So should i buy this or not?

MScottParkinson · 12-15-2007, 08:47 PM

It seems theres a lot of negativity about the Iliad - I'm not sure whether its worth investing in at this stage.

Essentially i plan on selling my extensive comic book collection as i have the marvel pdf dvd collections etc, and reading all my comics on the Iliad.

From what i understand its the best choice for reading comics (does it even have a CBR reader? i thought i heard it does) - but i hear so much negativity (or perhaps disapointment) regarding the device.

Obviously im willing to lessen myc omic readinge xperience by suggesting this int he first place (smaller screen, black and white) but its more a matter of conserving space and convenience.

However i dont want to sell off my collection if im going to end up with a machine that i dont want to use.

Any suggestions or comments woudl be greatly appreciated. The cost of an Iliad is HUGE to me (if i coudl find a second hand one that would be neat but i cant seem to find any for sale unlike the sony reader) so its not a decision i want to make lightly.

Thanks for any feedback!

Mike

sianon · 12-16-2007, 03:42 AM

Surely the fact that you cannot find any secondhand units to buy (unlike the Sony) speaks for itself. I have no idea what it is like to read comics on the Iliad. however for reading in general, it is a superb device. I also have a Sony which is useless for reading PDF files on. My Iliad has also withstood some pretty rough treatment, the worst of which occurred today when I knocked it off the seat of my car and sent it hurtling on to a gravel surface. Iliad survived well, my nerves did not, it was an anxious few seconds until I reassured myself the the screen was not broken or scratched despite falling face down.

kacir · 12-16-2007, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MScottParkinson

It seems theres a lot of negativity about the Iliad

Please remember that for each person that complains loudly about the relatively bad battery life, or software features they miss, there are unknown (and I personally think quite high) number of people that are satisfied with a specific set of features Illiad has.

The Illiad DOES have its limitations, but if you know exactly what you need it for you can still be a very happy owner.

The Illiad is suitable for a very specific group of people. You might be one of those people. I would recommend you to try the Illiad in person. Try to find someone that will let you see what your comics look like on Illiad. With its price tag it is quite a gamble to sell your collection and buy one without knowing exactly if it will work for you.

MScottParkinson · 12-16-2007, 08:09 AM

Thanks for the comments - unfortunately i dont see the likelihood that i'll be able to find one to sample.
I mean, I'm in Australia and the fact that Dymocks have started picking them up is a good sign but the only store which carries them is in Sydney - on the other side of the country ..so yeah, its going to be tricky.

Hmmmn..

But PDFs are good to read on here yes?

Adam B. · 12-16-2007, 11:03 AM

PDF's work very well on the iLiad, depending on the paper size it was created for.

If you have an example of a PDF you can post (it may be tricky with comics), someone should be able to take a picture of what it looks like on the screen.

kacir · 12-16-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MScottParkinson

But PDFs are good to read on here yes?

I am afraid, not as good as you might think.

Iliad is definitely an improvement over 6" devices in regard of reading pdf files.
Its screen size, is, however, only a fraction of the A4 page. And most pdf files are, unfortunately, formated for printing out on an A4 sized paper.

Get your pdf file.
Print it on a page with dimensions 120x160mm (a 8 inch illad screen)
Use printer with 170DPI resolution. A really good dot-matrix printer -preferably 24pin - will be perfect.
Now, are you satisfied with the result?

nekokami · 12-16-2007, 01:00 PM

Are the Marvel files locked? You said PDF, but they could be the DRM version of PDF, which won't work on the iLiad.

MScottParkinson · 12-16-2007, 05:57 PM

neko : not sure - i havent actually looked at them yet - theres a thread on the "what should i buy" forum about it tough - i'll have to check what is said there.
I was thinking however id buy the marvel sets and then obtain different scans of the same comics which i know definitely dont have any type of drm (what exactly does that stand for anyway) on them.

kacir: Its not that good? darn. i read a lot of Marvel comics in digest form and the iliad screen is just a tad smaller than a digest so i figure if i can read a digest i can read the Iliad. Plus cant you zoom?

I should add that i have seen pictures of comics on the iliad screen and it looks fine to me BUT id rather find someone with personal experience reading them.

Adam : So it IS good? Man, conflicting reports make this confusing

do we knwo if the Iliad can read CBR/CBZ files as well? Cos id essentially be converting those to PDF format.

nekokami · 12-16-2007, 06:34 PM

Manga look good on the iLiad screen, but manga are b&w to begin with. I'm not sure how the color would convert to grayscale on the iLiad screen. I haven't tried this. I personally find the Marvel colors a bit dark and muddy to begin with, so you might have some trouble making out detail on the iLiad screen. There are, however, programs that can help with this, batch editing your files to lighten up the color or "tune" the grayscale conversion to your tastes. If you really like your comics, it might be worth it to find and learn these programs.

