com
Other Astak products: www.astak.com
===================

You can get your signature to automatically show at the bottom of all of your posts, by clicking on the "Quick Links" menu at the top of the bulletin board. This will cause a menu to drop down. In the second section (User controls) you will see a choice of "Edit Signature"

Michael

Dear Michael:

I have taken your very wise suggestion. I am still learning about MobileRead Forum and just figured out how to put the picture of the Mentor Lite into my posts. Lets hope that the new signature works this time and I will add more info to it.

I appreciate all the help I can get on using the forum properly!

Many thanks!!

[maynard]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear SirBruce:

As often said in this thread, MY Mandarin is not even to the point of where you could laugh at it. IF anyone would be held to ridicule for language it is me.

I'm just finishing my first year of Mandarin studies and if learning English is anywhere near as difficult for Chinese nationals as Learning Mandarin is for an American, I don't blame them one bit for needing some "tiny English" standard for ease of communication.

[Mycropht]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Let me ask E-Ink people I know and get a definite answer.
Robert B

Well, here is some additional incentive to find that answer:

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/0...-2-displa.html

Of course, the problem described above would be smaller or nonexistent on higher resolution screens.

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Also, firing people is cold and heartless. The factory has had to make some changes... but they try to keep people working in other areas where their talents are better suited and are needed. They do what they are told... and they get good results... but you leave management to the factory. They are there and we are not. You will find that Americans often assume they know better. We know we do not. It is a partnership and not old "the ugly American" philosophy.

You're dodging the point. You said, and I quote:

Originally Posted by Robertb

Look at Astak. We OWN the factory in Taiwan and even for us they will NOT design a custom machine unless we order 20,000.

You blamed the people at the factory -- *your employees* -- for NOT doing something you WANT to do.

There's a difference between something that's difficult to do and something that can't be done. If my boss asked me to do something impossible, sure, I couldn't do it. But if they asked me to do something I thought would be difficult and would interfere with other stuff, I'd say so. But then if he changed his mind and didn't want me to do it, that would not be me refusing to do it; it would be the boss deciding it wasn't worth it.

Now you're claimining that the factory management essentially "knows better". That's fine, but then it's still *YOU*, *YOUR COMPANY*, *YOUR MANGEMENT*, *ASTAK IN THE USA*, that's not willing to make a custom machine. Because you've made the judgement that it's not worth the effort because you believe factory management when they say the effort is too high. But you can't blame *them* for it. You can't say they *won't* do it unless you've ordered them to do it anyway and they still refuse.

You tried to deflect responsibility for your company's own decisions onto some faceless Asians, making it look like their lack of ability or willingness, and now you're claiming it's because you actually respect their judgement. Regardless, it's not their fault you're not making a custom Astak... it's your own.

[igorsk]

Astak owns Netronix factories? I somehow doubt that.

[sirbruce]

I'm just going by what the man said.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

What you CAN get from page numbers you can't get from percentage. I have the Sony and NEVER once have I looked at the page number where it said for example, Page 123 of 684 and said to myself... damn I wish I knew what percentage of the book that was. It is so INSANE to have these page numbers. However, many times I have thought, oh damn I really should get to bed... wait I'm at page 652 of 678... I'm gonna finish this sucker. But, if it said, 96% read I have no idea if that mean there are 3 pages left or 100.

Well said. I face the same problem, especially with a book I am particularly enjoying. Thank goodness I work from home; otherwise those late nights reading on my Sony would kill me.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by msundman

When you look at the number that's what you'll remember. So, when you remember something was at around 75% then you can find it, but if you remember it was at around page 500 then you also have to remember what page size you used at that time.

That's what bookmarks are for. On my Sony, if I bookmark a page at medium zoom, all I need to do is use the Bookmarks menu to return to the page and size. No need to remember.