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

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

A good short term goal would be to make the EZ Reader's MOBI support better than that provided by the Kindle (which started from exactly the same Java MobiPocket Reader as used by the Hanlin). Areas for improvement include:

a) The EZ Reader only has 3 font sizes, vs 6 on the Kindle and these are about font sizes 3,4,5 from the Kindle. So the smallest EZ Reader font may be a bit big for some readers. I suggest 5 font sizes, like the EZ Reader already has for FB2 ebooks.

b) The Kindle allows either full or left justification. The EZ Reader only has full justification, which can lead to large spaces between words with a large font size. I suggest adding left justification.

c) Both the Kindle and the EZ Reader have a very wide line spacing, which is much too large particularly at large font sizes. Either allow this to be set by the user (like with FB2 now), or reduce the fixed spacing.

d) The Windows version of MobiPocket also has an "always bold" option, which is helpful on EInk screens that favour heavier fonts. I suggest adding an always bold option, or a heavier font.

e) All other MobiPocket Readers support MOBI dictionary lookup. This would be a valuable addition to the EZ Reader. If you want to go the extra mile, add MOBI dictionary lookup to all ebook formats (this may be hard, but it has been done on the iLiad DR1000).

Another feature of the Kindle is support for making screenshots (a copy of the bitmap displayed on the screen). The Kindle does this with a key combination (<alt><shift>G), but a "good enough" approach would be to add it to the base system menu with a 30-second delay (to get back to the screen you want a shot of). For Kindle screenshots that illustrate the 6 Kindle font sizes (compare to the same ebook on your EZ Reader), see Font Sizes.

Dear Wallcraft:

I am taking your entire email exactly as written and sending it to Jinke for a full and itemized answer. As always, you surpass my knowledge on what needs to be done. I will TRY to rush these ideas into production in time for the EZ Reader Plus and EZ Reader Pro launches.

Also, I did check and Rhino Skin is still making titanium and aluminum crush-resistant cases. I have emailed them to start a dialoque.

Robert B

[moz]

Originally Posted by Robertb

WOW!! This thread really heated up in a hurry! It is obvious that people have a lot they are wishing for in the future

Yup. I'm also wanting a new device so I have a pretty direct interest in what you're releasing and how soon I can get one...

do you ladies and gentlemen want to be able to turn-on and read the device while it is closed; or are you willing to open the case to utilize the device?

For me, it's all about keeping the device safe when it's not in use. Not even I can read through a sheet of aluminium

Thanks for being here, Robert, it's great to know that someone who makes liseuses is reading our ramblings.

[SaraD]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Happy holidays to all:

Should this case be a "carrying case" or a "full-use" case? In other words, do you ladies and gentlemen want to be able to turn-on and read the device while it is closed; or are you willing to open the case to utilize the device?

Robert B

I had an opportunity to play with a Dell Axim for a while that had the Rhino case and it was great - a good fit and still quite usable in the case. I would vote for having to open the case to use the device, but not have to take it out in order to do so, rather like the crush-resistant case, but sturdier materials.

[pkovak]

Yes, I think it would be better if the cover worked like cover on paper books, you open one side and read, but the cover is still "attached".
What you can do and it could have pretty good results, is take some small book or simply some block of material with dimensions close to eReader and make several types of covers from hard paper. Price of that is virtually zero, and you can experiment with it to see what is good or bad idea. It can't give you final solution, but it can discard some of them or tell you what can be good.

As I said, I am for using the device without taking it out of cover. But it has to have two things in mind:

1) One side easy to open, so you can work with it like with a book. Probably magnetic lock. But it still should not open whenever it wants, only when user want.

