"Slowness" of the Pocket PRO

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yes, I really dislike .rar. Not that there is anything wrong with it per-say... but .ZIP is ubiquitous and supported natively by Windows and Mac and probably Linux.

That said, I highly recommend 7-Zip. It is free, open source software that supports ZIP, RAR, ISO and their on 7z format. http://www.7-zip.org/

The only downside is it is Windows only... wish they would port it to Mac too.

BOb

Yep, I use 7zip all the time at work (the windows zip utility sucks) but did not have it installed on this (my home) computer at the moment.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep, I use 7zip all the time at work (the windows zip utility sucks) but did not have it installed on this (my home) computer at the moment.

I use 7zip also but would still prefer zip format to rar. The built in windows zip works perfectly fine for me (doesn't suck and doesn't need to be installed) and info zip provides my command line needs.

Dale

[stygian]

I just read through this thread, and want to make sure that I have this right...

The initial poster found that page turning for the Pocket Pro was not as fast as he had been led to believe it would be. The director of business development for Astak, who regularly communicates in this forum with the users of the product, had the problem corrected in a couple of days.

Is this is what happened? If so, Astak is not at all like the maker of my current ereader. I almost feel it is my duty to buy the Astak ereader.



I

[RichyRich]

For a free, multi-archive utility, I use Filzip (www.filzip.com). It supports RAR and can create self-extracting zips.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by stygian

I just read through this thread, and want to make sure that I have this right...

The initial poster found that page turning for the Pocket Pro was not as fast as he had been led to believe it would be. The director of business development for Astak, who regularly communicates in this forum with the users of the product, had the problem corrected in a couple of days.

Is this is what happened? If so, Astak is not at all like the maker of my current ereader. I almost feel it is my duty to buy the Astak ereader.

Now you see the appeal of Astak! I don't understand the negative attitude some posters here have toward Robert and Astak. I'm hoping to place my order soon.

[John F]

Originally Posted by stygian

I just read through this thread, and want to make sure that I have this right...

The initial poster found that page turning for the Pocket Pro was not as fast as he had been led to believe it would be. The director of business development for Astak, who regularly communicates in this forum with the users of the product, had the problem corrected in a couple of days.

Is this is what happened? If so, Astak is not at all like the maker of my current ereader. I almost feel it is my duty to buy the Astak ereader.



I

Depends on how you spin it.

Pre-release, it was reported as instaneous. Then (pre-release) it was changed to near-instantaineous. Once it was released, it was reported 1-2 seconds. What was the fix again? Is it now instantaineous?

[Morlac]

Originally Posted by John F

Depends on how you spin it.

Pre-release, it was reported as instaneous. Then (pre-release) it was changed to near-instantaineous. Once it was released, it was reported 1-2 seconds. What was the fix again? Is it now instantaineous?

Now who's spinning?

I didn't dig up the old thread, but I seem to recall Astak's Robertb saying that he was clicking through pages on his pre-release model as quickly as possible, and reporting the number of page turns in a specified period. After which we all got into the many ways that this methodology is problematic. Still, I give him points for trying to establish an actual baseline with real measurable details -- something at variance with his usual passionate verbiage.

Clearly Robertb and Astak want everyone to buy their product -- I think we all understand that. Personally, I'm willing to accept a large dose of perspective bias along with the kind of personal attention and eager-to-please attitude that Astak has been showing so far. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Back to the facts at hand -- yes, it seems from the posts that there has been an attempt to address the delayed page turn. Exactly how much it may have been improved is less clear to me. Sounds like people are saying it's down to 1.1 seconds or so. Once mine is delivered, I'll be happy to try to provide my first-hand impressions if they are still relevant and needed.

But again, personally, I give everyone involved credit for listening to the user-reports and making a good-faith effort to do something constructive about them in a timely way!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stygian

I just read through this thread, and want to make sure that I have this right...

The initial poster found that page turning for the Pocket Pro was not as fast as he had been led to believe it would be. The director of business development for Astak, who regularly communicates in this forum with the users of the product, had the problem corrected in a couple of days.

