Pretty pointless, but I was bored so I put it up...let's see how many optimists, pessimists and realists we have on this forum!

I'll be bold and optimistic and say "20th of April"!

let's see how many optimists, pessimists and realists we have on this forum!

And where is a choice "sometimes in 2006"?

End of 2006.

Purchase of the iLiad ER0100 will be possible via this Website in the second half of April 2006. You can be notified when the shop opens by leaving your e-mail address.

yes, I'd like to believe that too, but are you really sure... :uhoh2:

Purchase of the iLiad ER0100 will be possible via this Website in the second half of April 2006. You can be notified when the shop opens by leaving your e-mail address.

Since when you believe in official promises? :D

Just wait and see. I don't see much point in speculating. You must be really eager to spend 650 euro!

as i said in the first post, this whole thing is essentially pointless...but it helps pass the time and could be fun...don't be so serious Laurens...:-)

but it helps pass the time and could be fun...

We could, e.g., play "live" preference at some site ))
Can someone play it? :)
It is not pointless and also "helps pass the time and could be fun" :)

as i said in the first post, this whole thing is essentially pointless...but it helps pass the time and could be fun...don't be so serious Laurens...:-)

OK, ok, I'll play then. Second half of April.

I couldn't resist to check their site. Lo and behold: they just opened their shop!

Just kidding!

(-:-)

Just kidding!
GRRR! I had already opened their page and tried to find the shop before I read your followup post.

I think probably sometime next week, though it might be the week after. It doesn't make much business sense for them to make a half-month delay if there is actually going to be a delay of many months. That would just anger and disuade potential customers. So at the latest it will come sometime next month, but probably sometime this month, I think.

I just hope it doesn't cost too much.

Hello everybody!

I've been reading this forum religiously for the past month.
I was mostly interested in news about the Iliad, but i found a bunch of other interesting ebook resources in this forum;

Now, about the iRex shop:
I want it to launch as soon as possible, but i think they most likely launch at beginning of may.
I assume they are receiving input from testers and feverishly reviewing and changing code. Hopefully it will have an upgradeable firmware, that way it wont become obsolete in a year.

it has an updateable firmware...so no worries on htat aspect...:-)

The price is lso fixed now it appears...unfortunately it is fixed VERY high, 549 Euro without VAT and Shipping. For Germany that would make a price just below 650 Euro.

it has an updateable firmware...so no worries on htat aspect...:-)

The price is lso fixed now it appears...unfortunately it is fixed VERY high, 549 Euro without VAT and Shipping. For Germany that would make a price just below 650 Euro.

The high price is justified by iLiad being beleeding edge technology.
Also R&D costs so they have to get some money so they can continue research and developing new improved products.
The price is quite high, as stated on their website the device is for businessmen primarily.
I just hope that the friendly neighbourhood hacker will develop new apps to offset the cost of the device a bit. :)

The price is quite high, as stated on their website the device is for businessmen primarily.

If you were a businessman, would you buy an ordinary calculator or notebook at my company, if I triple a price for it, saying it is "the device is for businessmen primarily"? :rolleyes5

No matter, whom is the device for, the only things important - what can it do, can it do what you need, how much do you need functions, this device has, has any other device such functions & how much it costs...

I agree TaKir...this whole B2B affair is a serious bore in my opinion.
What they are basically after is resellers. Like mobile phones...but the trouble is that "reseller" devices could be "branded" just like cellphones. And that could quickly kill interest for the "open platform" of the Iliad.
I'm willing to pay more for a device if I can get it open and clean without custom features (e.g. restrictions)...

but maybe i'm wrong...maybe the resellers will actually make the device better...

If you were a businessman, would you buy an ordinary calculator or notebook at my company, if I triple a price for it, saying it is "the device is for businessmen primarily"? :rolleyes5

No matter, whom is the device for, the only things important - what can it do, can it do what you need, how much do you need functions, this device has, has any other device such functions & how much it costs...

The point is that the device has features, like WiFi and a bigger display, that are designed to appeal to businesses. These do not come for free.

I'll say the webshop opens on Tuesday this week...any takers for a bet...^^

(nah...just kidding...about the bet...)

wifi and bigger display ... I thought that appealed to everyone if the price is right? ;)

Priced for the enterprise in the notebook industry usually means the tech support part is also part of the whole deal. In most companies, it means having the IT support folks trained in the product as well. And in many cases, the machine/device would come as a 3yr corporate lease package with support included. From what I know this is why enterprise-class notebooks are more expensive.