However, you can indeed zoom on the iLiad, and in fact there's a "landscape" mode you can put the display into, then set "continuous", and you can just scroll down your comic pages endlessly. That's probably what I'd do with Marvel style comics, which usually read panel-by-panel, left to right, top to bottom. (Manga tend to have more varied page layouts).

Try getting a scan of a typical comic, and print on an inkjet printer in grayscale at around 60% size (use the dimensions above if you want to get it exactly right), on light gray (newsprint colored) paper. Put the result into a clear semi-matte sheet protector. That'll give you a very good idea of what the results would look like on the iLiad.

And if you end up doing this, please do let us know how it works out for you!

MScottParkinson · 12-16-2007, 11:15 PM

Ok, thanks for all that.
Believe it or not i dont have access to a printer so ive just taken a jpeg of a comics page greyscaled it and shurnk it down to the size suggested. it looks fine but i dont know if thered be any major difference between reading it on the screen and how itd look if i printed it out.

Obviously lack of colour is a shame but it still looks readable to me...I just wish i could find someone whos tried similar things - ive googled my fingers off and i know there are people in the same boat as me - i just dont knwo i f they ended up going through with it and hwo they found it to work.

Mike

MScottParkinson · 12-16-2007, 11:36 PM

Ok..ive taken a sample off pages from this link http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Dec07/previews/12th.html shrunk them down to 12x16cm and greyscaled them and they look readable for sure. Whether or not reading them in pdf format compared to just looking at jpegs makes a difference i do not know (also i had the resolution at 100 pixels/inch as that way it actually matched the actual size of 12x16).

Thanks for everyones help and again if anyone has any personal experience or can point me in the right direction that would be great.

ElaHuguet · 12-17-2007, 02:01 AM

My husband reads comics (on his PC, CBRs), and I tried a Marvel comic on the iLiad for him, printing it to pdf in several different ways to find what worked best. I found it very readable, either by zooming a bit or going landscape (for finer detail). The 16 grayscale is good enough for colour differentiation, although my husband is still waiting for an A4 colour device for optimal comic reading, but goodness knows when that will be coming out at a reasonable price, so if you want to use the iLiad in the interim, I would say "go ahead".

PS: Looking at the result on the screen (as you mention in your last post) is not the same at all, it is much better on the iLiad (it's like seeing an ad for a good TV on your not-so-good TV, ROFL, I've always found these ads to be really funny).

MScottParkinson · 12-17-2007, 05:58 AM

Thanks for that! Its great to hear from someone whos tried it out! I appreciate it. Looks like im raising 900 Aus dollars! (gulp!) and joining the family.

MScottParkinson · 12-17-2007, 06:00 AM

just a question though, if i may, did you convert a cbr to pdf format and if so, how exactly?

ElaHuguet · 12-18-2007, 01:46 AM

Yes, I converted it to pdf, using Acrobat. I don't think cbr's can be read (yet) in the iLiad, but there are several tools available to make comics for the iLiad, I've seen a few discussed in this forum to automate the process, and any pdf printer application will also work, as long as it can "stitch" several images into one file.

12-15-2007, 08:47 PM	#1
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	So should i buy this or not? It seems theres a lot of negativity about the Iliad - I'm not sure whether its worth investing in at this stage. Essentially i plan on selling my extensive comic book collection as i have the marvel pdf dvd collections etc, and reading all my comics on the Iliad. From what i understand its the best choice for reading comics (does it even have a CBR reader? i thought i heard it does) - but i hear so much negativity (or perhaps disapointment) regarding the device. Obviously im willing to lessen myc omic readinge xperience by suggesting this int he first place (smaller screen, black and white) but its more a matter of conserving space and convenience. However i dont want to sell off my collection if im going to end up with a machine that i dont want to use. Any suggestions or comments woudl be greatly appreciated. The cost of an Iliad is HUGE to me (if i coudl find a second hand one that would be neat but i cant seem to find any for sale unlike the sony reader) so its not a decision i want to make lightly. Thanks for any feedback! Mike

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12-16-2007, 03:42 AM	#2
sianon Addict Posts: 352 Karma: 572 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne Device: Sony 500, Bebook, Kindle, Eco reader Drs and soon the Archos 9	Surely the fact that you cannot find any secondhand units to buy (unlike the Sony) speaks for itself. I have no idea what it is like to read comics on the Iliad. however for reading in general, it is a superb device. I also have a Sony which is useless for reading PDF files on. My Iliad has also withstood some pretty rough treatment, the worst of which occurred today when I knocked it off the seat of my car and sent it hurtling on to a gravel surface. Iliad survived well, my nerves did not, it was an anxious few seconds until I reassured myself the the screen was not broken or scratched despite falling face down.

12-16-2007, 08:09 AM	#4
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	Thanks for the comments - unfortunately i dont see the likelihood that i'll be able to find one to sample. I mean, I'm in Australia and the fact that Dymocks have started picking them up is a good sign but the only store which carries them is in Sydney - on the other side of the country ..so yeah, its going to be tricky. Hmmmn.. But PDFs are good to read on here yes?

