Feeling Nude

pdam · 10-20-2006, 05:14 PM

Wierd - I had to return my Iliad today because of a faulty display. (The returns process so far has been pretty professional). The really weird thing is ... I'm missing it!

I have had (and have) lots the latest gadgets but have only missed 2 so far (3, including the Iliad). Firstly , in 1999 I missed my Psion5 when I left it on a trip to the US. At that point I realised I was hooked with the concept of mobile data. Next I really missed my blackberry when I sat on it with keys in my pocket (being a corporate slave for a large corporate, and having become used to the tether, it was like loosing a limb).

So back to the Iliad ... for the last couple of days I've been at a conference and have been using my Iliad as a notepad (with the battery life increase and key lockv since 2.7, it has become very usable). The device has been invaluable ... add this to the fact that I use it for notes in general meetings, reading PDF reports (lots of them) and the ability for thr device to read full books (at the drop of a hat .. given I use it as a notebook and have been carrying it everywhere).

So why do I miss it? Well ... here are a few reasons:
1. To take notes previously I have used ... a PDA (no good, too small for real meetings) ... a Pegasus Notetaker pen (great, but no ability to review my notes without a laptop) ... a tablet PC (no good; battery life simply not good enough) ... a paper notepad (best so far!). The Iliad has usurped the paper notepad (with the 2.7 release) including usable battery life, search and a great notepad format size.

2. Personal workflow - I have a lot of documents I need to read. Spending a little time formatting my articles for the device and reading them during personal downtime, without straining eyes/having a lumpy laptop, has been great improvement.

3. On top of all of the above - when travelling I have a choice of (really readable) books with me constantly!

The really wierd - thing - I have been reviewing the device with a view to how usable it would be in a publishing arena ... and have had a sceptical view to commercial viability so far. Having played with the thing for a while now, and more importantly, having to send it back; I now realise that from a personal point of vie, this is a productivity device and an invaluable tool! I miss it already!!

I still have lots of problems with the device and service - however I realise I have found a real usage and fondness for the Iliad. I still need my Blackberry and often also my laptop, but when I get my Iliad back I have realised it will have a regular place in my bag.

vranghel · 10-20-2006, 05:39 PM

Seems that the iLiad integrated itself into your day-to-day routine so much that you didnt realize how important it was to you until it was no more;
Seems that with every new firmware release people like it more and use it more (and in more varied ways);

Altough i really like the ability to take notes on it, i find it that it is not suitable for me at university. Short memo-like notes are ok, but when u get into the really big amount of notes required for me to take every day, i just find paper to be a better candidate.

This just shows our growing dependency on gadgets. I think i am more dependent on my mp3 player than on anything. I cant imagine the commutes without my music and other lectures/audiobooks.

CommanderROR · 10-21-2006, 06:06 AM

pdam, nice to hear that you have grown so fond of your Iliad.

I use mine as a reading device only at the moment, and I too am hooked. Of course I complain about the battery life and the cumbersome navigation and so on, but I really have gotten very used to doing all my reading with the Iliad instead of paper...^^

pdam · 10-31-2006, 12:29 PM

Just got my device back (actually it arrived last week, but I was away), the service was therefore very pretty swift.

The device has a new scene which, interestingly is quite a lot whiter than the previous screen - a noticable difference, there is obviously still quite a variance in e-ink screen supply...

doctorow · 11-01-2006, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdam

The device has a new scene which, interestingly is quite a lot whiter than the previous screen - a noticable difference, there is obviously still quite a variance in e-ink screen supply...

Oh dear, this actually sounds scary, because, knowing my bad luck, I have probably picked up one with a darker screen.

Any idea what causes the whiteness fluctuance in E Ink screens?

Mambo · 11-01-2006, 06:00 AM

I probably have also one of the darker ones. I don't know but I suppose this is my luck. It would be good if iLiad owners could get together and share experiences also test devices. This could be useful to substantiate a claim for replacing the screen of a couple of users.
Now I am planning to move to the UK, but I don't know when yet (maybe early next year) and would be good to meet with other users in the UK, for example.

vranghel · 11-01-2006, 01:13 PM

Its a shame that there is no way to do a standard 'test' to compare the grey levels of different units. I'm wuite sure that there is quite a variance of the colors of panels.
This reminds me of the first plasma displays on the market. Everyone was freaking out about burn-in. Nowadays its almost non-existent with the new generation of panels.

I'm assuming this is the case with the e-ink panels. They just need time to figure out a different manufacturing process.

Even so, i'm quite doubtful that they would be willing to change the darker panels in the customer's devices. Why? Because of the normal variance that comes from the manufacturing process. The comparison is not quite exact, but a few years ago they wouldnt change your plasma tv if you burned-in an image.

pdam · 11-02-2006, 04:42 AM

How about Photographs in direct sunlight next to a standard numbered grayscale printout with your screen colour highlighted on the scale? Does anyone know of a numbered grayscale scale we could use? Would this work?

TomBolini · 11-02-2006, 01:07 PM

After loading the last patch - 2.7.1 - I'm sure my display is getting darker than it was before. Worst is I've a bright whiter zone at the top-right corner of it, sharpely and constantly remembering how good it was (and... could be back again, hopefully).

