Why did you buy your iLiad? What do you do with it?

Adam B. · 08-03-2007, 10:07 AM

It's a simple question, that hasn't really been the subject of a thread. Why did you buy your iLiad and what do you use it for?

I'll start out. I bought my iLiad in an attempt to get rid of all of the paper I print out on a daily basis. Technical Papers, Documentation, Daily Notes, etc. I've definitely been able to accomplish this. Right now, the only paper I have on my desk at work is a notepad that I use to jot things down if my iLiad isn't powered up or handy. I've also been able to use the "scan and toss" approach to filing paperwork.

Something unexpected happened recently though. I've rediscovered how much I like to read fiction. It was really the mobipocket release that prompted this. I hadn't really read a book for pleasure in a couple years, and now, I've gone through two in just a few months.

Anyone else have any unexpected benefits after purchasing?

nekokami · 08-03-2007, 01:04 PM

I have to say I really bought it to read non-fiction, as I'd just been given an eBookwise 1150 that was meeting my needs perfectly well for fiction. I wanted to be able to read PDF journal articles, some of which were scanned rather than text-based (and not easy to convert to other formats therefore), and many of which included formulae and unusual characters that would be difficult to convert to other formats. I've ended up using my iLiad for nearly all my reading (except when I can't find a digital version of the next book I want to read).

I also wanted to be able to mark up pages of these journal articles. I haven't taken a class involving journal readings since I got my iLiad, but oddly enough, I've found myself willing to make notes in fiction now, when I was never able to bring myself to write in a book (of any kind) before. That was an unexpected change. I wish the iLiad offered more support for this kind of thing, beyond scribbling just on PDF files. Something like dotReader would be ideal for me.

I've also used it to take notes, but then I had to copy off all my notes to upgrade the firmware a while ago and didn't get around to copying everything back. And the notes feature doesn't work by itself, you need at least one template in there. So I haven't been able to use it for that lately. And in any case, without some kind of handwriting recognition, the notes feature is still of somewhat limited utility. Thumbnail display would help a lot-- I could at least find a page of notes quickly.

firekat · 08-03-2007, 02:06 PM

I bought mine to limit the amount of paper that I have to carry. I have numerous documents/correspondence that I need to carry in the performance of my job. I have limited amount of space/weight capacity or lets just say that lugging that all around for anywhere from 15-40 days at a time can be very burdensome. Additionally during that time there may be even more stuff that needs to be printed out and added to a potentially voluminous pile.

I also use it as a platform to view weather information that I download prior to a flight. This saves the expense of printing it out and again using more paper.

I also carry a lot of technical documentation on it as well.

I have only occasionally read fiction on it but it seems to be best suited for this application with well formatted works.

The iLiad for the most part fulfills most of my needs. It would be much better and I would use it more if it would start up faster, or in the very least have a suspend function and, there would be FULL ON support for PDF files (bookmark support & better document navigation). Additionally it would be nice to see the stylus fully supported and calibrated. If all that was the case I would be able to use it to take notes as well.

I am not a hacker/developer type so some of the more advanced functionality I have been a little loath to experiment with until it is implemented in such a way that the average user can take advantage of it without an inordinate risk of brickage.

The GreatGonzo · 08-04-2007, 09:56 AM

A year ago, I was pretty new to the world of e-books; I'd tried reading stuff on a Palm Pilot before and hated it, so I wasn't all that interested.

What got me curious was the whole e-ink thing (whaddaya mean, it looks like paper? whaddaya mean, it looks like real print?) and the original prospect of reading foreign language newspapers. I live in the US, but would love to get my hands on German and British news. (Sadly, my French is not good enough for Les Echos.) I don't have the time to read those on my computer (job & stay-at-home dad), but I always have five minutes here or there to pick up the Iliad and read.
Also, as mentioned in other threads, I work in a second-hand bookstore where we have to throw books away on a regular basis; after looking at a dumpster full of books each day for a couple of years, you start thinking about how you yourself could maybe stop contributing to that...

Now, almost a year later, I can at least get my RSS news feeds in the morning and read them on the Iliad throughout the day. On top of that, I'm reading tons of fiction on it, I'm saving websites on it for later perusal, and I'm using the mobipocket dictionaries that I bought much more frequently than I would the p-versions. I do crosswords on it. I keep cooking recipes on it. (I think the ink cartridge in my printer may have dried up from non-usage.)

