New Irex Reader 1000

[axel77]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

Still, I'm glad big screens are moving into circulation - I would like a big screen for home/professional use. Not so much for travel use. This just doesn't hit my price vs. features sweet spot, and their track record on battery drain leaves something to be desired. I'd like to see some real-life use cases and average battery life.

Honestly when comparing power requirements you have to take features into account. The iRex has more hardare features than any other reader, to start with WACOM. So its IMHO quite logical they cannot reach the power sustainabilty of the SONY, which has a rather minimalistic hardware setup. One can question for his use (like pure book reading) if you need features like WACOM... but taken you want a scribbling tech (like me) you'll have to live with some tradeoffs on power consumption compared to no scribbling at all.

[acidzebra]

Originally Posted by axel77

Honestly when comparing power requirements you have to take features into account. The iRex has more hardare features than any other reader, to start with WACOM. So its IMHO quite logical they cannot reach the power sustainabilty of the SONY, which has a rather minimalistic hardware setup. One can question for his use (like pure book reading) if you need features like WACOM... but taken you want a scribbling tech (like me) you'll have to live with some tradeoffs on power consumption compared to no scribbling at all.

I would like scribbling tech and so on but not at the price of weeks vs 24/48 hours or some other equally low figure. I did take features into account, and that is precisely what stopped me from buying previous-gen iLiads, and what is stopping me from buying it now.

[tribble]

Originally Posted by Marina_Ch

It's very interesting for me - what was the source of this information?
I think iRex must be on plastic base. I argee with this quote:

I got that information from an iRex employee. He mentioned it was due to the Wacom technology, that the inner glass layer was still necessary.

[axel77]

Originally Posted by tribble

I got that information from an iRex employee. He mentioned it was due to the Wacom technology, that the inner glass layer was still necessary.

Finally get rid of that WACOM!

(there just must be other pointing technologies avialable)

[Boreras]

What I would like to know is if WiFi would decrease average battery life. I mean, they can turn off the CPU, then surely it would be easy to have the WiFi / bluetooth / 3G hardware turned off, right?

On another note: Tribble, you said the other ereader was more responsive, but how does it measure up to the Iliad v2, the Cybook, PRS-505, etc.? Could you make a reasonable guess in response time (the iLiad / PRS-505 are all supposed to be 1s, or so they say)? (note: I will definitely wait for video footage showing it rendering PDFs, or full-screen pictures before buying, but I would like to know if I should stop being excited and wait for others to come, or if I should go a-bouncing for two weeks till I see footage / video-reviews).

Boreras

[TadW]

Originally Posted by tribble

I got that information from an iRex employee. He mentioned it was due to the Wacom technology, that the inner glass layer was still necessary.

Too bad they were still relying on Wacom. PVI's touch technology would probably be more suitable (rather than a glass layer, force sensors are placed under the e-paper); but who knows how far they've advanced to productivity...

[junkyardwillie]

PlasticLogics touchscreen looks like overkill to me actually, throw some buttons on that thing for page turns at the minimum and where is a SD card slot for g*ds sake.

I like the iliad and sony because you can operate it with one hand (like to read on the train). Plastics slide your finger across the screen definitely requires two hands (On the website video, the CEO can hardly get the screen to acknowledge the finger movement, you might need to hit it with a shoe to turn the page). And you can easily get docs on and off with a card reader, to think that every computer (business computers tend to not like outside harddrives) will recognize the reader as a harddrive automatically with no software installation is a bit ridiculous nowadays, nothing is ever that simple anymore.

I like the two handedness (not a word I think) of this new Iliad reader but they've got to speed up the movement between docs and the loading time. Until then I'm waiting around for a Color eink (sometime in 2035 at its current rate of development)

[axel77]

Originally Posted by junkyardwillie

PlasticLogics touchscreen looks like overkill to me actually, throw some buttons on that thing for page turns at the minimum and where is a SD card slot for g*ds sake.

