5" or 6" EZ Reader?

[Laura81]

Hey all,

I was going to buy a Kindle but then Solicitious pointed me in the direction of the EZ Reader and I love how many different formats it can read. So I'm going to get one of these instead. My question is should I go for the 5" or 6"? Which is better? They both seem to be able to do all the same things, just different size, is that right?

Also I've been reading about the paint issues but that doesn't deter me from buying the unit. As long as it has no major functionality issues I can deal with a possible paint problem.

[wallcraft]

The 5" has 8 grey scales, USB 2.0, text to speech (TTS), a rocker on the right side for page turns, and a faster display controller. So it has more features, but a smaller screen. In practice, I see little difference between the two. The Epson display controller is only marginally faster in practice for example and I don't use TTS. The 8 (vs 4) grey scales does significantly improve image quality, but the screen size has more effect on images that text - so overall I prefer the 6" device for images. USB 2.0 is much faster for ebook transfers, but ebooks are not that big and the USB port has been problematic on some Pocket Pro's (when connecting to some desktops).

Either one is a good choice. I still recommend the Pocket Pro over the Basic, but it is very close (as you can tell from my comments above) because the latter is already a very good Reader.

[theducks]

The PEz (5") has 8 levels of Grey scale display vs 4 Levels.
Grey scale probably only matters for pictures (The PEz is my first pocket reader)

USB and battery problems are the Biggies in the problem list.

Depending on your eyesight, may help choosing 6" or 5". Note that the screen resolution is the same, so your image may a tiny bit grainier on the 6".

The firmware on the PEz still needs work.
Yesterday, I was reading a HTML version, when all of a sudden, every line was centered. Exiting the book and returning fixed the display.
Other annoyances:
non hyphenated line breaks in the middle of words.
re-flow of a (source) line end onto another line runs into the first word of the next line.
Page numbers at the bottom become weird if you change zoom levels (I hit 735/736 then the numbers both incremented till I reached the real end at 1325.
I have also had cases where it took 2 page flips (screen flashed both times) to get to the next page. Power cycled to clear that one.

Did I mention, I am not sending mine back unless it stops working

[GA Russell]

Laura, I have my eye on the new Astak 6" called the Mentor Lite 2. Robertb says that it is in the warehouse and will be released after Halloween, which is this Saturday.

So I recommend that you wait to make your decision until the Mentor Lite 2 comes out.

[cvkemp]

I have the EZreader Basic (6 inch) I love it but I have to say that with the USB 1 or 1.1 I am not sure which it is slow. I took for every for me to activate it to ADE. I have a USB to SD card reader that I use to add books or remove books from the SD card. I do not have books on the internal memory. It is just too slow at working with. If the 5 inch had been available when I got my reader I would have gotten it. I am hoping to be able to get a larger screen reader soon and sure hoping that it will be a Ezreader series reader.

Chuck

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by cvkemp

I have the EZreader Basic (6 inch) I love it but I have to say that with the USB 1 or 1.1 I am not sure which it is slow. I took for every for me to activate it to ADE. I have a USB to SD card reader that I use to add books or remove books from the SD card. I do not have books on the internal memory. It is just too slow at working with. If the 5 inch had been available when I got my reader I would have gotten it. I am hoping to be able to get a larger screen reader soon and sure hoping that it will be a Ezreader series reader.

Chuck

I also love the 6" EZ-Reader...

I had no problems activating Adobe ADE and I transfer all ADE library books to its internal memory and I see no speed problem. I do however remove the SD card when I do this. I do not copy to the SD in the reader, I use my netbook SD reader.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Laura, I have my eye on the new Astak 6" called the Mentor Lite 2. Robertb says that it is in the warehouse and will be released after Halloween, which is this Saturday.

So I recommend that you wait to make your decision until the Mentor Lite 2 comes out.

According to RobertB's blog the Astak website still states the original Mentor Lite, however they are shipping the Mentor Lite 2, so they are out now. Not sure if they will ship Internationally as they are with the EZ Reader series.

[GA Russell]

Solicitous, thanks for that heads up. Robert has posted a few items on his blog since the last time I went there.

He says that the Mentor Lite 2 can be seen at astak.com (with a link). However, it is not up at that site yet.

A google search led me to Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?ei...3529028&ref=mf

As you can see the list price is $259.

I would like to hear Robert's sales pitch justifying that price. That's $60 more than the Pocket Pro, and the only difference I am aware of is that it has a 6" screen and was made by Netronix instead of Jinke.

I think this would be a hard sell, considering that the new B&N nook is being offered for the same price.

I've been thinking about the Mentor Lite 2 and the 5" jetBook Lite. Since the jetBook Lite is $110 less expensive than the Mentor Lite, it looks like my decision has been made for me.

Robert, what do you have to say? Enquiring minds want to know!

