iRex iLiad vs iRex DR

Chuckwade87 · 08-25-2009, 01:14 PM

I've been looking around for a larger screened reader, that can run PDFs fairly well.

I have seen alot of comments on the DX, how its PDF functions suck. So thats what has made me turn away from the kindle DX for now.
What I've also seen is that there are alot more iRex DR's in the Flea Market than there are iLiad's, so why is that?

I looked at the Matrix and it seems they were release only a few months apart.

What I need is something that can read PDF's, as well as something that can give .cbr/.cbz (comic book) files justice, because the Kindle 1 and 505 can't cut the mustard in that area.Plus I like having the ability to take notes via a stylus.

But can you give me some more thoughts/advice on the subject?

PhishStyx · 08-25-2009, 01:32 PM

Personally, I'm very happy with the DR in all the functions you mentioned, except that I don't read comics on it. I'm not even sure how I'd get it to read .cbr files (FBReader? Maybe?).

However, I don't have an Iliad to compare it with, so in that regard, I cannot advise you. What I've seen posted online makes me glad that I have what I have however.

As to the Flea Market, several of the posts mentioned needing money, and I suspect in the current economic conditions, that may be their genuine reason.

pthwaite · 08-25-2009, 01:35 PM

Pop over to the DR1000 forum, there are pictures their.
The DR1000 is great for pdfs. A4 are easy to read and A3 can be zoomed and panned with ease too.

The iliad was released years before the DR and iRex have stopped developing it now. However as the iliad has been out for so long there a lot more add on applications and general tweaks available for it than the DR which has only been available for just under a year.

wallcraft · 08-25-2009, 02:20 PM

The DR800 (informal name) appears to be the 8" version of the DR1000, but very little is known about it yet. See Mainstream iRex 8.1-inch reader for 400$ (rumor). It will apparently only be sold in the US, because its 3G will be region specific, but there are plenty of Kindle's, for example, imported into Europe.

Ea · 08-25-2009, 03:23 PM

I haven't owned a DR1000 (yet) but have had an iLiad. I think, for comic books and such, you should go with the larger screen. The iLiad is nice, but not quite large enough for that (at least not in my point of view).

I have also recently looked into the DR1000 and from what I can read in the posts in the dr1000 forum, it sounds like the software has now matured enough, and enough bugs have been fixed to make it a good buy. Also, some of the owners of DR1000 have had iLiad's and i got the impression that the DR1000 is a good deal better. It might have its quirks, but in my experience all ebook readers have that at the moment - I htink we are still a few years away from hardware and software that is that good (it's like computers were 15 years ago)

As for the release dates; the DR1000 was released Oct. 2008 and the 2nd ed. iLiad a year earlier. The 'Book' edition referred to in the matrix is the 2nd ed. without wi-fi and silver instead of black (says so just below the dates in the matrix

)

ericshliao · 08-25-2009, 04:06 PM

There is no CBZ/CBR reader for DR1000. For now, the only reader capable of reading CBZ/CBR is iLiad. I read comic a lot with my iLiad, but 10' screen should be better than 8'.

Chuckwade87 · 08-25-2009, 04:13 PM

Ok, so the DR will eventually be able to read these formats, like the iLiad does?

ericshliao · 08-25-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckwade87

Ok, so the DR will eventually be able to read these formats, like the iLiad does?

Maybe yes, maybe not. I don't know. The problem is that DR1000 does not have enough developer (or people enjoying porting Linux apps) base as iLiad does. Will the situation change in the future? You can expect it to come, but it may not come in the end.

pthwaite · 08-25-2009, 05:51 PM

My understanding is that the CBZ /CBR files are just zipped up archives. By changing the CBZ to zip you can unzip them. I'm guessing that what results is just a series of pictures and the DR will happily view jpgs etc.

Otherwise Calibre could import the files and convert to something else.
Having never had a CBZ file I'm only going on what I've read in the forums mind.

Chuckwade87 · 08-25-2009, 06:18 PM

I was looking at the controls for the DR and Im kind of skeptical, it seems that the paage is turned via buttons that have sensors and you dont actually push them, but it just senses your fnger on the button and does the rest. Is this correct for the most part? If so how does this effect the use ? I also see that you use the stylus for the most part to navigate while in the book, how is this experience?

