Just recieved this: - Going to give it a try.

Dear Sir, Dear Madam,

Thank you for your ongoing interest in our iLiad E-reader.

Some time ago you have sent us an email / showed interest in obtaining an iLiad sample. We are happy to inform you that, for European Business to Business customers, we can now start selling evaluation products per June 12, 2006.

You are invited to login to:

www.irexshop.com/login.php?user=new


Access to this shop is limited to known e-mail addresses, so please use the same e-mail address to register your information and order your iLiad.
E-mail address for your entry is:
Hidden
Password for your entry is:
HIDDEN

An order status confirmation and an estimated delivery date will be sent to you upon completion of the ordering process.

For all other questions, please send your comments to:

info@irextechnologies.com


With best regards,

The iRex Team

€649? I thought it was going to be €549? My faulty memory?

Just tried ordering one but it didnt like my credit card details. :-/ Mailed them to purchase manually. I'll let you know how it progresses. It does say they are not in stock until June 30th.

Where is my email? :blink:
Hopefully i will be getting one too. :D

And can it be, that 649,- will be including VAT and shipping?

649 Euro??!! I have a rich girlfriend :P but I think it's a little bit high. I have to give it some thought. Really have to take a good look at the Sony Reader.

Did you see their planning:



June: Ordering and shipment of iLiad

July/August features

Hotspot support
Apabi format (in Asia only)
"Re-open" a file on last read page
Support for an E-Book DRM format (to be announced soon)
Page-break support in HTML (instead of scrolling)

August/September/October features

Dictionary support*
Annotation on PDF/TXT/HTML/Apabi*
File management on the iLiad
MP3 playing
Search (for or in) documents*
Bookmarks in documents*
Page turning speed improvement

*Improvement of functionality related to file formats might be limited to what formats allow

So is there a "new" version for consumers in September or is it all based on a firmware upgrade so that there will be no difference between the early versions and the September "consumer" versions?

I would say the planned features are software. Except, if you would need more Flash-Memory for additional programs like the mp3 decoder. Don't know how big a MP3 decoder was on my Zaurus (clamshell PDA). But even on my SimPad i had a lot of programs in the internal 32 MB Flash (including the OS!).
I would say maybe it isn't relying on hardware, other option would be, they either use small capacity flash now or could place additional modules in later hardware revisions.

diablo: ever seen how much a Sharp Zaurus is?

In the updated specs it says that it will be a software update for the extended functionality:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6690

I would say the planned features are software. Except, if you would need more Flash-Memory for additional programs like the mp3 decoder. Don't know how big a MP3 decoder was on my Zaurus (clamshell PDA). But even on my SimPad i had a lot of programs in the internal 32 MB Flash (including the OS!).
I would say maybe it isn't relying on hardware, other option would be, they either use small capacity flash now or could place additional modules in later hardware revisions.

diablo: ever seen how much a Sharp Zaurus is?


No idea because I'm a total noob in the world of e-reading. The only thing I know is that I at least want a reader with e-ink technology. I think 649 Euro is a lot of money and even with his lower specs the Sony reader with a price between $300 and $400 is more attractive to me. I just want to read novels and the Sony reader is even smaller in size and because of that also in screen resolution. I have no intention of reading newspapers.

In the updated specs it says that it will be a software update for the extended functionality:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6690

Now this is a little bit weird to me. They said that the recommend the consumers to wait till September to buy for additional features but if it's a matter of firmware why would people wait? It's probably to discourage people to buy one now if they can get their hands on one to preserve stock for the B2B market.

@onceways

when did you register your email adress and are you really a b2b customer???

:-)

About 3 or 4 monthes ago. Will be using device for work and also play. I carry around lots of PDF's an during a begging letter to Irex may have mentioned this. Also registered with my work address.

About 3 or 4 monthes ago. Will be using device for work and also play. I carry around lots of PDF's an during a begging letter to Irex may have mentioned this. Also registered with my work address.

Really strange, I have registered some months ago as well and never received an answer. I am working for a well known big company. Irex really needs a new sales dept.....

No idea because I'm a total noob in the world of e-reading. The only thing I know is that I at least want a reader with e-ink technology. I think 649 Euro is a lot of money and even with his lower specs the Sony reader with a price between $300 and $400 is more attractive to me. I just want to read novels and the Sony reader is even smaller in size and because of that also in screen resolution. I have no intention of reading newspapers.
...
I have no intention to bind me to a proprietary format for the documents. PDF is a partial open standard and the ability for new "readers" (or even applications) lets the Iliad look better to me.
I hope they will really give out some SDK to everyone. Otherwise i think, maybe someone from openembedded.org will get a hold of it and open it to the repositories and possibilities of openembedded.org (since its already running Linux).
It is really a hord of money, but i think the price will drop, when the whole concept is not that new anymore. Look at the rest of the computer market, prices know only one way. So either buy now, buy high or wait till it gets in your price range (or buy something else and be happy with that (but i wouldn't consider Sony's thing an option, even if its cheaper) DRM as _option_ is ok, but i don't like a DRM- or proprietary format-only device. That makes no sense (to me)).

oh, and btw (don't want to scare anyone, though):
Linux is GPL-licensed and I am sure Irex knows the consequences.

