• On The Insider: Britney's Bikini-Clad Top 10
May 14, 2008 4:26 AM PDT

Astak's e-book reader beats rivals in price

by Mike Yamamoto
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 3 comments
(Credit: Astak)

Another day, another e-book reader. There must be something in the air, because in the last week alone we've seen new releases of Endless Ideas' "Bebook," the Irex "Book Edition," and now Astak's "Mentor."

The latest runs on Windows CE 5.0 and has a 6-inch screen that's similar to the displays on the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, as well as the Bebook. Unlike the competing readers seen in the last few days, however, Astak's offering includes Wi-Fi connectivity, uses e-ink technology, and has a lower price than all of those mentioned above, reportedly coming in under $200. (Astak is also releasing two other models, with 5-inch and 9.7-inch displays.)

Given all this competition, combined with the dearth of titles available to load on them, it might be worth sticking with pulp for awhile to see if prices go even lower.

Recent posts from Crave
Killer deals on BlackBerry, Droid, and Palm Pixi
This week in Crave: The boxed-in edition
Ricky Gervais helps reveal pain of cell phone salesmen
Indecent Exposure 68: Inky extents
Apple fixes AirPort problems marring video playback on 27-inch iMacs
iPhone: The board gamer's paradise
Can erasing your iPhone's memory improve performance?
Top 5 best products of the fall
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (3 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by mmzerofan May 14, 2008 2:04 PM PDT
Na, I'll jump in now (provided they ship on time).

The prices are finally getting to a point that I wouldn't feel bad if they dipped lower.

Around $150 is the right price point for me.
Reply to this comment
by Corbs86 July 11, 2008 12:16 PM PDT
There's actually no reviews on the Internet so far apart from Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Digital Reader. It's ashame, reviews are definitely missing in this area.
Reply to this comment
by Seamus414 May 28, 2009 2:18 PM PDT
Is this the same thing? http://www.mobiebook.com/6_ez_reader.asp
Love the idea of multiple format support and a removable battery (Now there's something to make me smile). Price is much more acceptable than competitors (Irex give me a break $700+).
Reply to this comment
(3 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

A CNET Conversation with Eric Schmidt

CNET's Tom Krazit and Molly Wood sit down with Google CEO Eric Schmidt to discuss the future of Android, the Chrome OS, the problem of real-time search indexing, and more.

Verizon tests sending RIAA copyright notices

The No. 2 phone company, known for its reluctance to intervene in antipiracy cases, strikes an agreement to forward copyright notices on behalf of the music industry.