Frustrated with Car Toys

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Robert, I hope you have better luck with Car Toys than I did!

To be honest, the whole situation has made me a little hesitant to order an ebook reader right now. I know I wouldn't have any trouble ordering from www.theezreader.com, but I guess I'm just a little uneasy, especially given the number of people who are having difficulties with their Pocket Pros lately... I've shown this forum to my husband and told him about the quality of customer service I've seen here, and he's encouraging me to go ahead and order. So I will probably order sometime this weekend. Hopefully I'll get one that is in good working order and I won't have any trouble with it. Assuming I order this weekend, once it comes I'll charge it for a good 8-12 hours, and hopefully that will be sure everything goes smoothly. I've got a question, though. While it's charging, I realize I won't be able to connect it to my computer, but can I install the firmware upgrade and books with the SD card, or is it best to wait until it's completed it's charge cycle?

Thanks!

Some businesses end up with the wrong employee handling special orders. I will never shop Worst Buy because of how my special order was mis-handled.
Being located in the mainland US ha advantages in that Customs delays do not come into play if you should need to return your unit.

Just think. If you had ordered direct, you would have had it weeks ago

[polly]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Robert, I hope you have better luck with Car Toys than I did!

To be honest, the whole situation has made me a little hesitant to order an ebook reader right now. I know I wouldn't have any trouble ordering from www.theezreader.com, but I guess I'm just a little uneasy, especially given the number of people who are having difficulties with their Pocket Pros lately... I've shown this forum to my husband and told him about the quality of customer service I've seen here, and he's encouraging me to go ahead and order. So I will probably order sometime this weekend. Hopefully I'll get one that is in good working order and I won't have any trouble with it. Assuming I order this weekend, once it comes I'll charge it for a good 8-12 hours, and hopefully that will be sure everything goes smoothly. I've got a question, though. While it's charging, I realize I won't be able to connect it to my computer, but can I install the firmware upgrade and books with the SD card, or is it best to wait until it's completed it's charge cycle?

Thanks!

You can charge it while it's attached to the computer, but it might take a bit longer than if you plug it into the wall. If you want to start playing with your new toy right away, press any other key on the PEz when you connect. The computer will not see the PEz or SD card if you do this, so you'd have to use a card reader to load books.

Make sure you've charged it for at least 10-12 hours before you try to update the firmware. We're told that running out of power in the middle of the upgrade is a really bad thing. You have to install the firmware with the SD card. The Astak firmware doesn't have any way to move books from card to reader, so where you load them is where they'll stay.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Robert, I hope you have better luck with Car Toys than I did!

To be honest, the whole situation has made me a little hesitant to order an ebook reader right now. I know I wouldn't have any trouble ordering from www.theezreader.com, but I guess I'm just a little uneasy, especially given the number of people who are having difficulties with their Pocket Pros lately... I've shown this forum to my husband and told him about the quality of customer service I've seen here, and he's encouraging me to go ahead and order. So I will probably order sometime this weekend. Hopefully I'll get one that is in good working order and I won't have any trouble with it. Assuming I order this weekend, once it comes I'll charge it for a good 8-12 hours, and hopefully that will be sure everything goes smoothly. I've got a question, though. While it's charging, I realize I won't be able to connect it to my computer, but can I install the firmware upgrade and books with the SD card, or is it best to wait until it's completed it's charge cycle?

Thanks!

With firmware upgrades, I tend to have a fully charged battery, but I also using the AC adapter keep the PP on charge when doing to firmware upgrade. Some people do, some don't, but to me it is just another fail-safe measure to ensure the PP has power while upgrading.

[Davimee]

Originally Posted by theducks

Some businesses end up with the wrong employee handling special orders. I will never shop Worst Buy because of how my special order was mis-handled.

Just think. If you had ordered direct, you would have had it weeks ago

Yes, we've given up shopping BB, too. Although Worst Buy does seem a better name for them! And yes, I should have just gone and ordered directly from Astak. All this trouble just to try to save a few dollars...

Originally Posted by polly

Make sure you've charged it for at least 10-12 hours before you try to update the firmware. We're told that running out of power in the middle of the upgrade is a really bad thing. You have to install the firmware with the SD card. The Astak firmware doesn't have any way to move books from card to reader, so where you load them is where they'll stay.

Do most people load their books to the card, or directly to the reader? Is one better than the other?

Originally Posted by Solicitous

With firmware upgrades, I tend to have a fully charged battery, but I also using the AC adapter keep the PP on charge when doing to firmware upgrade. Some people do, some don't, but to me it is just another fail-safe measure to ensure the PP has power while upgrading.

Good idea, thanks! I think I'll just wait until the next day (after charging over night) to do the firmware upgrade, just to be safe.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions! I ordered it this afternoon, so hopefully it will come sometime this week!

