Thanks Riocaz for the link that took me deep into the maze of forums, facts and fiction, questions and answers on Iliad and e-readers in general. For a newbie like me it’s so easy to get lost in the links! I mean, am I in the right forum now? Perhaps I’m off topic, not discussing availability or ‘ghosting’.

All I want to do is have loads of books without the bulk!

So, am I right in summarising what facts I’ve picked up - that the Iliad is equivalent only to paper and ink; that it’s up to other folk to provide ‘reader’ software and content (ie be the publisher equivalent). This is what Irex wants to encourage, whereas Sony with its reader is trying to be both paper provider and publisher.

So it seems to be the wrong question to ask what formats/content/books the Iliad will recognise/handle and for the small-time consumer – ie me – it has to be a question of biding one’s time to see if publishers think this stack of Iliad paper is of good enough quality to print on. Or rather, weigh up whether it is too expensive for man-in-street to buy to read their novels on.

Irex obviously think at this stage that the business community can best make use of their electronic paper. Money concentrates the mind – and market!

watcha, right forum, right place. Though I moved your post to a new thread with a more appropriate title.

iRex is not only responsible for the hardware, but also for supplying the software of the iLiad reader; that is, from what I've heard, they've hired a software programming company in the Far East who is developing the (Linux) OS for them. Included with the OS are user applications such as the e-book reader. It is possible, however, and we have confirmed rumors, that third parties like Mobipocket are considering porting their apps for the iLiad. Mobipocket is widely present with commercial DRM-protected e-books which can be purchased from various places including Amazon.