MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - So do you seethe with HATRED for the Digital Reader?

maynard · 05-02-2009, 12:47 PM

I have a PRS 505 and just bought a used iLiad. The two are very different products. The 505 has excellent battery life and is extremely easy to use. However, it doesn't properly display PDFs and it doesn't take pen input for annotations. The iLiad does that. However, as others have pointed out, the iLiad has touch calibration problems, terrible battery life, and the screen is simply too small for easy reading of technical PDFs without a magnifying glass.

I want a DR1000SW. Were I to buy one I'd just sell the iLiad and keep the 505. But after using the iLiad, I think I'd rather wait for a 10" (or A4 sized) device manufactured by a large firm like Sony. Frankly, the software design and build quality of the 505 blows the iLiad out of the water. One thing Sony does well is manufacture products to very high quality standards.

But right now, if you need an eink device at A4 size with pen input, the DR1K is it. And if the iLiad's size really gets on my nerves before competitors hit the market, I might just upgrade anyway. It will probably be two or three years before we see several competitors with A4 size units on the market.

Pick your poison.

05-02-2009, 12:47 PM	#22
maynard Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: iPhone, PRS-505, iLiad, Entourage Edge	I have a PRS 505 and just bought a used iLiad. The two are very different products. The 505 has excellent battery life and is extremely easy to use. However, it doesn't properly display PDFs and it doesn't take pen input for annotations. The iLiad does that. However, as others have pointed out, the iLiad has touch calibration problems, terrible battery life, and the screen is simply too small for easy reading of technical PDFs without a magnifying glass. I want a DR1000SW. Were I to buy one I'd just sell the iLiad and keep the 505. But after using the iLiad, I think I'd rather wait for a 10" (or A4 sized) device manufactured by a large firm like Sony. Frankly, the software design and build quality of the 505 blows the iLiad out of the water. One thing Sony does well is manufacture products to very high quality standards. But right now, if you need an eink device at A4 size with pen input, the DR1K is it. And if the iLiad's size really gets on my nerves before competitors hit the market, I might just upgrade anyway. It will probably be two or three years before we see several competitors with A4 size units on the market. Pick your poison.