Amazon E Ink reader? - Page 3

TadW · 09-11-2006, 06:04 PM

Now think about how smart it would be if iRex approached Amazon and told them "dump that ugly duckling and get our iLiad instead"... we'd see lot's of happy iLiad customers with a big e-book retailer supporting them, and a happy iRex company for selling lots and lots of devices.

bingle · 09-11-2006, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordvetinari2

Oh dear, even the manual is ugly! A5-sized pages printed as A4, and all the images have bitmapped text. Doesn't say much for an ebook reader, I'd think.

This thing looks like a prop from the original HHGH TV miniseries (c'me on, someone say another TV series, this is fun!). I don't care much about design: I don't own anything Applish, but this is just plain stupid. I don't really need a keyboard, either, and that occupies too much room.

Oh Sony, where(fore) art thou, Sony?

On the other hand, though, reading the manual, Amazon seems to have made some good decisions. They included a cover, you can change the battery (although it does seem proprietary...), and of course the content is king. Also, in black-and-white manual drawings, with the cover on, you can almost forget it looks like the early '80s ;-)

The choice to go with EVDO instead of WiFi is... confusing. Cell service is certainly more widely available, but EVDO is still fairly rare, I believe. Wifi, on the other hand, is becoming prevalent very quickly.

Also, of course, this is about the worst example I can imagine of the "platform" model that I rant about every chance I get ;-) I can't imagine Amazon is invested in making the best reading hardware possible; they're just trying to sell more books. And that's evident in the formats they support and the fact that they require conversion before reading popular formats like DOC and PDF.

The fact that Amazon is getting into the hardware business, though, gives me hope that the e-reader market will become a hot battleground. Maybe then we'll see some better options.

segatang · 09-11-2006, 09:42 PM

It looks like some space craft in "STARTREK".
It is powerful, not bad.

Mediamania · 09-11-2006, 09:52 PM

Interestingly, ALL the files posted regarding this device earlier today on the FCC site have now been removed. There's now a "Request for Dismissal" letter from a Florida engineering firm -- identified as a firm specializing in FCC approvals -- stating as follows:

"We would like to request the following application to be dismissed due to problems with confidential exhibits listed on the website and updated exhibits the applicant wishes to provide in place of exhibits that have been submitted for this filing."

Hmmmm. For all that disclosed information to be pulled seems unusual. And for Amazon to withdraw their application seems odd, if it means starting the FCC approval process over again.

Is this a PR move? Or is there something else going on here? Anyone with expertise in these matters (FCC disclosure) have any insights?

hkabir · 09-11-2006, 09:54 PM

Hi DaHer,

The link for manual is not working. Did they remove the pdf manual? Does anyone have the manual saved when it was available? It would be great if someone upload the manual for others who missed it. Definitely I'm one of them.

hkabir · 09-11-2006, 10:06 PM

Apparently, amazon have prepared a webspace for Kindle. If you go to amazon site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/kindle you can't see anything yet, but seems like the contents are not ready yet.

NatCh · 09-11-2006, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkabir

The link for manual is not working. Did they remove the pdf manual? Does anyone have the manual saved when it was available? It would be great if someone upload the manual for others who missed it. Definitely I'm one of them.

Hey, hkabir, there are a couple of versions posted on the previous page of this thread.

Enjoy!

Ebook lover · 09-11-2006, 11:59 PM

PVI (http://www.pvi.com.tw) is providing the E-ink panel

NatCh · 09-12-2006, 12:13 AM

I'm guessing this doesn't bode well for Amazon beating Sony to market ....

DHer · 09-12-2006, 02:28 AM

Pulling the fcc application just because it leaked?

That sounds quite unbelievable.

But we'll see what the future brings.

Alexander Turcic · 09-12-2006, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHer

Pulling the fcc application just because it leaked?

That sounds quite unbelievable.

But we'll see what the future brings.

I think it happened before. Sometimes the FCC publishes information that they weren't meant to.

TadW · 09-12-2006, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Is it real? Well, that's always the big question when you start discussing prototypes someone stumbled across on the web. A big hint that it might mean something popped up not long after the news broke, when the FCC page was abruptly pulled. In its place, a filing (PDF) has been posted, requesting dismissal of the product "due to problems with confidential exhibits listed on the website."

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060911-7716.html

yokos · 09-12-2006, 05:54 AM

Family of e-reader devices get's larger again. This is a good news.

yvanleterrible · 09-12-2006, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

It just occured to me that the way the side edges slant in toward the top face might make this thing a bit annoying to pick up from a flat surface.

When you look at the pictures in the manual, its obvious that it was designed to fit in a notebook.

At least since it does'nt grab your eye it makes it less likely to be stolen in a library.
The thing is ugly and made to be used on a table, not at all like the other readers. The keyboard is not well implemented but its a usefull feature to me.

The designer was surely discovered in a bomb shelter somewhere, where he's been hiding since the seventies.

NatCh · 09-12-2006, 11:32 AM

Netscape.com has an article on this. Nothing we don't already know more about on the hardware, but they have an interview with Engadget Editor Ryan Block, in which he confirms that they found this by sifting the FCC site.

