Dear All:
Thank you for reading my blogs. Right now is a waiting game on just about everything.
The new website looks great and is really coming along... but getting the agreements from the people doing the work is maddening. It has to go throufgh so much bureaucracy. I am hoping that we can do the free walk-through of the site (no buying... just look and make comments) on Tuesday, June 23.
FRY's Electronics is having their best price ever on the EZ Reader, coming up. That will be July 4 or July 5 or both days. We gave in on a huge rebate so this will be the time to buy!! You already know the EZ Reader Basic is a Freedom Machine... Open Format and displays 14 formats!! You can buy books from hundreds of sites!! It is strong, reliable, E-Ink, and has brilliant features. AND... it is backed by Astak with USA support!
We are at battle over exclusivity!! We have spent about 9 months promoting the EZ Reader line (made by Jinke of China) all over North America. Now, we have to battle with Jinke over getting the rights to be exclusive for their product. At stake is the wonderful EZ Reader Pocket PRO. WHY? Because they did not just shrink it into 5 inch size... they improved everything on it. It has the Epson Controller, they upgraded the processor to 400MHz, it has Text-to-Speech, and it supports 16GB SD cards!! And, we want to offer it in 6 colors. WOW!! This thing is SO good that Kindle may just buy one!!
So what does a great device do? It starts conflicts. It is all about numbers. We know we can sell a lot of the Pocket Pro... but Jinke dreams of 100,000 units for one order. They aren't looking for growth... they want the pot of gold now. I mean absolutely NO disrespect for Jinke. They build fabulous devices. We love them. We just need to get them to ride with us just a bit longer. We are on the verge of greatness for Astak and Jinke. Long range... it will be Astak that makes Jinke happy. Long range... we can build a dynamo for them.
Anyhow, it is very hard to speak nothing but praise for a device and then wonder if you will have it to sell. The frustration is unbearable.
So, that is why I am not blogging much. We are waiting for decisions!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Two samples of Pocket PRO arrived
Today customs released the first two samples of the EZ Reader Pocket PRO. I promised a first analysis so here it is:
The factory has upgraded both the processor (to Samsung ARM9 400MHz processor) and the controller to the Epson High-Speed. So... the first question I had is if it helped.
I am happy to say that page turns are a matter of 1-2 tenths of a second. You do see, if you look hard, a trace of a balck screen but just barely. Page turns are lightning quick and so is bringing up a new book selection.
Lightness: I picked up an EZ Reader 6 inch and then a Pocket PRO. YES, the difference in lightness (weight) is noticeable. The Pocket PRO is the lightest eBook Reader I have ever held and it feels great in the hand.
Scroll Wheel: the Pocket PRO comes with THREE page advance/ regress buttons. There are two buttons on the left, two buttons onthe bottom (#9 and #0) serve for this purpose, and you have a scroll wheel about 2/3 of the way up the right side. The wheel has a stud on it so you do not have to actually rub your finger over the wheel... just move the stud up or down. It works well and I am pleased. Between the three buttons a left hander, right hander, or ANYBODY will find the page turn exactly where they want it.
The USB/charging port has been moved to the TOP on the Pocket PRO. This is because it was a tiny bit cumbersome to charge the 6 inch when it was in the case. Now, charging is a breeze. The headphone jack (3.5mm) is at the bottom right.
There are two large and somewhat deep slots on the upper left and right. Some people think these are extra SD card slots. They are not. They are indentations to allow the crush-resistant leather case to hold the Pocket PRO securely. They do their job. In event of a nuclear detonation the case will still be holding the Pocket PRO like life depended upon it. Great design but watch your finger nails.
Just like the EZ Reader 6 inch, the clarity and resolution of the screen is at least as good, maybe better, than any screen in the business.
There is more but please wait for me to read the user manual and translate it into English fully. We are still discovering the more subtle changes and improvements.
The factory has upgraded both the processor (to Samsung ARM9 400MHz processor) and the controller to the Epson High-Speed. So... the first question I had is if it helped.
I am happy to say that page turns are a matter of 1-2 tenths of a second. You do see, if you look hard, a trace of a balck screen but just barely. Page turns are lightning quick and so is bringing up a new book selection.
Lightness: I picked up an EZ Reader 6 inch and then a Pocket PRO. YES, the difference in lightness (weight) is noticeable. The Pocket PRO is the lightest eBook Reader I have ever held and it feels great in the hand.
