STAReBOOK review on MobileRead soon? - Page 2

CommanderROR · 12-10-2006, 11:27 AM

Still waiting for another reply from Stareread...I hope they won't go all iRex and delay forever...^^

Ebook lover · 12-10-2006, 09:14 PM

Where can I buy one?

NatCh · 12-10-2006, 11:31 PM

Right now, it sounds like the answer is "China."

amanman · 12-12-2006, 04:15 AM

I read a review of STAReBOOK on this website,
http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT5277698708.html,

Taiwan-based e-book specialist eRead is shipping a Linux-based electronic book reader featuring an electrophoretic (aka electronic paper) display (EPD). The low-power, thin, light-weight Star eBook STK-101 can be used to read as many as 60 books on a single charge, the company claims.

eRead's Star eBook reader

Star eBook's
home menu
(Click to enlarge)
Spread the word:
digg this story

eRead publishes digital books, magazines, and comic books for the Chinese market. The company's Star eBook reader appears to support only its proprietary format -- at least, no other formats are listed as supported. However, the company does appear to offer an eRead Editor PC application for users wishing to "compile and share" material for the device.

eRead positions the Star eBook as the lightest and thinnest available eBook reader. The device uses a high-contrast EPD display element from E-Ink, which offers Linux-based EPD development kits. E-Ink's EPD displays have also been used in Motorola's Motofone, which shipped this week in India, and in another Linux-based eBook reader from iRex.

EPD displays require no power to hold an image, once it has been set. eRead claims that the Star eBook can display between 6,000 and 10,000 pages on a single battery charge -- roughly the equivalent of 60 paper-based books. Additionally, the device can play back audio books, language tutorials, or music files encoded as MP3 files.

eRead says that the Star eBook's high reflectivity EPD display provides a newsprint-like reading experience that does not injur or fatigue the eyes during extending reading sessions. The six-inch, 4-level grayscale display has a resolution of 800x600.

Close-up of Star eBook STK-101 display
(Click for full-sized view)

What's under the hood?

The Star eBook STK-101 is based on a Samsung S3C2410A SoC (system-on-chip), powered by an ARM-920T core clocked at 200MHz. The chip has an MMU (memory management unit) and 16KB each of instruction and data cache.

The STK-101 boots Linux from a 4MB boot ROM, and has 16MB of 32-bit SDRAM. The device also has 64MB of DataFlash, for user file storage, expandable via SD/MMC cards up to 1GB.

On the software side, the STK-101's embedded operating system is based on a 2.4.18 Linux kernel.

The device measures 7.4 x 4.6 x 0.3 inches (188 x 118 x 8mm), and weighs 6.2 ounces (176 grams) with its 3.7-Volt, 800mAh lithium-ion battery.

eRead developed the STK-101 itself, at its headquarters in Cheng Du, Taiwan, according to Spokesperson "Christine."

"Everyone who touches [the device] and uses it will want it. It is really cool, and I have one

," Christine added.

Availability

The eRead Star eBook is available now, direct from Taiwan, at a retail price of $400, excluding shipping. It is packaged in a box resembling a hard-cover book (pictured at right).

TadW · 12-12-2006, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amanman

I read a review of STAReBOOK on this website,
http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT5277698708.html...

Please... this is not a review, but the typical PR blurb we've seen from this company so many times. They are going to shoot themselves in the foot like this, worse so if they don't reply to CommanderROR's offer for a review.

CommanderROR · 12-14-2006, 03:50 AM

News from Staretek:

They are out of devices right now, but as soon as they have stock again he'll get in contact with me about the review sample.
Apart from the "spamvertising" here on the forums, the behaviour of the company seems to be quite OK from my personal experience so far. The guy I'm talking to, Ivan, seems to be interested in getting his device reviewed and also promised to look into the Software issue I've been having with their .stk maker software.

Further news as they become available, but I'm starting to get carefully optimistic on this one. I remember iRex's early days where they would not even answer emails and stuff like that...^^

CommanderROR · 12-20-2006, 10:00 AM

UPDATE:

Ivan from Staretek just contacted me and said that he should be able to supply a device for review in early January. So all you eink fans will have to wait a little longer for the review...

But remember how long we had to wait for the iRex Iliad and the Sony Reader...^^

CommanderROR · 01-15-2007, 12:45 PM

UPDATE:

I had another communication from Ivan today asking for my address, so I guess things could be coming together soon...I'm looking forward to having a second eink device to compare and review next to the Iliad.

