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The advantage of working directly with various E Readers is that you quickly see in real life, not theoretical life, what works, what doesn't and what simply gets in the way.
After working with several E Readers, I have found one that provides some surprising features and functions. If found at the right price points, Astak's 5" EZReader Pocket Pro makes a compelling case for picking a device that doesn’t have the name recognition of the better known names in the industry.
Before you open the box, it is what is in the box that provides some surprising value here.
When purchasing most E Readers what is included are the basics. What you essentialy get with purchase is the E Reader, a cable to power it up, and that is it. Where the value comes in with the EZReader is that it comes with a sturdy leather like carrying case, a lanyard, earbuds, an AC power adapter and a USB cable. With nearly every E Reader I have seen, if you want to protect it, cases are extra, along with earphones, and even an AC power adapter. The inclusion of these niceties makes for a pleasant experience, and reduces the pressure to run out and buy needed extras that are more necessities than accessories. The added bonus features do not end here.
What this diminutive device packs, it weighs just six ounces, is an incredible number of files supported natively, over twenty. The list includes ADE, PDF, TXT, PDB, DOC, HTML, FB2, LIT, MP3, PRC, WOL, CHM, PPT, TIF, PNG, GIF, RAR, ZIP, DJVU, JPG, BMP and the now all important EPUB, which is an industry standard. E Pub is also the standard used by public libraries. For those looking for library books, you are covered, and this includes Adobe DRM EPUB support, something lacking in one very well-known E Reader.
Armed with an E Ink vizplex display at 600 by 800 pixels resolution and 8 levels of grayscale, the device is more than capable of rendering clear, legible pages. While 16 levels has become standard, in this instance, the 8 works well.
Page turning and the overall responsiveness of The EZReader Pro is on par, maybe a bit faster, with most E Ink readers. Powered by the Samsung S3C2440 400 MHz processor and a Linux system running under the hood, this is not a sluggish device.
Other added features include a user replaceable battery and support for an SD card expandable to 16 GB that also offers support for micro cards when loaded in a larger standard size holder. Although the device internally has 512 MB of space—which is rather small – there is the option to expand via cards.
In terms of features, there are bookmarks, go to page and one surprising feature, a text to voice feature that actually works with an equally surprising number of file formats. The device can read back to you in a clear, if not a bit robotic, voice. The point is the feature works, and it works well.
Along with the file support, the EZReader with the included earphones provides amazingly strong sound on MP3 files. It can do double duty as a mp3 player—granted somewhat basic, and can play music while you read.
As full of extras as this device is, and the features work well, there are some omissions. Depending on how important web access is to you, the EZReader has neither WiFi support nor 3G support. Everything must be loaded to it via a PC through a USB connection. For some wireless connectivity is a deal breaker. From my own experiences, it is more about convenience than necessity.
Having worked with E Readers that include browsers and the ability to shop online, for me the process is so much easier, smoother and faster when simply doing it online via a PC and then downloading the book to your E Reader via a USB cable. As capable as some E Readers are, the ability to look up books, enter information and download can be tedious, unless you have a really full featured device. Even then, it can be cumbersome.
Lack of WiFi or 3G is not that big a deal here. Being that the device is not tied to a particular store, for example the Kindle is connected to Amazon.com, The Nook is deeply rooted in the Barnes and Nobles shopping system and the Kobo Reader integrated into the Borders Book catalog, the EZ Reader lacks a large bookseller connection in the way the aforementioned do.
Even with its limits, 5 inch EZ Reader does a lot more than some bare bones E Readers. The unfortunate Achilles heel of this one is the menu system. After a few uses, and paying close attention to the keys on the device, figuring out the way to maneuver became less arduous over time. As solid and complete a performer as it is, the user interface is not exactly intuitive. Once you have a grasp on the organization system, it makes some type of sense, but it is far from being without a learning curve.
Another weaker area of the device stems from its look. While not hideous or overdone, the device simply does not have the stylish lines of the Nook, or the polish of a Kindle. It has the feel of being a bit generic. It lacks the "wow" factor that Sony's offerings bring. But these are issues of style and taste. As light and as convenient as it is to hold, the look of the EZReader grows on you.
As an American variant of the Chinese Jinke V5, the roots of the device may show, but not to the overall detriment of the experience. Once you move past the utilitarian Spartan aesthetics, the EZReader reveals itself as nimble device with enough value to make it a compelling option.
In a market that is filling fast, there are going to be hits, misses, near misses and sometimes a big mess. As an alternative to heavily featured devices, the places where the EZReader made cutbacks do not significantly impact performance or value. Sure, having a few extras would have been nice, but hardly necessary. The more you pack, the more there is to go wrong and the less focus on the specific.
The big point with the EZReader Pro is value for dollars spent. By throwing in plug-in ear buds, a lanyard, a stylish carrying case, an AC Adapter, a USB cable and support for a bewildering assortment of files, the EZReader's careful selection of what to include makes sense.
If you can overlook a busy byzantine menu ordering system, and the lack of WiFi, there is a lot, a lot to like about the EZReader. If you can snag one up for yourself at $149.00, this is not a bad deal. Not a bad deal at all.
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