Is this is what happened? If so, Astak is not at all like the maker of my current ereader. I almost feel it is my duty to buy the Astak ereader.

What seems much more probable is that Jinke (the device/firmware manufacturer) simply happened to release a new firmware in that timeframe. With the best will in the world, no company can release new firmware versions that quickly.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What seems much more probable is that Jinke (the device/firmware manufacturer) simply happened to release a new firmware in that timeframe. With the best will in the world, no company can release new firmware versions that quickly.

True, true.

I had a similar thing happen recently though with Corel Painter 11.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Morlac

Now who's spinning?

I didn't dig up the old thread, but I seem to recall Astak's Robertb saying that he was clicking through pages on his pre-release model as quickly as possible, and reporting the number of page turns in a specified period.

Go ahead and dig the oldest posts by RobertB with "Epson" string.

RobertB really *was* touting the new Epson controller as having "instantaneous page turns" for quite a long time. I want to believe that by that time he was simply repeating something that was said by a factory representative and translated from Chinese by somebody that did not understand context. Once he got the first prototype of PocketPro into his hand, he changed his script.

I think that the current speed is not a problem. I am satisfied with the speed of my PRS-500 and judging from various video reviews PocketPro is indeed somewhat faster. It is still faster turning page in a paper book. JET ... I personally would not dare to call it instantaneous.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Morlac

Now who's spinning?

I didn't dig up the old thread, but I seem to recall Astak's Robertb saying that he was clicking through pages on his pre-release model as quickly as possible, and reporting the number of page turns in a specified period. After which we all got into the many ways that this methodology is problematic. Still, I give him points for trying to establish an actual baseline with real measurable details -- something at variance with his usual passionate verbiage.

Clearly Robertb and Astak want everyone to buy their product -- I think we all understand that. Personally, I'm willing to accept a large dose of perspective bias along with the kind of personal attention and eager-to-please attitude that Astak has been showing so far. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Back to the facts at hand -- yes, it seems from the posts that there has been an attempt to address the delayed page turn. Exactly how much it may have been improved is less clear to me. Sounds like people are saying it's down to 1.1 seconds or so. Once mine is delivered, I'll be happy to try to provide my first-hand impressions if they are still relevant and needed.

But again, personally, I give everyone involved credit for listening to the user-reports and making a good-faith effort to do something constructive about them in a timely way!

Yes, my memory failed me about holding down the button and timing. But I still have not heard Robertb say what the time should be for page turns? This thread is now five pages, and how many times has Robertb replied? How many times were specific to the problem?

Why isn't Robertb saying something like: "Have you seen the video of how fast the new Sony 600 can scroll around a page? There no reason we shouldn't be able to turn pages in .2 seconds. I'm not going to let the factory off the hook so easy, I'll demand that we get the page turns that fast. After all, by god, we're the company that listens to our customers. If we can't get it done, I'll gladly issue refunds (including shipping costs). And by the way I'm in the process of updating my blog with the current correct times for page turns, but you know what it is like getting those Taiwan factory web guys to do anything quickly."

[kennyc]

And who cares how many angels are on the head of a pin anyway. Sheesh!

[cvkemp]

John F
do not knock it if you have tried it. In other words if you haven't tried or played with the EzReader Pro do not knock it. I do not going around knocking Sony's because I do not have one. I did not get the Sony only for one reason I had friends at work that said they wished they had gotten something with more formats.

Chuck

PS I love my EZreader Why because it fits my needs. I always tell anyone that if the shoe fits wear it but do not put anyone down for their choice until you have tried it.

[Morlac]

Originally Posted by John F

Yes, my memory failed me about holding down the button and timing. But I still have not heard Robertb say what the time should be for page turns? This thread is now five pages, and how many times has Robertb replied? How many times were specific to the problem?

Why isn't Robertb saying something like: "Have you seen the video of how fast the new Sony 600 can scroll around a page? There no reason we shouldn't be able to turn pages in .2 seconds. I'm not going to let the factory off the hook so easy, I'll demand that we get the page turns that fast. After all, by god, we're the company that listens to our customers. If we can't get it done, I'll gladly issue refunds (including shipping costs). And by the way I'm in the process of updating my blog with the current correct times for page turns, but you know what it is like getting those Taiwan factory web guys to do anything quickly."

