DR800SG now listed on Best Buy web site

[Mr. Goodbar]

A delay wouldn't surprise me since it is iRex we're talking about. Hopefully the information is wrong and we'll still see it before the end of November. They'll miss their window of opportunity if they don't have it in stock before the end of November Christmas buying kickoff.

I really like where they're going with this product and the independent/open store front, but they could really use some help in their go-to-market strategy. Fortunately it's still an early market, but if they don't get their act together quickly they're going to get steamrolled by the other vendors.

[badbob001]

With an extra month:

• Dream scenario: wifi added, annotations added, sold along-side nook at barnes and noble. I did say it's a 'dream'.
• Nightmare scenario: nothing added, only $450 bundle available initially, still only at the gadget corner of bestbuy and released on the same day as the marketing behemoth nook.
• Murphy's law: DX reduced to $400, Nook stalled due to law suit with Spring Design, Verizon gets cold feet...

In other news, miniusb is out and microusb is in (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61210). Less likely to break, but all your existing connectors are useless.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Dream scenario: wifi added

My understanding was that it has 3G, and wifi was not in the plans. Have you seen/heard otherwise?

[badbob001]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

My understanding was that it has 3G, and wifi was not in the plans. Have you seen/heard otherwise?

It's just my dream that the dr800 would have the same connectivity options as other Barnes & Noble ebook devices: nook and que. Wifi would obviously allow the dr800 to work all over the world right now and can survive any falling out between verizon and irex.

[Mr. Goodbar]

I think it was always micro usb, at least that's what all the web pictures show. Wifi would be nice if it enabled it to use the barnes and noble in store browsing/reading capability

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by badbob001

With an extra month:

• Dream scenario: wifi added, annotations added, sold along-side nook at barnes and noble. I did say it's a 'dream'.
• Nightmare scenario: nothing added, only $450 bundle available initially, still only at the gadget corner of bestbuy and released on the same day as the marketing behemoth nook.
• Murphy's law: DX reduced to $400, Nook stalled due to law suit with Spring Design, Verizon gets cold feet...

In other news, miniusb is out and microusb is in (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61210). Less likely to break, but all your existing connectors are useless.

Sure, they will be fitting in the WiFi right after the could fusion reactor goes in next week.

[zacheryjensen]

Originally Posted by badbob001

In other news, miniusb is out and microusb is in (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61210). Less likely to break, but all your existing connectors are useless.

Smaller connectors are necessary for thinner electronics devices. Get over it. It could be much worse, it could be entirely proprietary. At least with micro-usb you can go to monoprice.com and buy 10 of 'em for general purpose use for about $10.70 + shipping. If it was a proprietary connector you'd be lucky to get 1/3rd of one for that price.

And with the EU pushing standardized power adapters using the micro-usb connector for all electronics devices where it's possible, and nearly every meaningful cellular handset manufacturer on board... yeah, micro-usb IS where it's at.

It's a good thing.

[badbob001]

I have no problem with micro-usb. I was expecting mini-usb like in their previous product, mostly because I've never seen mini-usb on a device. I knew something was up when I saw photos of the dr800's port and it didn't seem to be the same shape as a mini-usb port.

Things like this $2 adapter will smooth out the transition:


What I really care about is the part that sticks out from the device... why do they have to make it so long and big? It's pretty annoying to have an one inch spike poking out, putting the cable at odd angles and daring you to break it.

Years ago, when the industry was putting out stuff like this:


...Apple shrink their connector to this:


We need a company to set a new example for the usb plug.

miniusb:


microusb: (Is the outside part getting longer as the inside part gets smaller?)


PS: pretty sad when news of the DR800 is so scarce, the talk moves to tangents like the connector. Next up: bright leds on devices, good, evil, or flashing.

[nikkie]

Good news. I emailed iRex asking them about the delay:

Hello makers of the device I want to buy...

Can you comment on the delay until Nov. 30th? Is this because of technical problems or last minute feature additions? :-D

(I'm a developer, and can certainly understand both.)

And received this reply:

Thank you for showing interest in our product.



The release of the DR800SG has been delayed were trying to get it available end of November and can be bought at Best Buy USA.



Last minute feature’s is the challenge.



http://www.irexreader.com/

http://i-to-i.irexnet.com/

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-bo...Larger_Devices

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by badbob001

microusb: (Is the outside part getting longer as the inside part gets smaller?)

No, the microusb looks to be the shortest of all 3. And if you look at the plug, it is designed to be able to slip into a recessed port.

[Mr. Goodbar]

They're trying to get it available by end of November. That doesn't sound very positive. At this rate, they'll miss the entire holiday sales opportunity.

[Shaggy]

Last minute feature’s is the challenge.

Too bad they didn't say what features. I think if it's handwriting support, people would be a lot more understanding of the delay.

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by Mr. Goodbar

They're trying to get it available by end of November. That doesn't sound very positive. At this rate, they'll miss the entire holiday sales opportunity.

Maybe. But their competition is the Sony Daily Edition or the Que. The Sony Daily Edition comes out in December. As long as they meet or beat that date, they'll be fine.

I suspect they realized that they will actually have competition, so they need to put out their A-Game product, and add annotations.

[zacheryjensen]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Things like this $2 adapter will smooth out the transition:

Or you can just buy a plain micro-usb cable for about $1.25

Originally Posted by badbob001

What I really care about is the part that sticks out from the device... why do they have to make it so long and big? It's pretty annoying to have an one inch spike poking out, putting the cable at odd angles and daring you to break it.

Why are you worried about it in the case of eBook readers whose battery life is like 20 hours? It's Lithium Ion batteries, there is no penalty for you to just plug it in when not in use, so you should really never be very close to running low on batteries unless you're doing some kind of crazy long-form reading for a week straight without power... or sleeping...

Originally Posted by badbob001

microusb: (Is the outside part getting longer as the inside part gets smaller?)

The outside part's size is a matter of how intricate, error-prone and expensive the manufacture wants to make their process for creating the cables. Apple pays more to get the tighter tights and smaller connector caps. Though to some degree the smaller connector apparatus will impose more of the cabling be terminated outside the apparatus itself and cause the endcap to be a bit larger, until someone makes an effort to get the cabling smaller without loss of fidelity at the ends. So as I say, it comes down to costs. It's cheaper, with less loss, to make the connector bigger.

[Donnageddon]

Is the outside part getting longer as the inside part gets smaller?

if you look at the plug, it is designed to be able to slip into a recessed port.

This thread should have a "parental advisory" sticker.