DR1000 firmware update with ADE rescheduled to end of Q1/2010

[EowynCarter]

What Harry and shaggy said

And well, at least you'll have an update. Some with illiad won't. My sister, when she saw my opus, asked me if she could have my gen3, becasue her illiad don't read ePub. Answer : no, don't read ePub either. Update came a few days later, if I had know...

[Gogolo]

Some critics on the DR1000 are legitimate. But I'm happy so far. Until now I've read several dozens of articles, research papers etc. and the DR1000 has done a good job.

[ThR]

Originally Posted by curbarthedog

Personally I think it is pretty shambolic. I can accept that dates are missed but not accept that updates on progress are not regularly posted.

That's the point. I myself make project plans in my job and the planned dates may change sometimes. You have to communicate the changes. Even to the customers. It's not nice but fair.

I have no problems with delays, if they would be announced "officially" and not only in the product page in the online shop.

[Sischa]

Its not the problem with delays, they happen in developement process - by nature.

It's the impression of the awful attidude i always get when i hear news about iRex.

In my eyes they ripped of the early costumers like i was with the 1st generation iLead and setteld very quick to their 2nd Gen Ilead. Then they made a jump to their DR1000, made it their new "flagship", the money cow and left their old costumers behind - again.

Its obiously why bring up the same newspaper tools to the old gadgets (couldnt be that hard) if it doesn't bring you fresh money. At this point i was absolutly sure the day will come when they also screw their new DR1000 costumers for a new "project" cause the attitude of this company is just horrible.

Sorry i am not one of the ususal iRex basher running around frustrated with their iLead experience but i had to say this cause when the DR1000 came out was pampered like hell and everything else was left under the table i KNEW it that this would happen again.

Now they have their DR800 coming, guess what? Don't be so stupid and get yourself the DR800, i would make a bet they will screw these costumers soon for the next "bandwagon to jump on".

Oh and please no "other companies do the same" ... i know but i have never seen so obviously, so calculated and with so crappy unfinished products (i always have to smile when i press the "newspaper" button on my iLead and when i imagine the sale promotion video by iRex showing how cool it will be to get the new newspaper daily on your device pushed by iRex *lol* )

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Sischa

In my eyes they ripped of the early costumers like i was with the 1st generation iLead and setteld very quick to their 2nd Gen Ilead.

The v1 and v2 iLiads are essentially the same thing. The only real difference between them is that the v2 has a slightly larger battery. They did offer a battery upgrade program to v1 owners so that you could get the better one. It was even a free upgrade for many people.

Its obiously why bring up the same newspaper tools to the old gadgets (couldnt be that hard) if it doesn't bring you fresh money.

iRex doesn't write the PressReader software that is on the DR1000, which is what does the newspapers. That application was written by another company. That other company are the ones that decided whether or not they wanted to support the iLiad.

[Sischa]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The v1 and v2 iLiads are essentially the same thing. The only real difference between them is that the v2 has a slightly larger battery. They did offer a battery upgrade program to v1 owners so that you could get the better one. It was even a free upgrade for many people.

Battery lifetime IS the essential part of an ebook reader besides readability maybe. So they changed essentially parts. Besides that what you write is not the whole truth behind the "generous upgrade offer".
1. They offered a product with 10.000 page turns and weeks of runtime
2. People realised after buying that its more a few days of lifetime, they promised to fix that
3. After several month of minor improvements they had to admit they would not be able to fix it and promised a free upgrade
4. After a few more month they announced a pricy upgrade program on their forum site with a deadline until you had to write in and no compensation. It was never free if i am correct it was at least a fee to compensate iRex cost.
5. I know at least 3 people in person and read about much more in forums who never heard about the upgrade offer until it was closed cause there was no information mailed to them and only at the iRex forum they could be able to see the information. Best slap into the face was that these people were ignored after the deadline passed by but the upgrade program had not started. Where should have been the problem to add them in?

