Telegraph Blogs gives iRex iLiad mixed grades

Alexander Turcic · 04-19-2007, 05:58 AM

Telegraph's Shane Richmond has been playing with the iRex iLiad, and his findings were mixed:

Pro:

touch-enabled
screen is wonderful
size is ideal
WiFi capability

Con:

clunky interface
writing notes didn't work
price is uninviting

His final verdict:

Quote:

The Iliad reminds me of the first MP3 player a saw, about ten years ago. It was too big, too slow and could hold only a couple of albums but the potential was clear.

Then Apple showed up with a brilliantly designed, easy to use device and suddenly MP3 players are everywhere. Will they do the same for the e-reader or leave it to others?

Pity they've already used the name iBook.

yokos · 04-19-2007, 08:03 AM

It's a pity, he didn't describe why "notes, which I couldn't get to work at all" doesn't work for him?

Adam B. · 04-19-2007, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokos

It's a pity, he didn't describe why "notes, which I couldn't get to work at all" doesn't work for him?

Yeah, you can hardly call "user error" a fault to the device. I don't know what's so hard about pressing notes and opening "Blank.png"... It may not be 100% intuitive, but anyone with a bit of reasoning skills should be able to figure it out.

Maybe he didn't have the blank templates for some reason.

yokos · 04-19-2007, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam B.

Yeah, you can hardly call "user error" a fault to the device. I don't know what's so hard about pressing notes and opening "Blank.png"... It may not be 100% intuitive, but anyone with a bit of reasoning skills should be able to figure it out.

Maybe he didn't have the blank templates for some reason.

Or he didn't open a pdf file. Just one click on pen icon - scribbling starts.

Adam B. · 04-19-2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokos

Or he didn't open a pdf file. Just one click on pen icon - scribbling starts.

Maybe he never hit Docs -> Reference -> User Guide.

Bob Russell · 04-19-2007, 08:42 AM

I expected the "cons" to be battery life and no instant on, plus maybe some interface issues to be the main concerns. How long does it take on the current software versions to turn it on and load an e-book? Is battery life better now?

But there really is no competition yet, with regard to a larger touch sensitive e-ink screen.

NatCh · 04-19-2007, 08:46 AM

Or maybe his pen is really out of calibration so that whatever he wrote was simply unreadable ....

Alexander Turcic · 04-19-2007, 09:11 AM

I don't own an iLiad, but this would be my personal biggest pros: screen size, screen size, screen size. As much as I love the Reader, it is not usable for reading multi-column reference documents.

So in future, I'd love to see something with the battery lifetime of the Reader and the screen of the iLiad

Adam B. · 04-19-2007, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

I don't own an iLiad, but this would be my personal biggest pros: screen size, screen size, screen size. As much as I love the Reader, it is not usable for reading multi-column reference documents.

Agreed. That was really the single reason I chose the iLiad over the sony. All the other stuff was just a bonus. It's openness turned into a huge bonus, but a bonus nonetheless.

ebooklvr · 04-19-2007, 10:58 AM

I've only had my iLiad for 4 days and love it. Yeah the interface is different but it works for me so far. The screen size and linux OS made it win out over the Sony when I was trying to decide between the two. As for the price.....the ooohs and ahhhhs that I got at work when I showed it off yesterday made it worth it

Mambo · 04-19-2007, 12:04 PM

I don't understand what stopped this guy from figuring out how the scribbling works. I can't consider his blog as a serious attempt to form an opinion. Rather ridiculous.

What's more, what could Apple do better by designing the interface for this device? Scrollwheel? I have an iPod but I love the iLiad much more.

Funny to see that a good point with the device that it holds "dozen books". Did you really used this device for a week or do you have any natural interest for new things? The first thing I tried how this thing works with a 4GB CF card. My iLiad holds thousands of books. This fact should be advertised if you want to boost sales.

nekokami · 04-19-2007, 12:07 PM

If he was in any file type other than PDF, there is no scribble, and in PDF you have to hit the pen icon first. Maybe he got confused.

That being said, one of my chief complaints about the iLiad at present is that using the Notes function is so slow. Slow to open a new document, slow to create a new page, slow to turn pages... I wish it could be optimized somehow. I use it to take notes in meetings and classes, and sometimes I have to scramble to catch up in note taking after waiting for a new page to be created.

I haven't personally had too much trouble with battery life, though it sure goes by fast if you're using the pen. A better power adapter arrangement so you could more reasonably use the iLiad while it's charging would be nice. I really don't like that adapter connection.

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04-19-2007, 08:03 AM	#2
yokos Pac-Man caught my iLiad. Posts: 807 Karma: 3595 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany; next to Baltic Sea Device: Boox Max Lumi, iRex iLiad (RIP)	It's a pity, he didn't describe why "notes, which I couldn't get to work at all" doesn't work for him?

04-19-2007, 08:42 AM	#6
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	I expected the "cons" to be battery life and no instant on, plus maybe some interface issues to be the main concerns. How long does it take on the current software versions to turn it on and load an e-book? Is battery life better now? But there really is no competition yet, with regard to a larger touch sensitive e-ink screen.

04-19-2007, 08:46 AM	#7
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Or maybe his pen is really out of calibration so that whatever he wrote was simply unreadable ....

04-19-2007, 09:11 AM	#8
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I don't own an iLiad, but this would be my personal biggest pros: screen size, screen size, screen size. As much as I love the Reader, it is not usable for reading multi-column reference documents. So in future, I'd love to see something with the battery lifetime of the Reader and the screen of the iLiad

04-19-2007, 10:58 AM	#10
ebooklvr iLiad newbie Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Iliad/Zaurus SL-5500	I've only had my iLiad for 4 days and love it. Yeah the interface is different but it works for me so far. The screen size and linux OS made it win out over the Sony when I was trying to decide between the two. As for the price.....the ooohs and ahhhhs that I got at work when I showed it off yesterday made it worth it

04-19-2007, 12:04 PM	#11
Mambo Gadget fan Posts: 147 Karma: 3968 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: London Device: RM Tablet PC, iLiad, PRS 505, iPod Touch	I don't understand what stopped this guy from figuring out how the scribbling works. I can't consider his blog as a serious attempt to form an opinion. Rather ridiculous. What's more, what could Apple do better by designing the interface for this device? Scrollwheel? I have an iPod but I love the iLiad much more. Funny to see that a good point with the device that it holds "dozen books". Did you really used this device for a week or do you have any natural interest for new things? The first thing I tried how this thing works with a 4GB CF card. My iLiad holds thousands of books. This fact should be advertised if you want to boost sales.

04-19-2007, 12:07 PM	#12
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	If he was in any file type other than PDF, there is no scribble, and in PDF you have to hit the pen icon first. Maybe he got confused. That being said, one of my chief complaints about the iLiad at present is that using the Notes function is so slow. Slow to open a new document, slow to create a new page, slow to turn pages... I wish it could be optimized somehow. I use it to take notes in meetings and classes, and sometimes I have to scramble to catch up in note taking after waiting for a new page to be created. I haven't personally had too much trouble with battery life, though it sure goes by fast if you're using the pen. A better power adapter arrangement so you could more reasonably use the iLiad while it's charging would be nice. I really don't like that adapter connection.

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