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

[dodoflying]

Hi, Robert

I think the website should add a link to go back to main page when I browse books. Now the 'home' link to http://www.fictionwise.com

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Everyone:

The new website (www.goEZebook.com) will be open only to MobileRead Forum from 6:00 p.m. PDT on June 23 until 7:00 a.m. PDT on June 25.

The user name you type in is: MobileReadGuest

The password is simply:forum

The idea is for you to be able to look around, fill out the free Member info if you want, try some of the links, and tell me what may be a problem or could be improved. You will have to send me a Private Message or post online for your comments. The message board is still under construction.

You will not be able to buy books yet but it should be a good tour.

Remember: right NOW we will have only Multi-Format eBooks up. As soon as the Fictionwise eReader SDK is done we will put it up on that site for a firmware upgrade and we will then have ALL the latest titles up and available. We expect this within a month or two. We also should have the Adobe Digital Editions up as a firmware download in about 6 weeks.

Sales of eBooks on the website help to support Astak. If you like what Astak is doing... we would appreciate the business.

Do NOT know yet if we will have the Google free library up. We have been approved but the website people and Google are trying to reach agreement.

[Robertb]

Dear ALL:

The Trail Walkthrough of the new website is now open!!

The User Name is: MobileReadGuest

The Password is: forum

Just go to www.goEZebook.com and click the "administrator" button and then fill in this info!!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by dodoflying

Hi, Robert

I think the website should add a link to go back to main page when I browse books. Now the 'home' link to http://www.fictionwise.com

Dear dodoflying:

I completely agree with you!! Thank you and we will implement that!

THAT is a great suggestion.

[robvarga]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear ALL:

The Trail Walkthrough of the new website is now open!!

The User Name is: MobileReadGuest

The Password is: forum

Just go to www.goEZebook.com and click the "administrator" button and then fill in this info!!

First thing which comes to my mind is that for me it is disturbing that the pop-up panel which comes up when you hover with the mouse above the picture of a book when you go to a category page from the left menu does not have a border, and it sort of mixes in with the underneath layer (which contains the book description) in a bad way.

There is a picture in Derrell's post below which also shows it.

It may of course be that it disturbs only me...

Best regards,

Robert

[griffonwing]

I suppose my little nig would be when I mouse over a link on the menu, say "fantasy" or "horror", it doesn't change with the mouse point, but in the middle of the mouse.

For example. Put the mouse on NONFICTION. If you the mouse up to Mystery/Crime, as soon as the pointer hits it, it highlights the link. Just as it's supposed to. However, if you continue to move the mouse up to Humor, it doesn't change until the middle of the pointer hits the link.

Not sure if he's done an area mapping of some kind or what, but it's a bit frustrating when your used to using the tip of the pointer.

Just to let you know, it's not my mouse, I just checked it on this site, and I've not experienced it on any other site.

[derrell]

Over all looks nice. Saw just a few problems griphonwing has already mentioned one of them with mouse pointer. The others are below.

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

Search bar, Advanced search showing double text see screen shot 1.

If a book cover is toward the bottom of the window the description popup gets hidden instead of showing above the cover screen shot 2.

Wandered around for awhile and got my browser caught in a password popup loop by trying to click on the wish list link. Had to kill the browser to get out of it. I don't think that was a problem with the site so much as a problem with the limited access that the MobileReadGuest user has. Put something of a damper on my exploration though.

That about covers it. I think that I like this site better than the mobieebook site though. Looks cleaner to me at least.

Oh and the fact that the books cost more, at least the 7 or 8 that I checked, than going directly to fictionwise might also have an adverse affect on sales.

[Musicman]

Robertb,

Your site has the look and feel of a fictionwise site. It is functional and easy enough to navigate. Setting up an account was straighforward and simple.

The only thing I did not see was a firmware download section for the EZ-Reader.

Aside from that, I did not find anything that did not work as expected.

[phenomshel]

There are a few problems, minor nitpicky things which can be changed easily before you go live.

There are a few typos in the EZ Reader FAQ page. You need a close parenthesis in the "Learn More about EZ Reader section".
Personally, I'd lose the flash animation in that one section on the front page, but I don't expect anyone to agree with me on that one. You also need a "home" button in the navigational menu at the top of each page.

Altogether, it's a pleasant enough site, and seems to be functional.

[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.

I'm assuming that since you are displaying that "powered by Fictionwise" button I'd be better off just getting my books from them or waiting for Barnes and Noble to relaunch is Fictionwise powered store.

Oh just noticed this, selecting the publisher "Spellcaster E-Books" from browse publishers results in a broken banner section. Jumping to Bestsellers from the Contact Customer Support page results in a partially unformatted page. Google doesn't like Astak.com it thinks that it's an attack site. Oh and your Privacy page is blank.

[emellaich]

The site is pleasant enough. I do have a couple of things I would want to change in an ideal world, but I'm not sure there is much you can do about them.

First, its funny that I am a fervent e-book fan, but that I've never found an online store that works for me as well as a bricks and mortar store -- at least when I'm browsing. After the initial screen you are presented with a long boring list. I don't necessarily have a better recommendation, but I can report what I like better in the physical world.