[CCampbell202]

I load my books on the SD. This way I can still us Calibre to put books on the card without having to connect my reader to my computer.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Yes, we've given up shopping BB, too. Although Worst Buy does seem a better name for them! And yes, I should have just gone and ordered directly from Astak. All this trouble just to try to save a few dollars...



Do most people load their books to the card, or directly to the reader? Is one better than the other?



Good idea, thanks! I think I'll just wait until the next day (after charging over night) to do the firmware upgrade, just to be safe.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions! I ordered it this afternoon, so hopefully it will come sometime this week!

Dear Davimee:

The amount of people having problems has actually been quite small. But, it is a concern ANYTIME somebody gets a bad unit. I know the agravation and frustration. We are taking steps here to try to check the units now before we send out. They are ALL checked at the factory... but it would not hurt to light them up here before shipping. In any case, I am definitely here.

I am talking NOW with Car Toys on your problem with them. That really bothers me. They pride themselves on great customer service so thios id doubly perplexing.

[Davimee]

Thanks, CCampbell202, that sounds like a good idea!

Robertb, hopefully you were able to get things worked out with them. I think that if someone were to go into the store and buy the colors they have there, it would work out fine. Or hopefully this was just a fluke, and other people won't have any trouble ordering from Car Toys.

I ordered my Pocket Pro online on Sunday. It was shipped yesterday, and will be here tomorrow! I can hardly wait!!!!!! As soon as it gets here I'll plug it in to start its charge, so I can start using it on Thursday!!!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Thanks, CCampbell202, that sounds like a good idea!

Robertb, hopefully you were able to get things worked out with them. I think that if someone were to go into the store and buy the colors they have there, it would work out fine. Or hopefully this was just a fluke, and other people won't have any trouble ordering from Car Toys.

I ordered my Pocket Pro online on Sunday. It was shipped yesterday, and will be here tomorrow! I can hardly wait!!!!!! As soon as it gets here I'll plug it in to start its charge, so I can start using it on Thursday!!!

Dear Davimee:

I may well be even happier than you are that the Pocket PRO will soon be yours. After all that trouble you had... I praise you for sticking with us!

Yes, I have beaten my head against a stone wall at Car Toys over colors. I had to BEG them to get 35 Slate Blue. All they wanted was Black and White. I agree, they need to carry at least 5 of the colors. People get frustrated waiting for special orders. I will keep trying!! Car Toys could be SO good with the Pocket PRO if they really tried. They have a huge advantage over us... people can touch and feel the eBook before buying. BUT... they need to be brought up to speed on how to answer questions and sell eBook Readers. It is different than selling car stereo or mobile phones. People want answers!

When I buy a car stereo or a cell phone... I pretty much know in advance what I want and I have done my homework. I do not think that many do their "homework" on eBook Readers... they come to Car Toys for other things and then spot the eBook Readers. That means the sales force has to be more knowledgeable than: "I can install it today at 4 o'clock".

[Davimee]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Davimee:

I may well be even happier than you are that the Pocket PRO will soon be yours. After all that trouble you had... I praise you for sticking with us!

Yes, I have beaten my head against a stone wall at Car Toys over colors. I had to BEG them to get 35 Slate Blue. All they wanted was Black and White. I agree, they need to carry at least 5 of the colors. People get frustrated waiting for special orders. I will keep trying!! Car Toys could be SO good with the Pocket PRO if they really tried. They have a huge advantage over us... people can touch and feel the eBook before buying. BUT... they need to be brought up to speed on how to answer questions and sell eBook Readers. It is different than selling car stereo or mobile phones. People want answers!

Robert, to be honest, I almost didn't order one after the trouble with Car Toys. My Mom has an ipod and she really likes it, and I thought about going that route, instead. But then I started thinking about what I really want... I do like the idea of the e-ink display, as I think that would be easier on my eyes than another screen similar to my computer. And I just don't want all the other features... I just want to be able to read books! So I decided to go ahead and order from Astak, since that is what I really wanted. Now I just wish I had ordered it that way to begin with! Oh well, live and learn! I will be anxiously watching out the window tomorrow for FedEx!

[polly]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Do most people load their books to the card, or directly to the reader? Is one better than the other?

My observation is that there's no difference between card and reader as far as transfer speed, page turns or formatting books goes. Personally, I use it to help with book management.

All of my unread books get loaded to the card, with author as the first folder and series as a subfolder. After I read a book, I move it to the reader if I want to be able to read it again and then I delete if from the card. In this way, I only have unread books on the card. Please note that I use the LBook firmware, which supports copying and deleting books directly from the reader, so I can do this step without connecting to a computer. When the book is moved to the reader, the folder structure goes with it, so it is automatically where I want it to be permanently stored. I don't believe that the Astak firmware supports this feature at this time.

Calibre does the folder creation for me automatically and I tag all unread books in Calibre as unread so I can easily find and convert them. It sounds sort of complicated, but it's easy once it's set up.

[Davimee]

Thanks for the info Polly!