iRex has released software update 1.03 for the DR1000S. This update allows you to read newspapers from
PressDisplay. The update also includes a 30 day free trial of the website.
The Selection
PressDisplay has a relatively large newspaper selection. They certainly don't have every newspaper (my local Indianapolis Star newspaper is missing), but they do have the major players in the US. Among the USA selection is the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, among others. You can see the full selection on their website. It's sorted by country, and definitely has international appeal.
Downloading Newspapers
Downloading a newspaper is a relatively simple process. You will have to download the Pressreader application. There is a Windows version, and also a Mac version in beta. I downloaded the windows version on my Vista laptop. I authorized the computer, searched for the newspaper I wanted, and selected "Read Offline". It then downloaded the newspaper to my computer. After the download finished, I had to tell the software to copy it to my DR1000. It was a simple process, although slightly time consuming. The newspaper file is about 40 megabytes. It would be nice if it could download directly to my device, but I understand why it needs to be a two step process.
Reading on the DR1000S
The PressReader application on the DR1000S is fairly simple, although easy to use. It didn't include instructions, but I'm not sure if they're needed. I selected the newspaper file I copied to my device, and it quickly opened. I was immediately greeted with the front page of the USA today. You can read the text without zooming in, however it's not very comfortable. You can zoom in on an article by tapping the center of it. It will zoom in to the text at a very readable level. You can then use either the on screen arrows to move around, use the arrows on the device, or drag the stylus on the screen to pan. The viewer also supports thumbnails. You can easily make out the image of the page and any pictures that are on it. Overall, it's a very nice reading experience.
There are a few things that are slightly disappointing about the software. There appears to be only one zoom level. This isn't a big deal, as the text should be readable to most people with even below average vision. But it would be nice to zoom out slightly to get more text on the screen. The viewer also doesn't have page numbers or hyperlinks. If you're reading an article that says it's "Continued on page 5A", you have no way of quickly navigating there. Because you have to select an area to zoom in on, there is also no way to read effectively without the stylus. This may be a problem for when the DR1000 comes out without the wacom screen. Also, bookmarking and annotation could be useful, but since newspapers expire after 14 days (at least on the PC, I don't know about the DR), I'm not sure if it's necessary.
Conclusion
The PressReader application is very nice if you would like to read one of the supported newspapers on your DR1000S. I highly recommend everyone with a DR to upgrade and take full advantage of the 30 day trial. It's a pleasure to read a newspaper without having to hold a gigantic stack of dead trees. Personally, I get all of my news from the internet and RSS feeds, and I doubt I will purchase one of their plans after the 30 day period. However, if you're currently subscribed to any of the newspapers that they carry, it may be well worth subscribing to their $9.95 31 issue plan, or their $29.95 unlimited plan.