Orange launches "Read & Go"

[NatCh]

I don't know if it says it anywhere, but it seems pretty clear from the picture that these are silver iLiads.

The flip bar, the upswept top right edge, the characteristic button labels ... and doesn't it look dapper in silver?

Actually, now that I look at it closely, that upsweep is a bit more aggressive than the stock iLiad ... could they have crammed 3G into the thing? Adam, you seemed pretty sure on that point, can you clarify?

[msundman]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

It's not built in. You'll need an external 3G USB Modem for it to work.

Originally Posted by NatCh

that upsweep is a bit more aggressive than the stock iLiad ... could they have crammed 3G into the thing? Adam, you seemed pretty sure on that point, can you clarify?

They've probably done like most laptop manufacturers do, i.e. taken a normal (albeit naked) 3G USB device and installed it internally.

[NatCh]

That's certainly possible, but there's not a great deal of extra space in the thing to begin with ... that's what has me wondering.

[Mistralain]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ok, I must have missed it. Where does it say this will be an iLiad?

BOb

See the video (Hadrien : Video (French): http://orange-innovation.tv/webtv/mo...ang/fr/play/1/). Images aren't in french
It's an Iliad with 3G USB device

[msundman]

Originally Posted by Mistralain

See the video [...] Images aren't in french
It's an Iliad with 3G USB device

The device in the video is not the same as the one in the pictures. For all we know the device in the videos is just one used to demonstrate the possibilities or whatever.

And seeing the iliad in action again made me want to cry because it's so incredibly unresponsive, to the point of being unusable. They really MUST enable immediate (i.e., <100ms) visual feedback when a button is pressed. All that "Did it register my click? Should I poke again? I'll wait.. nope, nothing happens.. I'll poke aga..no, now it changes... I hope it didn't register my second poke so that it'll change again in a second or two." is just horrible to watch.

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by msundman

And seeing the iliad in action again made me want to cry because it's so incredibly unresponsive, to the point of being unusable. They really MUST enable immediate (i.e., <100ms) visual feedback when a button is pressed. All that "Did it register my click? Should I poke again? I'll wait.. nope, nothing happens.. I'll poke aga..no, now it changes... I hope it didn't register my second poke so that it'll change again in a second or two." is just horrible to watch.

It's the nature of eInk devices. Look it up, it's been discussed 100,000 times already on this forum ...

[axel77]

About all the things one could wish for the iLiad, I can pretty much life with the current screen refreshes.

One has to consider it much more as "active paper" and move away from the "computer desktop" paradigm we are all so much used at.

If I'd be iRex I'd try to get an iLiad version with a built in 3G instead, as this looks cumbersome for customers (speaking of cumbersome: travelhub ) IMHO they generally should offer more device variants a customers could chose from, ranging from minimal outfit (even without stylus, but a more useable arrow key navigation instead) to super-deluxe-everything-doer.

However gratulations for keeping up the good fight, and try to get some "normal" users to it and also some serious content offerings...

[JWLaRue]

Originally Posted by msundman

And seeing the iliad in action again made me want to cry because it's so incredibly unresponsive, to the point of being unusable.

Did I see the same video? Except for one of the screen 'updates', the responsiveness of the iLiad looked perfectly acceptable......

-Jeff

[quchenchen]

it looks great !??

[zelda_pinwheel]

my heart jumped when i saw a mail from "contact.beta-testeurs" with subject line "Expérimentation Read and go", but sadly i have not been chosen. *snif.*

as a consolation prize they have signed me up for the newsletter though.

did anyone else get some news (possibly better than mine) ?

[Mistralain]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

my heart jumped when i saw a mail from "contact.beta-testeurs" with subject line "Expérimentation Read and go", but sadly i have not been chosen. *snif.*

as a consolation prize they have signed me up for the newsletter though.

did anyone else get some news (possibly better than mine) ?

I received the same mail today...

[planetrobbie]

Yep i also received the same negative email But where are the lucky beta testers not here it seems. If a lucky guy come by please arrange a party with your device around, it could be fun !!! for us for sure, you already have it :-)

So because it's the end of this dream (orange) for us, what should we dream about now ?

[gnuuurff]

sniff... i hope one of my friend to who i have send the link for this dream have more luck than me...

[TadW]

The Independent writes today:

Orange to pilot world's first e-news paper next week

The world's first entirely electronic newspapers will go on trial in France next week, offering not only morning headlines but automatic updates every hour throughout the day.

The touch-screen, A5-sized, device uses "ePaper" and "eInk" technology to make it as much like reading normal newsprint as possible. It includes both WiFi and a 3G mobile chip so news can be refreshed every hour during the day, even on the move.

There are already electronic books on the market, notably Amazon's Kindle, which was launched last year but is yet to make it to non-US markets. But Orange's Read&Go is specifically designed to give the same impression as reading a traditional newspaper, including using display technology that paralyses bubbles of ink and is not, like a laptop screen, unreadable in bright sunlight.

The pilot scheme, in partnership with five French newspapers including Le Monde and Les Echos, will run until mid-summer, and could pave the way for a commercial service within a few years.

A key testing ground is the technology itself - including how it stands up to rolling updates from five major content providers and how easy the device is to use.

Orange has also already launched a worldwide call for next-generation flexible electronic paper technology with a view to replacing the rigid tablet being used in the pilot scheme with a more user-friendly format that could potentially be rolled up when not in use.

There are also major questions for the newspapers to answer about how the content is organised compared with a printed paper, and how stories are best laid out or divided according to what works in a smaller, digital format. But Orange insists the device will replicate the printed paper, rather than simply providing mobile access to the paper's online news website.

The business model for a commercial scheme is also under review - including the possibility of a subscription to one or more specific newspapers, or a pay-on-demand account.

But it is the advertising potential that is likely to grab media groups' attention. Printed newspaper circulations have been hard hit by the rise of internet news sites, with ad revenues falling in parallel. And despite considerable investment in websites allied to the national papers, the business model is yet to show a profit. Not only could a successful electronic newspaper device reinvigorate the sector's revenues but it could also open the door to more innovative advertising including interactive or location-sensitive marketing - some of which will be tested by Orange as part of this summer's trial.

Nicki Lyons, an analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: "Anything that makes content easier to consume will have a significant impact. Newspapers have been quite innovative with the development of content online - they are streets ahead of television companies. There will be a tipping point where that investment starts to pay off."

[igorsk]

"paralyses bubbles of ink" eh? So that's how it works!