Unboxing iRex 800 and first impressions

[professzore]

Originally Posted by nunomad

Hello.
With your precious experience do you think that the iRex 800 is a good choice?

Hi Nuno,

It will be probably unreadable on DR800. Just guess, but DR1000 may be far better for this purpose.
Screen size and page turning speed is far enough.
Turning on a page can be done, if you have any word as a reference to search for. For example: if you're looking for "Artigo 204", the reader will make it for you within just a few seconds. By the way, turning on a specified page number is not available (yet).

By the way, I'm very impressed with DR800, but I'm afraid, this is not the very best solution for your needs. DR1000 / Kindle DX / Que. eSlick can do almost everything with PDF, but it's 6" only.

Regards,

Professzore

[pauli]

@nunomad: the reflow function, takes the text from the original pdf document, discards the margins and places it as plain text (bold and italics are preserved) on the display. Because the document is text only, this makes the text readable. The original formatting of the pdf file has very large margins and is created for A4 page size, which makes the letters very small and unreadable.

[Jumpn Jack Flash]

Originally Posted by pauli

@nunomad: the reflow function, takes the text from the original pdf document, discards the margins and places it as plain text (bold and italics are preserved) on the display. Because the document is text only, this makes the text readable. The original formatting of the pdf file has very large margins and is created for A4 page size, which makes the letters very small and unreadable.

If you require the pdf formatting for viewing images you can crop (discard) the margins in the pdf, improves the view of the document. Text will be on the small side.

[pauli]

oops, something went wrong with the pictures....

[pauli]

that went much better... I've made some pictures of your document.
Page 7, in the original formatted pdf, with reflow in Medium font and X-Large font.

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by professzore

Just guess, but DR1000 may be far better for this purpose.

It is indeed very well readable on a DR1000 (which is targetted at these kind of 'professional' documents.)
The attached pdf-file contains a snapshot I made with xournal on the DR1000. It might give an impression of the quality.

@professzore: Which (free) tool can I use to extract the image form the pdf?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by kennyc

"All the young girls love Alice.."

Thanks for the side-by-side. It does indeed look great.

I really don't like the idea of having to use a stylus though...

If you don't want to have a touchscreen/stylus, iRex 800 definitely is not for you. You can use it with the flipbar alone, but that's a compromise at best.
I'd either suggest BeBook Neo (= Onyx Boox), which has touchscreen and 2 very efficient 5-way-buttons to manage like Sony 300 for example. Or a non-touchscreen unit like nook, Kindle 2 or similar.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by nunomad

Hello.
I am new to the board and just decided to register so that I can ask some questions about the iRex 800.
I work in the Justice department of my country where the legislative production went crazy in the past years.
Now every code is altered every few months so I quit buying every six months the new versions in paper.
The discovery of the epaper world made me realize my future needs an ereader.
I will need a reader with:
- big screen;
- quick turning of pages;
- ability to quickly go to a certain page from the start of the code (ex.: beeing in the first page of the code and needing article 338º, not knowing exactly the page it is in - in paper I can do it very easily).
I will be working with .pdf.
With your precious experience do you think that the iRex 800 is a good choice?

If anyone minds trying it, I will be attaching the Penal Code in pdf.
How is it displayed?

Thank you very much for your attention.
Nuno

For "professional" documents, I'd alyways recommend a reader which is capable of zoom as well. Reflowing a document "destroys" the layout. It delivers the information (some may get lost tough), but very often you'll have to have the "original". Zoom simply explodes the entire text or a selected area to full screen, leaving the layout intact.
You can zoom on iRex iLiad or BeBook Neo (= Onyx Boox) for example.

[HansTWN]

Mgmueller, any difference (except size, of course) between the screens of the DR1000S and DR800S?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Mgmueller, any difference (except size, of course) between the screens of the DR1000S and DR800S?

More differences than similarities:

Advantages for iRex 1000S:
Similar zoom as iRex iLiad.
Mobipocket dictionaries.
Stylus insertion into reader.

Disadvantages of iRex 1000S:
Somewhat outdated power management. (I simply don't turn it off and charge it any other day).
No thumbnail view (you only see icons for the file formats, no book covers).

Differences without weighing them:
ePUB and PDB on iRex 800, Mobipocket (for now) on iRex 1000S.
Flipbar on iRex 800S, buttons (on the left, right and bottom) for turning pages and interacting with the menu on iRex 1000S.

If the price is not an issue, iRex 1000S still is far ahead.

