Will iRex Survive?

pdam · 03-20-2007, 06:41 AM

With so much heated debate around advertising of the Iliad and the features so far delivered ... it would be interested to see if people believe iRex will survive and prosper as a company or go to the wall.

joblack · 03-20-2007, 07:49 AM

I don´t think they will go under, because it´s a startup from Philips and they won´t let them die that easy ...

Robert Marquard · 03-20-2007, 08:07 AM

Do not be sure of that. Big companies do create daughter companies to burn them in a test. I have seen it when CD-ROM was new.

Riocaz · 03-20-2007, 08:54 AM

Err, as I understand it their only relationship with phillips is an R&D/patent agreement and that the people that started it were formerly employees of phillips.

nekokami · 03-20-2007, 09:08 AM

I assumed the "iLiad 2" is not the slightly revised unit being offered later this spring, but some future unit that actually has better power management and other capabilities. I also assumed that the term "iLiad 2" includes how they help (or fail to help) early adopters migrate to any future platform.

Really, I think most of their success or failure in the near term has to do with whether they are able to get their priorities in order and complete some missing software features. Implement the battery upgrade program and move on to making promised software improvements. As I've said elsewhere, I suspect they are chasing too many potential customers to satisfy any of them.

VillageReader · 03-20-2007, 09:22 AM

I think capability of a broad range of current titles is critical. Today, like it or not, that means they need something that can read DRMd files. If MobiPocket is available soon (as heavily rumored of late) then it could be a whole new ball game.

CommanderROR · 03-20-2007, 10:57 AM

I think they would have to come up with a vastly improved Iliad 2.0 in the next 6 months or they will go down. Even mobipocket support won't help the current Iliad model survive for long because nobody can seriously be expected to recharge a book every few days (and that is with constant on/off of the device to conserve what little power ther eis...)

b_k · 03-20-2007, 11:06 AM

the current and the revised hardware design (lacking suspend), ist just a to big problem for the average user. The capabilities of the hardware are great, but something like powermanagement is a important part for a device like this. For me it's not that I can't live with the state the powermanagement is at the moment, but if I had known that suspend will never be possible before I bought it, I wouldn't have bought it, for this one reason.

And like CommanderROR i doubt that support for Mobipocket could help against that.

drahnreb · 04-14-2007, 03:19 PM

I think they will not surrender.

The concept of the Iliad is top, but the quality of the software und the slow bugfix speed will give the Iliad the deathblow.

Blue · 04-14-2007, 05:48 PM

I'm pretty sure they'll survive. If software development goes slow then it must mean that they are too busy selling.

Are there alot of B2B customers complaining? I mean, that's their real market right? So who are we to complain about charging batteries are book support? You do hear them say that they are working on it right? It could be worse!

I bet that everyone who is being so negative all the time will keep replying negative with every new software release.

NatCh · 04-14-2007, 05:57 PM

I don't have an iLiad, I don't have a dog in this hunt, but in fairness, they don't have much in the way of B2B customers yet. Not that we've found out about anyway.

What is actually in the releases is the biggest factor in whether folks complain or not.

pdam · 04-16-2007, 10:13 AM

68% in the maybe range ...
With MobiPocket support nearly(?) here ... with an un-bricking capability as well there could still be renewed interest in the Iliad, either B2B or B2C ...

scstraus · 05-31-2007, 03:35 AM

I think it's rediculous that this device came out without power management. A lot of it I'm sure has to do with the touchscreen, but I think there should be 2 modes- "Reader Mode" where it just changes the page and then hibernates(no CPU/touchscreen) until next page turn, and then "Active" mode where you can use WiFi, touchscreen, etc.

The sad thing is that they are so very close to the ideal device. A web browser, direct updating RSS, and proper power management would make this device so incredibly useful. It seems like such a small thing to do after building the whole device and launching it, to just make some software updates.

Anyhow, as it stands now, it's still a wait and see for me. Price and battery life are too close to notebook computers for it to differentiate itself in it's current incarnation.

athlonkmf · 06-02-2007, 11:43 AM

As I see it now, the Ilyad is too high priced for early adapters, when there's the Sony Reader. And the available features don't justify it's price. Unless they Philips really do something innovative, this company won't last long.

nekokami · 06-02-2007, 10:04 PM

I suspect this is why they've been a lot more supportive of the developer community lately. They need more functionality than they can afford to develop themselves. (But I think the price is still too high.)

View Poll Results: Do you think iRex will Survive
Yes, they will survive and prosper	28	28.00%
Maybe, it depends on the Iliad 2	45	45.00%
Maybe not, they may just limp on another year or two	19	19.00%
No, the company will go under by 2008	8	8.00%
Voters: 100. You may not vote on this poll

03-20-2007, 06:41 AM	#1
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	Will iRex Survive? With so much heated debate around advertising of the Iliad and the features so far delivered ... it would be interested to see if people believe iRex will survive and prosper as a company or go to the wall. Last edited by pdam; 03-20-2007 at 06:49 AM.