So yes they offered an upgrade BUT again it smells fishy. Thats why i wouldn't trust this company anymore. They definitly tried to keep the upgrade offer under the sheets. It was no compensation it was "pay money get service". Thats just what i said a lousy costumer service. They did on the first day and they do this until now.

Everybody can make their own decisions but when i hear these news of the delay i am so pretty sure that i am right with my impression.

[Loose_Appeal]

Ouch! Guess I'm not gonna buy anything from Irex!

[Mr. Goodbar]

It's fair to say that they had a pretty rocky start. I myself had two doa iliad's before I got one that worked. It's also fair to say that by most accounts their service has improved dramatically since that time.

I do think they continue to suffer from lousy marketing and communication. They set commitments that they miss, which happens quite frequently in the software business, but they fail to update along the line which leads to frustration. In addition, they try to reach out to the community through their blog, but then rarely answer questions to posts or even update it. They need some serious help in the pr and marketing areas.

For the new 800, the good news for US consumers is that you'll always be able to return it to best buy if you find that it doesn't meet your needs.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Sischa

4. After a few more month they announced a pricy upgrade program on their forum site with a deadline until you had to write in and no compensation. It was never free if i am correct it was at least a fee to compensate iRex cost.

It was free if you had purchased your iLiad before a certain date, basically when they were still advertising the original battery specs.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by ThR

Here it's "official" from IRex. (link found in the irex-forum)

"*Adobe PDF and EPUB support will be available via firmware update for all owners of a DR1000S (End Q1 2010)." to be found in the middle of the page.

It would be nice to hear a more official statement from Irex about the delay.

It's a shame, what they do with their customers. Would they could do wrong - they will do it.

That's a normal Irex behaviour - expect it as early as at the end of Q2 ...

[Sischa]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

It was free if you had purchased your iLiad before a certain date, basically when they were still advertising the original battery specs.

It was only free if you registered for the upgrade until a specific deadline.

The upgrade program was just announced in their forum in some thread.

They said invitations went out by email but i am pretty sure its a lie. I don't know if it was a money orientated lie or just their crappy organisation.

There were not much people who bought their iLead before the day who were alightable for the program but although i knew 3 in person and read about several other on the forum who never became an invitation by email. In fact i know 4 people owning an iLead in person (myself included) and not one of them or myself got an email about the program, so maybe you got the idea?

After the deadline passed people showed up getting known about the program asking if they could upgrade cause the program has not started yet, guess what? It was declined.

I am pretty sure they asked for at least the delivery costs and a small fee even for the "early adaptors" cause i was one of them, i read the thread on the forum in time but doesn't took the advantage here. If i remember correct it was cause of the fee. Don't get me wrong. It was my decision but other people never had the decision ...

So Shaggy, i haven't visited the forum for a while but from 10 threads or so i read already these days i came very often when it was related to iRex to "Shaggy the iLead Communication Manager" doing its best to argue on iRex side. Are you related to them?

The exchange program mess is just one example, maybe you can also bring some sunshine on this fact?

No personal offense but you really sound a little bit to "engadget" here in my eyes. But hey maybe you have facts to reconsider my opinion i got from iRex but just talking other people down left and right isn't really one.

I am just seeing the facts and for me they are speaking one language, small company, bad attitude without manpower to keep up with 3-4 reader models at the same like amazon but bringing up new "cash cows" every few month without finishing the old ones. Sorry if thats my impression but its not so far far aways from something you could get.

[kleykenb]

Originally Posted by HarryT

These things are not uncommon. Bookeen kept people waiting a year for their latest firmware update.

