Unboxing iRex 800 and first impressions

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by garagumu

The 3.0 sources have references to a rotation direction setting (clockwise or anticlockwise). It's documented in sysd/data/ereader.schema, see below. But of course, it's possible that this may just be a holdover from the DR1000, and not actually implemented in the DR800.

But it might be worth trying to set it to clockwise (the code says that the default is anticlockwise), then maybe rebooting after a change to the dr.ini file?
/apps/er/sys/display/rotation=clockwise

    <schema>
        <applyto>/apps/er/sys/display/rotation</applyto>
        <key>/schemas/apps/er/sys/display/rotation</key>
        <owner>sysd</owner>
        <type>string</type>
        <default>anticlockwise</default>
        <locale name="C">
            <short>Rotation direction, clockwise or anticlockwise</short>
            <long></long>
        </locale>
    </schema>

It seems that you can also change the standby timeout in the dr.ini file (it's 30 minutes by default).
Please note that I don't have a DR800 and I've never tested this!

    <schema>
        <applyto>/apps/er/sys/power/min_standby</applyto>
        <key>/schemas/apps/er/sys/power/min_standby</key>
        <owner>sysd</owner>
        <type>int</type>
        <default>30</default>
        <locale name="C">
            <short>Idle time in minutes before standby, -1 to disable</short>
            <long></long>
        </locale>
    </schema>

DeReader already has tried the "clockwise" setting: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=460
Didn't have any impact...
But thanks anyway for the ideas.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by professzore

Great pics... New camera?

On the other hand, this leather cover seems cheap. Like smoewhat chinese second/third quality brand. A friend of mine (a furrier) makes lot better things like this. Shame. Just for example, compared to cases and covers of Nook.

Same camera. But different location (home, not hotel), better light.
And the cover certainly is not as "cool" or elegant as the majority of my other covers. It does its job (protection), but that's pretty much it.

[badbob001]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

DeReader already has tried the "clockwise" setting: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=460
Didn't have any impact...
But thanks anyway for the ideas.

But did he restart the device after adding the line? I'm thinking the .ini file is read at boot up.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by badbob001

But did he restart the device after adding the line? I'm thinking the .ini file is read at boot up.

I'm pretty sure, he did so.
He's done the "folder" setting before, which only applies after reset as well.

[repods]

btw mgmueller ..
I forgot to ask you a very important question..
how is the dr800 screen about glare ?

I tried last year the Dr1000 and I was going to buy, but when I had it in my hands I noticed that there was a lot of glare (I could see my face over the screen like in a mirror) and I didn't buy it.
The cybook for example was way better ..
how about the dr800 ?


and btw when you flip the reader 90°, the text rotate ?

[badbob001]

For whatever reason, IREX removed the 'Define Word' feature from the dr800s, though the manual still shows that menu option in a manual picture. I hope it comes back and is similar to how definitions show up on the kindle or sony: as a small window on the bottom of the screen and not a whole new page.

When you choose the option to View Bookmarks, what exactly do you see? A listing of page numbers? I think IREX had planned to allow one to add text when adding a bookmark but I suppose that is no longer possible?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by badbob001

For whatever reason, IREX removed the 'Define Word' feature from the dr800s, though the manual still shows that menu option in a manual picture. I hope it comes back and is similar to how definitions show up on the kindle or sony: as a small window on the bottom of the screen and not a whole new page.

When I originally asked them about dictionary support (it was a while ago), they said that they were working on it but that it was not ready yet. If you look at the manual submitted to the FCC, it includes the dictionary feature. If you look at the manual currently distributed from iRex, it does not.

My assumption is that, like annotations, this is a feature that won't be initially available but will be added later. The only reason I can think for it not being added is if iRex is still discussing internally which features they want to support on the consumer level device versus the professional level device.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by repods

btw mgmueller ..
I forgot to ask you a very important question..
how is the dr800 screen about glare ?

I tried last year the Dr1000 and I was going to buy, but when I had it in my hands I noticed that there was a lot of glare (I could see my face over the screen like in a mirror) and I didn't buy it.
The cybook for example was way better ..
how about the dr800 ?


and btw when you flip the reader 90°, the text rotate ?

