MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - First impressions

HarryT · 08-07-2007, 06:31 AM

As an experienced Sony Reader user, and new iLiad owner, I thought it might be of interest to give a first impression of the pros and cons of the two machines.

Build Quality

No doubt about it, the Sony wins "hands down" in this department. The brushed aluminium case of the Reader gives it the "feel" of a much higher quality product (to me, at least) than the rather tacky plastic iLiad.

Screen

A big "thumbs up" for the iLiad here! The iLiad screen is larger (approximately twice the area of the Reader's screen) and, to my mind, brighter and higher contrast than the Reader's. That could well be down to the iLiad's 16 grey-scales compared with the 4 of the Reader.

Connectivity

A slightly "mixed bag" here. I love the fact that the iLiad simply appears as an extra drive on a Windows PC (and presumably other machines too) when you make a USB connection, and that you can just drag and drop files - much more "elegant" than having to use Sony's "Connect" software to put content on the machine.

On the other hand, the Sony's simple USB cable (and the fact that it will charge via USB) is a benefit over the horrible "hub" that the iLiad uses (for those who've never seen one, it's a plastic box that you plug the network cable, USB cable, and charger into, which then in turn, plugs into the iLiad).

Software

The iLiad wins big time on the flexibility of its software, and the fact that you can install new applications on it (that is, I'd say, its single biggest advantage over the Reader - it's much more of a general-purpose computer than the Reader).

However, as a book reader, I prefer the Reader's actual reading software to the MobiPocket Reader on the iLiad, which is a little primitive in its current incarnation. iRex do seem to be updating the software regularly, however, so hopefully it will get better. The fact the the iLiad supports MobiPocket gives it access to a hugely wider range of commercial eBooks than are available for the Sony, of course.

Battery Life

No contest here, obviously. The Reader only needs to be charged once a month or so; the iLiad every couple of days at least. I've been using my iLiad for probably 4-5 hours now, and the battery meter is showing about a 60% charge remaining. On the other hand, the Sony discharges continually, because it never shuts down; the iLiad really does shut down and boot up every time you turn it on and off, so if you only use it occasionally, it will (presumably) retain its battery charge for longer.

Conclusion

Very early days yet for me with the iLiad, but I'd say there's no clear winner. The Reader seems to me to have the edge as a fiction reader, provided you're not interested in commercial eBooks. If you do want the commercial stuff, access to the enormously wider range of MobiPocket books may be of interest.

The iLiad is certainly a far more flexible machine, if you want to do more than just read fiction, but despite the fact it's much more expensive than the Reader, it doesn't have the same impression of "quality" than the Reader has - at least for me.

I'm pleased to have both. I can certainly see myself using both in the long term.

08-07-2007, 06:31 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,556 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	First impressions - Sony Reader vs. iLiad As an experienced Sony Reader user, and new iLiad owner, I thought it might be of interest to give a first impression of the pros and cons of the two machines. Build Quality No doubt about it, the Sony wins "hands down" in this department. The brushed aluminium case of the Reader gives it the "feel" of a much higher quality product (to me, at least) than the rather tacky plastic iLiad. Screen A big "thumbs up" for the iLiad here! The iLiad screen is larger (approximately twice the area of the Reader's screen) and, to my mind, brighter and higher contrast than the Reader's. That could well be down to the iLiad's 16 grey-scales compared with the 4 of the Reader. Connectivity A slightly "mixed bag" here. I love the fact that the iLiad simply appears as an extra drive on a Windows PC (and presumably other machines too) when you make a USB connection, and that you can just drag and drop files - much more "elegant" than having to use Sony's "Connect" software to put content on the machine. On the other hand, the Sony's simple USB cable (and the fact that it will charge via USB) is a benefit over the horrible "hub" that the iLiad uses (for those who've never seen one, it's a plastic box that you plug the network cable, USB cable, and charger into, which then in turn, plugs into the iLiad). Software The iLiad wins big time on the flexibility of its software, and the fact that you can install new applications on it (that is, I'd say, its single biggest advantage over the Reader - it's much more of a general-purpose computer than the Reader). However, as a book reader, I prefer the Reader's actual reading software to the MobiPocket Reader on the iLiad, which is a little primitive in its current incarnation. iRex do seem to be updating the software regularly, however, so hopefully it will get better. The fact the the iLiad supports MobiPocket gives it access to a hugely wider range of commercial eBooks than are available for the Sony, of course. Battery Life No contest here, obviously. The Reader only needs to be charged once a month or so; the iLiad every couple of days at least. I've been using my iLiad for probably 4-5 hours now, and the battery meter is showing about a 60% charge remaining. On the other hand, the Sony discharges continually, because it never shuts down; the iLiad really does shut down and boot up every time you turn it on and off, so if you only use it occasionally, it will (presumably) retain its battery charge for longer. Conclusion Very early days yet for me with the iLiad, but I'd say there's no clear winner. The Reader seems to me to have the edge as a fiction reader, provided you're not interested in commercial eBooks. If you do want the commercial stuff, access to the enormously wider range of MobiPocket books may be of interest. The iLiad is certainly a far more flexible machine, if you want to do more than just read fiction, but despite the fact it's much more expensive than the Reader, it doesn't have the same impression of "quality" than the Reader has - at least for me. I'm pleased to have both. I can certainly see myself using both in the long term.