B&N and Verizon Jump Into E-Reader Fray with iRex

[sforce]

The budding market for electronic reading devices is about to get two powerful new entrants: Best Buy and Verizon.
Noah Berger for The New York Times

On Wednesday, iRex Technologies, a spinoff of Royal Philips Electronics that already makes one of Europe’s best-known e-readers, plans to announce that it is entering the United States market with a $399 touch-screen e-reader.

Best Buy’s involvement could give an additional lift to sales. Starting this week, Best Buy is training thousands of its employees in how to talk about and demonstrate devices like the Sony Reader and iRex, and adding a new area to its 1,048 stores to showcase the devices. Best Buy previously sold e-book devices only on its Web site and in limited tests in stores.

Owners of the new iRex DR800SG will be able to buy digital books and newspapers wirelessly over the 3G network of Verizon, which is joining AT&T and Sprint in supporting such devices. And by next month, the iRex will be sold at a few hundred Best Buy stores, along with the Sony Reader and similar products.

The iRex has an 8.1-inch touch screen and links directly to buy digital books in Barnes & Noble’s e-bookstore and periodicals from Newspapers Direct, a service that offers more than 1,100 papers and presents them onscreen largely as they appear in print form.

Its new consumer product offers some techie features that rivals do not. It contains a 3G Gobi radio from Qualcomm, the wireless component manufacturer, which will allow iRex owners to buy books wirelessly when they travel abroad. By contrast, the wireless modem in the Kindle works only on Sprint’s network in the United States. As with the Kindle, the price of the iRex includes unlimited wireless access.

The iRex can also handle the ePub file format, a widely accepted industry standard, which means that owners can buy books from other online bookstores that use ePub and transfer texts onto the iRex.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/te...1&ref=business

[Lilly]

Oh my goodness that sounds great. I was waiting for the Sony PRS-900 for my 3rd reader. I might get this instead and keep my PRS-505. My birthday was last month and I have 7 Visa gift cards totaling $550 (I asked for them for my b-day after telling family & friends that I wanted to buy a reader that was not yet released). Now that I have the money, I'm itching to spend it but I'm so indecisive!

[sforce]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Oh my goodness that sounds great. I was waiting for the Sony PRS-900 for my 3rd reader. I might get this instead and keep my PRS-505. My birthday was last month and I have 7 Visa gift cards totaling $550 (I asked for them for my b-day after telling family & friends that I wanted to buy a reader that was not yet released). Now that I have the money, I'm itching to spend it but I'm so indecisive!

From what I understand, the iRex touch-screen does not have the same glare issues that some complain about with the Sony.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by sforce

From what I understand, the iRex touch-screen does not have the same glare issues that some complain about with the Sony.

That's because iRex uses Wacom pen technology rather than a resistive touch membrane.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by sforce

From what I understand, the iRex touch-screen does not have the same glare issues that some complain about with the Sony.

The glare don't bother me. I had the PRS-600 for almost a week. One of my cousins birthday was this past Monday. She loves to read but always telling me that she wants a reader but she's on a strict budget. So we put money together and I ordered her a PRS-600. I opened it so I could build her library and we gave it to her this past Sunday with a lot books already installed. But I'm a little upset at Sony's software quality. She called me earlier all frustrated because her reader locked-up in the middle of reading a book. I finally walked her through a reset after plugging it in the computer for a while. The battery was drained even though I fully charged it on Sunday and this was the 1st book she read using the device. Sony should include an AC adapter if charging by USB drains the battery. I hate giving bad gifts so I'm frustrated.
I only do pleasure reading so no PDF is needed except for library books. I want a bigger screen but not as big as the DX or Plastic Logic so the 7 in Sony PRS-900 sounded great to me but I think I can get my head around an 8.1 in reader but no bigger.

