What features are important to you on new devices?

[theducks]

Robert
I keep seeing 2(+) different crowds responding here on MR

1) Academic use (Large touch screen, note taking, Dictionary, WiFi)

2) Just the books (E-Ink, TTS, Audio), Ma'm crowd (Catalog Navigation, Long Life battery, Lots of storage (types and loading options), Flexible formats...)


One size does NOT fit All.

The Academic niche looks fairly wide open for a dedicated (low cost, Big Screen) Textbook device. Currently only the DX appears in that area. (Does Astak even want to butt heads with King Kong?)


I belong to Group 2. My phone just make calls , My book reader (PEz), Just does Books , My computer does the other stuff

Can a I-phone/Droid user yak on the phone and read a document?

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Maggie:

I will see what we can do. I agree that having book covers and real book titles would dress it up!!

Now, if the factory can just do this.

Bob

Is this something the factory has to do? Can't you hire a programmer/designer to do something like that? I know Astak is making lots of investments right now, but I think this would be a good one to make that would give an excellent return. When I'm showing off the device, eye candy would make a difference. People really respond to the book covers, and they are turned off by seeing a list of filenames rather than a list of proper titles.

Think simple and elegant. I'm not a big Apple person in general but aesthetics is one thing they get absolutely right.

I don't know if it's a Jinke thing, but some of the companies who are rebranding the Netronix readers are doing this. Look at Kobo and Bookeen--two companies rebranding basically the same reader, and with great look and feel to the firmware, each quite different from the other and from the factory firmware. (That being said--there are things I prefer on the EZReader firmware with regard to functionality--not having to endlessly scroll through menus, for one thing.)

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by theducks

Robert
I keep seeing 2(+) different crowds responding here on MR

1) Academic use (Large touch screen, note taking, Dictionary, WiFi)

2) Just the books (E-Ink, TTS, Audio), Ma'm crowd (Catalog Navigation, Long Life battery, Lots of storage (types and loading options), Flexible formats...)


One size does NOT fit All.

The Academic niche looks fairly wide open for a dedicated (low cost, Big Screen) Textbook device. Currently only the DX appears in that area. (Does Astak even want to butt heads with King Kong?)


I belong to Group 2. My phone just make calls , My book reader (PEz), Just does Books , My computer does the other stuff

Can a I-phone/Droid user yak on the phone and read a document?

Dear Duckey:

You hit it right on the head. It is two different camps and the only question is will the factories realize that. One model will NOT fit all. We need a Basic model and a PRO model.

I hear you and agree. But factories are really "I own it and I will make what I want". I do not agree with this and I do think that by listening they can make more profit AND please their customers.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Is this something the factory has to do? Can't you hire a programmer/designer to do something like that? I know Astak is making lots of investments right now, but I think this would be a good one to make that would give an excellent return. When I'm showing off the device, eye candy would make a difference. People really respond to the book covers, and they are turned off by seeing a list of filenames rather than a list of proper titles.

Think simple and elegant. I'm not a big Apple person in general but aesthetics is one thing they get absolutely right.

I don't know if it's a Jinke thing, but some of the companies who are rebranding the Netronix readers are doing this. Look at Kobo and Bookeen--two companies rebranding basically the same reader, and with great look and feel to the firmware, each quite different from the other and from the factory firmware. (That being said--there are things I prefer on the EZReader firmware with regard to functionality--not having to endlessly scroll through menus, for one thing.)

Dear Maggie:

Here is the problem. Right now, because of the competition, Astak makes nothing, to speak of, on selling devices.

Yes, in the real world (and eBook Readers are not real world) a company would make 20% at least on each sale. If putting covers and eye candy on there would double sales they would say: "Let's get this done". But double nothing is still nothing.

We ARE hiring our own engineers over in Taiwan. I do not know; but once that is done and they are trained we can ask them. Otherwise we have to beg and plead with the factory who IS making money.

[Spiffy]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Maggie:

Here is the problem. Right now, because of the competition, Astak makes nothing, to speak of, on selling devices.