I'm putting together my very own Ultimate Lovecraft Edition, I'm toying with the idea of finding myself a job in e-book publishing in the long run, and the kids enjoy doodling and erasing. As you can see, all kinds of stuff happening...

I realize I'm perceived as being too relentlessly upbeat about the Iliad, but I can't help it - I'm having so much fun with it! Even taking into account the unkept promises and missed deadlines - in my life, it's become this incredibly useful tool that's also a fun toy (chess, mp3); and I am very grateful to all those community programmers out there who come up with nifty new apps for it. The fact that the Iliad is constantly developing makes it much more exciting for me. The Sony had only its second firmware ugrade just now? Boooring...

HarryT · 08-04-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The GreatGonzo

The fact that the Iliad is constantly developing makes it much more exciting for me. The Sony had only its second firmware ugrade just now? Boooring...

Or perhaps Sony just got it right first time?

Seriously, though, the Iliad sounds like a great machine. I think I'm going to buy one myself. It won't replace my Reader for fiction, but I can see myself using it for all sorts of things that the Reader can't do.

jgrnt1 · 08-05-2007, 11:03 AM

I used to have a VGA Pocket PC (iPAQ 4700 with a 4 inch screen). I read books on it with Mobipocket. I had put together quite a collection of purchased ebooks. Six months ago, I switched to a converged device, a Cingular/AT&T 8525 (HTC Hermes). I then had hundreds of dollars of Mobipocket books I couldn't stand reading on my new QVGA Pocket PC phone. Many were reference or business books I referred to on a fairly regular basis. I also had a bunch of unread fiction, which I bought with the intention of reading in my spare time. Pulling out my laptop to read was a real hassle. I had been looking for a reading device, but needed Mobipocket support. I'm a regular reader of tech web sites and blogs, even though I'm just an amateur geek (I'm in the restaurant business). I started reading ebook blogs. I was considering a DT 375, since it would run Mobipocket, when I saw that Mobipocket was coming for the iLiad. I ordered mine from eReader Outfitters.

Since I received my iLiad, I've caught up on a bunch of the fiction I had collected. I've also found it useful for taking notes, though since I am left handed, I have to flip it upside to write on it. The pdf viewer has turned out to be a nice bonus, especially running full-screen. Many of our company documents are stored in pdf format.

Now that I have an iLiad, I don't think I could go back to a smaller screen, even a six-inch ebook reader like the new Cybook.

RWood · 08-05-2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The GreatGonzo

... The Sony had only its second firmware ugrade just now? Boooring...

Hey, I'm still waiting for my firmware upgrade. This brain I was born with could use a few new memory areas.

pdam · 08-07-2007, 04:39 AM

Well I bought it to assess it on several fronts. Firstly to assess usability, put it in the hands of my customers and see the reaction to the device - did they like it - would they want to actually read papers on it - could it fit into their workflow.

Next I wanted to assess the ability to handle and process forms, with the input possibilities.

Lastly I was interested in using it when I travel to read papers and books.

narve · 08-07-2007, 06:05 AM

I bought it primarily to read "books" (fiction or non-fiction, but not work-related). Great success here, especially with the Mobipocket release. Unfortunately only fiction so far, but hopefully my favorite non-fiction authors will soon be publishing digitally as well.

I also hoped that I could be useful for documents, and it is: I usually bring 10-100 pages of documents to meetings, now I don't have to print them out every time (I throw away paper as often as possible). I also use the meeting agendas to take notes. This means that I can actually find my notes when I need them some weeks later (a new experience for me...).

I was also hoping to use it to read newspapers and listen to music/audiobooks, but so far I don't consider it useful enough. This is just because I don't have enough time/energy to download/modify/configure the various applications that I need, and set up scripts to download web pages that I'm interested in etc. If I could get the iLiad to download a selection of newspapers/comics automatically whenever I press the "connect"-button (or something else) in a very user-friendly way, I would use it for that as well (at least when I'm traveling or away from home). Hopefully I will get the inspiration and set it up - it isn't really hard just cumbersome.

yokos · 08-07-2007, 08:38 AM

I bought iLiad for reading digital documents. That's e-ink for.

I wanted to read academic pdf-files [LaTex], textbooks & all the digital magazines of the net or available in academic library.
I wanted to read the German PC magazine c't on the iLiad.

iLiad saves weight of my backpack, I couldn't carry all the textbooks which live on CF card.