Bob Russell · 01-15-2007, 01:39 PM

Wonderful! It is early January, so it sounds like they are right on schedule. Can't wait to hear what you think about it, and I think we are all eager to have some more device options in the market.

CommanderROR · 01-16-2007, 03:03 AM

UPDATE:

Ivan just emailed me that he has sent the device. Now I'll just have to wait and hope it gets through German Customs in one piece and without too much VAT and Tax added...but so far the whole process has gone very nicely.
Congratulations to STAReTEK for handling this so well up to this point.

Ivan also tells me that the STAReBOOK now has a new firmware with added functions and that the eREAD software and STK-Maker are being updated and bundled into one application.
They also apparently have a new website up...visit http://ebook.stareread.com/en/

Alexander Turcic · 01-16-2007, 04:42 AM

That's very good news, Roland! I cannot wait to hear your opinion on the starebook!

nekokami · 01-16-2007, 09:18 AM

Interesting. I checked out the new website, followed a link to http://shop.isoshu.com/zh/ and found a price in 3500 (presumably Taiwan Dollars). That converts to about US$107. Now that's a price I'd consider paying, even for a device without a stylus or support for a range of formats without conversion.

CommanderROR · 01-16-2007, 10:09 AM

OK folks.

I just tried the new eRead3 Software that now works on my System (Ivan told me the problem was due to different language versions of Windows) and created a book quite quickly.

I don't have the ebook device yet of course, but I created a test-ebook with the software just now and it was pretty fast and easy, the resulting file was small and apart from the lack of customizable fonts (which i'm sure could be added) it seems to be working fine.
At the moment there is little the user can change about the file that is created, but I hope that this will change with future revision.

I'd advise anyone interested in the ebook device to look into the software and see how he likes it.

@nekokami
If what you found is correct, then this could very well become one of the major ebook players...I'm starting to get more and more interested in this device...:-)

sea2stars · 01-16-2007, 03:37 PM

I think the $107 unit price might be closer to the $500 range.

3,500.00 CNY = 449.29 USD

1,988.00 MYR = 567.78 USD

nekokami · 01-16-2007, 05:18 PM

Not being able to read the page very well, I took a guess that the cost was in Taiwan dollars, but I agree, the cost assuming Yuan seems a lot more likely.

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12-10-2006, 11:27 AM	#16
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	Still waiting for another reply from Stareread...I hope they won't go all iRex and delay forever...^^

12-10-2006, 09:14 PM	#17
Ebook lover NUUT, Cybook Device Posts: 49 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: O2	Where can I buy one?

12-10-2006, 11:31 PM	#18
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Right now, it sounds like the answer is "China."

12-12-2006, 04:15 AM	#19
amanman Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2006	I read a review of STAReBOOK on this website, http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT5277698708.html, Taiwan-based e-book specialist eRead is shipping a Linux-based electronic book reader featuring an electrophoretic (aka electronic paper) display (EPD). The low-power, thin, light-weight Star eBook STK-101 can be used to read as many as 60 books on a single charge, the company claims. eRead's Star eBook reader Star eBook's home menu (Click to enlarge) Spread the word: digg this story eRead publishes digital books, magazines, and comic books for the Chinese market. The company's Star eBook reader appears to support only its proprietary format -- at least, no other formats are listed as supported. However, the company does appear to offer an eRead Editor PC application for users wishing to "compile and share" material for the device. eRead positions the Star eBook as the lightest and thinnest available eBook reader. The device uses a high-contrast EPD display element from E-Ink, which offers Linux-based EPD development kits. E-Ink's EPD displays have also been used in Motorola's Motofone, which shipped this week in India, and in another Linux-based eBook reader from iRex. EPD displays require no power to hold an image, once it has been set. eRead claims that the Star eBook can display between 6,000 and 10,000 pages on a single battery charge -- roughly the equivalent of 60 paper-based books. Additionally, the device can play back audio books, language tutorials, or music files encoded as MP3 files. eRead says that the Star eBook's high reflectivity EPD display provides a newsprint-like reading experience that does not injur or fatigue the eyes during extending reading sessions. The six-inch, 4-level grayscale display has a resolution of 800x600. Close-up of Star eBook STK-101 display (Click for full-sized view) What's under the hood? The Star eBook STK-101 is based on a Samsung S3C2410A SoC (system-on-chip), powered by an ARM-920T core clocked at 200MHz. The chip has an MMU (memory management unit) and 16KB each of instruction and data cache. The STK-101 boots Linux from a 4MB boot ROM, and has 16MB of 32-bit SDRAM. The device also has 64MB of DataFlash, for user file storage, expandable via SD/MMC cards up to 1GB. On the software side, the STK-101's embedded operating system is based on a 2.4.18 Linux kernel. The device measures 7.4 x 4.6 x 0.3 inches (188 x 118 x 8mm), and weighs 6.2 ounces (176 grams) with its 3.7-Volt, 800mAh lithium-ion battery. eRead developed the STK-101 itself, at its headquarters in Cheng Du, Taiwan, according to Spokesperson "Christine." "Everyone who touches [the device] and uses it will want it. It is really cool, and I have one ," Christine added. Availability The eRead Star eBook is available now, direct from Taiwan, at a retail price of $400, excluding shipping. It is packaged in a box resembling a hard-cover book (pictured at right).