Yes, in the real world (and eBook Readers are not real world) a company would make 20% at least on each sale. If putting covers and eye candy on there would double sales they would say: "Let's get this done". But double nothing is still nothing.

We ARE hiring our own engineers over in Taiwan. I do not know; but once that is done and they are trained we can ask them. Otherwise we have to beg and plead with the factory who IS making money.

Point them towards the Buggins firmware as "proof" that it can be done without a major resource investment, but point out to them that a third party shouldn't be doing all this, since its a core of customers who DON'T go looking for hacked firmware (that's MOST customers) who needs to be satisfied here.

Of all the potential "firmware" features, I'd rate "pretty book covers instead of just file names" as a nice possible upgrade, but perhaps a hair less important than stuff like the ability to delete files (like the Buggins version has) or the simple ability to cut and paste book files between directories without the need for a computer (something Buggins version doesn't really do, since all he's really conquered is being able to copy and paste between the SD card and the internal memory). And maybe pie in the sky, an on-device hyperlinked sortable "catalog" (that's where thumbnailed "covers" might come in handy) and/or a search engine (there's no keyboard on the unit, but the number keys can be used for something like the T9 texting system people are used to on cell phones).

Certainly you can't promise us any of this, but if they need a direction overall point out that the competition (Kobo, Pocketbook, etc.) are doing some of this.

[Javed]

Good poll, voted!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

One feature I've found I will need is the ability to zoom in on images (especially PDFs), expanding them to the width of the device window (or more to eliminate excessive margins). Without zoom, a reader will be worthless to me.

[Latinandgreek]

As I already have a 6 inch reader that is perfect for reading fiction, my answers to this poll are based on my need for a larger reader that I would mostly use for academic reading. The most important features to me are great rendering of PDFs (especially very large files, scans, etc.), zoom, dictionaries, an e-ink (or e-paper) screen, and the ability to mark up documents. Anything else is gravy for me. One thing that I feel is missing from the poll is what sort of files users would want the reader to read - djvu, doc, html, etc.

[pholy]

I haven't mentioned it over at the Kobo threads, so you heard it first here:

Bluetooth can also give you a cheap remote control option as well as downloads from your computer. This would be useful not only for lazy people, but also for for people working out in exercise bikes or treadmills, and, much more important, for disabled people. The could have the reader mounted conveniently for viewing and the remote at their finger tips - or eyebrow, if that's their best control option. That kind of thing has been a particular burr of mine ever since I worked at a hospital/research centre for children many years ago.

In a related vein, I should point out that you don't need a touch screen to have a soft keyboard. It is quite feasible to use any single or multi-button control to select items from a screen. We wrote a research paper twenty-five (!) years ago on the subject. I have no idea now where it got published, but I still have a few paper copies around somewhere.

It wouldn't be the first time that making something accessible for disabled people made it more useful for the larger population...

[grumbles]

Another "feature" that is highly desirable is the ability to charge the the unit while using it. Sony has the right idea here where you can just plug an DC supply in and continue. It also charges much faster than using a USB port.

Cheers

[SaraD]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear SaraD:

First off, thank you. You did a great job and your thoughts are good.

On a separate thread on here, several users have found warranty programs that will cover even a broken screen. They seem to report the cost is quite reasonable and they cover everything. Scroll down through the threads and you should find it easily. It is called Squaresomething.

Yes, a broken screen is a worry... but so is being hit by lightning. I think, of all the units we have sold in three models totaled together... less than ten had a broken screen. The standard case that comes with the Pocket PRO does a great job of protecting the screen. You can also opt for a Stylz case. That has a third flap that is beveled to exactly fit the screen. I have that and feel it is ideal on protection and you get glove-soft leather to boot in about five colors. I think itis still $24.99.

There is no way to ruggedize the screen itself that I know. Regarding Touch Screen. the Sony uses what is known as "Over the E-Ink " technology. The plastic touch goes over the E-Ink thus cutting resolution significantly. "Under the E-Ink" is coming and that will not lower the resolution. That is what I hope to see us move to. Keep in mind that "Touch" can add $80-$90 to the selling price. That is a big jump!

