Would you recommend DR800SG?

[dek]

I am considering DR800SG for my school (for my colleagues and students). I am currently using DR1000S for my work (reading and annotating research articles in pdf documents), but hesitating to recommend it to my school because it seems too expensive.

DR800SG seems to be a good alternative. It is relatively cheap, and has a tablet feature (for annotation with stylus).

I am asking you the question in this iLiad forum because DR800SG looks similar to it. If you have used iLiad for pdf document reading, how do you like it? Could you recommend DR800SG for the purpose?

Thanks.

[wallcraft]

The DR800SG will not have note taking capability initially, from Karel's comments to IREX turns page on eReaders with latest Digital Reader:

Note taking capabilities are not yet enabled, initially we wanted to focus on the reading experience. However we plan to add the functionality via a firmware update.

I would not recommend the DR800SG without seeing reviews from actual owners of the device. I intend to buy one, but as an early adopter I understand the risks involved.

[parryl]

any release dates yet ?

[hansel]

Originally Posted by dek

I am asking you the question in this iLiad forum because DR800SG looks similar to it. If you have used iLiad for pdf document reading, how do you like it? Could you recommend DR800SG for the purpose?

I like my Iliad very much. PDF is the format I read most, and it's great!
BUT I often format PDFs specially for my Iliad (a smaller page format without borders). Reading PDFs that have been formatted for A4/Letter is not comfortable. It's fine for carrying lots of reference materials, but not good if you want to read them for hours (the font gets too small, or you have to zoom/pan all the time).

I would certainly want a DR800 as my next e-reader (I find the DR1000 too large), but I would never buy it without reading some real-life reviews (by real owners). And I would wait for them to release the sources: for me that's half the fun...

Just my 2c

Hans.

[ericshliao]

Originally Posted by hansel

And I would wait for them to release the sources: for me that's half the fun...

I am also contemplating this factor. I need shell access, source code and SDK. For me, it introduced more fun toying with iLiad than reading on iLiad.

[jboardman]

The fact that no onehas used this device yet is the problem with making off-hand recommendations. I love my Iliad for use with PDFs and other technical docs, and I use it extensively for reading for pleasure as well. The 8.1" screen is the perfect size. So, with WIFI, Barnes and Noble, and a "coming soon" touch screen (with stylus), the DR800SG sounds to be the perfect device.

I was bold enough to ask for a demo unit for review. I received perfect silence from Irex as a response... "if you don't ask, you don't get", my father used to say! But sometimes even when you do ask, you don't get! oh well

[ziegl027]

Originally Posted by dek

DR800SG seems to be a good alternative. It is relatively cheap, and has a tablet feature (for annotation with stylus).
.

I e-mailed their customer service about when they anticipated note-taking being available and got this response:

"The note taking is stil a discussion point, when available we will
communicate this through the media."

Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by ziegl027

I e-mailed their customer service about when they anticipated note-taking being available and got this response:

"The note taking is stil a discussion point, when available we will
communicate this through the media."

Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

If note-taking is a requirement for you, then I would recommend waiting on buying one until that feature is available. I would never buy a product based on promises that features you need will eventually be supported (doesn't matter what company we're talking about). Too many things can happen down the road that will change a companies plans. Buy something for what it can do now, not what you hope it will be able to do in the future.

Just my advice.

[ziegl027]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

If note-taking is a requirement for you, then I would recommend waiting on buying one until that feature is available.

Oh, I have no intention of buying something that doesn't have what I want, as I unwrap it from the box. If their response had been a little more promising, something like "We plan the firmware update first quarter of 2010", I *might* have held off putting a reader on my Xmas wishlist and wait until my June birthday to see how things shook out. As it stands, unless they pull off a miracle and get the note taking ability on it, and solid as reviewed by users, by mid-December, I'll just put another device (leaning toward Sony) on my list. If/when the iRex ponies up with the features I want at a later time and I'm not quite satisfied with the reader I got, I'll take another look.

[jboardman]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

If note-taking is a requirement for you, then I would recommend waiting on buying one until that feature is available. I would never buy a product based on promises that features you need will eventually be supported (doesn't matter what company we're talking about). Too many things can happen down the road that will change a companies plans. Buy something for what it can do now, not what you hope it will be able to do in the future.

Just my advice.

I think this is especially true with a company as small as Irex, and with a track record of abandoning devices such as the Iliad.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by jboardman

I think this is especially true with a company as small as Irex, and with a track record of abandoning devices such as the Iliad.

Personally, I think it equally applies to companies like Sony and Amazon as well.

[dek]

Thank all of you for the responses. I think I will have to wait until all the products are available and reviewed.

[jboardman]

good idea!

[jboardman]

Where the hell did it go?

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by ziegl027

I e-mailed their customer service about when they anticipated note-taking being available and got this response:

"The note taking is stil a discussion point, when available we will
communicate this through the media."

Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

With the delay in shipping, this might be more confidence-inspiring than we initially thought. They may be adding it...