Well actually there *IS* some marktet for people who want a scribbling device. People who want to use the device for different tasks than reading for leisure. People who like to have an electronic notetaking device. People who want to scribble on their texts like engineer and scientists do. People that even want to pay more than for a sony reader. And I say the market is quite considerable enough to sustain a medium sized company. It would be a shame to let this market go away for nothing... However IMHO WACOM just does not really cut it. Now aside from the notrious gap the screen substrate seems a second big problem with it.

[jor]

arghh, where is the mp3 support?

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by jor

arghh, where is the mp3 support?

Sorry ... do you mean that seriously or facetiously?

[axel77]

Originally Posted by jor

arghh, where is the mp3 support?

get an ipod :-)

Originally Posted by NatCh

Sorry ... do you mean that seriously or facetiously?

Well I guess because the iLiad had BTW, given some 3rd party applications and a dev kit. Its hardware had an audio-out socket.

I for one am happy they started to realize to build a *reading device*, not a geek applicance, where you put everything in because its cool. However, yes, having one day an "all purpose" device would be a nice thing. But until that is feasible for a reasonable price, concentrate on what your unique selling point is.

I know how geek techs are, because I have spent quite some time of my life in tech development as well.
Engineer 1: You know what would be cool for this device?
Engineer 2: Add an Rj45 port.
Engineer 1: Yes, done.
Engineer 2: How about Audio socket?
Engineer 1: Oh yes, oh yes. Added.
Engineer 2: Add two USB ports.
Engineer 1: Yes, thats it. Do you know what it yet needs?
Engineer 2: Hmmm, a satellite controller?
Engineer 1: oh didn't think about that, but how about a TV?
Engineer 2: Yes, a TV on the backside... added.
Marketing chick: Hey guys, I got that prototype, there is a TV on the backside!?!
Engineers: Yea cool, isn't it?
Marketing chick: No! Do you know how expensive a unit is going to be with this? We need a device people actually buy.
Engineers: Ah that marketing people, should have learned something real insteal...
Marketing chick: I'll come back with management.
Engineers: oh suuuuuure.
Management: Oh okay guys, leave the ports, and the audio socket, and all that little playing devices in therr, we want you happy, you are our unique company core competence, but seriously take out that TV. Thats an order.
Engineers: *hoffy* stupid markting whistle blowers...

[ppxnouse]

Originally Posted by tribble

I got that information from an iRex employee. He mentioned it was due to the Wacom technology, that the inner glass layer was still necessary.

Any information if that will be the case for non Wacom 1000 too ? Looking at my lately broken Cybook screen, that would be a reason for me to go for a nonWACOM device.

[axel77]

Originally Posted by ppxnouse

Any information if that will be the case for non Wacom 1000 too ? Looking at my lately broken Cybook screen, that would be a reason for me to go for a nonWACOM device.

Wacom is optional. there are 3 versions of 1000 for sale. However without Wacom you won't have any pointing possibility.

[ppxnouse]

Originally Posted by axel77

Wacom is optional. there are 3 versions of 1000 for sale. However without Wacom you won't have any pointing possibility.

Right. I know. I just wonder if the 1000 w/o the s will still have the inner glass layer. Even if it might not be needed since it does not feature WACOM. But maybe all screens still contain the glass layers for production reasons or for whatever...

[junkyardwillie]

Originally Posted by axel77

get an ipod :-)




Engineer 1: oh didn't think about that, but how about a TV?
Engineer 2: Yes, a TV on the backside... added.
Marketing chick: Hey guys, I got that prototype, there is a TV on the backside!?!
Engineers: Yea cool, isn't it?
Marketing chick: No! Do you know how expensive a unit is going to be with this? We need a device people actually buy.
Engineers: Ah that marketing people, should have learned something real insteal...
Marketing chick: I'll come back with management.
Engineers: oh suuuuuure.
Management: Oh okay guys, leave the ports, and the audio socket, and all that little playing devices in therr, we want you happy, you are our unique company core competence, but seriously take out that TV. Thats an order.
Engineers: *hoffy* stupid markting whistle blowers...

If that TV on the backside was color, I'm pretty pissed they took that off...