This may be true for the iLiad as well. If the newspaper folks start getting 10,000 iLiad units from iRex, they would probably send their IT team for training or receive 1 or 2 onsite tech support folk stationed inhouse to handle tech support. Or iRex may have some special arrangements to make tech support easier for them.

I hope they fix these "shopping cart" issues and open the store soon. Waiting is annoying.

wifi and bigger display ... I thought that appealed to everyone if the price is right?

I certainly think this is the case, though wifi will be much more useful if the Iliad allows more generic connections to a wireless network beyond just having it to be "pushed" things you have subscribed too. It is (hypothetically) possible a third-party could design a "reader" that allows this if the iliad doesn't provide such a feature natively.

Hmm, I think the latest it will come is by friday, but most likely they'll open the shop wednesday or thursday. More likely thursday as that directly coincides with when they are showing the device off at Artec in Portugal. (From what I gather, Artec runs from Wednesday to Friday, or something like that, and Irex is showing the Iliad off on Thursday).

That's my current best-guess.

I certainly think this is the case, though wifi will be much more useful if the Iliad allows more generic connections to a wireless network beyond just having it to be "pushed" things you have subscribed too. It is (hypothetically) possible a third-party could design a "reader" that allows this if the iliad doesn't provide such a feature natively.I've been skeptical of WiFi on E Ink readers from the start, since their low refresh rate would tend to prohibit real-time web surfing. I was curious to see how iRex would resolve the issue, and suspected that wireless implementation on the iLiad would resemble something like Palm old PQA content model for the Palm VII. Asynchronous refreshing wipes out most the advantages of local wireless connectivity, so WiFi on the device does little more than drive up its cost. Whatever else Sony might be doing wrong on their Reader, WiFi was one ambitious feature they were shrewd to avoid.

Hmm, I think the latest it will come is by friday, but most likely they'll open the shop wednesday or thursday.

That's my current best-guess.

You're all like kids in your belief in what Irex says. We won't see real devices in their shop soon, couse they dont have them yet.

They hardly found 75 devices for their testers :wink:

And do you really think, they can't fix their web-shop for 5 days? Very funny, verisimilar ))

In Portugal Irex will show the only spare device they have.

well...i'm not so sure about that TaKir...

I would have said the same probably, but since Jörg Wrobel got a different explanation (and they seem to talk to him...) it might just be, that the true story is the webshop thing...

I don't think they'd release it on the same day as they do their artec show-off because it'd mean too much work and I think their manpower is seriuosly limited...^^
The artec thing marks the last day they could coose, because a lot of people will probably be asking "when and where can I buy one of these" there.

To CommanderROR:
Did Jörg Wrobel got something but this "different explanation"? May be he saw storehouses full of boxes with Iliad? May be they told him addresses of these storehouses?

I can make up a dozen of such "different explanation", but they will be at least like true :)

Has anybody seen these paper-testers with Iliad in hands? Has anybody seen fotos of Iliad, but those made by Irex?

Definately NO for all these questions!

http://images.google.com/images?q=irex+iliad&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&start=0&sa=N

Something but the Irex advertisement should be already published, if they sold even if a single device accrording to their mysterious "bisiness-to-business solutions".

Their trade plans and terms are failed now. It's pity, but unfortunately it is so.... :(
Bad beginning for a company with their first goods...

There were some photos of the Chinese iRex floating around... but limited availability of devices would explain their hesitance to send out press copies.

There were some photos of the Chinese iRex floating around...
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6183&page=2&pp=15
From me :D

Only an agreement with partners from China...
But no signes of selling these devices or signing contracts in other countries.
They are simply not ready to trade. Point.

Problems with web-shop can not prevent Irex to ship devices, problem is that - they have nothing to sell.

hmmm...TaKir...are you having a bad day today???

I'm not saying you could not be right, but it's still April and we have at least one connection (Branko Collins) with iRex. Advertisment is not really to be expected because they are not aiming at the consumer market, and if you look at all those little articles in newspapers about the Iliad, then you can see that there are a lot of projects going on. At the moment they are starting their "Field-Test" phase as far as I can tell, letting their future b2b partners try out the devices. Of course I have not seen any of this with my own eyes, but there was a video showing an Iliad in operation (was it by "De Volkskraat" or some such newspaper in the Netherlands) and I guess we'll see soon enough whether there will be a launch in April or not.

