Thinking about Iliad

[mac]

I bought my Iliad in 2006 and, after see the last new device reports, some considerations an ideas are in my mind.

Iliad have some good things, but sometimes I think that it’s unfinished device :
- Expansion card MMC (SD) and compact flash. Better will be only have a high capacity SD card or Mini-micro SD.
- Wi-fi but only I use a few times because if the battery is low or the distance is high don’t work well. And like web browser are slow but an e-mail program can work fine.
- Take notes, but like a drawing tool is not good there is a gap between the pen edge and the screen drawing (and you must calibrate all time) and the delay time. If it was possible to use like a wacon tablet (USB device) for the computer (Mac, Linux and windows) this problem will e minored.
- There is a kit for development but If you are not good with Linux all are very hard. A cross complier (Mac, windows, Linux ) similar to ren’py compiler will be a good thing (or a LUA compiler, or an intrenal iliad compiler).
- There are many third party software but I think than Irex should do something like a selection and make and add-on file for final users and the works of these programmes (Scotty , Adam B. ,Antracita, Hansel, ....) could be used.
- Some third party programs must be added in a new firmware update (like the Hansel’ s counter list)
- MP3 sound but there is not official software for play (Yokos player or other people programs could be used in a new firmware update), and the flip page sound its a problem when you are playing music.
- A multitasking (no multithread,) window manager (like Yoko’s flubox) do very useful for work ( some documents open).
- The size for me it’s good but I think than if the down buttons (books, notes,...) could be removed (or moved to the vertical right side) and then the screen will be two cm in high ,so the A4 documents in landscape can be read better than now.
- The pdf viewer are very useful but bookmarks, columns viewer, reflow (there are ipdf version than to this things but there isn’t and all in one solution) shall be added.
- To add a graphic viewer (based on ipdf) that do more comfortable read comics (for manga is very good, but for big formats comics ...) or image scanned documents. Many people worked and work in this one, I do some thing in this direction with Using Ren´Py as comic viewer, but I am not a professional programmer.
- The battery life for me it’s enough but a modification like the JHarker must be adopted for Irex (like a ticket repair or option for new users).
- Some third party programs in landscape mode will be more useful then in portrait mode
- The keyboard support (as USB foldable keyboard) could be added. I know that these keyboards are very slow, I think that a 8 keystrokes-pages/second refresh rate will be necessary for fast typing and 3-5 keystrokes-pages/second for normal typing, so this keyboard must be one line display (as a calculator ) as a type buffer, can be an Iliad accesorie.
- LAN connection a hub, the small one, are O.K. but if using an USB charging mode when the e-reader is connected to the computer (or keyboard) will be fine.
- Epub support, djvu etc... . As other things there is some applications like fbreader ( Adam B., Erischliao,...) than try to add.
- Strong screen.


Many of this is a software work , and a few are hardware (maybe a for a new Iliad version). I think that this ideas can do Iliad more useful.

Thanks, and sorry for my English,

[yokos]

Hey mac, thanks for playing with gimmix & fluxbox.

Originally Posted by mac

- The keyboard support (as USB foldable keyboard) could be added.

There is 3rd party usb keyboard support.

I still use my iLiad for reading of pdf files, because it is more comfortable than reading long documents on my tablet pc (a convertible).