First its easier to see patterns. I can see the new releases because they either have the books turned out, or they have more copies of each book. However, these books are also embedded in all other books by that author. If its a new author, and its a series/trilogy I wait until multiple books are available before I dive in. If I see some author with multiple books that I haven't tried yet, I might be tempted to look closer. Only after I've exhausted the 'new stuff' and the patterns/series stuff do I start a title-by-title search for a gem.

When I do need to look at the books one title at a time, web pages don't work well for me. For example your page only fits five books at a time on a screen before I need to scroll. After 25 books I have to reload. And, I'm not sure that the information on the screen is what I really want to see. If I'm quickly skimming what I want is a bigger cover -- hopefully it gives me some idea of sub-genre. I know that I'm in SciFi/Fantasy, but is that urban fantasy or space opera? Also, the writer, the publisher and maybe a quick blurb ... a space opera in the tradition of ... .

Then if I'm interested in more, I want to click on it and bring up the full blurb.

Amazon has recognized some of these problems with their bookstore design, and they've added some features that help -- although they don't directly address my comments above. Your store does not have any of these, which include:
1) Ratings from other readers
2) Similar items to this item
3) Other books you might be interested in, given your buying history

Anyway, I'm not sure how much control you really have over this since it is a fictionwise store. As I said, I do believe the store looks professional and it appears functional. I don't believe it will embarrass you.

p.s. I haven't purchased from fictionwise before. Is there some way to tell when books have DRM?

[Sweetpea]

The site looks neat! Clean, easy on the eyes, love it!

But (aren't there always?) a few points:

What format are those books? I can't find anything about it. emellaich already said it, are those books DRM'd or not? (emellaich: at fictionwise, it's very clear what format the books are, what is allowed (such as reading aloud, printing, etc) and whether there is DRM on it or not).

One thing I don't like at Fictionwise, which you also have on your site: the categories are too few. Let's say I am browsing your site for a book, no matter what book (as in, I don't know an author, nor a title, I only know I want a sci-fi book), I have to browse 123 pages before I've seen all books. What I"d love to have is something where you can narrow your choices down. Look at Audible.com (select Sci-Fi and Fantasy, select view all titles, you can then narrow your choices down)

I'd love to see the implementation of the wishlist and bookshelf. Is it okay to create a dummy account?

I like the option to search for a series! But it didn't work as it should (I think). First, I went in search of a series and found one in the Fantasy category: "the Chronicles of the Necromancer" There should be at least three books, by Gail Z. Martin. I then went to the Advanced Search and searched for the keyword "necromancer" in the "Book series" field. I had the combobox on top filled with "Any" (I presume that means any word should be in that field, it needs a label, I think). I got 14254 books as result... I think it's not working at all

One thing should really be looked at, and that is the mouse cursor. griffonwing already mentioned it as well. It looks like the anchor isn't exactly spaced over the text and this will become highly annoying very soon.

Conclusion: it's looking very promising, if those last few points can be cleared up (and if that narrowing down of choices can be implemented, it'll be awesome!)

[ahammer]

ok where to start.

try the site in firefox/chrome/ie they seem to work in beside what is already sited.

cosmic changes

flash.. I hate flash on websites (like this). this one is better then then the one you have on old website but if im trying to read the catalog im not going to want something to blink and try to get my eye after I seen it once. (like if you play a tv program. then replaying the program and trying to view a second one.)

the color pallet seem a bit off to me the green/blue with brown and red I would pick one and try to stay within that color range.

logo is a bit childish...but that may have been what you were going for make it kid friendly.

non cosmic changes

1) it seem you can not select more/rss without select selecting the tab 1st. more may be ok but you would be able to select rss without going to that tab

2) I wonder why there is no rss under featured title
infact why is there no rss beside the two tabs in the main page

3) home does not work on the buttom of the page. link to /astak
when it sould be /astak/home.htm


hope this help. not trying to be rude. overall I think it is workable and would work as it stands now but I think the changes would make it better.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Just go to www.goEZebook.com and click the "administrator" button and then fill in this info!!

There is critical omission on the site!
Click on the Free eBook Sites link on the top of the page. There is no link to the Mobileread collection.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/ebo...&sort=dateline

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ahammer

flash.. I hate flash on websites (like this). this one is better then then the one you have on old website but if im trying to read the catalog im not going to want something to blink and try to get my eye after I seen it once. (like if you play a tv program. then replaying the program and trying to view a second one.)

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

[Sonist]

Tried the site in Safari 4, it works well.

In brief:

The small cover thumbnails are over-optimized, so the writing on them looks too fuzzy (on 24") and it kind of bugs me (I feel I need to visit the opthamologist).

The "Don't Miss List" sticker is..., well, it could be a bit better from a design standpoint, but in the very least, it may be a good idea if its links should pop a new window, so the user doesn't leave the site if they click on your blog.

Did you intend for Fiction, Non-Fiction and General FAQ to have the weird characters you see in the attached jpeg? Because that's how it looks on a Mac (both Firefox and Safari.)

Otherwise, it's a functional site. Good luck.