There is also this "artec" exhibition in Portugal...so there must be at least some devices ready. I think they won't be able to satisfy consumer demand at launch, but then show me a company that managed to launch a product successfully, on time and with good availability in the last 5 years...^^

We'll wait and see. I'll order an Iliad as soon as the webshop opens and then I can show you some pictures not made by iRex...at lest I hope so...it could be that you are right and I'm just a stupid Optimist...^^

To CommanderROR:
))) I have a good day today ))) And same to you!
Sorry, if my words made you upset! I know, you badly want this device....

But you confirm my opinion "show me a company that managed to launch a product successfully, on time and with good availability in the last 5 years..." (((
(I've seen video, and read everything, concerning Irex, couse I'm interested in it too)


it could be that you are right and I'm just a stupid Optimist...^^
I'm far from calling anybody "stupid"!!! Only toooo optimistic :)

What about Irex "explanation" - I don't like persons/companies, who thinks that everybody has a head only for eating bigmacs :angry: and trying to fool people.

Please calm down everyone. I know, the anticipation is also killing me, but let's stay friends ;=)

no worries Alexander...we are all friends here...we don't even differ when it comes down to the facts...^^

I'll be doing a rather big Computer-rehousing this afternoon, so I might be off for a while...don't get worried...I bought a new case and some cooling related equipment and am now going to swap the components from one case to the other, clean out my watercooling, re-rig everything...I hope I don't break anything...well...no matter Ican always use my girlfriend's computer to read mobileread.

Have a nice day everybody!

Just don't blame me for your girlfriend being mad at you. I know girlfriends can be very touchy regarding too much computer ;)

The funny thing is that I could make 'em a complete website with integrated webshop -including Paypal- in under a day...and I am stupid!

Hey guys if you are reading this, it'll only cost you an Iliad...guys? Hello??

:)

Takir, while I understand your arguement and you may be right, it still doesn't seem terribly likely to me. Examine the possibilities:

1. Irex is telling the truth, or something close to it.
2. Irex is lying, but they'll have volume production soon.
3. Irex is lying, and they won't have volume production for a few months.
4. Irex is lying and they'll never have volume production.

If 2 is true, why not just say that? It isn't like they'd lose any customers, and Sony's eink device has been delayed so it wouldn't be too surprising. Also, if there wasn't long to wait then it really wouldn't cause any harm.

If 3 is true, then pretending that they are going to start selling soon would do damage to their customer base. People and businesses are a lot less likely to trust a corporation that tells outrageous lies. Additionally, since the Sony device was already delayed, Irex would not look bad if they had to delay for a few months.

If 4 is true then there is certainly no reason to pretend they are going to start selling devices within a matter of weeks (at the latest). This wouldn't only cause them damage. Better to state it will be "within the year" or something similarly vague. If they are as dishonest as you think, Takir, it would be better still to up the stats on the device with these promises to keep people and investors interested. Acting like it is going to start shipping any time now is only going to lose them customers and investors.

So, imho, they'd have to be really stupid to be telling any significant lie. They gain no benefit from a signficant lie given what they've said and lose a great deal. Maybe their volume is a bit constrained, but that would just mean they are going to get devices to the Papers and other testers first, then start selling them--even with this though, there is little reason to lie to the regular joe, as I am sure we'd understand them looking after their main market first.

It is quite possible they are having difficulties with their shopping cart, as absurd as it sounds. Their focus isn't on individuals, but rather businesses, and you don't sell volume amounts to businesses via a shopping cart online. If they have a very limited number of employees, or rather limited web-capable programmers, then it wouldn't be that surprising if they were focusing on other tasks instead of the shopping cart; so bug might not be fixed for a while, especially with so many newspapers and other businesses apparently being dealt with. Heck, it is even true that web-focused companies have had problems with things like this (they get everything together they want to sell and then realize they don't really know how to go about doing it online). The juxtaposition is absurd, but absurdity happens.

All in all, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. It doesn't cost me anything and they don't gain anything from me doing this. It isn't like their potentially lying actually gets them anything from me.

-Drachasor

You people take this thing way too seriously.