If you consider iRex 1000S' screen having too much glare, you'll have about the same problem with iRex 800.
More or less the same, maybe with slight advantages for iRex 800.
But actually, if you're out for a touchscreen, iRex is at the upper limit what you can get. Certainly less glare as Sony 900 for example.
But in my opinion, Sony 900 is absolutely okay as well. I've been reading on PDAs, sometimes read on my iPhone. Compared to that, every eInk reader, even with a touchscreen, is a huge improvement.
But everyone has different demands....
And as I've written above: If iRex 1000S hasn't been acceptable to you, I can't recommend iRex 800 to you either.

iRex 800 doesn't have auto-rotate (like iPhone or Cybook Opus). You have to give the rotate command (via touchscreen menu entry). It only rotates once by 90°. Neither 180° nor -90°.

[Mr. Goodbar]

One thing I've noticed is that glare seems to become more apparent with the larger screens. Trying to get the perfect alignment in challenging lighting across a larger area might be a little more difficult than on the six inch devices. I've been using a Kindle DX and notice this on occasion, but it's not a major issue for me and only under difficult lighting conditions. I would imagine the potential for glare would be about the same across most of the devices with the exception of those which put a touch layer on top of the display like the Sony's. I don't notice any real difference between my iLiad or my Kindle DX.

[Kolenka]

It's all about reflectivity. The glass layer over the 505/Kindle/etc has low reflectivity, so you get very small levels of glare, and usually only when the object being reflected is bright (light bulb, big ball of compressed hydrogen, etc). Up the reflectivity like the PRS-600/900 does, and you get more glare.

I still wish Sony would switch to either Wacom or capacitive touch screens. Both allow you to go back to the same glass layer that the 505 had.

[Mr. Goodbar]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

It's all about reflectivity. The glass layer over the 505/Kindle/etc has low reflectivity, so you get very small levels of glare, and usually only when the object being reflected is bright (light bulb, big ball of compressed hydrogen, etc). Up the reflectivity like the PRS-600/900 does, and you get more glare.

I still wish Sony would switch to either Wacom or capacitive touch screens. Both allow you to go back to the same glass layer that the 505 had.

I really can't understand why they're sacrificing clarity either. It seems to be a really odd tradeoff on a reading device.

[Kolenka]

There's one good hypothesis for it that I posted in another thread:

Wacom tech doesn't let you use your finger.
Capacitive tech isn't very stylus friendly.

A good e-reader experience leans on both when dealing with touch. Fingers on EPDs would be painful to highlight things accurately (see the iPhone's UI here...). Stylus navigating around a book list is begging to have the stylus lost, or really just not needed when you have nice big icons.

Sony's really thinking that touch is the future, but in a way they are jumping a little too far ahead on the user experience before tech has caught up to let them do it.

[Mr. Goodbar]

I completely agree that touch is a nice feature, but I don't like it at the expense of readability. It will be interesting to see how the capacitive touch works on the ipad. They've apparently increased the sensor count by quite a bit in order to improve accuracy.

[repods]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

If you consider iRex 1000S' screen having too much glare, you'll have about the same problem with iRex 800.
More or less the same, maybe with slight advantages for iRex 800.
But actually, if you're out for a touchscreen, iRex is at the upper limit what you can get. Certainly less glare as Sony 900 for example.
But in my opinion, Sony 900 is absolutely okay as well. I've been reading on PDAs, sometimes read on my iPhone. Compared to that, every eInk reader, even with a touchscreen, is a huge improvement.
But everyone has different demands....
And as I've written above: If iRex 1000S hasn't been acceptable to you, I can't recommend iRex 800 to you either.

iRex 800 doesn't have auto-rotate (like iPhone or Cybook Opus). You have to give the rotate command (via touchscreen menu entry). It only rotates once by 90°. Neither 180° nor -90°.

mmm.. to be honest from the videos I saw online the dr800 seems to have less glare than the dr1000..
my choice is between the dr800 and the kindle dx..
can you confirm that the kindle dx has less glare than the dr800 ?

about the rotate it's ok even not being auto; it's a good solution, I think, for the lack of the zoom .. unless using it it's too difficult..
I think that any kind of document can be read on a 8 inches screen rotated by 90°..
am I right ?

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by repods

mmm.. to be honest from the videos I saw online the dr800 seems to have less glare than the dr1000..
my choice is between the dr800 and the kindle dx..
can you confirm that the kindle dx has less glare than the dr800 ?

about the rotate it's ok even not being auto; it's a good solution, I think, for the lack of the zoom .. unless using it it's too difficult..
I think that any kind of document can be read on a 8 inches screen rotated by 90°..
am I right ?

The DR1000, DR800 and Kindle DX should all have about the same amount of glare.