Mentor arrived today, and...

[smallhagrid]

Nice looking, bigger than the JB was, but very light in the hand - seeing a battery door is also very encouraging after the non-replaceable battery JB.

So I pressed the power button.
(I admit I was spoiled by getting a 100% FULLY CHARGED Augen TheBook...)
Nifty grayscale display....nice enough title page...and sloooowly it arrived at the menu page....and....and....and....nothing works.

Battery indicator says 1/2 full, so I try to power it off...won't do it.
It's too early to be needing the reset button, but there it went - reset - tried one more time - same exact deal.

OK, looked at the book - website - they say to charge it 12 hours out of the box, so on the charger it goes.

Funky charge LED.
Started out alternating red/green rapidly - then to solid yellowish.
I'm guessing it'll go green when charged, but I'll see what it is doing after I sleep....hoping very much I did not get one of the defective-out-of-the-box ones I saw in the reviews !!!

Speaking of which it is very interesting how the reviews seem to be mostly glowing - or horrible, with very little middle ground.

There were 3 kinds of readers for $99 at Newegg - and I considered this one vs. the Foxit eSlick until I saw it is discontinued and the company is getting out of readers (and it has the WORST warranty I've seen).

So I took a chance on this one and I sure hope I will not be sorry I bought it and have to return it after all.

BTW:
I see the FW for the Cooler Reader is suggested for it and that their instructions are the ones which actually work too - so they must be the same unit from the same source being sold with different firmware and paint jobs.
(That makes me wonder if a person could just get this reader from the actual Asian maker of it for much less money somehow with the correct info in hand ?)

Well, that's all for now - I'll likely post more after it has had it's required 12 hour charging session.

I sure dislike feeling let-down right from the start though.

mark

[basschick]

don't feel bad - i had to charge my cybook when i got it, and it's been great for me ever since

[theducks]

A Initial charge is pretty much standard for any device with rechargable batteries.
Smart charge devices take a few charge cycles to "calibrate"
Failurre to follow the initial charge routine can result in a confused charg level indicator
12Hours is an "over charge" time. The trickle tops off the battery after the initial "full" indicator pop up.

It may take 3 or 4 of these long charges to settle down. Do not confuse your device, follow the directions.

[smallhagrid]

OK, better now somewhat - after one verrrrry loooong charge time - and it still says 1/2 charged even after a 14 hour charge...?
But it does work, and now I shall endeavor to enjoy it.
That must have been one seriously dead battery I guess.
The LED never did go green, and if I plug it in again it now goes solid red - and this all makes me think the LED color/state is really sort of meaningless...?

mark

[eGeezer]

I have also noted that the color depends on whether you look straight into the little hole, or from an off angle.

[HarryT]

It generally takes a couple of charge/discharge cycles to properly calibrate the power gauge on any eBook reader. I'd suggest using it now until you get a "flat battery" warning, then fully charging it, and using that again until it's flat.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

I have also noted that the color depends on whether you look straight into the little hole, or from an off angle.

She has a Mentor, not a PEz.
Common as fleas, R-G,R+G, Tri-state LED in the charge /power circuit is probably one of the few in-common features they have.

Initial battery charges take WAY longer than they will after the initial conditioning.Thes is a Battery thing, not a reader thing.
Break the battery in properly, and it will give outstanding service. Short charge, and

[smallhagrid]

Thanks for all the helpful info !
Noted, will do, and hope to become quite addicted to this reader...

mark

[smallhagrid]

Out of the box this is a disappointing unit.

As I posted elsewhere:

No matter which file type it opens ONLY to the menu and does not even try to return to the open book.
Nasty. Very Nasty.

Starts VERRRRRY slowly-> MUST then display the ridiculous, useless grayscale animation-> stops at the 'Green Book' logo for too long-> and only THEN finally gets to the main menu.
A mere 5 or 6 more selections and I am FINALLY at my book. Woof.
Nice device.....Rotten software.

I will be posting a comparison/review based upon my experiences with 3 readers very soon.
But first I will be installing the 'Cooler Reader' firmware I've downloaded.
No way do I wish to try Astak's firmware unless it is somehow magically ALOT better...?

Best Wishes.

mark

[o0-0o]

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

Nice looking, bigger than the JB was, but very light in the hand - seeing a battery door is also very encouraging after the non-replaceable battery JB.

So I pressed the power button.
(I admit I was spoiled by getting a 100% FULLY CHARGED Augen TheBook...)
Nifty grayscale display....nice enough title page...and sloooowly it arrived at the menu page....and....and....and....nothing works.

Battery indicator says 1/2 full, so I try to power it off...won't do it.
It's too early to be needing the reset button, but there it went - reset - tried one more time - same exact deal.

OK, looked at the book - website - they say to charge it 12 hours out of the box, so on the charger it goes.

Funky charge LED.
Started out alternating red/green rapidly - then to solid yellowish.
I'm guessing it'll go green when charged, but I'll see what it is doing after I sleep....hoping very much I did not get one of the defective-out-of-the-box ones I saw in the reviews !!!

Speaking of which it is very interesting how the reviews seem to be mostly glowing - or horrible, with very little middle ground.

There were 3 kinds of readers for $99 at Newegg - and I considered this one vs. the Foxit eSlick until I saw it is discontinued and the company is getting out of readers (and it has the WORST warranty I've seen).

So I took a chance on this one and I sure hope I will not be sorry I bought it and have to return it after all.

BTW:
I see the FW for the Cooler Reader is suggested for it and that their instructions are the ones which actually work too - so they must be the same unit from the same source being sold with different firmware and paint jobs.
(That makes me wonder if a person could just get this reader from the actual Asian maker of it for much less money somehow with the correct info in hand ?)

Well, that's all for now - I'll likely post more after it has had it's required 12 hour charging session.

I sure dislike feeling let-down right from the start though.

mark

I just got mine last Thursday. It came with completed dead battery. I can not even turn the device on. I charged it fully and it worked then.