[Laura81]

Thanks everyone! So from what I've read the new Mentor Lite 2 is basically like the EzReader... I can't see any difference. If I'm wrong let me know. The sudoku game isn't a draw for me. I hate that game lol. Unless I'm missing something I think I'll go with a Pocket Pro, though I wanted black and they are sold out at the moment. However I'm in no rush. I'm actually receiving it as a xmas present and it probably won't be bought for a month or so yet so plenty of time to wait until black is re-stocked.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Laura81

the new Mentor Lite 2 is basically like the EzReader.

They are from two different manufacturers. The EZ Reader line is from Jinke and is generically called Hanlin V3 (Basic) or V5 (Pocket Pro), although it has many other names around the world (e.g. BeBook, LBook, etcetera). The Mentor line is from Netronix, and is also available under many brand names (COOL-ER, ...) The firmware of the two brands is completely different, although both use mobile Adobe Digital Editions (ePub and PDF) as the primary commercial ebook format, e.g. the ones with DRM (encryption) support.

The underlying hardware of the 6" models is basically the same, both relatively old designs, but the Mentor Lite 2 has been upgraded to a new display controller and 8 grey scales. The Mentor uses a D-pad as its primary input mechanism, vs the keys on the EZ Reader.

[Laura81]

Thanks for the info wallcraft. Still think I'll go with the Pocket Pro. Looks like a great reader.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Solicitous, thanks for that heads up. Robert has posted a few items on his blog since the last time I went there.

He says that the Mentor Lite 2 can be seen at astak.com (with a link). However, it is not up at that site yet.

A google search led me to Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?ei...3529028&ref=mf

As you can see the list price is $259.

I would like to hear Robert's sales pitch justifying that price. That's $60 more than the Pocket Pro, and the only difference I am aware of is that it has a 6" screen and was made by Netronix instead of Jinke.

I think this would be a hard sell, considering that the new B&N nook is being offered for the same price.

I've been thinking about the Mentor Lite 2 and the 5" jetBook Lite. Since the jetBook Lite is $110 less expensive than the Mentor Lite, it looks like my decision has been made for me.

Robert, what do you have to say? Enquiring minds want to know!

Dear GA and Enquiring Minds:

Well, the hardest part of my job is often to justify prices. It was easy with the Pocket PRO... great size, novel, faster, far more features, colors, etc.

The Mentor Lite in Version 2 is not so easy. It clearly has the Epson Controller and that is a real blessing.

GA: Be aware that the Jetbook is less expensive but is not E-Ink. Your battery charge life may suffer and it is can cause eye strain. I never want to talk down anybody else's device... but you are kind of talking apples and oranges between the Mentor LIte Version 2 and the Ectaco Jetbook. While the Jetbook has its devotees and that is great... it is NOT the same as LCD screens as E-Ink screens are dramatically priced differently. It would be like you asking me to compare a Kia to a Cadillac and justify the Cadillac price (no offence to Kia or Cadillac intended).

Justifying a cost?? I do not do that. I know what we are charged by the factory, add $10-$15 for our profit, and charge that amount. THUS, the charge for the Mentor Lite is not set by us truly... but by the factory charge to us. You have to admit we would look pretty dumb buying at $239 and selling at $199. There would not be an Astak!

For my money, the price needs to drop on the Mentor Lite and we are asking the factory to do that. It is an excellent six inch and works great. One big difference here. The Barnes and Noble device at $259 does not include a pouch or a case. The Mentor Lite comes with a nice leather case!! When I called B&N they wanted $64.95 for a similar case! Also, their battery is not user-replaceable like on the Mentor Lite! How much is a user-replaceable battery worth? To me, EVERYTHING!! I would not buy a device without this. You may not feel that way. So I cannot justify prices.

[rling]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Justifying a cost?? I do not do that. I know what we are charged by the factory, add $10-$15 for our profit, and charge that amount. THUS, the charge for the Mentor Lite is not set by us truly.

I'm sold on the great support received with my units to date. Well aware that Astak lost money on my sale due to the paint problem, and needing to ship the replacement unit overseas, but was nevertheless provided at no cost to end user.

Would like to purchase the Mentor Lite as a second reader, but there is no international sales option. Hopefully Astak will remedy this.

[GA Russell]

Thanks for your prompt response, Robert!

I agree that accessories like the cover must be taken into consideration. I won't be buying a reader for another 3 weeks at least, so I can wait to see what your colleagues are able to negotiate for a price reduction.

[Laura81]

I'm still waiting to buy as well. Got about 4 week or so. I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the 6" to avoid all these paint peeling problems... but I really would prefer a USB2.0 connection. Decisions, decisions. Maybe within 4 weeks the paint problem will be cleared up...

Oh and all of Astak's products have replacable batteries correct? This is mega important to me living in Australia. I don't want to have to send it back to the company to get a new battery.