What to get after iRex Iliad?

[m-reader]

I've been a happy-chappy owner of an iRex Iliad for about 2 years now. Over the time I learned to live with the good and the bad features and we got along just fine.
However, seeing a deluge of new devices coming to the market I think it's time for an upgrade. Choosing a device is however easier said than done. I would appreciate your thoughts on what should I get.

- I read mainly fiction, and some PDF mainly techie stuff. I tend to export PDFs into MOBI format anyway before reading if it's too large for the screen.
- I need the instant-on feature - waiting for Iliad to boot up everytime is something I actually plan as an activity before reading so I can get other things done (e.g. get a cup of tea)
- Note taking (stylus) is cool feature, but it's wasted on me.
- Touch screen navigation would be nice.
- Nice, clean GUI - there is such thing as too few or too many nagivation buttons!
- Screen size - more than 6", 16 shades of grey.
- I don't need wireless (3G/GSM) of WiFi connectivity.
- Multi-format support and open-ish DRM support. I'd like to be able to read books bought in different stores without having to strip DRM first.
- Price? Under 500 USD.

Thanks for your input!

Cheers

m-reader

[rireed3]

- Multi-format support and open-ish DRM support. I'd like to be able to read books bought in different stores without having to strip DRM first.

Alas, this is not a feature of the current state of the industry. The owners of various DRM schemes will not license machines that run a competing DRM. This is not a technical issue, but yet another example of 'free' enterprise.

Because of that current trend, your best choice of formats, although at the price of having to strip everything, may come from machines that can be loaded with firmwares that don't do DRM at all. The best example I can think of is HanLin V3, sold as BeBook, ECO Reader, and some other brands.

BeBook comes with an Adobe-DRM firmware, so it does DRM'd epub and pdf, and you can reflash it with BeBook's last Mobipocket-DRM firmware from February 2009.
OR
You can flash your BeBook with firmware from Openinkpot, who have developed, and continue to develop, open-source firmwares for BeBook One. Netherlands-based BeBook have cooperated with this effort, unlike some other companies, and support is there for many non-DRM'd formats.

BeBook have announced a wireless, touch-screen version which has been delayed until next year, and while BeBook, also unlike some other companies, seem to favour current customers in favour of this new development, you might consider this old hardware in a year or so.

Richard

[wallcraft]

You may want to wait until early next year, when there will probably be several large screen EInk devices introduced.

Your best bet today is the iRex DR800SG. I would wait a week or two for the reviews, and it is currently US-only.

Don't forget the Wiki Matrix: Larger Devices, which illustrates that there are few choices for larger than 6" screens.

[m-reader]

Thanks rireed3 and wallcraft.
I'll check BeeBook out for sure. The iRex DR800SG however seems to be solely designed for US market with its wireless access and whatnot.
I did look at The Matrix (sorry, couldn't resist the caps ), but I wanted to get some real life experiences and ideas out there. I reckon Wallcraft is right though. 2010 is going to be a busy year for e-Readers.

[Icey]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Your best bet today is the iRex DR800SG. I would wait a week or two for the reviews, and it is currently US-only.
.

What about the foreign countries, especially France ?

[cbell]

m-reader, as you're in Melbourne, why don't you take a look at Reader's Feast? They're at the corner of Bourke and Swanston Sts. They demonstrate (and sell over the counter) a range of e-Ink ebook readers and the staff are really nice and helpful.

I'm affiliated with DA Direct.

https://www.dadirect.com/books/ebookreader.asp

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by cbell

m-reader, as you're in Melbourne, why don't you take a look at Reader's Feast? They're at the corner of Bourke and Swanston Sts. They demonstrate (and sell over the counter) a range of e-Ink ebook readers and the staff are really nice and helpful.

I'm affiliated with DA Direct.

https://www.dadirect.com/books/ebookreader.asp

I would do exactly that, but unfortunately I am overseas at the moment working in a country where e-readers are a bit of a rare commodity.

Cheers,

m-reader