Wizpac txtr reader announced - the Kindle killer?

[pilotbob]

Where are these "sliders" you talk of?

BOb

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Where are these "sliders" you talk of?

It is the cross on the "left" side (device is reversable, so these could be on the right). See Post #24.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

It is the cross on the "left" side (device is reversable, so these could be on the right). See Post #24.

So, that is not a button? It is some touch sensitive thing that you "slide" your fingers over I presume?

BOb

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, that is not a button? It is some touch sensitive thing that you "slide" your fingers over I presume?

The iLiad DR1000 has similar "capacitive" keys, which have not generally got good reviews on it - but they may be better as a slider and I think the ridge of plastic round the touch location may help too.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The iLiad DR1000 has similar "capacitive" keys, which have not generally got good reviews on it - but they may be better as a slider and I think the ridge of plastic round the touch location may help too.

I can't wait to see a video of it in action. And if they want to send me a review unit I won't complain.

BOb

[hanasea]

God, I'm waiting for kindle and looking for other devices such as iLiad, Sony 505 and 700. and there is one more new nice, lovely, amazing thing is comming..

Maybe I should wait and see =)

[noonscoomo]

The upper and lower circles are buttons, the cross is realized as a slider (which works as button as well if you touch shortly). Problem with the Iliad is, that you can't use it blind because you always will trigger it if you try to find out which one it is. In our design, you can feel which one it is and then decide to touch it or to slide. The vertical slider is used to choose a menu, a page turn is realized with a horizontal slide.

[noonscoomo]

The design is close to finalization.
It will have a dictionary. Not sure if we can realize that for all document types but I am sure you will fix that later ;-)
Text input is not T9 but something similar and optimized for the sliders but it's really nothing you will write more then some real short notes or type a search term. It's much better to mark some text and attach the notes to it later on txtr.com. Marks and annotation will be send back to the txtr server (if you permit that) related to the document. Formats will be documented. And please don't kill us if not all features work in the first software release ;-) It's a "trade of" between getting the hardware soon and having all software features.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by noonscoomo

The design is close to finalization.
It will have a dictionary. Not sure if we can realize that for all document types but I am sure you will fix that later ;-)

oh, nice ! txtr just moved even higher on my list.

Text input is not T9 but something similar and optimized for the sliders but it's really nothing you will write more then some real short notes or type a search term. It's much better to mark some text and attach the notes to it later on txtr.com. Marks and annotation will be send back to the txtr server (if you permit that) related to the document.

good to know. in my case i would mostly need to mark errors to fix and sometimes indicate the correction, and from time to time i like to add a note to a text i'm reading, the same way you might add an inscription in the margin of a paper book. i don't mean to write a novel on the thing though. it's great that the notes will be retrievable ; that's a big shortcoming of the eb1150, you can take notes as much as you like by writing on the screen, but the notes are stuck on the device, cannot be exported or integrated into the document, and if you delete the file the notes are gone.

Formats will be documented. And please don't kill us if not all features work in the first software release ;-) It's a "trade of" between getting the hardware soon and having all software features.

that makes sense. it sounds as if developpment will continue to be very active and that is encouraging. really looking forward to seeing this device !

[HarryT]

Will this device support MobiPocket? That is currently an important de facto standard in the eBook world, and lack of support for it would be very disappointing.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Mr. Goodbar

Touch is definitely the way to go "if" it doesn't sacrifice readability and as you point out there is enough of a bezel to still hold the device without flipping pages.

I disagree - I personally dislike touch screens for reading on intensely: the last thing I want to do is read through a "haze" of fingerprints on the screen. Give me hardware buttons any day.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I disagree - I personally dislike touch screens for reading on intensely: the last thing I want to do is read through a "haze" of fingerprints on the screen. Give me hardware buttons any day.

i guess it's good there is such a variety of devices available, since different people have different preferences. i am quite the opposite of you, for instance : i don't care about mobipocket at all but epub is essential to me, and i really appreciate the ergonomy and functionality of a touchscreen. i've had no worries with fingerprints on my eb1150 *or* on my sony 700, and both have touchscreens which i use frequently.

[HarryT]

It's just something that really "bugs" me. I have an iPod Touch which I use primarily as a portable video viewer, but I have an irresistable compulsion to polish the screen every time I touch it - I just can't bear fingerprints on a screen .

The PRS-700 has hardware button for page turning in addition to the touch screen, does it not? That seems like the ideal compromise - to give people the choice.

[zelda_pinwheel]

i think fingerprints are more of a problem on a highly glossy, luminous screen like an ipod or phone ; as i said, i've never had a problem with them on either of my liseuses (meaning there aren't any, not that i don't mind them), however on my telephone (also touchscreen, but much glossier) sometimes i notice them. but i don't use it for watching video, so i can live with it. also i do take care to use my devices (liseuse, phone...) with clean hands.

on a small device like a liseuse a touchscreen allows for exponentially more / better implemented features, and stunningly improved ergonomy. navigating menus when you have only one button drives me mad. it's the same reason i hated sending text messages on my old telephone : 5 presses for one letter ! arg !! my new telephone has a touchscreen and can display a full keyboard and the difference in comfort is striking. i still don't send many texts but at least when i do i'm not aggravated half to death. a touch screen allows me to much better use and interact with my texts, and really take full advantage of them. i feel i am getting a much better reading experience.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I disagree - I personally dislike touch screens for reading on intensely: the last thing I want to do is read through a "haze" of fingerprints on the screen. Give me hardware buttons any day.

I have a lot of "fingerprints" on my Cybook and on my phone but when I read from the screen I do not notice them and I do not believe they give any "haze". I think they are more of something you get irritated by when you happens to see them at some specific angles.