2) Two ways of attaching device to cover - one temporary, like putting eReader in a bag, for people who decide they want to take the device out for reading. And the second one where we can firmly attach eReader to cover, so it can't drop out by accident, even when user is reading and the whole package starts heading for a ground in a hurry.
Basicaly, there are two environments people will use your book: safe and unsafe. Unsafe environment means bus, walking on the street, etc. When you are reading "just one last chapter" in a bed, it's relatively safe environment. You don't need cover there most of the time. In unsafe environment, I would worry about my eReader quite a lot if it was not in cover. It can't do miracles, but it can help a lot.

Personally, I think the cover could be made from two types of materials: one sturdy, that could prevent crushing, and second one softer, to soften the impact. Like leather, but with alluminium or hard plastic inside, so it's not visible, but do it's work. Now if I want to read, I simply open one side and read it like a book.

Another idea that can help you with locating worst problems: talk to people who do eReader servicing when someone send it back for repairs or new one. They should have pretty good idea which parts are broken most of the time and in some cases even how it happened. Even when they don't use eReaders themselves, they have probably seen more broken ones then most users.

[pkovak]

There were several suggestions that the software should support Calibre. I won't tell you exactly this, but lets say our hypothetical eReader knows formats A,B,C and D. Your software knows formats A,B,C,D and E.
If I use your software to add another book in format A-D, no problem, simple copy (and yes, folders would be great, I think it's must have in large library most of interested people have). Now what if I have book in format E? Software knows my eReader don't understand it, so best solution is to ask me if I want to convert it to one of the other formats (Calibre converts mainly to epub, good choice seems to me from epub wiki, not personal experience). If I say yes, then it's converted and the result uploaded to eReader.

Another thing: some devices can't be used as mass storage device. Don't do this. I may have some reason to put that 100 MB video file in it, I can't use it in an eReader, but I can download it somewhere else. My device, my choice. Don't restrict download / upload to your software.
Oh, and manging several cards with books? Like in PCs, several logical drives, but with option to search everywhere with single search. People will understand this. If you take it far enough and you really add folders, you can have a search function that will work in folder user choose, if he does not want to search through 500 books, but only 10. But this same search function have to be able to search even through these 500 books. User's choice.

[Xenophon]

On thinking more carefully about my request that you support user-added menus , I've realized that there's only one part of that feature that's really crucial; all the rest is just "nice to have."

The crucial feature is the ability to have a user-produced or user-provided document that can contain links to other documents. Selecting one of those links would open the other document (in the appropriate reader) as though it had been selected from a device menu.

All the rest of what I asked for (menu-wise) can be built by end-users from that building block alone.

Xenophon

[brecklundin]

I would add one suggestion that i very important to a small minority of users but I feel would actually work well and be enjoyed by users who do not need this modification directly.

But those of us with hand problems generally have problems gripping things for long periods, or as in my case, even shorter periods. We drop things without warning. Some of us have simply stopped reading because we cannot hold a simple paperback book open.

What would make a HUGE difference is to have a hand strap across the back. It could be in the form of a flip out handle style similar to the 'kickstand' on the Nokia N800. It could also be non-integrated to the device but instead part of a 'skin' (someone mentioned Camera Armor which is amazing stuff) that wraps around the back of the device. Currently TabletKiosk offers the exact style of skin w/back hand strap on the back which allows one to easily hold their slate PC's in one hand while writing on the device with the other. Since I am butchering the concept here is a link to what it would look like:

http://www.tabletkiosk.com/tkstore/p...&idproduct=235

You can see there is an elastic hand strap on the back...this would would GREAT on an ereader device. It also would go a long way to reduce the chance of the reader being dropped while being used by anyone. The ergonomics of single handed reading would need to be considered when designing the skin/strap solution. But I am sure that can be solved by your design folks pretty easily. I will say if the Kindle I bought (and hate completely for several reasons) had this sort of accessory I might consider using it a bit instead of reading outside on my OLD Sony Clie w/transreflective display.