A couple of the other comments are of middlin' interest too.

yvanleterrible · 09-12-2006, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

I think it happened before. Sometimes the FCC publishes information that they weren't meant to.

Maybe the documents were only for internal comm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHer

Pulling the fcc application just because it leaked?

That sounds quite unbelievable.

But we'll see what the future brings.

I just hope that its because the innards were Fcc tested and that a final design was not set.

Who knows how long it takes between FCC testing and final release?

leandroide · 09-12-2006, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I just hope that its because the innards were Fcc tested and that a final design was not set.

Well... I don't know, but reading the manual you get the impression that the product is absolutely mature. There is a sentence (page 8) that says "If you haven't already done so, remove the power adapter from the left-hand side of the Kindle box". That means that even the internal distribution of the elements in the package are decided!

NatCh · 09-12-2006, 05:54 PM

Before they pulled the files, there was a lovely batch of pix if the internals of the box. They looked pretty solid to me. Nothing was glued in place, anyway.

bingle · 09-12-2006, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leandroide

Well... I don't know, but reading the manual you get the impression that the product is absolutely mature. There is a sentence (page 8) that says "If you haven't already done so, remove the power adapter from the left-hand side of the Kindle box". That means that even the internal distribution of the elements in the package are decided!

Yeah, the impression I got from reading the manual was the same: they were ready to ship at that moment. I'm sure that's not actually the case, but it certainly seems more like months or weeks away rather than years.

Either that, or they just have very good speculative manual writers ;-)

scotty1024 · 09-13-2006, 12:35 AM

electrophoretic describes how e-ink works so its an e-ink device. Panel seems equivalent to Librie's from the pictures.

I guess we can now scratch any chance of a mobi license for iRex right off the hopes and dreams list.

The engadget pictures in the wild of the Sony Reader panel make it look stunningly better than the iLiad to my eye... The Sony UI is looking pretty nifty too.

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09-11-2006, 06:04 PM	#41
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	Now think about how smart it would be if iRex approached Amazon and told them "dump that ugly duckling and get our iLiad instead"... we'd see lot's of happy iLiad customers with a big e-book retailer supporting them, and a happy iRex company for selling lots and lots of devices.

09-11-2006, 09:42 PM	#43
segatang Connoisseur Posts: 98 Karma: 81 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Taiwan Device: Kolin i-library	It looks like some space craft in "STARTREK". It is powerful, not bad.

09-11-2006, 09:52 PM	#44
Mediamania Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Treo 700	Interestingly, ALL the files posted regarding this device earlier today on the FCC site have now been removed. There's now a "Request for Dismissal" letter from a Florida engineering firm -- identified as a firm specializing in FCC approvals -- stating as follows: "We would like to request the following application to be dismissed due to problems with confidential exhibits listed on the website and updated exhibits the applicant wishes to provide in place of exhibits that have been submitted for this filing." Hmmmm. For all that disclosed information to be pulled seems unusual. And for Amazon to withdraw their application seems odd, if it means starting the FCC approval process over again. Is this a PR move? Or is there something else going on here? Anyone with expertise in these matters (FCC disclosure) have any insights?

09-11-2006, 09:54 PM	#45
hkabir e-bookviner Posts: 56 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: Sony PRS-505, iPodTouch	Hi DaHer, The link for manual is not working. Did they remove the pdf manual? Does anyone have the manual saved when it was available? It would be great if someone upload the manual for others who missed it. Definitely I'm one of them.

09-11-2006, 10:06 PM	#46
hkabir e-bookviner Posts: 56 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: Sony PRS-505, iPodTouch	Apparently, amazon have prepared a webspace for Kindle. If you go to amazon site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/kindle you can't see anything yet, but seems like the contents are not ready yet.

09-11-2006, 11:59 PM	#48
Ebook lover NUUT, Cybook Device Posts: 49 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: O2	PVI (http://www.pvi.com.tw) is providing the E-ink panel

09-12-2006, 12:13 AM	#49
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I'm guessing this doesn't bode well for Amazon beating Sony to market ....

09-12-2006, 02:28 AM	#50
DHer Addict Posts: 261 Karma: 156 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: iliad	Pulling the fcc application just because it leaked? That sounds quite unbelievable. But we'll see what the future brings.

09-12-2006, 05:54 AM	#53
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)	Family of e-reader devices get's larger again. This is a good news.

09-12-2006, 11:32 AM	#55
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Netscape.com has an article on this. Nothing we don't already know more about on the hardware, but they have an interview with Engadget Editor Ryan Block, in which he confirms that they found this by sifting the FCC site. A couple of the other comments are of middlin' interest too.

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09-12-2006, 05:54 PM	#58
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Before they pulled the files, there was a lovely batch of pix if the internals of the box. They looked pretty solid to me. Nothing was glued in place, anyway.

09-13-2006, 12:35 AM	#60
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	electrophoretic describes how e-ink works so its an e-ink device. Panel seems equivalent to Librie's from the pictures. I guess we can now scratch any chance of a mobi license for iRex right off the hopes and dreams list. The engadget pictures in the wild of the Sony Reader panel make it look stunningly better than the iLiad to my eye... The Sony UI is looking pretty nifty too.