{"id":36,"date":"2010-03-28T16:42:31","date_gmt":"2010-03-28T20:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techiteens.wordpress.com\/2010\/03\/28\/astak-5%e2%80%9d-ez-reader-pocket-pro"},"modified":"2013-07-23T16:32:48","modified_gmt":"2013-07-23T16:32:48","slug":"astak-5-ez-reader-pocket-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techiteens.com\/review\/astak-5-ez-reader-pocket-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"Astak 5\u201d EZ Reader Pocket PRO"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

5\u201d EZ Reader
\nPocket PRO
By Astak<\/a><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/span>
<\/font><\/div>\n

\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Step aside Kindle and Digital Reader, Astak is here to put
\nthe fun back into reading with the 5\u201d EZ Reader Pocket PRO. In recent years
\nthese e-book readers have taken the consumer market by storm with now dozens of
\nsimilar products available. So how is someone to make an educated decision
\nwithout some time spent on research? These units now range from about 150-500
\ndollars making it very difficult to decide on a cost effective reader that have
\nsurpassing capabilities. Fortunately for those who like to get the most out of
\ntheir money, Astak has crafted the 5\u201d EZ Reader Pocket PRO. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Initial
\nimpressions are very important, especially when it comes to electronics. One of
\nthe first things I noticed upon taking the reader out of the box was the
\nincluded case. The protective case was a perfect suit for the device made of a
\nhard leather with a soft exterior. Cases for similar devices can cost around 50
\ndollars and are seen as something of a necessity when you have already invested
\nsome hundreds of dollars into the device. It\u2019s nice to see that Astak is
\nlooking out for the costumer and including all that is required in the
\npurchasing price. The only drawbacks of the case are the plastic clips to hold
\nthe device secure. It takes some fumbling around to get the reader hooked in
\nand avoid cracking the plastic. You are better off just leaving it alone. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>While the
\nunit is charging you can now install the adobe digital editions software and
\nlibrary onto your computer. Follow the step by step instructions and in minutes
\nyou will be ready to browse for some of your favorite titles online. What is so
\ngreat about electronic books is their comparatively low price. If you are an
\navid reader you will probably end up paying for the device with the money you
\nare saving on the ebooks. Once you download the book it automatically transfers
\ninto your library which can store all the books and media you do not want saved
\non the unit. The Pocket PRO comes with 512MB of internal memory, large enough
\nto store many ebooks but not much for music. Fortunately, the reader is
\ncompatible with up to 16GB of external memory in a NAND Flash or SD Card. Then
\nconnect the device to the computer with the included USB cable which also
\ncharges the EZreader with a wall outlet adapter. Then you just transfer the
\nmedia. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The overall
\nlayout of the exterior design is similar to other readers. To access the
\nfeatures of the device you use the numbers on the keypad which correspond to a
\nprompt on the menu screen. There is also a command button, \u201cback button,\u201d as
\nwell as next\/previous page buttons on the side of the device. The reader is
\nbuilt extremely compact and fits into the size of an outstretch hand, making it
\nmuch easier to read. I was worried that the screen and text would be too small
\nto be legible, but that was not the case. You can personalize it so the text
\nwill be bigger in size, unfortunately that means less text on the page and more
\npages to turn. There is a bit of a delay when turning the pages or accessing
\nthe menu features, it is not incredible but something you may have to get used
\nto. Similar to the 6\u201d EZ Reader, the 5\u201d Pocket PRO uses \u201cE Ink\u201d technology, a
\nfeature Astak is very proud of. \u201cE Ink\u201d technology makes the appearance of the
\ntext more print like with a solid appearance. This feature makes it a little
\neasier to read in low lit areas, but doesn\u2019t replace a back-lit screen in the
\nleast bit. I would like to see a future EZ Reader equipped with a back light but
\ndoesn\u2019t sound like it will happen any time soon, Astak is adamant on the \u201cE
\nInk\u201d technology. On the other hand, backlit screens eat up the battery and last
\nup to 10 hours compared to EZreader of approximately 2 weeks of average use.
\nThere are also plans for a more permanents solution with Mighty Bright, such as
\nclip-on light specifically designed for the EZreader. Furthermore, the EZ
\nreader has features similar to other readers such as the text to speech and
\nJPEG file support for viewing pictures in black and white. The reader is also
\ncapable of supporting a slew of other formats such as HTML, Microsoft Word DOC,
\nZIP, EPUB, and WOL. The full list of formats is below. One thing that the EZ
\nReader is especially lacking in is the wireless support. Similarly, I would
\nalso expect to see a future reader integrated with Wi-Fi to browse the internet
\nand make purchases directly off the unit. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The Astak
\n5\u201d EZ Reader Pocket PRO is an all around great device, especially for the price.
\nAstak is now offering a special sale on the website for a low 199$ (http:\/\/www.theezreader.com\/<\/a>),
\ncomparatively better than what you would find on Amazon or similar consumer
\nmarket websites. Astak is also offering a free Mighty Bright Mini-Flex LED
\nclip-on light with the purchase of a unit. Lastly, The Astak 5\u201d EZ Reader
\nPocket PRO comes in a variety of colors and would make a great gift for the
\nbookworm in your family. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>You may
\nalso consider waiting for the new wireless edition which should be arriving
\nwithin the coming months. While you wait you should check out Astak\u2019s
\ndesignated forums for the EZreader if you have any further questions. <\/p>\n

Specifications<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n