AT

10-20-2006, 05:14 PM	#1
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	Feeling Nude Wierd - I had to return my Iliad today because of a faulty display. (The returns process so far has been pretty professional). The really weird thing is ... I'm missing it! I have had (and have) lots the latest gadgets but have only missed 2 so far (3, including the Iliad). Firstly , in 1999 I missed my Psion5 when I left it on a trip to the US. At that point I realised I was hooked with the concept of mobile data. Next I really missed my blackberry when I sat on it with keys in my pocket (being a corporate slave for a large corporate, and having become used to the tether, it was like loosing a limb). So back to the Iliad ... for the last couple of days I've been at a conference and have been using my Iliad as a notepad (with the battery life increase and key lockv since 2.7, it has become very usable). The device has been invaluable ... add this to the fact that I use it for notes in general meetings, reading PDF reports (lots of them) and the ability for thr device to read full books (at the drop of a hat .. given I use it as a notebook and have been carrying it everywhere). So why do I miss it? Well ... here are a few reasons: 1. To take notes previously I have used ... a PDA (no good, too small for real meetings) ... a Pegasus Notetaker pen (great, but no ability to review my notes without a laptop) ... a tablet PC (no good; battery life simply not good enough) ... a paper notepad (best so far!). The Iliad has usurped the paper notepad (with the 2.7 release) including usable battery life, search and a great notepad format size. 2. Personal workflow - I have a lot of documents I need to read. Spending a little time formatting my articles for the device and reading them during personal downtime, without straining eyes/having a lumpy laptop, has been great improvement. 3. On top of all of the above - when travelling I have a choice of (really readable) books with me constantly! The really wierd - thing - I have been reviewing the device with a view to how usable it would be in a publishing arena ... and have had a sceptical view to commercial viability so far. Having played with the thing for a while now, and more importantly, having to send it back; I now realise that from a personal point of vie, this is a productivity device and an invaluable tool! I miss it already!! I still have lots of problems with the device and service - however I realise I have found a real usage and fondness for the Iliad. I still need my Blackberry and often also my laptop, but when I get my Iliad back I have realised it will have a regular place in my bag. Last edited by pdam; 10-20-2006 at 05:23 PM.

11-02-2006, 01:07 PM	#9
TomBolini ebooks distributor Posts: 34 Karma: 197 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Loreto, Italy Device: HP2710p iLiad Cybook Sony 505 Kindle DR1000S	getting darker After loading the last patch - 2.7.1 - I'm sure my display is getting darker than it was before. Worst is I've a bright whiter zone at the top-right corner of it, sharpely and constantly remembering how good it was (and... could be back again, hopefully). AT

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10-20-2006, 05:39 PM	#2
vranghel Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Proud Iliad owner	Seems that the iLiad integrated itself into your day-to-day routine so much that you didnt realize how important it was to you until it was no more; Seems that with every new firmware release people like it more and use it more (and in more varied ways); Altough i really like the ability to take notes on it, i find it that it is not suitable for me at university. Short memo-like notes are ok, but when u get into the really big amount of notes required for me to take every day, i just find paper to be a better candidate. This just shows our growing dependency on gadgets. I think i am more dependent on my mp3 player than on anything. I cant imagine the commutes without my music and other lectures/audiobooks.

10-21-2006, 06:06 AM	#3
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	pdam, nice to hear that you have grown so fond of your Iliad. I use mine as a reading device only at the moment, and I too am hooked. Of course I complain about the battery life and the cumbersome navigation and so on, but I really have gotten very used to doing all my reading with the Iliad instead of paper...^^

10-31-2006, 12:29 PM	#4
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	Just got my device back (actually it arrived last week, but I was away), the service was therefore very pretty swift. The device has a new scene which, interestingly is quite a lot whiter than the previous screen - a noticable difference, there is obviously still quite a variance in e-ink screen supply...

11-01-2006, 06:00 AM	#6
Mambo Gadget fan Posts: 147 Karma: 3968 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: London Device: RM Tablet PC, iLiad, PRS 505, iPod Touch	I probably have also one of the darker ones. I don't know but I suppose this is my luck. It would be good if iLiad owners could get together and share experiences also test devices. This could be useful to substantiate a claim for replacing the screen of a couple of users. Now I am planning to move to the UK, but I don't know when yet (maybe early next year) and would be good to meet with other users in the UK, for example.

11-01-2006, 01:13 PM	#7
vranghel Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Proud Iliad owner	Its a shame that there is no way to do a standard 'test' to compare the grey levels of different units. I'm wuite sure that there is quite a variance of the colors of panels. This reminds me of the first plasma displays on the market. Everyone was freaking out about burn-in. Nowadays its almost non-existent with the new generation of panels. I'm assuming this is the case with the e-ink panels. They just need time to figure out a different manufacturing process. Even so, i'm quite doubtful that they would be willing to change the darker panels in the customer's devices. Why? Because of the normal variance that comes from the manufacturing process. The comparison is not quite exact, but a few years ago they wouldnt change your plasma tv if you burned-in an image.

11-02-2006, 04:42 AM	#8
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	How about Photographs in direct sunlight next to a standard numbered grayscale printout with your screen colour highlighted on the scale? Does anyone know of a numbered grayscale scale we could use? Would this work?

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