HarryT · 08-26-2009, 03:28 AM

Having owned both an iLiad and a DR1000S, to my mind, iRex have "got it right" with the DR1000 - it's what the iLiad "should have been". iRex have given the DR1000 a much more rigid chassis which makes the machine feel a lot sturdier, and the user interface is drastically improved over the iLiad; the DR1000 has a generic "document framework" which means, for example, that you can look up words in a Mobi dictionary from within a PDF document. The "task manager" on the DR1000 makes it easy to have multiple documents open at once, and quickly flip between them.

I find that the capacitative sensors on the DR1000 work extremely well. They are "buttons", but buttons that don't physically "move", which means that you don't get any of the "finger strain" that you can have on some devices.

There are very few operations that you have to use the stylus for - remember that there is a version of the machine available without the touch screen! Pretty much everything can be done using the buttons. The only operation I've found for which you have to use the stylus is dictionary lookup, and there may be a "button" interface for that which I've not come across.

All in all, an excellent machine.

Chuckwade87 · 08-26-2009, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find that the capacitative sensors on the DR1000 work extremely well. They are "buttons", but buttons that don't physically "move", which means that you don't get any of the "finger strain" that you can have on some devices.

There are very few operations that you have to use the stylus for - remember that there is a version of the machine available without the touch screen! Pretty much everything can be done using the buttons. The only operation I've found for which you have to use the stylus is dictionary lookup, and there may be a "button" interface for that which I've not come across.

All in all, an excellent machine.

I didn´t realize that the DR1000 came in with or ithout the touch screen, is that model cheaper than thee one with the touch screen?
(not that im all that interestedd in one without a TS)

I´m continuing my search for a DR that is somewhat more 'afordable' than a brand new one for 800.00ish usd. and then you need to buy a case/cover for it

HarryT · 08-26-2009, 05:00 AM

The DR1000 is the model without the touch screen, the DR1000S the model with the touch screen. The DR1000 is a little cheaper.

It may seem expensive, but it's not really competing in the "eBook reader" market, but in the "tablet PC" market, for which it is very competitively priced.

pthwaite · 08-26-2009, 08:45 AM

I thought irex were no longer going ahead with the non-touchscreen version.

HarryT · 08-26-2009, 09:10 AM

You may be thinking of the version with WiFi - the DR1000SW. That's been "put on hold". The non-touchscreen version has always been available alongside the touchscreen model, to the best of my knowledge.

08-25-2009, 01:14 PM	#1
Chuckwade87 Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 42 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Grafenwoeher, Germany Device: Amazon Kindle/Sony PRS 505	iRex iLiad vs iRex DR I've been looking around for a larger screened reader, that can run PDFs fairly well. I have seen alot of comments on the DX, how its PDF functions suck. So thats what has made me turn away from the kindle DX for now. What I've also seen is that there are alot more iRex DR's in the Flea Market than there are iLiad's, so why is that? I looked at the Matrix and it seems they were release only a few months apart. What I need is something that can read PDF's, as well as something that can give .cbr/.cbz (comic book) files justice, because the Kindle 1 and 505 can't cut the mustard in that area.Plus I like having the ability to take notes via a stylus. But can you give me some more thoughts/advice on the subject?

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08-25-2009, 01:32 PM	#2
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	Personally, I'm very happy with the DR in all the functions you mentioned, except that I don't read comics on it. I'm not even sure how I'd get it to read .cbr files (FBReader? Maybe?). However, I don't have an Iliad to compare it with, so in that regard, I cannot advise you. What I've seen posted online makes me glad that I have what I have however. As to the Flea Market, several of the posts mentioned needing money, and I suspect in the current economic conditions, that may be their genuine reason.

08-25-2009, 01:35 PM	#3
pthwaite Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 430 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port, UK Device: DR1000S Sony PRS505 iPad iPhone	Pop over to the DR1000 forum, there are pictures their. The DR1000 is great for pdfs. A4 are easy to read and A3 can be zoomed and panned with ease too. The iliad was released years before the DR and iRex have stopped developing it now. However as the iliad has been out for so long there a lot more add on applications and general tweaks available for it than the DR which has only been available for just under a year.

