5" or 6" EZ Reader?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by silverraven

I'm in the market for an ebook reader. I'm thinking of getting one for my 83 year old mother.
5. User replaceable battery is *very* important!

7. Simple simple simple simple to use. Did I mention simple?

User replaceable battery is a Long Term (3 to 5 years) Usage feature. It means you don't have to send it to the factory, not that anyone of any age can do it. Tiny screw and small connector in a dark hole are more than many Seniors can deal with.

Nothing could be more simple than Clicking in a SD card.
Go for something with a BIG screen.
Changing fonts different ways (PEz) or rotation to read magnified is NOT simple.
A new book needs to come up in the correct size by default (unless you have one geeky minded mother that deals with tech).
I read with a font set so that is the same size as moden paperbacks. This results in a very annoying 2 or 3 pages after reflow.

My next reader will have a 9:16,tallscreen display wit a screen area the same as the printed area on a dead tree page.
The 8 level grey scale E-ink provides a crisp, easy on the eye and easy to read image.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

What cable are you using? Be sure it has the noise suppression feature. (A bulge in the cable where the filter is.)

I use a USB cable with my 505 that does not have the noise suppression and I have no problems at all.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I use a USB cable with my 505 that does not have the noise suppression and I have no problems at all.

I am very happy for you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I am very happy for you.

What I am meaning is that if you need the noise bump on the cable, there is a problem that needs sorting. Could be the computer or the USB device. But something is wrong.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I am meaning is that if you need the noise bump on the cable, there is a problem that needs sorting. Could be the computer or the USB device. But something is wrong.

I was trying to help the user to be successful and troubleshoot the problem he was having. I was not saying that there isn't something wrong. That is a totally different issue. Just remember the story about the Alligators and the swamp.

Dale

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by silverraven

I'm in the market for an ebook reader. I'm thinking of getting one for my 83 year old mother.

I have an EZ Reader Basic and a Pocket Pro, but in this case I think the Mentor Lite 2 is your best bet from Astak. It is from a different factory than the EZ Readers, but most of the hardware has been around for a long time (the 8 grayscales is new) and the software has been somewhat debugged in similar devices (e.g. Cool-er). The user interface is based on a D-pad and menus, which is a bit easier to learn than the EZ Reader's numbered key approach. It also has 8 font sizes, vs 2-3 (or 5 for some formats) on the EZ Readers.

The PRS-600 has 5 font sizes, so I think the Mentor Lite 2 is a better fit for older eyes than the Sony. Both have Adobe Digital Editions for PDFs and for ePubs. I have seen a couple of reports that recent ADE devices (e.g. from Astak) have better PDF reflow than the Sony's, but my limited experience is that they are about the same. If your PDFs were designed to be e-books, then they should reflow ok (in reflow the PDF gets converted to text and the font size can then increase like other ebook formats). A letter/A4 PDF that does not reflow will be unreadable on a 6" screen, even if the screen is rotated to landscape.

My only hesitation in recommending the Mentor Lite is that it is a new device, with no actual user reports of how well it works yet. The PRS-600 is a good device, although its touch screen increases glare, and if its largest font size if big enough then it is a safe choice.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The PRS-600 is a good device, although its touch screen increases glare, and if its largest font size if big enough then it is a safe choice.

The largest font size on the 600 is too large (IMHO) for a 6" screen. If someone needs text that big, I suggest going with a reader that has a larger screen.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The largest font size on the 600 is too large (IMHO) for a 6" screen. If someone needs text that big, I suggest going with a reader that has a larger screen.

Even in landscape mode (which allows more words per line)?

The obvious large screen choice is the iRex DR800SG, but it is completely untested. The other Readers from iRex have been very good for PDFs, but this will be the first one with Adobe Digital Editions. Note that screen size isn't the only factor, the Kindle DX for example has the same font sizes as the Kindle 2 for ebooks and only two sizes (portrait and landscape) for PDFs. The Kindle DX is not a good choice in this case.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Even in landscape mode (which allows more words per line)?