You people take this thing way too seriously.

I just enjoy analyzing things. Call me pedantic, if you want.

Here are some more photos of the iLiad from some Chinese Websites.

Also, as you probably know iRex signed a cooperative agreement with Chinese Guangzhou KingSun Software to market the iLiad in China. You can find the press-release here (http://www.irextechnologies.com/downloads/060406-PressRelease-KingSun-iRex.pdf) (PDF, scroll further down for the English version). There was also a press conference the same day in China which you can follow here (http://blog.donews.com/ebooks/archive/2006/04/07/816900.aspx). In case Chinese language is not your thing, you can also try to decipher the following Babelfish translation:

In April 6th press conference Yang Hong General Manager answers reporter the questions

1. Reporter: What the electronic microreader and present network popular does E-BOOK have to relate?
Yang Hong: First quotes an underneath 正电子 vice- President when here the week vigor to accept New China net reporter the interview said: The electricity 子书 has two kind of definitions, the narrow sense electricity 子书 refers is grasps reads the equipment. The generalized electricity 子书 is refers from book writing, the edition, the publication, distributes to reads this kind of complete industrial chain. The electricity 子书 already may take in grasps reads on the equipment to glance over, also may read on the computer screen. The electricity 子书 not only can unfold in the paper book the writing, the picture content, the maintenance paper book first edition 原式, meanwhile may supplement the audio frequency, the video frequency and so on the multimedia content.
I thought the ideal electricity 子书 microreader the definition is: Can support the fine reading form and have take encrypts as the foundation copyright preservation technology; Has suits reading the fine display monitor; Has the full storage space and has outside the good memory to expand the ability; Conveniently uses the most recent communication technology to carry on the material to renew, material exchange; Has the good man-machine interaction function, when does not need the copyright protection supports the most widespread reading form.

2. Reporter: Asked how many parts the electronic reading industry does constitute by that?
Yang Hong: The electronic reading industry may contain two parts, namely we usually said hardware and content. Includes on the hardware industrial chain: Electronic microreader research and development business, producer, seller, consumer. Includes on the content industrial chain: Books author, publishing house, content publisher and operator, reader.

3. Reporter: That is above said mentioned the consumer and the readers all are your user?
Yang Hong: Yes.

4. Reporter: The electronic reading industry has the big market?
Yang Hong: Finally can surpass 10000000000 in the Chinese year market total amount. Each kind of digital library and on the Internet news, studies, the abundant guest and so on all belongs to the electronic reading category.

5. Reporter: That electronic microreader market has in a big way?
Yang Hong: Most recent several years domestic electronic microreader year sales volume in 100,000, believed in 2006 may achieve above 200,000.

6. Reporter: At present the domestic overseas electronic microreader merchant has these?
Yang Hong: On international famous has Japanese the Sony (sony), the Dutch Phillips (Philips) under flag iRex and so on; Domestic technical, the Nankai Tianjin branch, Guangzhou Jin Chan, Guangzhou abundant are in the right way bright. Guangzhou abundant is bright is the home most early proposes the electricity 子书 microreader concept factory. They have the cooperation relations with Guangzhou Jin Chandu, we manage the microreader mostly originates to these factories and uses us Dr. Yi the brand. For example: Yi Dr. iliad, Yi Dr. M318 promotes which with the iRex cooperation which promotes with the upright cooperation, and Nankai Tianjin branch cooperation Yi Dr. M218, and Guangzhou abundant bright cooperation Yi Dr. demon EB800. Guangzhou Jin Chanhuan independently developed electronic microreader Yi Dr. EB218 and has promoted innate intellectual property rights electronic reading document format EBA.

7. Reporter: What position is that present Guangzhou Jin Chan in the electronic microreader profession?
Yang Hong: Guangzhou Jin Chan is the domestic electronic microreader biggest channel seller. This also is elected by iRex 作合 to do one of partner most important reasons. We take electronic microreader popularization as enterprise's mission. Enterprise's localization is constructs between the microreader product and consumer's channel. Is building roads simultaneously involves each kind of service which if is connected.