08-25-2009, 02:20 PM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The DR800 (informal name) appears to be the 8" version of the DR1000, but very little is known about it yet. See Mainstream iRex 8.1-inch reader for 400$ (rumor). It will apparently only be sold in the US, because its 3G will be region specific, but there are plenty of Kindle's, for example, imported into Europe.

08-25-2009, 03:23 PM	#5
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	I haven't owned a DR1000 (yet) but have had an iLiad. I think, for comic books and such, you should go with the larger screen. The iLiad is nice, but not quite large enough for that (at least not in my point of view). I have also recently looked into the DR1000 and from what I can read in the posts in the dr1000 forum, it sounds like the software has now matured enough, and enough bugs have been fixed to make it a good buy. Also, some of the owners of DR1000 have had iLiad's and i got the impression that the DR1000 is a good deal better. It might have its quirks, but in my experience all ebook readers have that at the moment - I htink we are still a few years away from hardware and software that is that good (it's like computers were 15 years ago) As for the release dates; the DR1000 was released Oct. 2008 and the 2nd ed. iLiad a year earlier. The 'Book' edition referred to in the matrix is the 2nd ed. without wi-fi and silver instead of black (says so just below the dates in the matrix )

08-25-2009, 04:06 PM	#6
ericshliao Guru Posts: 976 Karma: 687 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Dell X51v; iLiad v2	There is no CBZ/CBR reader for DR1000. For now, the only reader capable of reading CBZ/CBR is iLiad. I read comic a lot with my iLiad, but 10' screen should be better than 8'.

08-25-2009, 04:13 PM	#7
Chuckwade87 Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 42 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Grafenwoeher, Germany Device: Amazon Kindle/Sony PRS 505	Ok, so the DR will eventually be able to read these formats, like the iLiad does?

08-25-2009, 05:51 PM	#9
pthwaite Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 430 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port, UK Device: DR1000S Sony PRS505 iPad iPhone	My understanding is that the CBZ /CBR files are just zipped up archives. By changing the CBZ to zip you can unzip them. I'm guessing that what results is just a series of pictures and the DR will happily view jpgs etc. Otherwise Calibre could import the files and convert to something else. Having never had a CBZ file I'm only going on what I've read in the forums mind.

08-25-2009, 06:18 PM	#10
Chuckwade87 Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 42 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Grafenwoeher, Germany Device: Amazon Kindle/Sony PRS 505	I was looking at the controls for the DR and Im kind of skeptical, it seems that the paage is turned via buttons that have sensors and you dont actually push them, but it just senses your fnger on the button and does the rest. Is this correct for the most part? If so how does this effect the use ? I also see that you use the stylus for the most part to navigate while in the book, how is this experience?

08-26-2009, 03:28 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Having owned both an iLiad and a DR1000S, to my mind, iRex have "got it right" with the DR1000 - it's what the iLiad "should have been". iRex have given the DR1000 a much more rigid chassis which makes the machine feel a lot sturdier, and the user interface is drastically improved over the iLiad; the DR1000 has a generic "document framework" which means, for example, that you can look up words in a Mobi dictionary from within a PDF document. The "task manager" on the DR1000 makes it easy to have multiple documents open at once, and quickly flip between them. I find that the capacitative sensors on the DR1000 work extremely well. They are "buttons", but buttons that don't physically "move", which means that you don't get any of the "finger strain" that you can have on some devices. There are very few operations that you have to use the stylus for - remember that there is a version of the machine available without the touch screen! Pretty much everything can be done using the buttons. The only operation I've found for which you have to use the stylus is dictionary lookup, and there may be a "button" interface for that which I've not come across. All in all, an excellent machine.

08-26-2009, 05:00 AM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The DR1000 is the model without the touch screen, the DR1000S the model with the touch screen. The DR1000 is a little cheaper. It may seem expensive, but it's not really competing in the "eBook reader" market, but in the "tablet PC" market, for which it is very competitively priced.

08-26-2009, 08:45 AM	#14
pthwaite Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 430 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port, UK Device: DR1000S Sony PRS505 iPad iPhone	I thought irex were no longer going ahead with the non-touchscreen version.

08-26-2009, 09:10 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You may be thinking of the version with WiFi - the DR1000SW. That's been "put on hold". The non-touchscreen version has always been available alongside the touchscreen model, to the best of my knowledge.