Ok.
So, let's do the summary.
1) IRex's product literature had numbers / features that are not actually possible with the device they advertised.
2) IRex mentioned in their literature that not all features would be available immediately.
3) Some people have had their ILiads for many months and are upset that it still doesn't support those features / numbers.
4) For those who feel wronged, the law is on the customer's side and legally IRex must address this. You can take this up with them by emailing their
info@irextechnologies.com address.
No need to really discuss those points further, I think. We've all got the point.
I want some of the features that were advertised as well and I am not happy that they are not available (decent HTML reading is one). I'd also like some improvements - faster startup time for example. But that said, I am pretty tired of hearing people whine about how awful the device is and how crappy IRex has been.
The fact of the matter is that the majority of the features DO work and most of them work well. In the areas where they don't IRex has been pretty forthcoming about. The information about the ILiad's battery life and it's future capabilities was not 'discovered', IRex told us, and told us why. They have told us what things they think will work to rectify / improve the situation and which ones they are working on internally, and they are the ones who said 'Yep, looks like we won't hit that 21 hour mark' At all the points where there was information to share, it seems to me that IRex has done so, including giving estimates of when SDK and other things would be released, and being pretty forthcoming about what has been going on internally with regard to features.
This is a good thing, and we have a lot of information and details from the people who build this device. It seems to me the real issue that folks are really pissed off about is that IRex isn't moving fast enough to make things nicer than they are. I can understand that completely, I really want faster boot time and the ability to unbrick the device myself if I decide to hack on it and screw up (Hint Hint)
But let's face it, folks. They don't have to do any of it. There are numerous other companies out there using Linux as their core and giving no support whatsoever. Most companies taking advantage of linux do the bare minimum by releasing the relevant public code changes in some hidden corner of their website. Many don't even do that until they are 'caught' and called out. (Linksys is a good example of both of these.)
So, some additional facts:
5) IRex does not have to provide any developer tools whatsoever.
6) IRex does not have to accept your device back to reflash it if you mess it up.
7) They don't have to tell you anything about how to write software effectively for your ILiad, or how to improve it's performance in any way.
8) They don't have to have a public forum for the users of their product, nor do they have to participate in any forum.
9) They don't have to accept / incorporate any community developer ideas into their software.
10) They do all of these things. (5-9)
So what we have actually is a company who is being very positive and compliant with the
spirit of open source by being involved and helpful where they can, rather than just complying with the letter of law by using linux and releasing only their required changes.
And what we have is a user community whose most vocal posts are about how, on the whole, the company stinks, lies to their customers, and fails to live up to their legal obligations. These claims don't match up with the reality, which is that we have a great device, and a company who is actually putting some paid-for resources into working with the community.
Yes, I know the battery life is not what they said. But you know what, in engineering, especially in battery usage, folks make mistakes and sometimes fall short of the mark. It happens... It also happens that marketing folks claim as much as they think they can get away with regardless of what engineering says. IRex has come forward and offered a battery replacement for those who want it. Once again, showing their good faith. And for those for whom that is not good enough, have provided the address to direct further discussion to.
So I think we need to take a moment before we lambaste them, yet again, and realize what we do have. I also think we need to remember that the community effort they are putting in is not
required in any way and that if they decide that it is not worth it, they can withdraw it at any time.
We have a great device. It gets better monthly. We get information, we get feedback on our ideas and our tinkering. We get info on what's coming and what isn't, and where our time would overlap what they are doing internally. We get a lot.
IRex is a business, this means they do work for money, and hopefully bring in more money than they spend producing things. Building a community and harnessing the interest and tinker-lust of interested individuals can be beneficial to the company and the community, but it costs money and time and it's a tricky thing to manage. So much so that most companies don't even try. I think IRex deserves kudos for doing so, and for being as helpful and forthcoming as they have been.
I, for one, hope IRex does continue to do so in spite of the negativity that seems to continually be thrown their way. I think it's a great device now and will continue to improve, and I think the pace of those improvements will increase dramatically once people can tinker without fear of bricking their Iliad and being unable to use it for weeks while it gets fixed. (Hint, User unbricking, Hint)
JayK