B&N and Verizon Jump Into E-Reader Fray with iRex

[Floeee]

wow, glad that i returned my DR
10" is also too big, 8 is perfect also for pdf is 10" too small, you have also to zoom and reading novels is awful
would buy again an e reader if this is going to be released in europe

[lunged]

Gizmodo seems to like the "complex" software more than Engadget. It sounds like you can navigate entirely with the rocker (does this mean it acts as a push button, too?), which would be a good thing.

http://gizmodo.com/5365991/irex-dr80...ader-unchained

[Crowl]

Considering that this reader requires the use of a stylus, it seems an odd design choice to not at least include some buttons for page navigation.

[lunged]

Crowl, my post probably wasn't up when you posted, but there is a rocker type switch on the bottom left for page turning/navigation.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by lunged

Gizmodo seems to like the "complex" software more than Engadget. It sounds like you can navigate entirely with the rocker (does this mean it acts as a push button, too?), which would be a good thing.

It looks like there is a button below the rocker (and a LED light above it). I'm assuming the rocker left/right moves left/right and the button is a "click".

IMO, the primary interface is probably best used with the stylus (which has been iRex's focus for awhile). Button/rocker navigation is probably more meant as a backup in case you can't find the stylus or don't want to carry it with you somewhere.

One thing I also notice from those pics is there looks like a door on the back of the device. Battery access?

[The-eBook-Reader]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

How is that? Best Buy has a store in I am guessing every US state so they must charge you sales tax on an online purchase.

BOb

Sorry. I meant to say you don't have to pay the "ridiculous tax". You still have to pay tax but from my experience ordering online from Best Buy it's about half of what it is in the store (in this area, anyway).

[badbob001]

Someone responded to some questions I posted to the engadget comment section.

They claim that it's 1024x768/16 shades, the device can be rotated 180 degrees, and stylus is not required for all navigation since the bar can somehow handle left, right, and enter.

If the battery life is good, then I'm excited.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

Sorry. I meant to say you don't have to pay the "ridiculous tax". You still have to pay tax but from my experience ordering online from Best Buy it's about half of what it is in the store (in this area, anyway).

As I understand even when the have a in-state location they only have to charge the state sales tax. Not county or city.

[Madam Broshkina]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Someone responded to some questions I posted to the engadget comment section.

They claim that it's 1024x768/16 shades, the device can be rotated 180 degrees, and stylus is not required for all navigation since the bar can somehow handle left, right, and enter.

If the battery life is good, then I'm excited.

In this PC World Article battery life should last for days according to IREX.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/17248...l_reading.html

According to IREX, the unit should run for days on a single charge. Like other e-paper digital readers, the display consumes no power unity unless it’s refreshing a page, downloading content or performing other activity.

[fugazied]

Wow this is interesting, verion provides a massive delivery network, B&N brings relationships with great publishers and marketing grunt. The hardware looks good so this could be some really good competition especially vs Kindle.

[jotas]

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

In this PC World Article battery life should last for days according to IREX.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/17248...l_reading.html

This PC World Article also answers some interesing questions...

Things got a little more crowded in the ebook reader market Wednesday as IREX Technologies, a pioneer in e-paper technology, rolled out its first consumer reader for the U.S., the stylus-driven IREX DR800SG.
The beige unit features an 8.1-inch e-paper display, a Qualcomm 3G wireless adapter which links to the Verizon Wireless network, and a different business and connectivity model than Amazon’s Kindle. The DR 800SG will be available for $399 from Best Buy starting in late October, said Hans Brons, CEO and founder of IREX Technologies.

The IREX DR800SG allows users to import new content both wirelessly and via a cable link with a PC. Users can view purchased content on other devices or import their own content from their PCs.

“We believe in openness," Kevin Hamilton, CEO for IREX in North America, proclaimed at the New York launch event. Noting the device has a Linux-based operating system, he added, “Our device is really a reading tool for people who love to read.”

The unit supports a number of open and DRM-based ebook formats, including the ePub format, and Hamilton noted that the company had partnered with Barnes & Noble to make it easy for users to purchase content with the DR800SG.

Instead of a finger-driven touchscreen, the DR800SG uses a magnetic resonance stylus, in part to maintain the brightness of the display, said Brons. He said the additional transparent touch layer needed to enable finger navigation would have decreased screen brightness by 15 to 20 percent. He noted that Sony’s Reader uses just such a touch layer, with the expected detrimental effect on brightness.

The slim unit has an intentionally plain design, with only a menu button, a long “flip” bar and a power and activity indicator light on the left side of the 10-ounce unit. The flip bar is pushed from side to side to page through ebooks or menus. Clicking is performed with the stylus or by pushing down on the flip bar.

“We tried to create an almost frameless design,” says Brons The color of the display and the hardware was meant to be “as neutral as possible.”

He added that while the device is ready for electronic ink based note taking, the application that enables the function wasn’t quite ready but would be added later as a free update. A color model is in the works for early 2011.

The edge of the unit is blank except for a power switch and a mini-USB socket. Installed in the battery compartment on the back is a 2GB SD Card, which can hold up to 1,500 e-books and can be replaced with a larger-capacity card.

Due to the sheer lack of buttons, the unit, which swivels in its book-like hard-cover case as if it was a leaf of paper, proved easy to operate. While the large icons for items like the eBook Mall, online newspapers and other items were easy to read and click, some of the smaller indicators, like the 3G connection confirmation icon and the battery icon, get lost somewhat at the bottom of the display.

Pages can be bookmarked by tapping the stylus on the upper right corner of the display. From there you can go to a list of bookmarks for easy navigation. Changing fonts or rotating the page was a matter of making a selection from a menu. Readability was good and, of course, got better with more ambient light.

Hamilton said that $9.99 had become a “de facto price” for ebooks but noted that users don’t pay extra for air time when downloading purchased content. He noted, however, that there may be airtime charges for future vertical business applications if they consume a significant amount of wireless bandwidth.

According to IREX, the unit should run for days on a single charge. Like other e-paper digital readers, the display consumes no power unity unless it’s refreshing a page, downloading content or performing other activity.

Hamilton says the advantage of having the IREX DR800SG available in brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy will give it a key selling advantage over Amazon’s Kindle, which is available online.

[scoff]

Edit:

Looks like the PCWORLD article answers my question, but not really what I was hoping to hear.

According to engadget:

Notetaking isn't enabled currently, so you can't draw on the screen, making the stylus feel a bit of a burden, not a boon -- the closest you get to text input is tapping away at an onscreen keyboard.

I wonder if this was just because IREX is previewing the device. It seems an awful shame to have the wacom and not be able to write notes. Note-taking is one of the primary reasons I'm considering the DR 800SG. I hope note-taking will be enabled when the device ships.

[Madam Broshkina]

This CrunchGear article has some better pictures of the device compared to the ones posted on Gizmodo or Engadget.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/23...lf-bad-at-all/

[Sakura]

Does it have a dictionary ?

[jotas]

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

This CrunchGear article has some better pictures of the device compared to the ones posted on Gizmodo or Engadget.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/23...lf-bad-at-all/

Live blog link inside with some details, too:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/23...-800sg-launch/

I can't believe such annoying LED, as well as the SD card not being directly accessible and exchangeable from outside ... but .. after all, it's Irex!

Regards.