Concerning the screen, I see no significant difference, but its not identical in my opinion. Background of iRex 1000S might be a bit more "greyish", whereas iRex 800's background seems a bit more "yellowish" (well, not yellow, more of a creme tone I guess). Subjectively, I prefer iRex 1000S' screen. iRex 1000S seems a bit "sharper". No idea, whether it's the black housing that makes it seem brighter?
Sorry for the bad picture quality. Both appear more blue than they actually are. But I guess it gives an idea. iRex 1000S appears "crisper" and seems to have a bit more contrast.

And what I remembered, when using iRex 1000S again after some while: I've loved, having buttons for turning pages on the sides, but on the bottom as well. Usually, I hold my readers on the bottom and then reaching for buttons on the sides is less convenient.

In the second picture set, the left one ("speed reading") is from iRex 1000S. On the pics, you hardly can see any difference. In real life, it exists, but it's not a big difference. It just may be the rasterisation, not the screen itself. But whatever scenario I try, iRex 1000S seems more crisp, with a bit more of contrast.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

More differences than similarities:

Advantages for iRex 1000S:
Similar zoom as iRex iLiad.
Mobipocket dictionaries.
Stylus insertion into reader.

Disadvantages of iRex 1000S:
Somewhat outdated power management. (I simply don't turn it off and charge it any other day).
No thumbnail view (you only see icons for the file formats, no book covers).

Differences without weighing them:
ePUB and PDB on iRex 800, Mobipocket (for now) on iRex 1000S.
Flipbar on iRex 800S, buttons (on the left, right and bottom) for turning pages and interacting with the menu on iRex 1000S.

If the price is not an issue, iRex 1000S still is far ahead.

Concerning the screen, I see no significant difference. Background of iRex 1000S might be a bit more "greyish", whereas iRex 800's background seems a bit more "yellowish" (well, not yellow, more of a creme tone I guess). Subjectively, I prefer iRex 1000S' screen. iRex 1000S seems a bit "sharper". No idea, whether it's the black housing that makes it seem brighter?
Sorry for the bad picture quality. Both appear more blue than they actually are. But I guess it gives an idea. iRex 1000S appears "crisper" and seems to have a bit more contrast.

And what I remembered, when using iRex 1000S again after some while: I've loved, having buttons for turning pages on the sides, but on the bottom as well. Usually, I hold my readers on the bottom and then reaching for buttons on the sides is less convenient.

In the second picture set, the left one ("speed reading") is from iRex 1000S. On the pics, you hardly can see any difference. In real life, it exists, but it's not a big difference. It just may be the rasterisation, not the screen itself.

tough decisions!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

tough decisions!

iRex 800SG seems to have good resonance in the US. Personally, I still find it a mixed package.
If I compare to BeBook Neo, which is € 200 less in Europe (and still $ 100 less in US), I don't find any technical advantages. On the contrary: BeBook Neo has zoom, WiFi and other "gimmicks". Maybe iRex 800's design is a bit more appealing - but still not Sony 900 level.
And iRex 800, in my opinion, is within a difficult niche. For casual reads, the bigger display doesn't have really big advantages. And for technical documents, it lacks features like zoom or "real" landscape mode. And for "professional" documents, the height to width ratio in my opinion isn't ideal as well. Main argument for iRex 800 right now probably is timing: In the moment, the whole eInk business seems to be stagnating. Probably waiting for iPad, Que, Skiff and other units at the "upper end" of the (price) scale.
Maybe iRex 800 has got its place right in the middle.

For me it has to be "love at first sight". Has been so with iRex iLiad or Sony 900. I'm not "in love" with BeBook Neo either, but I'm a bit less sceptical.

[HansTWN]

I am still looking for something with WiFi, but a bigger screen than 6". 7" is only a fraction bigger and for me the Sony Touchscreens are out of the question. Of course, ideal would be Walcom, 8" + WiFi. With zoom and a small bezel like the DR 800. Oh well!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I am still looking for something with WiFi, but a bigger screen than 6". 7" is only a fraction bigger and for me the Sony Touchscreens are out of the question. Of course, ideal would be Walcom, 8" + WiFi. With zoom and a small bezel like the DR 800. Oh well!

Onyx has announced 8.1" and 9.7" units. Their 6" unit is nice enough. My personal favorite is Que. And iPad in parallel for surfing the web and multimedia.

[badbob001]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

iRex 1000S appears "crisper" and seems to have a bit more contrast.

I've noticed one big difference between the DR1000 and the DR800 in your photos: They both user different fonts, with the DR1000 letters looking bolder or at least bolder at the tips of some of the letters.

As some of stated, font choice makes a difference. People have raved about the Nook's font and I wouldn't find having an option to import my own fonts into the reader.