Hmm. I'll try sending them an email from my work address tomorrow and see what that gives (I work for the UK branch of a large international telecoms company)

I phoned them the other day to ask why i had not received a reply to my information request. They apologized and explained that they still had hundreds of emails to sort through, and that they would look for my mail and put it in the business pile. Still have not heard anything, but it sounds like they are trying to catch up. So i am hopeful that i will hear something this week.

Just put an order in for me. Thank god, i got an invitation. Cant wait to hold that bugger in my hands.

hey...don't forget about your german friends...^^

well...now joke aside...if they think you're a b2b customer, can't you buy more than one? There are several interested people in Germany...

Though I must admit that I'm seriously thinking about getting a Hanlin V2...although there are some features from the Iliad I'd miss...like the wacom touchscreen...

any idea when you might actually be getting your device?

Just put an order in for me. Thank god, i got an invitation. Cant wait to hold that bugger in my hands.


So can you confirm the price which they charged you? Pretty-please (with sugar on top)? :blink:

its 649,- + 20,- Euro shipping (669,-) including tax (89.52EUR)
Thats about the 549,- that was mentioned before.

Yeah, but it's nice to know that that's what they actually charged someone, kind of gives it a bit more authority. :)

Thanks!

its 649,- + 20,- Euro shipping (669,-) including tax (89.52EUR)
Thats about the 549,- that was mentioned before.

And this includes the travel hub and USB cable and whatnot or do we need to shell out for those separately?

CONTENTS OF THE BOX:

* 1 iLiad e-reader
* 1 Stylus
* 1 charger
* 1 travel hub
* 1 USB Cable (B)

Thats what it says in the description.

"Shipping & Returns
Products will be shipped from our Stockpoint in Dueren - Germany.

Delivery will take place via UPS - Small Package services.

Detailed shipping information will be send to you by e-mail after acceptance of your order"

This quote was taken from their website...why do they have a stockpoint in Germany???
Not that I mind...^^

But I do mind that I can't order...^^
I thought it might work anyway...but it doesn't...:-(

Well...let's see who wins the race then...iRex or Jinke with the V2.

I tried too, CommanderROR :-/

But I do mind that I can't order...^^
I thought it might work anyway...but it doesn't...:-(

Well...let's see who wins the race then...iRex or Jinke with the V2.

So... The email address and password... Do you get that from the email from Irex as I can't see anywhere to register... :blink:

Today is a good day. Have just put my order in for an iliad, so now i can stop biting my nails. :happy2:

*sob* not received an email yet

You have to receive an Email with a password from iRex.

@Pitchfork: Whats your order number? i Think mine was 349 ;)

@Tribble: my order number is 372.

I had problems with my VAT id, so am gonna phone tomorrow in the hope that I can get the VAT back. European businesses with a registered VAT id should not have to pay VAT when ordering from another member state. It seems strange to me that Irex quote prices with VAT included when they only sell to businesses.

I envy you guys. Once you get your device, would you mind posting your experiences here? I am still struggling whether the iRex is still the best choice given its high price and (currently) buggy software.

I have come to terms with the price but what I will never accept is not receiving an email and a password. I'm offering 50 gmail invites for 1 iRex invitation!

I have come to terms with the price but what I will never accept is not receiving an email and a password. I'm offering 50 gmail invites for 1 iRex invitation!
That's a bad deal for you... 50 gmail invites give you what... 135gb? With 1 iLiad you'll only have 128mb. I know I know, no need to thank me, just do the math next time ;)

I would not worry too much about not getting an invite yet. I got mine yesterday, so it seems to be a slow and ongoing process. I reckon that by the time the iliad is ready to ship, many more of us would have got an email containing that elusive password.

Hey, come to think of it, seems like iRex is picking up on our suggestion to deal with the demand in batches eh? ;)

I just got an invitation, and ordered one.

My order number is still under 400. I sent them an email on June 1st, through their contact form, claiming to be a programmer and willing to live with beta software for several month as long as the hardware is final and stable.

I don't know what that means for people who sent mail before june without getting an invitation so far.

I just got mine (and my order was placed within 5 minutes of receipt).

order: 388

I just got mine (and my order was placed within 5 minutes of receipt).


wow. i needed 11 minutes. :)

Yeesh, it's just too expensive. 670 euro in total. Going to have to wait for the sony one, or price drops. Would have been particularly useful for reading PDFs, as that's all I flaming do as a research student !

I wonder if they will have some sort of university/student offer.

Gav

I'm an impulse buyer...

My workmates gave me a funny look for the surprised yelp I gave when I read the email. And now want to know "whats wrong" as I have an uncharacteristic silly grin on my face apparently.

hehe, i know the feeling. Waited for so many years to get my hands on a device like the iLiad.

Order Number: 399
Now life has new meaning :-)

I'm not sure I would go that far...

It may have new meaning once the little darling is in my hands though.

Just what does it take to get an "Invitation"? How is all the people here able to get these when I thought that they were "consumers" and not B2B?

Am I missing something here or do you now have to belong to some special club?

Apparently all it takes to to have sent irex an email via their information request form over the past few weeks.

All I did was entering my email address into their form somewhere around the beginning of april, invitation email arrived today.

Frankly at "670 euro in total." ... even if they open it up for general order without invites, I doubt it will hit a thousand ... just my pessimistic outlook after their goofing, price change and delays ... :p