Scroll Wheel: the Pocket PRO comes with THREE page advance/ regress buttons. There are two buttons on the left, two buttons onthe bottom (#9 and #0) serve for this purpose, and you have a scroll wheel about 2/3 of the way up the right side. The wheel has a stud on it so you do not have to actually rub your finger over the wheel... just move the stud up or down. It works well and I am pleased. Between the three buttons a left hander, right hander, or ANYBODY will find the page turn exactly where they want it.
The USB/charging port has been moved to the TOP on the Pocket PRO. This is because it was a tiny bit cumbersome to charge the 6 inch when it was in the case. Now, charging is a breeze. The headphone jack (3.5mm) is at the bottom right.
There are two large and somewhat deep slots on the upper left and right. Some people think these are extra SD card slots. They are not. They are indentations to allow the crush-resistant leather case to hold the Pocket PRO securely. They do their job. In event of a nuclear detonation the case will still be holding the Pocket PRO like life depended upon it. Great design but watch your finger nails.
Just like the EZ Reader 6 inch, the clarity and resolution of the screen is at least as good, maybe better, than any screen in the business.
There is more but please wait for me to read the user manual and translate it into English fully. We are still discovering the more subtle changes and improvements.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Additional Info on Pocket PRO
I finally got full specs from Jinke last night. Here is some additional info:
The processor is 400MHz. This gives 600 by 800 pixel in 8 grey scale.
It has a USB 2.0 port and supports up to a 16GB SD card.
The working temperature extremes are: 0 degrees C to 40 degrees C.
We should have two samples by Friday of this week and I will be able to provide more info then.
You already know this has the Epson High-Speed Controller.
This product will NOT be sold thru Retail Stores as they always mark it up. We want this to the end user as cheaply as possible so we will sell it only thru our new website: www.goEZebook.com
The processor is 400MHz. This gives 600 by 800 pixel in 8 grey scale.
It has a USB 2.0 port and supports up to a 16GB SD card.
The working temperature extremes are: 0 degrees C to 40 degrees C.
We should have two samples by Friday of this week and I will be able to provide more info then.
You already know this has the Epson High-Speed Controller.
This product will NOT be sold thru Retail Stores as they always mark it up. We want this to the end user as cheaply as possible so we will sell it only thru our new website: www.goEZebook.com
Monday, June 1, 2009
First specs on Astak EZ Reader Pocket PRO
Dear all:
Here is what I have been able to find out about our new 5 inch Pocket PRO.
The dimensions are: 151mm by 105mm by 10mm in thickness. It weighs 160 grams including the battery. The screen is, of course, E-Ink.
The display has 8 levels of grey scale and it will have the super-fast Epson Controller (which makes almost instantaneous page turns with no "black page" in between). 800 by 600 pixels. Displays both vertically and horizontally!
It has a easy-replace rechargeable battery that the end user can easily change if ever needed. The battery is Li-ion 1000mAh.
The SD card slot supports all the way up to 16GB (with 512MB SD RAM embedded).
It stores and plays MP3. But... like the EZ Reader... this is great MP3 as the device has an equalizer that really works. I own an iPod and this is superior. This has a 3.5mm headphone jack for even the best headphones. I use top-of-the-line noise-cancelling headphones and it is every bit worthy of these!
It comes ported with Adobe Digital Editions!! You will be able to add Fictionwise eReader when the SDK is done.
It supports: txt, pdf, doc, chm,wol, rar, zip, jpg, bmp, tiff, fb2, djvu, gif, epub,html, ppt, prc, pdb, MP3.
It will come offered in 6 colors: black, tanish white, lime green, slate blue, brown maroon, and a violet (pink and purple).
It will be first sold on our new website: http://www.goezebook.com/ and that website will sell books and should also have a search engine for the 500,000 free eBook Google library of classics.
It takes a while to do 6 color samples, get them approved, and then go into plastic production. Release is estimated in two months. Pre-order waiting list in about 6 weeks.
Price will be between $199 and $209 (sometimes on sale and sometimes not).
It comes with that great Astak technical support, a quality FAQ sheet, the full Astak warranty.
The box includes a quality Crush-resistant LEATHER case, ear buds, AC charger, wrist leash, and USB cable. THINK about this when comparing to other devices. You get a great magnetic clasp leather case included! Obviously, this is a hell of a good deal!!
