Astak's 5 inch EZ Pocket Reader Pro

Astak's 5 inch Value Packed EZ Pocket Pro

The advantage of working directly with various E Readers is that you quickly see in real life, not theoretical life, what works 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” E Z Reader 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 EReaders what is included are the basics. What you essential get with purchase is the E Reader, a cable to power it up, and that is it. Where the value comes in with the EZ Reader 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 and E Ink vizplex display at 600 by 800 pixels resolution and 8 levels of gray scale, the device is more than capable of rendering clear, legible pages. While 16 levels has become standard, the 8 works well if reading is what matters and not necessarily rich image quality.

Page turning and the overall responsiveness of The EZ Reader 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 gigs that also support for micro cards when loaded in a larger standard size holder. Although the device internally has 512 megs of space—which is rather small – there is the option to expand via cards.

In terms of features, there are book marks, 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.

Along with the file support, the EZ Reader with the included earphones a decent audio experience, much better than you might expect.

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 EZ Reader has neither WiFi support nor 3 G 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, smother and faster when simply doing it online via a pc and then downloading the book to your E Reader via a usb cable. The process of tying, looking up information, it can be cumbersome on a E Reader, even a high end one. So this is not as huge a loss as it may appear on the surface.

Another potential deal breaker is that the device is not connected to a major seller. There is no big box store backing the device. You can certainly use to read, but a bit of the ease of going from device to store is not here.

Even with its limits, 5 inch EZ Reader does a lot more than a bare bones E Reader can. But there is a one very strong negative.

The Achilles Heel of the EZ Reader Pro is the menu system. After a few uses, and paying close attention to the keys on the device, maneuvering the menus is a problem. As solid and complete a performer as it , the user interface is not intuitive. The elegance and smooth operation of a organized system is not there. The device has a rather generic menu, and it looks that way.

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. Again, it looks rather ordinary, however it is feather light, and you are more inclined to take it with you due to its size.

As an American variant of the Chinese Jinke V5, the roots of the device show, but not to the over all toal detriment of the E Reader. Once get past the utilitarian Spartan aesthetics, the EZ Reader reveals itself as a nimble device with enough value to make it a compelling option as long as you are aware of its limitations.

Summation

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 EZ Reader made cut backs do not significantly impact performance. 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 act of reading.

The big point with the EZ Reader 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 file formats, there is much to like here. Also of note, there is a six inch edition, but it does lack the feature set of the 5 inch version. For a fuller experience, I recommend the five inch one due to its value and feature set.

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 EZ Reader. If you can snag one up for yourself at $149.00, this is not a bad deal. If you are looking at $ 200.00, there are other options to seriously consider.

Specs:

The EZReader Pocket PRO 5 inch includes the following:

• Eink Vizplex display with 600×800 pixels resolution
• 8 levels of grayscale
• Epson Broadsheet controller
• Samsung S3C2440 400 MHz processor
• SD card slot
• Removable 1000 mAh Li-Polymer battery
• 6 ounce weight

The EZReader Pocket PRO supports a reported 20 formats, including ADE (Adobe Digital Edition), PDF, TXT, PDB, DOC, HTML, FB2, LIT, MP3, EPUB, PRC, WOL, CHM, PPT, TIF, PNG, GIF, RAR, ZIP, DJVU, JPG, and BMP

149.00 listed price

A Review of the Dell XPS 8100

Multi Media, Large Screens WiFi all in one cost effective package

By: Kurt von Behrmann

I assumed that if you want computing power to perform multimedia functions with prowess, you would need a system in the $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 range. However, this was several years ago, more like three. I started to wonder just how low one could go to obtain a system that can run basic applications, multimedia and basic video editing without breaking the proverbial bank.

When I attempted this quest for value and power several years ago, the closest I came was about $ 1,000.00 and that is not including a monitor, mouse or a keyboard. While it was a decent system, once windows 7 was released, it was not as fast as it was under XP. Even with the addition of a gig of memory, it works, but it still fells a tag sluggish.

What motivated this search for the best combination of value, price, power and quality was the current job market. With everyone concerned about employment, housing and the price of just about everything, figuring out ways to save is not a luxury. Right now, it is a necessity.

As everyone copes with leaner times, a number of workers are looking at work at home options, or need a stabile system. With so many jobs literally requiring web access, being able to go online with a reliable system can mean the difference between working and not working.