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03-20-2007, 07:49 AM	#2
joblack Wizard Posts: 1,745 Karma: 4382514 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere on earth Device: Onyx Boox Tab X	I don´t think they will go under, because it´s a startup from Philips and they won´t let them die that easy ...

03-20-2007, 08:07 AM	#3
Robert Marquard Delphi-Guy Posts: 285 Karma: 1151 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: iLiad, Palm T3	Do not be sure of that. Big companies do create daughter companies to burn them in a test. I have seen it when CD-ROM was new.

03-20-2007, 08:54 AM	#4
Riocaz Fulfilled but not by iRex Posts: 932 Karma: 286846 Join Date: May 2006 Location: London Device: Far too many	Err, as I understand it their only relationship with phillips is an R&D/patent agreement and that the people that started it were formerly employees of phillips.

03-20-2007, 09:08 AM	#5
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I assumed the "iLiad 2" is not the slightly revised unit being offered later this spring, but some future unit that actually has better power management and other capabilities. I also assumed that the term "iLiad 2" includes how they help (or fail to help) early adopters migrate to any future platform. Really, I think most of their success or failure in the near term has to do with whether they are able to get their priorities in order and complete some missing software features. Implement the battery upgrade program and move on to making promised software improvements. As I've said elsewhere, I suspect they are chasing too many potential customers to satisfy any of them.

03-20-2007, 09:22 AM	#6
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	I think capability of a broad range of current titles is critical. Today, like it or not, that means they need something that can read DRMd files. If MobiPocket is available soon (as heavily rumored of late) then it could be a whole new ball game.

03-20-2007, 10:57 AM	#7
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	I think they would have to come up with a vastly improved Iliad 2.0 in the next 6 months or they will go down. Even mobipocket support won't help the current Iliad model survive for long because nobody can seriously be expected to recharge a book every few days (and that is with constant on/off of the device to conserve what little power ther eis...)

03-20-2007, 11:06 AM	#8
b_k Übernerd Posts: 238 Karma: 74 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Device: iRex iLiad	the current and the revised hardware design (lacking suspend), ist just a to big problem for the average user. The capabilities of the hardware are great, but something like powermanagement is a important part for a device like this. For me it's not that I can't live with the state the powermanagement is at the moment, but if I had known that suspend will never be possible before I bought it, I wouldn't have bought it, for this one reason. And like CommanderROR i doubt that support for Mobipocket could help against that.

04-14-2007, 03:19 PM	#9
drahnreb Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2006	I think they will not surrender. The concept of the Iliad is top, but the quality of the software und the slow bugfix speed will give the Iliad the deathblow.

04-14-2007, 05:48 PM	#10
Blue Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 63 Join Date: Apr 2007	I'm pretty sure they'll survive. If software development goes slow then it must mean that they are too busy selling. Are there alot of B2B customers complaining? I mean, that's their real market right? So who are we to complain about charging batteries are book support? You do hear them say that they are working on it right? It could be worse! I bet that everyone who is being so negative all the time will keep replying negative with every new software release.

04-14-2007, 05:57 PM	#11
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I don't have an iLiad, I don't have a dog in this hunt, but in fairness, they don't have much in the way of B2B customers yet. Not that we've found out about anyway. What is actually in the releases is the biggest factor in whether folks complain or not.

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04-16-2007, 10:13 AM	#12
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	68% in the maybe range ... With MobiPocket support nearly(?) here ... with an un-bricking capability as well there could still be renewed interest in the Iliad, either B2B or B2C ...

05-31-2007, 03:35 AM	#13
scstraus Member Posts: 22 Karma: 29 Join Date: Aug 2004	I think it's rediculous that this device came out without power management. A lot of it I'm sure has to do with the touchscreen, but I think there should be 2 modes- "Reader Mode" where it just changes the page and then hibernates(no CPU/touchscreen) until next page turn, and then "Active" mode where you can use WiFi, touchscreen, etc. The sad thing is that they are so very close to the ideal device. A web browser, direct updating RSS, and proper power management would make this device so incredibly useful. It seems like such a small thing to do after building the whole device and launching it, to just make some software updates. Anyhow, as it stands now, it's still a wait and see for me. Price and battery life are too close to notebook computers for it to differentiate itself in it's current incarnation.

06-02-2007, 11:43 AM	#14
athlonkmf Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 1014039 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3, Sony PRS350, iPad 64GB	As I see it now, the Ilyad is too high priced for early adapters, when there's the Sony Reader. And the available features don't justify it's price. Unless they Philips really do something innovative, this company won't last long.

06-02-2007, 10:04 PM	#15
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I suspect this is why they've been a lot more supportive of the developer community lately. They need more functionality than they can afford to develop themselves. (But I think the price is still too high.)