12-16-2007, 11:03 AM	#5
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	PDF's work very well on the iLiad, depending on the paper size it was created for. If you have an example of a PDF you can post (it may be tricky with comics), someone should be able to take a picture of what it looks like on the screen.

12-16-2007, 01:00 PM	#7
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Are the Marvel files locked? You said PDF, but they could be the DRM version of PDF, which won't work on the iLiad.

12-16-2007, 05:57 PM	#8
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	neko : not sure - i havent actually looked at them yet - theres a thread on the "what should i buy" forum about it tough - i'll have to check what is said there. I was thinking however id buy the marvel sets and then obtain different scans of the same comics which i know definitely dont have any type of drm (what exactly does that stand for anyway) on them. kacir: Its not that good? darn. i read a lot of Marvel comics in digest form and the iliad screen is just a tad smaller than a digest so i figure if i can read a digest i can read the Iliad. Plus cant you zoom? I should add that i have seen pictures of comics on the iliad screen and it looks fine to me BUT id rather find someone with personal experience reading them. Adam : So it IS good? Man, conflicting reports make this confusing do we knwo if the Iliad can read CBR/CBZ files as well? Cos id essentially be converting those to PDF format.

12-16-2007, 06:34 PM	#9
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Manga look good on the iLiad screen, but manga are b&w to begin with. I'm not sure how the color would convert to grayscale on the iLiad screen. I haven't tried this. I personally find the Marvel colors a bit dark and muddy to begin with, so you might have some trouble making out detail on the iLiad screen. There are, however, programs that can help with this, batch editing your files to lighten up the color or "tune" the grayscale conversion to your tastes. If you really like your comics, it might be worth it to find and learn these programs. However, you can indeed zoom on the iLiad, and in fact there's a "landscape" mode you can put the display into, then set "continuous", and you can just scroll down your comic pages endlessly. That's probably what I'd do with Marvel style comics, which usually read panel-by-panel, left to right, top to bottom. (Manga tend to have more varied page layouts). Try getting a scan of a typical comic, and print on an inkjet printer in grayscale at around 60% size (use the dimensions above if you want to get it exactly right), on light gray (newsprint colored) paper. Put the result into a clear semi-matte sheet protector. That'll give you a very good idea of what the results would look like on the iLiad. And if you end up doing this, please do let us know how it works out for you!

12-16-2007, 11:15 PM	#10
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	Ok, thanks for all that. Believe it or not i dont have access to a printer so ive just taken a jpeg of a comics page greyscaled it and shurnk it down to the size suggested. it looks fine but i dont know if thered be any major difference between reading it on the screen and how itd look if i printed it out. Obviously lack of colour is a shame but it still looks readable to me...I just wish i could find someone whos tried similar things - ive googled my fingers off and i know there are people in the same boat as me - i just dont knwo i f they ended up going through with it and hwo they found it to work. Mike

12-16-2007, 11:36 PM	#11
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	Ok..ive taken a sample off pages from this link http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Dec07/previews/12th.html shrunk them down to 12x16cm and greyscaled them and they look readable for sure. Whether or not reading them in pdf format compared to just looking at jpegs makes a difference i do not know (also i had the resolution at 100 pixels/inch as that way it actually matched the actual size of 12x16). Thanks for everyones help and again if anyone has any personal experience or can point me in the right direction that would be great.

12-17-2007, 02:01 AM	#12
ElaHuguet iLiad freak Posts: 339 Karma: 243 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mallorca, Spain Device: iRex iLiad	My husband reads comics (on his PC, CBRs), and I tried a Marvel comic on the iLiad for him, printing it to pdf in several different ways to find what worked best. I found it very readable, either by zooming a bit or going landscape (for finer detail). The 16 grayscale is good enough for colour differentiation, although my husband is still waiting for an A4 colour device for optimal comic reading, but goodness knows when that will be coming out at a reasonable price, so if you want to use the iLiad in the interim, I would say "go ahead". PS: Looking at the result on the screen (as you mention in your last post) is not the same at all, it is much better on the iLiad (it's like seeing an ad for a good TV on your not-so-good TV, ROFL, I've always found these ads to be really funny).

12-17-2007, 05:58 AM	#13
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	Thanks for that! Its great to hear from someone whos tried it out! I appreciate it. Looks like im raising 900 Aus dollars! (gulp!) and joining the family.

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12-17-2007, 06:00 AM	#14
MScottParkinson Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: none as yet	just a question though, if i may, did you convert a cbr to pdf format and if so, how exactly?

12-18-2007, 01:46 AM	#15
ElaHuguet iLiad freak Posts: 339 Karma: 243 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mallorca, Spain Device: iRex iLiad	Yes, I converted it to pdf, using Acrobat. I don't think cbr's can be read (yet) in the iLiad, but there are several tools available to make comics for the iLiad, I've seen a few discussed in this forum to automate the process, and any pdf printer application will also work, as long as it can "stitch" several images into one file.