SO... I have been listening to you and I know this unit will never stop pleasing you!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
New Astak EZ Reader "Pocket PRO"
Astak is announcing the new 5 inch EZ Reader "Pocket PRO" that will release in about two months. Many people have asked for a lighter and smaller eBook Reader that is easy to slip in a purse or sport coat pocket... BUT it has to have excellent battery life, outstanding reliability, and be retail priced around the magic $200 mark. It has to have North American technical support, have great software, be able to download both Open Format and DRM books, and maybe even do something with a bit of Pizazz-z-z!!About four months ago Astak released the EZ Reader Basic in 6 inch. That device has E-ink for 8,000 pages to a single charge, three font size increases, displays horizontally and vertically, and has been backed by the San Jose, California based Astak. It also gave an incredibly crisp display with reliability that has been almost legendary. Even FRY's Electronics has remarked how there are almost no returns and no problems!
Now the "Pocket PRO" will take this exact same software and reliability and great technical support to a smaller and lighter 5 inch. All the things people have loved about the EZ Reader Basic are in this device: three font increases, great MP3, replaceable and rechargeable battery, a Grade "A" screen, SD Card Slot, and the ability to display in numerous languages and formats... are on the Pocket PRO. It will display Open Format eBooks purchased from hundreds of stores... YET it will also allow easy downloads from Astaks own website: http://www.goezebook.com/ (now under construction). On that website you will be able to download eReader and Adobe Digital Edition for your DRM.
What about PIZAZZ-Z-Z?? Try the fact that the Leather Crush Resistant case is included, as are earbuds and free pre-loaded CLASSICS for the entire family. TRY the fact it will be offered in: black, white, violet, slate blue, gunmetal brown, and lime green!
And the price will vary up and down between $209 and $199 (projected retail)!
Upon release, this device can be purchased at the new website... where you can also read the FAQ sheet and find all the tips and tricks to change fonts and operate the Pocket PRO right out of the box (charge first please). Did I mention fine technical support from Californians who love their product? Yes, we are different in California... but we're your type of people (we listen and solve)!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
New color eBook perhaps
Today Astak is beginning a trial of a complete color eBook Reader. The device just arrived for our trials.
The device weighs about 14 ounces and is about 1 inch in depth. The screen is measured diagonally at 7 inches.
We do not yet know what the battery life will be or many other facts. I am posting simply to let people know that we are indeed startingthe trials and we hope all will work out.
Color eBooks are definitely coming and there is a lot of discussion going on about whether they will go over successfully. Printed books, on the whole, are black ink on white paper. Yes, people do want to do a lot more than just read books. Some want to read comics, some want to show color pictures, some need color for medical purposes, and some just like a color interface. Also, color allows good cover artwork and other parts or features of a book.
We do not know yet if this will be released by Astak. The device is Touchscreen and has an onboard stylis. The device has Wi-Fi.
Let us code name this device as "Lectra". As soon as I know more I will do a new blog entry on it.
The device weighs about 14 ounces and is about 1 inch in depth. The screen is measured diagonally at 7 inches.
We do not yet know what the battery life will be or many other facts. I am posting simply to let people know that we are indeed startingthe trials and we hope all will work out.
Color eBooks are definitely coming and there is a lot of discussion going on about whether they will go over successfully. Printed books, on the whole, are black ink on white paper. Yes, people do want to do a lot more than just read books. Some want to read comics, some want to show color pictures, some need color for medical purposes, and some just like a color interface. Also, color allows good cover artwork and other parts or features of a book.
We do not know yet if this will be released by Astak. The device is Touchscreen and has an onboard stylis. The device has Wi-Fi.
Let us code name this device as "Lectra". As soon as I know more I will do a new blog entry on it.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
No DRM, Readers for women, more at IDPF
The IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum) annual show was May 11 & 12 in New York. The show and conference has a major impact on eBook Readers and eBooks. The IDPF represents the people who build, publish, and/or sell eBooks and eBook Readers.
This years show was very interesting as panels discussed trying to end DRM, what women want in the way of eBook Readers, and much more.
Three panelists showed examples of how they have done away with DRM and seen sales actually climb for eBooks without piracy climbing. True, these were smaller publishers with their own eBooks... but the point was made that just MAYBE doing away with DRM (Digital Rights Management) does NOT hurtsales or lead to increases in piracy (the supposed biggest roadblock to removing DRM).
What was really intersting is that IDPF devoted a busy day of presentations and panel discussions to this topic. It will spur more scrutinyand tests of possibly removing all DRM down the digital road.
Also discussed was how eBooks are becoming an important part of publishers profits. It was the ONLY bright spot for the publishing industry during 2008.
In 2008, eBook sales climbed by 171% while audio books and print fell sharply. The eBook industry on the whole will be a $500 Million business by 2010.
Also discussed was where people do their reading. Only 5% read digitally during travel. 50% read at HOME and 35% read at work. 60% of those polled say they use their eBook Readers principally in bed! The need for decent lighting to allow such reading is pretty clear.
