Wizpac txtr reader announced - the Kindle killer?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Why not? If there is a wide table or image, having the possibility of rotating the page is good.

that's a good point actually. but he does say it can be (dis)activated manually, so no worries i think.

With the accelerometer, could it be possible to give it a "shake" to page forward? That's nice for one-hand reading

how am i supposed to get sleepy if i have to keep making energetic shaking movements ?? plus it will disrupt the carefully engineered cover arrangement. and what if you are in the métro ! you might give your neighbor a black eye turning the page. if they add this feature i would like it to be optional as well. a discreet little thumb slide is perfect in bed or in a crowded métro.

Originally Posted by Dylrob

It was my understanding that the frontlight is what compromises the PRS700's screen, not the touch.

i think it might be a little of both.

Originally Posted by jeffg

How does the txtr reader compare with the plastic logic reader? Are they going to be competitors? Are they related in some way? Important differences?

- jeff

i think plastic logic is bigger, other than that i don't know. i'm not sure plastic logic has any kind of wireless connectivity.

[jeffg]

From http://www.plasticlogic.com/FAQ.html:

Thin (<7mm), lightweight (<16 oz), form factor of 8.5" x 11”

Wireless and wired access to content

Does anyone know the dimensions of the txtr reader?

- Jeff

Edit - Sorry - if you want to follow the link above, remove the colon at the end.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by jeffg

From http://www.plasticlogic.com/FAQ.html:

Thin (<7mm), lightweight (<16 oz), form factor of 8.5" x 11”

Wireless and wired access to content

Does anyone know the dimensions of the txtr reader?

- Jeff

from the specs page of their site, textr is using a 6" screen (like the current generation from sony, bookeen, kindle) ; i think the plasticlogic *screen* is larger than 6" although they don't specify that ; but it does look larger in the photos (very scientific reply right ? )

[jeffg]

Thanks Zelda -

Yes, I read that on the reader.txtr.com technical specs page, but found the absence of physical device dimensions "interesting." Aren't physical dimensions considered pretty basic technical specs??

- Jeff

[zelda_pinwheel]

maybe noonscoomo can tell us the exact dimensions of the device. i'm sure he will be back soon.

(personally, i would like to know the exact dimensions of the plasticlogic screen !)

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

(personally, i would like to know the exact dimensions of the plasticlogic screen !)

Wired (DEMOfall 2008: Plastic Logic's Reader Is Thinner, Less Ugly Than Kindle) said 10.7", but that has never been confirmed so far as I know.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

hm, i don't mind the asymmetric bezel at all, maybe because i'm used to the eb1150 (also asymmetric). on the contrary, i think it's an excellent design choice, since it gives you someplace to grip the device. especially with the accelerometer this is very nice. i think it's good ergonomy.

That's what I was thinking too. I can (and do) hold my PDA in one hand, gripping it on both sides. But I don't think I can get my hand around a 6" screen Holding a reader only on the bottom sounds so ... awkward... to me.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

That's what I was thinking too. I can (and do) hold my PDA in one hand, gripping it on both sides. But I don't think I can get my hand around a 6" screen Holding a reader only on the bottom sounds so ... awkward... to me.

How do you hold a hardback then?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Phogg

How do you hold a hardback then?

i really hope my liseuse will have better ergonomy than a hardback. those things are horribly uncomfortable (and sometimes impossible) to hold one-handed. the two are not comparable. paper books actually have stunningly poor ergonomy, in many ways. it's one of the major advantages of ebooks and liseuses, in fact.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

That's what I was thinking too. I can (and do) hold my PDA in one hand, gripping it on both sides. But I don't think I can get my hand around a 6" screen Holding a reader only on the bottom sounds so ... awkward... to me.

It's not really. These things are so light that it is very doable. Actually, you don't have to hold it at the bottom. You can hold it along the left/right side pretty much like you would a paperback that you fold back. (No I never do this, I hate breaking book bindings.)

BOb

[PKFFW]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i really hope my liseuse will have better ergonomy than a hardback.......

Hey Zelda,

I've seen the highlighted word used alot around these forums. Could you please enlighten me as to its meaning?

Cheers,
PKFFW

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

how am i supposed to get sleepy if i have to keep making energetic shaking movements ?? plus it will disrupt the carefully engineered cover arrangement. and what if you are in the métro ! you might give your neighbor a black eye turning the page. if they add this feature i would like it to be optional as well. a discreet little thumb slide is perfect in bed or in a crowded métro.

And then there's the issue in that, if you're a klutz like me, the reader will wind up in a wall some six feet away.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Phogg

How do you hold a hardback then?

Hardback... Hmm, let's see the last time I bought one... Sorry, can't remember But larger softcovers, I hold with two hands. One hand on each side of the book.

That's one reason I wanted a device on which I could read books. Reading books in bed can become (literally) a pain. Turning around every time you want to read the other page, turning on your back again, so you can hold the book with two hands again, turning to your side as reading on your back is too cold, rinse and repeat...

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

Hey Zelda,

I've seen the highlighted word used alot around these forums. Could you please enlighten me as to its meaning?

Cheers,
PKFFW

hey PKFFW, liseuse is a generic name for "e-reading device". it's a french word which started to be used here when we had a discussion about what could be a good generic name for devices. (i think that in the long run, e-reader will win out, but currently it's problematic because it's the name of an ebook format which is ironically not compatible with any device available that i know of, and new people are always buying that format by mistake and being frustrated they can't do anything with it). it's a nicer word than "device" which has certain coldly technical undertones, plus it's not specific to reading. we're trying to start a world-wide movement : "liseuse" ftw ! hope that answers your question. we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Originally Posted by Dylrob

And then there's the issue in that, if you're a klutz like me, the reader will wind up in a wall some six feet away.

and then there is that issue, yes.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Reading books in bed can become (literally) a pain. Turning around every time you want to read the other page, turning on your back again, so you can hold the book with two hands again, turning to your side as reading on your back is too cold, rinse and repeat...

...trying to find a way to get the light on the page you are reading, when it is being blocked by the upper half of the book (if you don't want to turn on the other side)... trying to find a way to prop up the book when it is heavy without getting wrist strain... trying to pry the book open wide enough to be able to read the words closest to the binding, where the page curves and there is always that extra shadow, but preferably without breaking the spine... yep, exactly. all excellent reasons to opt for ebooks instead !

[Mr. Goodbar]

This looks like a really nice device with some well thought out features and ergonomics. However, am I the only one feeling the 6" screen market is getting rather full with the Kindle, Sony, Cybook etc. I would love to see someone bring out a truly competitive 8" device. Take the screen size of the iliad and build a much better software platform around it. The reading experience between my Sony and iLiad are worlds apart with the iLiad winning easily, but when it comes to all the other aspects such as thickness, battery life, speed, file organization, etc. the Sony wins easily. I guess I'll just have to keep hoping some company sees it my way