Advice: repair iLiad's screen, or DR800SW?

[X. Trapnel]

Hi folks. I had an iLiad for not quite a year, and totally loved it--but then the screen cracked. I can get it repaired for €275 (or $357, apparently, which is odd--about $20 less than one would expect) by iRex, but I could also buy a new DR800SW for only $40 more. And that would be smaller, with better power-management (though my iLiad has user-upgraded batteries) and 3G, though no wifi (and I'm living Germany--though visiting home in the USA next month, hence the chance to get the SW at the US price--so I would only be able to use the 3G with some hacking, and likely not even then ...).

Anyway. I'm not really sure what to do, especially since iRex seems a bit vague about the DR800's firmware update--I *really* like the annotation and zoom capabilities of the iLiad, and iRex reps certainly haven't said anything as straightforward as "the DR800 will be able to do everything the iLiad does in those areas." On the other hand, it really annoys me to pay €275 for the screen repair--the same price they've been charging since, what, 2007?--when the cost of the screens *must* have dropped dramatically, given what they're now charging for the DR800.

Any advice? Thanks tons!

(Then there's also that 1st gen iLiad in the flea market for $250.... arrgh decisions!)

[Mr. Goodbar]

I would get the 800, but only if it meets your current needs. I've used both and have an iLiad sitting in the drawer. The 800 is far superior from a reading perspective (better battery life, faster in every way, smaller footprint, etc), but the iLiad does have features not available on the 800. They may be added in the future, but that's an unknown and I always recommend people not purchase devices based on possible future features.

[pauli]

If you have a big collection of DRM protected Mobipockets, you might want to hold on to your iLiad. Also if you require wifi and to have your notes to be exportable from your device. But in that case a second hand iLiad would be less expensive than the screen repair.

For everything else, the DR800 is better. ePub is more readily available then mobipockets. The device is much faster in flipping pages, it starts faster (from suspended mode) and the battery life is in a different order of magnitude. With the upcoming firmware update, almost every shortcoming reported by reviewers is solved.

You might have to consider ordering your device before you go back to the US, because at the moment you can only order it on-line (at BestBuy or Cartoys). Just to make sure you have your DR800 when you return to Germany...

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Goodbar

I would get the 800, but only if it meets your current needs. I've used both and have an iLiad sitting in the drawer. The 800 is far superior from a reading perspective (better battery life, faster in every way, smaller footprint, etc), but the iLiad does have features not available on the 800. They may be added in the future, but that's an unknown and I always recommend people not purchase devices based on possible future features.

I agree. I've got both an iLiad and a DR800, and the iLiad hasn't been touched since the DR800 arrived. If it were me, I'd definitely get the DR800 instead of having the iLiad repaired. Not only is it a better device, but you'll also have a new warranty, etc.

As you mentioned though, it doesn't have all of the features yet. If you really can't live without the zoom/annotations for the next couple months, then it will be a tougher decision.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by pauli

If you have a big collection of DRM protected Mobipockets, you might want to hold on to your iLiad.

There are ways around that. It may or may not be 100% legal, depending on where you live, but I personally have no moral objections to converting content I paid for in order to read it in a different format.

[X. Trapnel]

Hrm. Thanks for the input, folks. I think I'm leaning towards the dr800sg now--I hate DRM and don't need to deal with it; my files are generally scholarly articles or books, pure PDF.

Annotating and esp zooming are important to me; I'll mull this over a bit.