There was a great women's panel at IDPF. Women have grown to be 50% of all eBook business! This is up 10% in one year. Yet, Sarah Wendell of "Smart Bitches Trashy Novels" and Malle Vallik of "Harlequin" both clearly stated that eBook Reader manufacturers like Amazon and Sony have heard from them for three years (at IDPF) that there are clearly things women want and these two have paid no attention. Sarah stated that North America spends $96 Billion a year on Electronics and $55 Billion of that is spent by WOMEN! Yet, such things as good reading lights and numerous font sizes and large screen sizes, lightness, simple set-up and loading, and durability have been largely overlooked by the Big 2. They also want an end to DRM! There are NO eBook Readers specifically designed for women. They like the idea of color bodies on eBook Readers; but see color bodies as only a start in designing for women.
S0... in short... many of the issues that people want on eBook Readers are largely NOT IN PLACE NOW! The IDPF is finally allowing these voices against DRM and supporting women's needs to be heard by the entire organization. Things ARE starting to change!!
Also at IDPF were representatives from the CES (Consumer Electronics Show). They were stating that the 2010 (early January) CES show has a special area named "eBook Pavillion". This will be the first time that the largest Trade Show on earth will spotlight eBooks, eBook Readers, publishers, and more.
In all, the show was fabulous. Adam Smith of Google spoke and we found out what Google is trying to do for eBooks. Adam is YOUNG. He is also charasmatic,passionate, smart, has a warm personality, and a good sense of humor!! Anybody that had the opinion that all powerful people seem stuffy and stand-offish is wrong. I was able to walk right up and talk plainly with Adam about the Agreement for Astak that will bring their eBooks to the masses. That agreement is coming within days and should help Astak spread the miracle of classic books to everyone without DRM.
This years show was very interesting as panels discussed trying to end DRM, what women want in the way of eBook Readers, and much more.
Three panelists showed examples of how they have done away with DRM and seen sales actually climb for eBooks without piracy climbing. True, these were smaller publishers with their own eBooks... but the point was made that just MAYBE doing away with DRM (Digital Rights Management) does NOT hurtsales or lead to increases in piracy (the supposed biggest roadblock to removing DRM).
What was really intersting is that IDPF devoted a busy day of presentations and panel discussions to this topic. It will spur more scrutinyand tests of possibly removing all DRM down the digital road.
Also discussed was how eBooks are becoming an important part of publishers profits. It was the ONLY bright spot for the publishing industry during 2008.
In 2008, eBook sales climbed by 171% while audio books and print fell sharply. The eBook industry on the whole will be a $500 Million business by 2010.
Also discussed was where people do their reading. Only 5% read digitally during travel. 50% read at HOME and 35% read at work. 60% of those polled say they use their eBook Readers principally in bed! The need for decent lighting to allow such reading is pretty clear.
There was a great women's panel at IDPF. Women have grown to be 50% of all eBook business! This is up 10% in one year. Yet, Sarah Wendell of "Smart Bitches Trashy Novels" and Malle Vallik of "Harlequin" both clearly stated that eBook Reader manufacturers like Amazon and Sony have heard from them for three years (at IDPF) that there are clearly things women want and these two have paid no attention. Sarah stated that North America spends $96 Billion a year on Electronics and $55 Billion of that is spent by WOMEN! Yet, such things as good reading lights and numerous font sizes and large screen sizes, lightness, simple set-up and loading, and durability have been largely overlooked by the Big 2. They also want an end to DRM! There are NO eBook Readers specifically designed for women. They like the idea of color bodies on eBook Readers; but see color bodies as only a start in designing for women.
S0... in short... many of the issues that people want on eBook Readers are largely NOT IN PLACE NOW! The IDPF is finally allowing these voices against DRM and supporting women's needs to be heard by the entire organization. Things ARE starting to change!!
Also at IDPF were representatives from the CES (Consumer Electronics Show). They were stating that the 2010 (early January) CES show has a special area named "eBook Pavillion". This will be the first time that the largest Trade Show on earth will spotlight eBooks, eBook Readers, publishers, and more.
In all, the show was fabulous. Adam Smith of Google spoke and we found out what Google is trying to do for eBooks. Adam is YOUNG. He is also charasmatic,passionate, smart, has a warm personality, and a good sense of humor!! Anybody that had the opinion that all powerful people seem stuffy and stand-offish is wrong. I was able to walk right up and talk plainly with Adam about the Agreement for Astak that will bring their eBooks to the masses. That agreement is coming within days and should help Astak spread the miracle of classic books to everyone without DRM.
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