I think there is a big difference however : Bookeen's devices are not plagued with bugs like the DR1000s is !
Sure they also take their sweet time with their firmwares but their firmwas is mainly needed to ADD functionality whereas iRex's firmware is also needed to FIX bugs that make the device hard to use for MANY !
Frankly the DR1000s firmware state is still in Beta, even after being on the market for more than a year. I don't think we can say the same of Bookeen's devices.
So the "Everybody does it" argument is really an apple to pears comparison.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Sischa

I am pretty sure they asked for at least the delivery costs and a small fee even for the "early adaptors" cause i was one of them

You're right that it was very poorly communicated. However, I don't remember that there was any fee involved. People who didn't qualify for the free upgrade could still choose to pay for an upgrade, maybe that's what you're thinking of?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by kleykenb

I think there is a big difference however : Bookeen's devices are not plagued with bugs like the DR1000s is !
Sure they also take their sweet time with their firmwares but their firmwas is mainly needed to ADD functionality whereas iRex's firmware is also needed to FIX bugs that make the device hard to use for MANY !
Frankly the DR1000s firmware state is still in Beta, even after being on the market for more than a year. I don't think we can say the same of Bookeen's devices.
So the "Everybody does it" argument is really an apple to pears comparison.

You're talking about two completely different arguments. You can easily argue that their firmware has problems, I don't think anybody has denied that. However, the "everybody does it" comment is directed at the software being delayed, not the quality. They are two separate things.

Is it more frustrating when there are delays given that the current software has problems, sure it is. But that doesn't change the fact that software delays are common.

[solariun]

I have been following this lately talking about the DR, and I do work with software and hardware development, and by the way I bought my DR because of that advertisement about "weeks of battery", I got really sad when I turn on my device and I felt like a stupid Beta-Test guy.... In fact I still feeling like one, while waiting for that lie to emerge from that deep dark sea called Irex..... I will not deny I do love that "tabs" implementation from the 1.71 and I even feel my device slightly more reliable after the 1.71, but something I can not understand is, why haven't someone even, officially, said something about the full APM implementation, actually I am using a PRS-600, with that small 6", but it, in fact, does what they said it would, everything at all... but the only information I have they have all came from forums, and among that shambolic behavior witch has brought me nothing else than just frustration, I have sent a plant of mails about it, I have ever received nor even a mail inveighing me up.

So, sometimes I feel like shade does know more that he actually writes, you look like having some "extent" inside the irex, couldn't you afford to use it and help us out?

I just feel like the others, no more Irex at all, I will only wait till next upgrade, I really do not care about the ePub right now, it is just a Irex business in order to move along DR800 and their new market place (partnered), but where is the APM, today I can not take my DR with me while hanging around, but I would like too, I have been so much frustrated that I even pre-ordered the QUE, I do not care it does not shows any dictionary, far as I have read, of course, but I do need a ebook, with a larger screen witch I can use at work, set it at sleep mode, go away, and just use it in a snap if needed, but with that actual peace of nothing, I need to deal with the stupid boot time, It is like I am caring a table PC... but I just bought a eReader, I do would like to have it working as it should be, but it's not!!!

I really would appreciate if everybody and I could have just a single information, in fact I guess we could take the advantage of the their new support site, call to their 24/7 phone and open a ticket saying, My DR1000S is not going asleep as previously said, and once they have a proper company sat in US, they can be properly sued, if everyone of us, stating moving together, they will do something.

Something have had myself really angry, was when I read "again" but now over the DR800, would wear the Sleep mode, deam I got really frustrated, like shutting a missile at Irex office, again they are laying, how comes, it is totally unbelievable, the same lie, what now, they will say it will add in the future again? And then take ripe it off from the site, like before? It is totally unacceptable.

I do would like to enjoy my DR1000... but I am totally ashamed of it, even the hardware now look cheap for me....

So, I hope we can focus in their lies, and stop been so protective, they deceived us, they stole our money, and it was really expensive by the way.... I just want that think exactly like I read in the site...

So, people, let move it correctly, I will start doing my part, I will call them tomorrow morning and open my ticket, recording it of course, and I will say, I have my right, if they don't give me any answer I will move a public litigation to stop the DR800 to be sold till they prove they can do everything they are up to, and I will use my own DR1000 to prove they are totally unable, and I will sue them for misleading advertisement I want my DR1000 fixed...