8. Reporter: A what type company is iRex? What type cooperation relations it and is Guangzhou Jin Chan?
Yang Hong: The iRex technology limited company is the technical company which separates from the Dutch Phillips group, devotes from 2001 to the electronic paper and the electron grasps reads the equipment the technical research and development. It is the electronic paper and the electron grasps reads 拥有者 which equipment many item of sources sends the technology, at present develops in the world the technology advanced to read the most comfortable electronic microreader.
Guangzhou Jin Chan and iRex are the strategy partner relations, is responsible for Dr. Yi the Ely Asia especially (iliad) in the Chinese area sale.

9. Reporter: Then said besides above factor, what reason but also has to let iRex have only one in mind to Guangzhou Jin Chan?
Yang Hong: I thought that, is because Guangzhou Jin Chan most has the experience in the domestic electronic microreader profession, most has the development spirit, rigid, sincerest, is most successful.
These years management electron microreader, the Guangzhou gold toad has known very many friends upstream, has the factory, the content provider, the downriver dealer, the business agent, these all are our precious resources and the wealth.

10. Reporter: Then Guangzhou Jin Chan and the iRex cooperation promotes what does this section product have enchantingly place?
Yang Hong: Guangzhou Jin Chan and the iRex cooperation promotes Dr. Yi the Ely Asia especially (iliad) is in the present world the most advanced technical integration electronic paper microreader, its reading demonstration technology world first, the product has three major prominent characteristics. First, the electronic paper demonstration, has extremely good reading to extend moderately, is same with traditional paper reading. Second, with network interconnection interaction. Supports WIFI the 802.11g transmission speed to achieve each second 54M; The support ether network, has the RJ45 standard receptacle, all changes with the local area network and the Internet joint is simple. Third, the man-machine interaction exchange, this enables the microreader to be allowed to turn the tool to use. Its electromagnetic induction writing by hand pen, the feeling which writes on the paper is similar with the person.

11. Reporter: Then this section Dr. Yi Ely Asia especially (iliad) the goal customer locates in these crowds?
Yang Hong: The goal customer will be allowed to divide into at present and the future, future certainly will be the most widespread ordinary consumer. At present has seven big kinds. (1) Government electron government affairs aspect. Because iliad let the original complex electronic government affairs operate changes simply, let Iliad massively use into possibly; (2) the newspaper industry media, iliad lets grasp the electronic newspaper to turn the reality; (3) electronic medical record; (4) engineers electronic blueprint microreader; (5) the student class, iliad enables the electronic book bag truly to become possibly; (6) the writers good companion, may directly revise the manuscript on the product; (7) entrepreneurs good helper.

12. Reporter: How many is the iliad market price?
Yang Hong: Product preliminary stage, because research and development cost high, output small, in the short-term the market price cannot fall down, quite is expensive. The market retail price is 9,980 Yuan/.

13. Reporter: Was equal to a computer?
Yang Hong: Is compared to PDA expensive, but or cheap have been very more than the plate computer. The Chinese king's plate computer nearly 30,000 Yuan, iliad to 10,000 Yuan, we cannot consider increases some and the content correlation increment service above it. When a new product just put in the market, could not expect its price reached one's goal instantly, namely the price step all had the purchase desire to everybody the price, thought the same year handset just appeared on the market, 30,000 Yuan, but, did not fall on the short several year prices to everybody all has the ability to purchase. Therefore a new product puts in time the market regardless of price multi- Gao Du is normal, also is not the price takes a higher position does not have the market!

14. Reporter: How then you do prepare to sell this section iliad?
Yang Hong: In order to curry favor with this section product, the Guangzhou gold toad has already prepared for management combination fist.
(1) the company has in the world the best electronic microreader --- is this section Yi Dr. iliad; (2) the company has the domestic price compared to best electronic microreader --- Yi Dr. M318; (3) the company has the home most to have popularization electronic microreader --- Yi Dr. EB218.

15. Reporter: Between them relations?
Yang Hong: First, is must have in the world the most advanced product, next, only then has the possibility to have the natural price compared to the best product, then has the product which easiest to promote.

16. Reporter: It seems like that, you have been full of confidence? But, each emerging industrial appearance, all can have the prophet, the pioneer and the martyrs? How do you are regard Guangzhou Jin Chan?
Yang Hong: The Guangzhou gold toad does not work as the martyrs, are not the pioneer, must be the prophet. We expand the market share time, first considers in the management is must have the cash class.

