iRex DR800SG Delayed till end of November

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by junkyardwillie

Its really just a big ipod touch which doesn't cut it for me.

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. It's a 10" ipod touch.

It'll still be very rough to get a eReader device sold for more than this one is priced at for non hardcore readers which is a big portion of the market.

Most people in the eInk market are already getting eInk because they don't want to use an LCD notebook/tablet for reading. The iPad is an LCD notebook/tablet. Non hardcore readers will be a big portion of the iPad market, but hardcore readers pretty much IS the eReader market.

What amused me were all the people who were claiming it was the best device ever. They didn't even know anything about it at the time (neither what it did or what it was), they just knew that it was the best device ever. Now that they know what it does, they think it'll kill every other device that does anything even remotely similar. Gotta love Apple marketing.

[badbob001]

Hopefully, the iPad will help bring device prices down, since choosing a $400-$450 DR800SG knowing that the jesus-tablet is at $500 does make one wonder if one is overpaying. If Amazon lowers their Kindle DX price, then IREX may feel some pressure to lower theirs. Certainly the $800 Que with wifi + 3G seems a little overpriced with the iPad wifi + 3G at $629. But frankly, can device-only makers like IREX compete price-wise with companies like Apple or Amazon who can sustain their lower margins with multiple sources of income? I hate this, but it looks like I have to wait for the industry to settle down a bit before I can purchase a reader.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by etienne66

Only if the Irex DR800SG has a 10 hour battery life like the iPad. The iPad doesn't impress me, but I'm sure the Apple fanbois are all over it.

Etienne66

Do you really think the DR800 will have that much battery life?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Do you really think the DR800 will have that much battery life?

Initial reports from people who have a DR800S show that it's already well past that and still going.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by badbob001

I hate this, but it looks like I have to wait for the industry to settle down a bit before I can purchase a reader.

It's a never ending cycle though. If you wait until this generation settles down... guess what... the next generation is right around the corner, so you might as well wait until that one settles down. rinse. repeat.

[Mr. Goodbar]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

It's a never ending cycle though. If you wait until this generation settles down... guess what... the next generation is right around the corner, so you might as well wait until that one settles down. rinse. repeat.

Very true. The pace of change is getting every faster. At some point you just need to jump in after assessing whether a device meets your needs. It's a given that a better (faster, smaller, bigger, better battery, etc.) device will be available within 3 months of any purchase.

Looking at the iPad, it's pretty much exactly what I was expecting and at the same time, rather underwhelming from my perspective. I'm sure they're going to sell a ton of them, but it seems like the competition is more of the netbook market. It will certainly be interesting to see how things shake out.

[badbob001]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

It's a never ending cycle though. If you wait until this generation settles down... guess what... the next generation is right around the corner, so you might as well wait until that one settles down. rinse. repeat.

I'm more concerned with the current high prices than anything else. The available readers are rather expensive given the rather old technology within them (barebone OS, low resolution e-paper displays, weak hardware, low storage). Seeing the shiny new ipad come at a shockingly okay price (it's cheaper than an unsubsidized iphone), I think prices can come down much more.

Imagine swapping the display of the ipad with e-ink... that 1GHz cpu and likely 512MB-1GB of ram will tear through the most complex vector-filled PDFs that would stall the current crop of 400MHz freescale 64-128MB e-ink readers.

[paulckennedy]

Originally Posted by badbob001

Hopefully, the iPad will help bring device prices down, since choosing a $400-$450 DR800SG knowing that the jesus-tablet is at $500 does make one wonder if one is overpaying. If Amazon lowers their Kindle DX price, then IREX may feel some pressure to lower theirs. Certainly the $800 Que with wifi + 3G seems a little overpriced with the iPad wifi + 3G at $629. But frankly, can device-only makers like IREX compete price-wise with companies like Apple or Amazon who can sustain their lower margins with multiple sources of income? I hate this, but it looks like I have to wait for the industry to settle down a bit before I can purchase a reader.

Shouldn't it be the Moses-Tablet? It is amazing that Steve Jobs didn't have Charleston Heston walk out in robes presenting the world with the iPad!

[Kolenka]

Jesus Phone and Moses Tablet... I like the sound of that.

[steffi]

That would be truly impressive indeed given that he's dead already.

Originally Posted by paulckennedy

Shouldn't it be the Moses-Tablet? It is amazing that Steve Jobs didn't have Charleston Heston walk out in robes presenting the world with the iPad!

[paulckennedy]

Originally Posted by steffi

That would be truly impressive indeed given that he's dead already.

I am so used to his NRA junk that I thought he was still around.


If he was around I definately would not have put it past Steve Jobs.

Charleston Heston rest in peace.

[etienne66]

Over on the Irex Forum someone pointed out that the Irex is showing on Best Buy's website again.

But it is "Sold Out Online."

Etienne66

[badbob001]

Originally Posted by etienne66

Over on the Irex Forum someone pointed out that the Irex is showing on Best Buy's website again.

But it is "Sold Out Online."

Price is $399. Head implodes from trying to make sense in the sudden rationality.

But we'll see. Irex can tease more than deliver.