Maybe I am a maverick, I wanted to listen to music while reading. iLiad replaced my old MD-Walkman Sony MZ-R50. I have no own mp3-player like Cowon iAudio X5 etc.

In the last year I have read much more fiction than before.

kapoira · 08-07-2007, 09:04 AM

First to read books

Second to read manga

Third to get all of my paper notes

And i think the iliad it's a great success for me ;-)
because now i read more than before.

HarryT · 08-07-2007, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kapoira

And i think the iliad it's a great success for me ;-)
because now i read more than before.

That's what really matters, isn't it?

I know that in the 8 months I've had my Sony Reader I've read enormously more books than I did before I got it; I'm sure I'm continue to do so on the iLiad.

Adam B. · 08-07-2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narve

If I could get the iLiad to download a selection of newspapers/comics automatically whenever I press the "connect"-button (or something else) in a very user-friendly way, I would use it for that as well (at least when I'm traveling or away from home).

You might want to check out my comic downloader here.

It sounds like it'll do what you want. Right now, it's one click, it opens up the connection manager, connects to the first available network, and downloads the daily comics. Since it's basically just fetching a web page, you could configure it to get just about any site you'd like.

narve · 08-08-2007, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam B.

You might want to check out my comic downloader here.

It sounds like it'll do what you want. Right now, it's one click, it opens up the connection manager, connects to the first available network, and downloads the daily comics. Since it's basically just fetching a web page, you could configure it to get just about any site you'd like.

Yupp, I will try it. Like I said, I am extremely short on time and (therefore, I guess) on energy right now, but before I go traveling again I will try it.

ig88 · 08-08-2007, 11:00 PM

I just got my iLiad last month.

My number one reason for buying it is because I am a sys admin for a school district. Lots of manuals to read on a constant basis. Reading on my laptop was uncomfortable, and impossible in the outdoors, so I would find myself printing out PDFs and putting them in huge three-ring binders. What a waste of time and paper and toner!

I am the kind of guy who would read manuals when on vacation, camping, at the beach; But I also knew I had to bring along an assortment, as reading one topic would get too boring.

So I would find myself bringing tons of heavy paper, lugging it around, managing binders and content - what a pain.

And large three ring binders are not fun to use either - they are large and awkward; turning pages is not easy, they weigh a lot, and the rough vinyl edges cut into your skin.

Secondly, I use it for reading fiction.

With the short time I have had the device, I can say it has changed my life.

I kind of knew it would, as I also have a TiVo, and that is another life-changing device.

Now if only, you could search across the directories and within the documents...

That really needs to be developed...

08-03-2007, 10:07 AM	#1
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Why did you buy your iLiad? What do you do with it? It's a simple question, that hasn't really been the subject of a thread. Why did you buy your iLiad and what do you use it for? I'll start out. I bought my iLiad in an attempt to get rid of all of the paper I print out on a daily basis. Technical Papers, Documentation, Daily Notes, etc. I've definitely been able to accomplish this. Right now, the only paper I have on my desk at work is a notepad that I use to jot things down if my iLiad isn't powered up or handy. I've also been able to use the "scan and toss" approach to filing paperwork. Something unexpected happened recently though. I've rediscovered how much I like to read fiction. It was really the mobipocket release that prompted this. I hadn't really read a book for pleasure in a couple years, and now, I've gone through two in just a few months. Anyone else have any unexpected benefits after purchasing?

08-05-2007, 11:03 AM	#6
jgrnt1 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Device: iPad	I used to have a VGA Pocket PC (iPAQ 4700 with a 4 inch screen). I read books on it with Mobipocket. I had put together quite a collection of purchased ebooks. Six months ago, I switched to a converged device, a Cingular/AT&T 8525 (HTC Hermes). I then had hundreds of dollars of Mobipocket books I couldn't stand reading on my new QVGA Pocket PC phone. Many were reference or business books I referred to on a fairly regular basis. I also had a bunch of unread fiction, which I bought with the intention of reading in my spare time. Pulling out my laptop to read was a real hassle. I had been looking for a reading device, but needed Mobipocket support. I'm a regular reader of tech web sites and blogs, even though I'm just an amateur geek (I'm in the restaurant business). I started reading ebook blogs. I was considering a DT 375, since it would run Mobipocket, when I saw that Mobipocket was coming for the iLiad. I ordered mine from eReader Outfitters. Since I received my iLiad, I've caught up on a bunch of the fiction I had collected. I've also found it useful for taking notes, though since I am left handed, I have to flip it upside to write on it. The pdf viewer has turned out to be a nice bonus, especially running full-screen. Many of our company documents are stored in pdf format. Now that I have an iLiad, I don't think I could go back to a smaller screen, even a six-inch ebook reader like the new Cybook. Last edited by jgrnt1; 08-06-2007 at 11:52 PM.