Moreover under eight questions are reporters written inquiry. Above (arrangement meets)

17. Reporter: As grasps the microreader, the electricity 子书 compares the handset, PDA, the notebook computer, MP3, MP4 and so on the superiority in where?
Yang Hong: Grasps the microreader and their difference is specialized reading and division of the non- specialized reading. Grasps the microreader has from already reading form, may divide the chapter, the Canadian bookmark; The battery continues the navigation time, the reading contact surface is obvious superiorly to the handset, PDA and so on. Reading comfortableness, the convenience and may the durability occupy superiorly.

18. Reporter: How are the domestic and foreign demands, what type is the market supplies condition at present?
Yang Hong: The electronic reading industry has 1,000 hundred million markets every year. Because the electronic microreader is from has the paper to read non- paper reading, the change is person's reading custom, the demand time, at present is the start stage, but prospect infinite.

19. Reporter: How has manifested the supply lag? Hasn't the electronic microreader been why able to be popular?
Yang Hong: Supply lag main reflection in demonstration technology, international big company although investment large amount of money research and development, but after all demand time. Product preliminary stage price expensive, the non- popularization price, accepts the person is limited, in the very great degree affected the electronic microreader not to be able to be popular. Yi Dr. iliad appearance, in the use world the most advanced electronic paper technology has solved the demonstration problem, if the sales volume can come up, believes the price question along with it solution.

20. Reporter: 3G arrival, handset similar computer terminal entire function whether does have the impact to the electricity 子书 development?
Yang Hong: Cannot. The 3G arrival can be advantageous to the electronic microreader development, provided renewed a quicker way to the electricity 子书 content renewal, 3G to the electronic microreader development is the opportunity, was not the impact.

21. Reporter: Estimated when can be the electricity 子书 development mature stage, the market preheating also needs how long?
Yang Hong: Estimated in three years can be mature.

22. Reporter: What type can use the way to carry on the market introduction?
Yang Hong: We already had three years sales experience, we can continue the magic weapon which we succeeds. Using the electronic microreader novel, the technology is new, the news strongly makes the issue, simultaneously promptly summarizes each place successful case, uses the successful marketing case to carry on the market introduction.

23. Reporter: How establishes the channel?
Yang Hong: Firmly continues to walk the region business agent responsibility system. A province in principle only supposes a general agent, can set up the north and south two sales companies to carry on the management to the national market.

24. Reporter: How regards to the consumer the education work?
Yang Hong: In order to carries on the popularization to the electronic microreader concept, the company will make some to carry on the popular science education about the electronic microreader popular science piece to the consumer. I thought should start from ours children, to let them understand reading the importance, reading may activate the creativity, knew the humanity had the record the history to experience the long development course, started from the inscription on animal bones and tortoise shells, to paper printing, again to today electronic reading, the electronic microreader invention and the application could go down in history. I thought this is the epoch-making reading revolution.

If it's really related to issues with the Web store, blame it on this company who is doing the Web work for iRex:

http://www.prime-icon.com/content/en/noflash.htm

Has anybody seen these paper-testers with Iliad in hands? Has anybody seen fotos of Iliad, but those made by Irex?

Definately NO for all these questions!True, perhaps, for photos, but there is this video (http://www.volkskrant.com/videoreportages/142#) affirming the iLiad's existence -- paper-testers included!

My attempt at translating the chinese text:

1. Reporter: What is the connection between ebook reader devices and current popular web ebooks?
Yang Hong: First, let me quote FangZheng Electronics Vice-President ZhouQin's interview with XinHua Network: "There are two definition of eBooks: In the (first) restricted sense, ebooks refer to handheld reading devices. In the (second) general sense, ebooks encompasses the whole complete process of write-ups (or drafts?), editing, publication, distribution to reading. Ebooks can be read/browsed in a handheld ereading device and can also be read on a calculator's screen (!). Ebooks is not limited to the display of text, pictures and layout style of the original paper book publication, at the same time, it can include audio, video multimedia content.

I feel that the [definition of a] ideal eBook device should be: To support high quality reading layout and format, and incorporate high-encryption for copyright protection (basically DRM); To have a good display screen that is suitable for reading; To have adequate storage space and ability to expand on such storage space; To have the latest input/output (original: communication, but in the context, he seem to be referring to input capabilities) technology for convenient update and change of content (it may also be referring to wifi as a means to change the whole content instead of modification of content on the device); To have good User-Interface (Literal: Man-machine interface), and under non-DRM situation, to support the widest range of content format.