With the search in mind to see just where the most cost effective way to get the most computer for your valuable dollar could be found, I discovered the first issue to address in cost cutting was with the processor itself.

Certainly it is a given that most of us want the fastest processor on the block. However, bragging rights come at a cost. If you can scale back a bit here and not utilize the latest and greatest, you can find yourself obtaining the power needed to run multimedia programs efficiently without putting to large a dent into your wallet.

Currently the big selling point with processors are the number of cores. Dual cores came out a few years back, and that was the big deal. Now four and six cores systems are common place. If you are a heavy user with applications that can take specific advantage of multicore processors, and you are doing some extremely intensive work, then this is the best route to go. However, most mainstream applications have yet to take full advantage of them. For photo editing, and most commercial applications, you can do very well with a dual core, provided it is a current one, like the Core i5 series.

The next issue is memory. Having 2 gigs is not really an option. You can get by, but for most systems, 4 is really as low as you want to ever go.
Should you still be working with Windows XP, or even Vista, now is the time to upgrade. Windows 7 is stable and reliable. Now that 64 bit computing is more common place, if you are still in the 32 bit world, now is an excellent time to move into the new system as well.

Offering an experience that is close to the Mac system, Windows 7 is easy to use and simply the best operating system Microsoft has ever released. For designers, businesses, the upgrade to 7 is really a no brainer.

With all of this said, I performed some serious shopping online and off to see just where the best value was to be found. Not content to look at just facts, I asked sales people, friends and everyone else just what they thought and why. My search eventually culminated in two choices. That quickly dwindled down to one.

If you are looking at value, bang for the buck, and the ability to do what you want with a bit of style and speed, the Dell XPS 8100 clocked in as the most cost effective solution when factoring stability, quality, features and even the elusive “wow”factor. After all, computing is fun and when you have a nice looking rig, it does make a difference. If you don’t believe that, then look at CPU design and see just how cleaner and more sophisticated towers look today than they did say 20 years ago. Looks do matter and they impact not only how you feel about a system, they influence how likely you are to use them.

What I liked about the Dell as opposed to other models, and this is from the start, is the appearance. While I may have reluctant to see the aesthetic of a white computer with a black faceplate and silver trim, the appearance of the XPS 8100 is more 21st century than last century. In contrast to more utilitarian systems, the Dell demonstrates a design flair that is appealing without being over the top, intrusive or looking like a system designed by an over active 12 year old.

In keeping with the trend of desktop tops that allow for the storage of devices that need a usb connection, the recessed top can hold those devices, like mp3 players and assorted usb drives. Tilted upward, the unit is really well suited for being placed under your desk.

The inclusion of a 15 month subscription to McAfee internet security suite is another positive bonuse. Including a full featured security suite with the purchase price for more than a year is a nice addition, and this is not something often seen. In most cases you have a 30 day or 90 trial and that is it. Here you have a over a year, and that is something to consider.

Dell also tacked on a starter edition of Microsoft Word, and a link to purchase the full Office version. For power users who already have office software, this is not a big deal. But for those new to PC’s or those on a really restricted budget, having a full word processor beats having none at all.

If the inclusion of extras is pleasant, it is what they did not include that is also of note. One of the sad realities of purchasing from a large company are the many games, trial software programs and the like that come already installed. If that were not bad enough, many are set to auto run at startup, thus taking away valuable system resources for programs you may neither want or need.

Thankfully, Dell has no “bloat ware” installed. With the exception of a few helpful, and they are helpful, utilities and a floating taskbar, that is it. There are no preinstalled games, trial ware for a million and one products or other programs taking up space. You will not need to use a program uninstaller to obtain a lean hard drive.

That is a very good thing, and something or a rarity. Plus, it saves start up time because you can get right down to business installing your favorite programs.
In the past using a new pc meant a long series of questions, answers and well, process to go through that take time. For this go around, from out of the box to set up took a mind boggling 20 minutes, that includes opening boxes, cables and all.

If you have ever set up a desktop from scratch, this was about as efficient, logical and to the point as possible. Again the advantage of having major equipment from one vendor is that everything is designed to work together.

Putting the display monitor together was a straight forward proposition. Setting up the CPU was also a case of screwing in two antennas and turning the on switch on. In moments I was online with a fully functional pc. Never before had I see a system start up this quickly.

