Unboxing iRex 800 and first impressions

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by zerospinboson

So even though you are fine with the "average Joe" user approach (no hierarchy), you organize your files on a "nas raid array" at home. Do you see a contradiction here?

Not really. I'm just pointing out that I'm not an "average Joe". I don't expect that a device is designed specifically for my needs, but expect that it is designed for the market that it is meant for.

And similarly, people who annotate and write on stuff a lot probably have 1. more files, and 2. a desire for more sorting options.

I don't see why either of those would be linked with annotations.

A simpler device=a device without wacom tablet functionality.

Not really. You can simplify the UI and still support advanced functionality like a wacom pen, etc.

As I said in a previous post, I think what iRex is doing is trying to simplify the UI based on feedback they had gotten from the DR1000. The good news with that is that they are responding to feedback. If the feedback on the new UI is overwhelming that folder support is preferred, they may add it back in.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by catharsis

wouldn't it have been easier just to implement the folder structure, set it inactive by default for the "average Joe" and put it as an option in "Settings" so more advanced users could use it? that's how compromise between geeks and "average Joe's" is best made.

That's what I would have preferred, but as someone else pointed out, it makes supporting the code and testing more complicated.

[professzore]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

If the feedback on the new UI is overwhelming that folder support is preferred, they may add it back in.

Agree.
Write them everything you vant to see in the unit from PDF zoom over
annotations to folder support. As many replies the'll got, as fast they'll upgrade the firmware and/or open the SDK. Go write letters to iRex!

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by The Straven

The DR-800 was not (haphazardly as it has been) marketed to casual readers; it's been marketed to professionals.

The iLiad and DR1000 are marketed to professionals. The DR800 is intended for casual readers.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

That's what perplexes me about this device and Irex. Irex has been in the game longer than everybody except Sony.

Depends on which "game" you're talking about. The first Sony eInk devices actually contained iRex hardware. You're right that they haven't been doing software as long.

[professzore]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Perhaps you can use some of the bitmaps in that thread to see if IREX has improved anything:

Good idea, thanks!

Since I couldn't go through and guess the actual resolution of the useful area on DR800, I made one page with the closest outer dimensions I can believe as useful. If it works, I'll make some further pages including one with the picture of the baby.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by cmdahler

I just wonder what on earth the thing is doing in the background that is eating up that battery power to begin with. It takes no battery power to maintain a screen in a static state, so just about the only thing that ought to be operating in the background is the system time. My Sony 505 will sit there static, page displayed, for a week before it uses a bar of battery, so given the level of usage you described, it's disconcerting to me that the DR800 would have even one bar gone by that point. What on earth is it doing?

He said that he didn't let it go into standby mode.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The iLiad and DR1000 are marketed to professionals. The DR800 is intended for casual readers.

I think this is a mistake on iRex's part. Instead of deliberately crippling the device, they should have left in the capabilities that already had and marketed the DR800S as a semi-professional device (suitable for casual reading and some professional use). The screen size of the DR1000S is enough of a difference for product differentiation to be effective.

As it stands today, there are many 6"/7" (casual reader) devices with much better PDF software than the DR800S. For example the PocketBook 301+, the Sony 900, and the Oynx Boox 60. The Oynx is particularly interesting because it is close to previous iRex designs (e.g. with Wacom), and there is talk of an 8" version.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by catharsis

does anyone know if the folder view and ESPECIALLY the zoom in pdf will be added in future versions of the firmware?

I'll ask them.

and, of course, the annotation, but that is not an issue az big as zooming in a4/letter pdfs.

They've said that annotation will be added in the future, but I don't know if they've given a date for it yet.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

One can discuss about timeframes of course. But EVERY SINGLE ONE of my readers drains battery over time just by maintaining the standby.

The screen won't consume power, but there are lots of other things inside the device that use power besides the screen. How much power those other things consume (CPU, memory, etc) depends on what state the device is in. I believe that the original poster specifically said they did not allow it to go into standby mode, which is where a lot of that power consumption from the other things would be reduced.

Just an assumption: On iRex iLiad (as far as I know), display goes into low consumption mode, as soon as you insert the stylus into the unit, thus suspending the touchscreen.
On iRex 800, you can't insert the stylus. So maybe (just a speculation) it permanently leaves the touchscreen active instead of waiting for you the take the stylus out of the unit.

Testing has shown that whether the wacom layer is disabled or enabled does not make a significant difference in the power. What does make a big difference is whether or not you are actively drawing on the screen. So, as long as it's left idle and not being drawn on, it shouldn't be an issue.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Jumpn Jack Flash

This would be really dumb on the part of iRex if they did this. I assume there has to be some proximity sensor some where for sensing the stylus.

Yes, it's part of how wacom technology works. As long as you're not writing on the screen it doesn't draw much power.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The touchscreen is permanently active on the DR1000, too. I think iRex came to the conclusion that the power drain was negligible.

Yes, independent testing on the iLiad has confirmed this. There was a thread a while ago on here about it. Whether the wacom layer is enabled or disabled doesn't seem to much any difference. Writing on it is what makes the difference.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Depends on which "game" you're talking about. The first Sony eInk devices actually contained iRex hardware. You're right that they haven't been doing software as long.

Building e-ink based ereader devices is the game I'm talking about.

Sony built(with Phillips and Toppan) and sold the Libre in 2004 a year before Irex spun out of Phillips. . Yes the same team in Phillips that built the displays used in the Libres are the ones that started Irex but Irex didn't exist when the Libre was launched. Irex didn't debut their first device until 2006, 2 years after the Libre. So Sony was first in the ereader game.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by astra

If touch screen is not the culprit, then who is to be blamed that most of eInk based readers runs for 10-14 days without recharge and iRex products no more than...many hours? like 10-12h? even with a full showdown between reading sessions?

Unless I'm misreading the earlier post, they seemed to be saying that the DR800 was only 1/4 of the way down after 1 day. That means that it would theoretically run for 4 days under the same power drain. I believe they also mentioned that they deliberately did not let their device go into standby mode.

[DeReader]

I filed a support ticket on the new support.irexreader.com site and asked about future support of PDF Zoom and annotation.

The answer was a bit shocking for me, the nice support guy explained that there is no zoom function (I knew that, otherwise I would not have asked), and I should use the "font size" setting (but that will reflow the document and destroy the layout, I do not want this in most PDFs).

Further, he wrote, there are no plans to enable annotations on the DR800.

If the device is feature complete now, the price point, especially in Europe, is way to high.

But I can not imagine putting out such a nice hardware and not implementing at least zoom support for PDFs. But who knows, it's Irex. And why a top notch Wacom touch-screen with a high resolution? Only for operating the menus and the on-screen keyboard this seems overkill for me.

Despite that, I have to say I do a lot of reading at the moment on the device and I like it very much. Especially the speed and stability are top.