... *phew* ... took awhile ... the following questions are not translated yet ... :p

The high price is justified by iLiad being beleeding edge technology.
Also R&D costs so they have to get some money so they can continue research and developing new improved products.
The price is quite high, as stated on their website the device is for businessmen primarily.
I just hope that the friendly neighbourhood hacker will develop new apps to offset the cost of the device a bit. :)Prohibitive pricing will not recover iRex's R&D costs. Landfills the world over are strewn with artifacts of good ideas intended for sale to that holy grail of conspicuous consumption, the affluent businessman. But even businessmen with deep pockets are a conservative lot. They'll spare no expense when it comes to established goods -- laptops, watches, cars -- but require more persuasion to buy new products than would teenagers (e.g. iPods, PSPs, Sidekicks), a demographic with, counterintuitively, more discretionary income than the former.

If iRex intends these devices for the vertical market, that space it too crowded with specialized handheld devices where E Ink adds little value. Would warehouse managers really care what kind of displays their employees have? This is one market where I can imagine Origami actually making serious inroads, since it would leverage the vast pool of extant Windows business software. I'm convinced that for E Ink readers to succeed, their initial appeal must be personal, not professional, particularly since justifying their purchase to corporate as a business expense would be an uphill battle.

iRex made a smart move by concentrating on supporting open file formats like XHTML natively. They probabably had no choice, given Sony's intent to license thousands of mainstream titles for distribution through an iTMS-style nexus. It also relieves them of having to license a DRM solution or develop one in-house. But I think they made a serious mistake by adding wireless ethernet, which only makes the device unattractively expensive. There's no way I'm going to pay an extra $300 over what Hanlin and Sony are offering just to avoid an occasional USB connection.

Two more days and April is effectively over, unless they intend to release it on a weekend!

I think maybe they've realized that THEY might have a B2B focus, but not the rest of the world, hehe... having allowed people to sign up for the shop's opening, they might have realized that they can't handle just now the volume of people that seem to be ready to buy an iLiad.

well...that's what I think too.

I called iRex a few weeks ago, and although the lady i talked to couldn't answer my question (she wasn't one of the technicals) she did give me one piece of interesting information...

iRex is being swarmed with hundreds of emails daily, and somehow I can't imagine all those being b2b related... :wink:
The fact that they don't answer emails (with the exception of emails coming through one of their partners, something I found out after contacting them through Jörg Wrobel) could of course have frightened away sme people, but I think even with the high price, there will be many buyers right at the beginning.

@Alexander
About that hint with the girlfirend...you're right of course and I know that...so I moved my big computer "rehousing" to the week when she is in Paris...THIS WEEK...^^
So no trouble there...fitting my stuff into the server cube I bought was more of a problem..I'm still not quite done... :huh:

Two more days and April is effectively over, unless they intend to release it on a weekend!
Yepp, same thought. imho Irex will miss the open-shop-in-april-deadline.

It's still curious: months old "news", no events are listed @ irextechnologies. Hey, there PR could be much better! They just could write "it's worth to wait." or something.

Or they could

1) Setup a mailing list for potential buyers and send them unique urls for buying in the first week of launch
2) Allow pre-order to start so that there is no sudden overload on launch day.

I think *if* the delay is because they are afraid demand will crash their b2b servers, they can use #1 to process the orders in batches. Say they get 10,000 unique emails registered. They can send out 1000 emails on day one. Another 1000 on day two. etc. That way, its controlled. And if say on day three, they find the load too heavy (1000 buyers for a day should be manageable right?) They can also further stagger the emails.

There are many ways to skin the cat. Just don't delay dinner! :p

My attempt at translating the chinese text

Thanks, Snappy, I gave up entirely on the BabelFish xlation halfway through the first answer. :)

Snappy...I think the guys at iRex won't be able to handle even 100 orders a day.
My feeling is that they are mainy tech-geeks and not marketing/sales people...but I could be wrong...and I hope I am.

Tomorrow is the day of the artec exhibition...let's see what happens.

Yepp, same thought. imho Irex will miss the open-shop-in-april-deadline.

It's still curious: months old "news", no events are listed @ irextechnologies. Hey, there PR could be much better! They just could write "it's worth to wait." or something.