The obvious large screen choice is the iRex DR800SG, but it is completely untested. The other Readers from iRex have been very good for PDFs, but this will be the first one with Adobe Digital Editions. Note that screen size isn't the only factor, the Kindle DX for example has the same font sizes as the Kindle 2 for ebooks and only two sizes (portrait and landscape) for PDFs. The Kindle DX is not a good choice in this case.

In many cases, a whole paragraph will not fit on the screen.
Talk about breaking "readers trance".

That size might be great for reading to the Great Grand kids

[jboardman]

If the Irex DR800SG is anything like the Iliad, it will be a GREAT device. But, as you say, no one has yet tested it or put it through its paces. Here we have gone through a full week of November, and the device has yet to surface. My hope is that Irex is making sure ALL the features work correctly before they let it out to market. Time to exercise some patience, me thinks.
!

[Robertb]

Dear All:

As always, I work for Astak and you should be aware that I may be biased. On the other hand, I have an elderly mother 89 years old.

Screen size can be important. Astak will unveil new 9.7 inch devices at the CES show in Las Vegas (January 7-10) in two diferent lines.

BUT... from my mother's perspective it is not all screen size. WEIGHT is a major factor with seniors. Often arthritic, senior wrists and hands feel the weight long before the rest of us do. The 5 inch Pocket PRO weighs only 5.8 ounces. It will also display in landscape mode for large font sizing.

The Mentor Lite now is in Version 2. The new Mentor Lite has the Epson Controller for fast page turns now, has EIGHT levels of font size increase, and weighs 6.5 ounces. It is a decent choice because of the 8 graduated font increases and it has Sudoku included on it and many seniors like that. That is $239 on www.astak.com It also has a user-replaceable rechargeable battery.

My personal feeling is that a 9.7 inch or 10 inch screened eBook Reader is NOT what a senior wants as they are heavy. That weight will go right to the wrist and will ruin the experience! My mom saw our 9.7 inch prototype and disliked it for that reason: "Bobby, I could never hold this for an hour".

I hope that this helps!

[Chiron]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:

Screen size can be important. Astak will unveil new 9.7 inch devices at the CES show in Las Vegas (January 7-10) in two diferent lines.

Can you say something more about that? Or it falls under the NDA? Is close to the ones show as prototypes in Jinke Page? Do it have Glass or Plastic sustrate? Any info would be nice

[silverraven]

he Mentor Lite now is in Version 2. The new Mentor Lite has the Epson Controller for fast page turns now, has EIGHT levels of font size increase, and weighs 6.5 ounces. It is a decent choice because of the 8 graduated font increases and it has Sudoku included on it and many seniors like that. That is $239 on www.astak.com It also has a user-replaceable rechargeable battery.

So that is the Mentor Lite 2. Ahhhh, now I am intrigued! One more question for you. Do you have to use a synching software, or can I just drop books onto a SDHC card, and then my mom pop it in? And, are both the black and white the Mentor Lite 2?
And yes, you are VERY correct with the weight issue. I would not consider any reader over a 6" screen for mom. It would kill her hands. She can't even read a hard back book for that reason. So glad you have an older mom to give you input. They need simple. So many companies are getting more and more complicated.
Does the Mentor Lite 2 do library books? Our library does Adobe DE pdfs?
Just out of curiosity, how long will it be at that price? Got to get all the brothers and sisters together on this, may take a few days.
OK, so it was more than One more question! Sorry!
Thanks for your answers everyone!
S

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:
The Mentor Lite now is in Version 2. The new Mentor Lite has the Epson Controller for fast page turns now, has EIGHT levels of font size increase, and weighs 6.5 ounces. It is a decent choice because of the 8 graduated font increases and it has Sudoku included on it and many seniors like that. That is $239 on www.astak.com...

Robert, I don't think that the Mentor Lite is currently up on the website you have linked to. I see the Mentor, but not the Mentor Lite.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Chiron

Can you say something more about that? Or it falls under the NDA? Is close to the ones show as prototypes in Jinke Page? Do it have Glass or Plastic sustrate? Any info would be nice

Dear Chiron:

As posted elsewhere, the Flexi plastic screens are supposed to be running on lines by now. BOTH of our factories promise 9.7 inch devices. BOTH will have booths at CES. No advance word from them on this at all. Surmize they are saving their thunder for CES.

I am in the dark on this too.