Like many larger companies, they did include a disk partition for system restore, however they also enclosed the operating system, drivers and programs on disks just in case you may need them. Shipping with a terabyte hard drive, the reservation of 10 gigs for system restoration doesn’t seem too bad in the scheme of things.

The Dell XPS 8100 reviewed included the following:

PROCESSORS Intel® Core™ i5-650 processor(4MB Cache, 3.20GHz) edit

OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit
MEMORY 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs edit
MONITOR ST2320L 23-inch Full HD Widescreen Monitor edit
VIDEO CARD nVidia GeForce GTS240 1024MB GDDR3 edit
HARD DRIVE 1TB
OPTICAL DRIVE Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write capable edit
Dell 1525 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & external antenna edit
KEYBOARD Dell Consumer Multimedia Keyboard edit
TV TUNER Hauppauge HVR1250 hybrid TV Tuner with Remote Control edit
MOUSE Dell Laser Mouse

Your price may vary, but this configuration at the time of writing, including a monitor and came to about $ 1168.99 when ordered online. Not too bad when I considered that my previous system was a cool grand and did not include 8 gigs of ram, a wifi card, a tv tunner, a monitor, mouse and keyboard or an entire security suite.

Naturally, you have some configuration options with Dell, and yes it does pay to play with them to see what you need and what you do not. But by and large, a little over a grand buys some nice features.

Just to see how solid this was price wise, I went online to anther vendor. The system advertised, no monitor base was about $ 800.00 for just the CPU. When I added features to make it comparable to the XPS configuration I had, the cost shot up to about 1,500.00, and with some other mix and match even higher. In some instances there was no option for a tv tunner, or a year subscription for antivirus.

For me, the Core i5 processor was a pleasant surprise. While I would have thought they would have shipped with only i7’s, the i5 is more than capable of running things.
Coupled with 8 gigs of memory, a dedicated nVidia card sporting a gig of onboard memory, you should have no trouble with photo editing, video editing or even gaming. Although this is not a power gaming rig, the system has enough muscle to provide respectable performance.

What I also liked about the package was the inclusion of a decent keyboard and mouse. Often what you get is whatever they threw in at the last minute when it comes to keyboards and mice. The Dell keyboard is slim, well designed and the keys have just the right amount of pressure to make lengthy typing a pleasure. The included mouse is not bad either. While both are usb and tethered to the CPU, I have never found this to be problematic. Even though I use wireless mice, the problems with batteries and recharging are greater than the one presented by a simple chord. This is one of the few ship with mice and keyboards I have encountered that does not necessitate a trip to the another vendor to find a keyboard that works and a mouse that feels comfortable to handle for more than an hour.

If you have held off on getting a monitor, the Dell ST2320L is bright, and displays small text to perfection. If you write professionally or simply write often, having a wide screen and being able to view two page at the same time translates into more productivity. Should you need an additional monitor, there is a second connection with the video card. Being that I tend to like dual monitors, having a second digital connection is certainly worth having.

Eight usb connections are included, along with firewire. The only downside is that the emerging usb 3 is not included here. Another omission is the inclusion of a Blue Ray reader. While blue ray readers and writers are still somewhat pricey, for a system that is so multimedia savvy, it seemed odd that some form of Blue Ray was not included, but this is not a deal breaker. Also, you can added, but expect to see a bit of an increase if you do.

What I found interesting was the inclusion of a television tuner and Wi-Fi. For many desktops Wi-Fi may seem superfluous, but with so many devices requiring wired connections, for example tv over the web services, having Wi-Fi just means that much more convenience and that much more portability.
Having a terabyte hard drive in this class of systems seems almost standard now, but having the 8 gigs of DDR3 memory is not so common. Rather than having 4 or 6, 8 is a really great sweet spot.

Coupled with the configuration, feature set, video card and processor speed, the XPS 8100 I worked with was more than capable of performing effectively and quietly. When contrasted to my other system, the XPS 8100 was nearly dead silent. My older Core 2 sounded like the concord taking off in comparison.

Having two systems side by side and working with them directly, it was then I could see the visible advantages of the new processor versus the older one. While both are dual core, the i5 has hyper threading. Basically what this means is that a 2 core system is threaded to operate as if it were a four core system. The hyper threading provides a speed increase and it is noticeable. Plus, running at 3.20 GHz gives a certain degree of muscle over a 2.13 Ghz system from 2007.