Or maybe they are not able to produce enough units, so their PR groups are told to cool off for a while ... :huh: :o

Thanks, Snappy, I gave up entirely on the BabelFish xlation halfway through the first answer. :)

You are welcome! It's a bit tricky sometimes and yeah the Babel xlation is really babbling ... :p ... but for a machine, it did pretty well ... ;)

Anyone want the other parts translated? :bulb2:

Snappy...I think the guys at iRex won't be able to handle even 100 orders a day.
My feeling is that they are mainy tech-geeks and not marketing/sales people...but I could be wrong...and I hope I am.

Tomorrow is the day of the artec exhibition...let's see what happens.

I guess that's why Michael Dell is raking in the dollars simply because he manage to make sense of the suuply chain process for building PCs. ;)

Granted, we have to cut the iRex folks some slack, since its not like every hardware company out there have a end-user online order system. But since the iLiad did not land on their lap last week but was developed for ... years (?) back, surely they would or should have the foresight to rig up a team to handle these transactions. ... unless they did not intended it at the first place! :scholar:

That would solve the mystery. They are a spin off from Philips R&D, so they would not have such a web team to start with. And when the product materialise, they probably expected retailers and verticals to buy from them and not handle direct transactions from customers. So in that way, they were caught off guard. Their saving grace however, is that they seem like they are trying to change their gears to cater for the consumer direct-buy schema. Hopefully they will finish up the song on a good note and not do a CLIO*.

------
* What is to do a CLIO? To do a CLIO is to preannounce the release of a CLIO NXT product back in Q4 '04 that it will launch in Feb '05, and start taking pre-orders, only to delay it to April '05 and then totally refuse to reply to subsequent emails and disappear from the IT scene, and finally announce in Q2 '06 that they are beginning a trial run with a school!

Hi, a "Clio" There was a very good reason the Clio did not come out on time, and a reason for the year delay. I am due to hear from the CEO of Data Evolution soon and will update you on the product's progress at that time.I guess that's why Michael Dell is raking in the dollars simply because he manage to make sense of the suuply chain process for building PCs. ;)

Granted, we have to cut the iRex folks some slack, since its not like every hardware company out there have a end-user online order system. But since the iLiad did not land on their lap last week but was developed for ... years (?) back, surely they would or should have the foresight to rig up a team to handle these transactions. ... unless they did not intended it at the first place! :scholar:

That would solve the mystery. They are a spin off from Philips R&D, so they would not have such a web team to start with. And when the product materialise, they probably expected retailers and verticals to buy from them and not handle direct transactions from customers. So in that way, they were caught off guard. Their saving grace however, is that they seem like they are trying to change their gears to cater for the consumer direct-buy schema. Hopefully they will finish up the song on a good note and not do a CLIO*.

------
* What is to do a CLIO? To do a CLIO is to preannounce the release of a CLIO NXT product back in Q4 '04 that it will launch in Feb '05, and start taking pre-orders, only to delay it to April '05 and then totally refuse to reply to subsequent emails and disappear from the IT scene, and finally announce in Q2 '06 that they are beginning a trial run with a school!

I have to say I do love my Clio (1050, Vadem branded), even if I use the Zaurus more. the batterylife isn't too bad. and the handwriting recognition is great.

Very good for notetaking.

And when snobby businessmen, all but push you off the table's on intercity trains, getting a Clio out does make then go green (or did prior to tablets becoming relatively commonplace).

Though this discussion really doesn't belong here.

Just on a side-note - did anybody notice the "This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 06 December, 2005." line below the product page for the Iliad in the Irex-shop? Wonder what the technical difficulties were then?
(just trying to post something to keep me from checking my order status every other second...)

Go play in the arcade some: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/arcade.php

I need a challenge. :-)

sorry...I'm too bad at those games...^^

Just on a side-note - did anybody notice the "This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 06 December, 2005." line below the product page for the Iliad in the Irex-shop? Wonder what the technical difficulties were then?

I guess they had all products added, but someone lost the key to the front door, so the shop couldnt be opened. ;) Just yesterday the keys were found. The CEO of prime-icon.com was sitting on it the whole time. But he wanted to kick some ass, because the irex shop is still not working properly and he was sitting quite uncomfortable for quite some time anyways. And there you go. Miraculous rediscovery of the lost shop key. And after he fired the secretary for not mentioning this earlier, he sat down again, and now happily sitting ever after.