[sforce]

Looks like Engadget has a demo unit, and is going "hands-on" later today:

"Get ready to add another big time e-reader partnership to the list: iRex is set to announce later today a deal that will bring its latest DR800SG E-Ink slab to Best Buy with Verizon 3G data on board. The $399 e-reader with 8.1-inch touchscreen arrives as rumored with the ability to wirelessly download digital books from Barnes & Noble's e-bookstore in addition to over 1,100 newspapers from Newspapers Direct -- it'll also handle any books downloadable in the ePub format. The 3G goodness comes via a Gobi radio from Qualcomm -- right, that means HSDPA data too, allowing owners to download data while traveling abroad -- take that Kindle. The DR800SG is expected to arrive in US Best Buy stores next month. We'll be going hands-on with it later today where we'll have plenty of pics and the full suite of specs."

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/23/i...e-an/#comments

[Lilly]

I can't wait to see it. I'll probably be the 1st to run to my nearest Best Buy to play with it. And who knows, I might just buy it since I do love my PRS-505 still and can keep it for a while as my Sony device. I need a Sony since I do check out lots of books from both Brooklyn & NYPL libraries and I don't want to convert! I had planned to past on the PRS-505 to my 10 year old nephew since I don't really want or need 2 readers from the same manufacturer.

[Dylrob]

Come to think of it, it's cool that they've partnered with Verizon. That means it'll actually work in my corner of Nevada... unlike the Kindle's Sprint-based Whispernet and [presumably] the PL and Sony's AT&T-based service.

[emilianm]

Originally Posted by sforce

Looks like Engadget has a demo unit, and is going "hands-on" later today:

"Get ready to add another big time e-reader partnership to the list: iRex is set to announce later today a deal that will bring its latest DR800SG E-Ink slab to Best Buy with Verizon 3G data on board. The $399 e-reader with 8.1-inch touchscreen arrives as rumored with the ability to wirelessly download digital books from Barnes & Noble's e-bookstore in addition to over 1,100 newspapers from Newspapers Direct -- it'll also handle any books downloadable in the ePub format. The 3G goodness comes via a Gobi radio from Qualcomm -- right, that means HSDPA data too, allowing owners to download data while traveling abroad -- take that Kindle. The DR800SG is expected to arrive in US Best Buy stores next month. We'll be going hands-on with it later today where we'll have plenty of pics and the full suite of specs."

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/23/i...e-an/#comments

besides 3G dose it have also a wifi module like the old model ?

[rhadin]

The two things that attract me about this device are access to B&N and partnership with Newspapers Direct, which, according to the New York Times article, is "a service that offers more than 1,100 papers and presents them onscreen largely as they appear in print."

If the device will give me access to the New York Times and The Economist, but in an e version of their p form, I am likely to buy it.

EDIT: I just checked the Newspapers Direct website (www.newspaperdirect.com), and it does offer the New York Times but not a e version of today's p version. I'll need to check this out further, but I'm not interested in getting a replay of the paper's website.

EDIT 2: It appears that the website offers 2 services. One gives access to the newspaper website and one gives access to a PDF version of the p newspaper. Apparently the New York Times is only available via website, not in the PDF version. I did look at the PDF version of the Buffalo News (I just picked a paper to check) and I can see where this would work well for me if it were only the right newspaper.

[poohbear_nc]

I can't wait to see one in my local Best Buy and play with it.
If these are put on the shelf in a timely manner and well-publicized, Sony could have a non-event in December. Esp. if you can compare the 2 touch screens side by side under those horrible store fluorescent lights.
This is major!

[JSWolf]

I am curious what battery life will be like.

[Sweetpea]

Still miffed that a product from a Dutch company won't even be available at their home country... We only get the expensive stuff...

[Andanzas]

Following the above link from Engadget, I arrived to this piece of news: Plastic Logic will sell for $299

Can't believe it

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Andanzas

Plastic Logic will sell for $299

This has been discussed here before. Most likely the price will be close to the Kindle DX (not the Kindle 2) or about $500. The fact that iRex is selling for $399 does indicate that the Kindle DX is setting the consumer high end price.