08-07-2007, 08:38 AM	#10
yokos Pac-Man caught my iLiad. Posts: 807 Karma: 3595 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany; next to Baltic Sea Device: Boox Max Lumi, iRex iLiad (RIP)	I bought iLiad for reading digital documents. That's e-ink for. I wanted to read academic pdf-files [LaTex], textbooks & all the digital magazines of the net or available in academic library. I wanted to read the German PC magazine c't on the iLiad. iLiad saves weight of my backpack, I couldn't carry all the textbooks which live on CF card. Maybe I am a maverick, I wanted to listen to music while reading. iLiad replaced my old MD-Walkman Sony MZ-R50. I have no own mp3-player like Cowon iAudio X5 etc. In the last year I have read much more fiction than before. Last edited by yokos; 08-07-2007 at 08:49 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
POLL to Iliad owners: Should people buy an Iliad or not?	ali	iRex	20	01-20-2010 06:11 AM
Iliad or BeBook - to buy or not to buy, that is the question...	orwell2k	Which one should I buy?	11	10-19-2008 08:09 PM
Iliad or BeBook - to buy or not to buy, that is the question...	orwell2k	iRex	2	10-08-2008 11:03 AM
Iliad to buy or not buy (mainly for pdf)	maxfax	iRex	43	10-05-2008 08:14 PM
where to buy Iliad V2?	waddragon	iRex	4	02-03-2008 08:49 AM

08-03-2007, 01:04 PM	#2
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I have to say I really bought it to read non-fiction, as I'd just been given an eBookwise 1150 that was meeting my needs perfectly well for fiction. I wanted to be able to read PDF journal articles, some of which were scanned rather than text-based (and not easy to convert to other formats therefore), and many of which included formulae and unusual characters that would be difficult to convert to other formats. I've ended up using my iLiad for nearly all my reading (except when I can't find a digital version of the next book I want to read). I also wanted to be able to mark up pages of these journal articles. I haven't taken a class involving journal readings since I got my iLiad, but oddly enough, I've found myself willing to make notes in fiction now, when I was never able to bring myself to write in a book (of any kind) before. That was an unexpected change. I wish the iLiad offered more support for this kind of thing, beyond scribbling just on PDF files. Something like dotReader would be ideal for me. I've also used it to take notes, but then I had to copy off all my notes to upgrade the firmware a while ago and didn't get around to copying everything back. And the notes feature doesn't work by itself, you need at least one template in there. So I haven't been able to use it for that lately. And in any case, without some kind of handwriting recognition, the notes feature is still of somewhat limited utility. Thumbnail display would help a lot-- I could at least find a page of notes quickly.

08-03-2007, 02:06 PM	#3
firekat Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 314 Join Date: May 2006	I bought mine to limit the amount of paper that I have to carry. I have numerous documents/correspondence that I need to carry in the performance of my job. I have limited amount of space/weight capacity or lets just say that lugging that all around for anywhere from 15-40 days at a time can be very burdensome. Additionally during that time there may be even more stuff that needs to be printed out and added to a potentially voluminous pile. I also use it as a platform to view weather information that I download prior to a flight. This saves the expense of printing it out and again using more paper. I also carry a lot of technical documentation on it as well. I have only occasionally read fiction on it but it seems to be best suited for this application with well formatted works. The iLiad for the most part fulfills most of my needs. It would be much better and I would use it more if it would start up faster, or in the very least have a suspend function and, there would be FULL ON support for PDF files (bookmark support & better document navigation). Additionally it would be nice to see the stylus fully supported and calibrated. If all that was the case I would be able to use it to take notes as well. I am not a hacker/developer type so some of the more advanced functionality I have been a little loath to experiment with until it is implemented in such a way that the average user can take advantage of it without an inordinate risk of brickage.