I don't mean this in a personal way, John. I've found many of your posts to be thoughtful and interesting. That's why I'm a bit surprised at how you've chosen to phrase the last few comments -- tweaking others for spinning by putting your own spin on the matter, for example.

As for why Robertb doesn't say the above, I suspect it's because he would like to continue having his job! Denigrating your own product and your factory supplier in a public forum is simply foolish and self-destructive.

That said, I do think that you conveyed Robertb's can-do, enthusiastic attitude squarely -- the overall impression of "I want to make the Pocket Pro the best that it can be and I want every customer to be as happy as I can reasonably make them" seems to be accurate. Why, then, should we mock it?

Also, that said, the overall issue of page-turn time is a big one for me. It was one of the reasons I resisted buying an e-reader for so long. Robertb's many statements about the Epson controller and the faster page turns did, in fact, get my attention. And I would be very upset indeed to find that I've been misled about that. I dare say, since I've preordered a Pocket Pro and (based on your sig/profile) you have not, that I have far greater cause to be angry if that were to happen! However, as stated, it's a problem that seems to have been addressed quickly and effectively -- long before most people will ever get their Pocket Pros.

Nobody is saying that the Sony 600 isn't fast. Perhaps in Robertb's secret heart he fears that the 600 is faster than the PP will ever be. But I would also tend to believe that months ago, when he was talking up its "near-instantaneous" page turns, he honestly felt that the PP was a significant leap ahead of the devices he could compare it to. I doubt very much that Sony saw fit to send him a test copy of the 600 or taunt him with a video of it flipping pages! (Though I must admit, that would've been quite funny to witness!)

[John F]

cvkemp and Morlac, bottom line, if your happy with your device (along with the multitude of other owners), that is what counts.

As for why Robertb doesn't say the above, I suspect it's because he would like to continue having his job! Denigrating your own product and your factory supplier in a public forum is simply foolish and self-destructive.

IMO, what I posted (that you quoted), isn't deingrating his own product. If another similar product can do something, and your product cannot, then it seems to be a very strong indicator that your product can be improved.

As for denigrating your factory supplier, I believe that Robertb has done that in the past (when appropriate).

That said, I do think that you conveyed Robertb's can-do, enthusiastic attitude squarely -- the overall impression of "I want to make the Pocket Pro the best that it can be and I want every customer to be as happy as I can reasonably make them" seems to be accurate. Why, then, should we mock it?

I mocked it because I'm holding him to a high standard (maybe unjustly). I still can't tell if Robertb is being sincere, or if most of it is just sales pitches. This is just IMO, I'm sure many people feel differently.

Nobody is saying that the Sony 600 isn't fast. Perhaps in Robertb's secret heart he fears that the 600 is faster than the PP will ever be. But I would also tend to believe that months ago, when he was talking up its "near-instantaneous" page turns, he honestly felt that the PP was a significant leap ahead of the devices he could compare it to. I doubt very much that Sony saw fit to send him a test copy of the 600 or taunt him with a video of it flipping pages! (Though I must admit, that would've been quite funny to witness!)

I honestly don't think the 600 is faster then the PocketPro. I think this may be a missed opportunity for Astak customers, if Robertb/Astak's goal is to make the PocketPro "the best it can be". The hardware looks very similar (400mhz, Epson controller). Why not look into it. I haven't heard any comments about the 600 being blazingly fast at page turns. Why not raise the bar? Provide an option, don't go into sleep mode between page turns. Provide an option for how long before the device goes into sleep mode (after a page turn). Provide an option that screen only does the black thing every X number of page turns...

I may post what seems like some mean spirited comments, but if I do, it is because I feel that Astak living up to their lofty goals. If someone posts that PP is crashing after long use, just don't wave it off/explain it away on a low charged battery, it may mean that resources are not being freed and causing crashes. If you are touting the abilities of a feature, also give the down sides/incompatibilities so users can make a logical choice. If your going to say it supports "up to 20 formats", give a comprehensive list somewhere.

...