I also mentioned a flip down 'kickstand' integrated "stand" like is found on the Nokia N800. I use this not as a stand but rather as a brace to allow single handed reading on the N800. It works just fine and I have yet to drop or feel pain as a result of holding the device for an hour or more. Still I think for an eink device I would prefer the skin with adjustable elastic hand strap across the back...and access to page turning buttons would be a nice bonus for single handed reading.

Sorry if this was a tad scatter brained but I think i got the idea across...I will only add a lot of folks who read the most have physical limitations and reading might be the only recreation they have other than TV so anything that allows access to reading more would be a good thing.

[ficbot]

I don't have one yet, but I might buy a future model if my needs could be met. My wish list:

- Support for secure eReader
- Price of $150 or less

[pkovak]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I don't have one yet, but I might buy a future model if my needs could be met. My wish list:

- Support for secure eReader
- Price of $150 or less

I don't know what you mean by secure eReader, but I think price under $150 for 9.7" eReader is not something expected in near future

[igorsk]

Secure eReader is an eBook file format. See www.ereader.com.

[zresu]

Is there a release Date for your device?
I am anxious to hold this Device in m own Hands.

(sorry for my bad english)

[pkovak]

I am not anxious, I am practicaly drooling all over keyboard just reading about it!

If it really integrates the features we are speaking about, making it more useful and user friendly, it's the first eReader I really want. I have read a lot about the others, but touchscreen + large display + good management looks great.

[brecklundin]

I thought of a couple more comments in terms of a case.

1. I would NOT want a case that simulates a book if I have to hold the cover open while reading. I cannot physically make that happen.
   
2. I like the idea of a hard case that can be used with the reader attached or removed. Rhino Skin makes some great stuff. I think they would be a nice choice of mfg.
   
3. It would also be nice for some "weather sealing" of the device...two areas I could see this useful. First is bathtub or pool side and the other is by a lake or even at the beach. Water is the obvious villain of the first three but salt air and sand are the villains at the beach. So a well sealed case that could literally be washed or submerged in water to clean and rinse off salt air residue and/or sand would be a nice touch. Think of the marketing...the commercial opens with the reader floating at the bottom of a pool or aquarium. Then the owner retrieves the device, wipes it quickly with a towel and goes back to reading...plus there would be genuine commercial applications of such a device with a touch screen in engineering field work when conditions are sub-optimal but dataand notes need to be recorded or reference info looked up.
   
4. And again some of us would really appreciate a way to securely hand hold the device w/o worrying about dropping it accidentally. I actually like the feel of rubber back on the Kindle which if combined with the hand strap or "kick stand" (I know the kick stand might be far less practical and it's honestly not my fav but I find it works great as a secure handle on the N800) I mentioned in my post a couple posts back, would be just IDEAL.

[pkovak]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

I thought of a couple more comments in terms of a case.

1. I would NOT want a case that simulates a book if I have to hold the cover open while reading. I cannot physically make that happen.

I agree that for some people it would not be ideal or possible. Maybe we could select from more then one cover? Or the cover may have magnet or some other kind of holding on the back of the cover and when you turn the left side of the cover all the way to the back, it would hold there itself. It decreases protection from crushing that I was talking about before, but it would be handy.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by pkovak

I am not anxious, I am practicaly drooling all over keyboard just reading about it!

If it really integrates the features we are speaking about, making it more useful and user friendly, it's the first eReader I really want. I have read a lot about the others, but touchscreen + large display + good management looks great.

Keep in mind, all, that I am taking all the suggestions to CES and to our two factories. Some they will say they cannot do, some they will say fine and give a preliminary price. I also would like to design and build the "ideal" eBook Reader... but it will be a process and there will be trade-offs.

I also keep working on the case issue. One of the things discussed so far is an aluminum bottom and sides for rigidity with a leather top. This would give the protection needed while making the device controls accessible. ALSO... I need note the comment for a "kickstand" or hand strap and will try to work on that too. I recently had an operation and know what it is like to scream inpain just to sit up. I will work on it.

Just do not expect instantaneous.

Robert B