08-04-2007, 09:56 AM	#4
The GreatGonzo Old Yeller Posts: 180 Karma: 67 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad & Kindle - The Best of Both Worlds	A year ago, I was pretty new to the world of e-books; I'd tried reading stuff on a Palm Pilot before and hated it, so I wasn't all that interested. What got me curious was the whole e-ink thing (whaddaya mean, it looks like paper? whaddaya mean, it looks like real print?) and the original prospect of reading foreign language newspapers. I live in the US, but would love to get my hands on German and British news. (Sadly, my French is not good enough for Les Echos.) I don't have the time to read those on my computer (job & stay-at-home dad), but I always have five minutes here or there to pick up the Iliad and read. Also, as mentioned in other threads, I work in a second-hand bookstore where we have to throw books away on a regular basis; after looking at a dumpster full of books each day for a couple of years, you start thinking about how you yourself could maybe stop contributing to that... Now, almost a year later, I can at least get my RSS news feeds in the morning and read them on the Iliad throughout the day. On top of that, I'm reading tons of fiction on it, I'm saving websites on it for later perusal, and I'm using the mobipocket dictionaries that I bought much more frequently than I would the p-versions. I do crosswords on it. I keep cooking recipes on it. (I think the ink cartridge in my printer may have dried up from non-usage.) I'm putting together my very own Ultimate Lovecraft Edition, I'm toying with the idea of finding myself a job in e-book publishing in the long run, and the kids enjoy doodling and erasing. As you can see, all kinds of stuff happening... I realize I'm perceived as being too relentlessly upbeat about the Iliad, but I can't help it - I'm having so much fun with it! Even taking into account the unkept promises and missed deadlines - in my life, it's become this incredibly useful tool that's also a fun toy (chess, mp3); and I am very grateful to all those community programmers out there who come up with nifty new apps for it. The fact that the Iliad is constantly developing makes it much more exciting for me. The Sony had only its second firmware ugrade just now? Boooring...

08-07-2007, 04:39 AM	#8
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	Well I bought it to assess it on several fronts. Firstly to assess usability, put it in the hands of my customers and see the reaction to the device - did they like it - would they want to actually read papers on it - could it fit into their workflow. Next I wanted to assess the ability to handle and process forms, with the input possibilities. Lastly I was interested in using it when I travel to read papers and books.

08-07-2007, 06:05 AM	#9
narve iLiad fan Posts: 210 Karma: 3864 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: iRex iLiad	I bought it primarily to read "books" (fiction or non-fiction, but not work-related). Great success here, especially with the Mobipocket release. Unfortunately only fiction so far, but hopefully my favorite non-fiction authors will soon be publishing digitally as well. I also hoped that I could be useful for documents, and it is: I usually bring 10-100 pages of documents to meetings, now I don't have to print them out every time (I throw away paper as often as possible). I also use the meeting agendas to take notes. This means that I can actually find my notes when I need them some weeks later (a new experience for me...). I was also hoping to use it to read newspapers and listen to music/audiobooks, but so far I don't consider it useful enough. This is just because I don't have enough time/energy to download/modify/configure the various applications that I need, and set up scripts to download web pages that I'm interested in etc. If I could get the iLiad to download a selection of newspapers/comics automatically whenever I press the "connect"-button (or something else) in a very user-friendly way, I would use it for that as well (at least when I'm traveling or away from home). Hopefully I will get the inspiration and set it up - it isn't really hard just cumbersome.

08-07-2007, 09:04 AM	#11
kapoira Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 292 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: i62HD + T68	First to read books Second to read manga Third to get all of my paper notes And i think the iliad it's a great success for me ;-) because now i read more than before.

08-08-2007, 11:00 PM	#15
ig88 Gadget Guy Posts: 76 Karma: 84 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iLiad - iPhone - OSX	I just got my iLiad last month. My number one reason for buying it is because I am a sys admin for a school district. Lots of manuals to read on a constant basis. Reading on my laptop was uncomfortable, and impossible in the outdoors, so I would find myself printing out PDFs and putting them in huge three-ring binders. What a waste of time and paper and toner! I am the kind of guy who would read manuals when on vacation, camping, at the beach; But I also knew I had to bring along an assortment, as reading one topic would get too boring. So I would find myself bringing tons of heavy paper, lugging it around, managing binders and content - what a pain. And large three ring binders are not fun to use either - they are large and awkward; turning pages is not easy, they weigh a lot, and the rough vinyl edges cut into your skin. Secondly, I use it for reading fiction. With the short time I have had the device, I can say it has changed my life. I kind of knew it would, as I also have a TiVo, and that is another life-changing device. Now if only, you could search across the directories and within the documents... That really needs to be developed...