Thank you for the reference, Robert. I went back and re-read the thread about Squaretrade. It looks very promising. I must have skimmed it too quickly the first time I read it.

I have a few questions about the broken screen numbers you mentioned, but I do not want to go off-topic so I will send those as a private message.

No, there is no way to ruggedize a piece of glass. But I keep hoping that somebody is going to come up with a plastic screen that is much more durable or a glass screen that is much less expensive and drops the costs. Or maybe I am finally going to have to give that up as being too far into the future. I will watch for your next poll / thread to specifically discuss touch screen options. I just hope that there is a basic touch screen option instead of that being the dividing line to add 3G, etc. I will have to make a decision by the end of this year as I have started checking out e-books from the library and cannot be tied to my PC this much.

The poll is up to 82 participants now.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Duckey:

You hit it right on the head. It is two different camps and the only question is will the factories realize that. One model will NOT fit all. We need a Basic model and a PRO model.

I'm not so sure that there are really 2 different camps divided as suggested. For example, I want a 9-inch reader but I'm definitely not in the academic camp. I want the larger screen so I can subscribe to my newspapers and magazines' electronic versions -- not RSS feeds but essentially duplicates of the print version -- and so I can more easily read nonfiction that incoporates a lot of images (I'm so tired of not being able to read, for example, an author's map or of being able to see the detail in a Ming vase photograph).

I do not consider 9 inches too large for fiction reading. Granted, at 9 inches the device would be more cumbersome to transport than my 6-inch Sony, if ease of transportation was my #1 concern, I would look at a 5-inch or smaller device.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I'm not so sure that there are really 2 different camps divided as suggested. For example, I want a 9-inch reader but I'm definitely not in the academic camp. I want the larger screen so I can subscribe to my newspapers and magazines' electronic versions -- not RSS feeds but essentially duplicates of the print version -- and so I can more easily read nonfiction that incoporates a lot of images (I'm so tired of not being able to read, for example, an author's map or of being able to see the detail in a Ming vase photograph).

I do not consider 9 inches too large for fiction reading. Granted, at 9 inches the device would be more cumbersome to transport than my 6-inch Sony, if ease of transportation was my #1 concern, I would look at a 5-inch or smaller device.

I see people on Transit reading Hard bound books all the time.

That would be equal to a stack of 3 @ 9" screen e-readers.
There are "Rugged" laptops and Cell phones. That feature doubles to triples the weight.
Large touchscreens more than doubles the cost of the display (LCD) and add an exponential malfunction level


Magazines and Newspapers are still being presented in the "Print" configuration".
Go visit some TV news Web pages. They are designed for a computer screen (landscape).
When the Web first got started, COLOR 15" monitors were the "current standard", there were still many users with 12"-14", Some even Mono-chrome.
Today, 20" Widescreen.
Tomorrow. 3-D?

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

As I already have a 6 inch reader that is perfect for reading fiction, my answers to this poll are based on my need for a larger reader that I would mostly use for academic reading. The most important features to me are great rendering of PDFs (especially very large files, scans, etc.), zoom, dictionaries, an e-ink (or e-paper) screen, and the ability to mark up documents. Anything else is gravy for me. One thing that I feel is missing from the poll is what sort of files users would want the reader to read - djvu, doc, html, etc.

Dear LatinandGreek:

The reason we did not put favorite reading formats on the poll is that all of our devices have at least 20 formats already on them and we do add via firmware upgrades. However, on this forum, so many people seem to convert anyway that format is not so much a major thing to this crowd. We will maintain as many as we can get the factory to put on.

Your point is good; but we almost consider the Astak as the tops in available formats and it seems to be less of a point now.

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by grumbles

Another "feature" that is highly desirable is the ability to charge the the unit while using it. Sony has the right idea here where you can just plug an DC supply in and continue. It also charges much faster than using a USB port.

Cheers

You can do that, at least with the Pocket Pro (I did it just the other night when I was right at the good part of a book and got the "low battery" warning). The reader comes with a USB power plug so you can plug directly into an electrical outlet and keep reading.