Now another concern that comes up in PC pricing is the issue of building it yourself versus purchasing from a company. The first big disadvantage in building yourself is time. If you want to achieve the best value, it will require shopping around. Then there is the actual time spent putting everything together, the cost of an operating system, and knowing just how well all the parts will work together.

Being that large companies can purchase parts in bulk, you will be very hard pressed to find a better deal, particularly with newer CPUs. For the average user, the time spent and the possible issues that may arise may not make it worthwhile.

With this said, convenience, cost, features and the like, Dell has produced a system that proves you do not need to spend thousands in order to have a system that can juggle the needs of basic computing with more demanding tasks.

For designers seeking a cost effective way to go online and have a monitor that doesn’t look like a postage stamp, Dell has managed to provide a respectable offering that doesn’t feel as if you are skimping on the essentials. In fact, they have thrown in some convenience features that make this a compelling choice for those that want to purchase, plug in and go online right away.

Dragon Naturally Speaking Version 9.6

(Above, The elegant interface of Dragon Naturally Speaking)

Voice Recognition that works

By: Kurt von Behrmann

The idea of being able to talk to a computer that can turn your spoken words into editable text has been a hit or miss proposition. Sometimes it might work, other times it might stall, more often than not one wound up with a program that was difficult to use, impossible to configure and just plain problematic.

When I began to use the built in Windows Vista Voice Recognition, problems started immediately. The program would work, my microphone wouldn’t work, in short the whole thing was a disaster.

Out of frustration I decided to try Dragon Naturally Speaking version 9.6. I had a copy of the application sitting on my desk, but never bothered to install it on my Windows Vista machine. The reason for my reticence stems from the fact that I had such difficulty with voice recognition programs in the past.

I decided to give it a try on Windows Vista, Ultimate Edition just to see if it would work. To my amazement, the program not only installed easily, it worked.

Following a very easy to follow instructional video that came with the package, I was able to install the program and set it up to understand my voice in less than an hour.

While I can’t base my assessment on actual hard-core data, I can say that the program does function accurately if you speak clearly and distinctly and have no sound distractions. Nuance, the programs makers, claim an accuracy rate of 99%. More than likely you are going to have about a good 90% accuracy rate. A great deal depends on how well you train the program and how long you use it. The greater your frequency of use, the greater the accuracy.

In working with the program, I found that it operated seamlessly with Microsoft office 2007 and it worked effectively with WordPerfect X4. For the most part, most programs will function properly, even those applications not specifically designed to do so. I found that graphics programs like Quark and CorelDraw had no problem working with Dragon.

Naturally Speaking has the capacity to allow you to direct your computer via voice. To move to a new paragraph, all one has to say is "new paragraph." Some of the commands take time to master, however if you do work with them, time savings while typing can be significant.
Working on a desktop with Windows Vista ultimate with two gigs of memory and a dual core processor, operation was very smooth. Much to my surprise, the program does work on older systems. I was running it on a laptop using Windows XP with 512 megs of memory and a Celeron processor. Granted it was not the most up-to-date system, but it could handle the demands of this application.

For those that have difficulty using a standard computer, or simply don’t like typing, this may seem like a blessing from above. For writers that are tired of typing, or don’t want to risk carpal tunnel, again this is a very effective solution. Included with the professional package is a head set. I do highly recommend a head set for use with the program.

The rendition I was using was the pro version, which is in the eight hundred dollar neighborhood –they also have medical professional versions and yet another high end version. However, there is a $99 version that is available, and for slightly more, an upgrade package.

While this is not an inexpensive program, it is an effective one. Having used other programs, Dragon Naturally speaking is easily the best. For most users, the standard $99 program may be sufficient.

If you wondered if voice recognition technology is ready for prime time, it certainly is with this version of Dragon Naturally speaking. An example of how effective the program is, many institutions of higher learning use it to assist those with difficulty operating standard personal computers.

System Requirements:
Windows XP Service Pack One and up and Windows Vista All versions
At least 512 megs of ram
1 Gig of hard drive space
Process Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent or higher
Soundcard to hear playback
Web connection for product activation
Noise cancelling headset