12-14-2006, 03:50 AM	#21
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	News from Staretek: They are out of devices right now, but as soon as they have stock again he'll get in contact with me about the review sample. Apart from the "spamvertising" here on the forums, the behaviour of the company seems to be quite OK from my personal experience so far. The guy I'm talking to, Ivan, seems to be interested in getting his device reviewed and also promised to look into the Software issue I've been having with their .stk maker software. Further news as they become available, but I'm starting to get carefully optimistic on this one. I remember iRex's early days where they would not even answer emails and stuff like that...^^

12-20-2006, 10:00 AM	#22
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	UPDATE: Ivan from Staretek just contacted me and said that he should be able to supply a device for review in early January. So all you eink fans will have to wait a little longer for the review... But remember how long we had to wait for the iRex Iliad and the Sony Reader...^^

01-15-2007, 12:45 PM	#23
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	UPDATE: I had another communication from Ivan today asking for my address, so I guess things could be coming together soon...I'm looking forward to having a second eink device to compare and review next to the Iliad.

01-15-2007, 01:39 PM	#24
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Wonderful! It is early January, so it sounds like they are right on schedule. Can't wait to hear what you think about it, and I think we are all eager to have some more device options in the market.

01-16-2007, 03:03 AM	#25
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	UPDATE: Ivan just emailed me that he has sent the device. Now I'll just have to wait and hope it gets through German Customs in one piece and without too much VAT and Tax added...but so far the whole process has gone very nicely. Congratulations to STAReTEK for handling this so well up to this point. Ivan also tells me that the STAReBOOK now has a new firmware with added functions and that the eREAD software and STK-Maker are being updated and bundled into one application. They also apparently have a new website up...visit http://ebook.stareread.com/en/

01-16-2007, 04:42 AM	#26
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	That's very good news, Roland! I cannot wait to hear your opinion on the starebook!

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01-16-2007, 09:18 AM	#27
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Interesting. I checked out the new website, followed a link to http://shop.isoshu.com/zh/ and found a price in 3500 (presumably Taiwan Dollars). That converts to about US$107. Now that's a price I'd consider paying, even for a device without a stylus or support for a range of formats without conversion.

01-16-2007, 10:09 AM	#28
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	OK folks. I just tried the new eRead3 Software that now works on my System (Ivan told me the problem was due to different language versions of Windows) and created a book quite quickly. I don't have the ebook device yet of course, but I created a test-ebook with the software just now and it was pretty fast and easy, the resulting file was small and apart from the lack of customizable fonts (which i'm sure could be added) it seems to be working fine. At the moment there is little the user can change about the file that is created, but I hope that this will change with future revision. I'd advise anyone interested in the ebook device to look into the software and see how he likes it. @nekokami If what you found is correct, then this could very well become one of the major ebook players...I'm starting to get more and more interested in this device...:-)

01-16-2007, 03:37 PM	#29
sea2stars Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 64 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: eb1150, Sony Reader	I think the $107 unit price might be closer to the $500 range. 3,500.00 CNY = 449.29 USD 1,988.00 MYR = 567.78 USD

01-16-2007, 05:18 PM	#30
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Not being able to read the page very well, I took a guess that the cost was in Taiwan dollars, but I agree, the cost assuming Yuan seems a lot more likely.