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Old 01-22-2009, 02:20 AM   #1
KingDani
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need some advice

well after several months of hopeless waiting , I am about to order a 1000S model since there is no sight of 1000SW being released.
but i wanted to know , do any of you have news about the SW version? I wanted to buy Iliad 2nd edition, since i really love to have wifi ,so i'll be able to view some news websites , but i also am considering the bigger screen and probably more viable updates on digital reader.
besides , does any of you have the following information:
.either digital reader or 2nd edition support SDHC cards?
. is there a reasonably effortless way of viewing large CHM files on either of those?
thanks
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Old 01-22-2009, 04:34 AM   #2
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As far as the 1000S goes:
- SDHC cards work fine, at least confirmed up to 16GB, but you have to (re)format them on a Mac/PC if that becomes necessary (not in the reader itself).
- CHM files can be read using the free FBreader application, and optional support to open them with it automagically exists as well. How large, I don't know; haven't used one yet that didn't work.
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Old 01-22-2009, 05:03 AM   #3
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The iLiad supports MMC cards, so it will accept some SD cards up to 1GB only. iLiads don't support SDHC. I use a larger capacity SD card in a USB card reader stick, as they plug directly into the top of the iLiad. I haven't tried SDHC like this - it may work.

You may find browsing news websites with the iLiad via wifi quite slow. I do browse with the iLiad via wifi, but only when I have time to spare.

CHM files can be converted to Mobipocket format (the simplest way is by dragging and dropping the CHM file onto Mobipocket Reader on a PC) and I've done this successfully with small CHM files. Multi-level hyperlinks worked and the file was quite fast to load and browse. I doubt a large complex CHM would convert well by this method, though.

While the SW will come with a browser, I suspect browsing news websites with that might not be a satisfactory experience. No timeline for the SW yet.
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Old 01-22-2009, 02:49 PM   #4
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thanks for the advice allovertheglobe and cbell

now i have this question : in your personal opinion , will it make sense to wait another couple of months to recieve a decent SW?
and if it finally comes , wouldn't it be over 1k USD?
cheers
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Old 01-22-2009, 09:23 PM   #5
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Bluetooth and wifi are very attractive options.

The DR1000SW will be able to auto-download new issues of newspapers automatically, if you have PressReader loaded and a current PressDisplay subscription.

I don't know what the price will be, except I'd expect it to be more than the DR1000S. I also don't know if it the SW will be available within a couple of months...
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Old 01-23-2009, 06:04 AM   #6
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hi,

the one outstanding feature of DR1000 is its screen. i think the best available today

but that is where its good points end. i bought one in nov and have spent frustrating time with it. last week, out of sheer desperation and annoyance, i bought a sony prs 700. compared to the sony reader, here is how i would rate DR1000S

- build quality : DR1000s can only be described as something the cat left behind - cheap plastic, not even well aligned. i wouldnt be surprised if it is made of plastic that has been recycled one too many times
- ergonomics : it sucks. i have yet to find anyone who did not press buttons accidentally .
- slowwwwww: if you do pdf with anything other than text - it takes ages to turn pages. there are many posts on this site which talk about whether on not pdf is optimized but bottom line is that the sony reader (and any other device i have, and there are quite a few) can handle them effortlessly that iRex cant.
- battery life is just very poor.
- the case is the ugliest thing i have ever seen - badly stitched leather which doubles the thickness and weight of the device!!!!

granted that many of these problems can be fixed (like battery life and pdf rendering) but so far the only thing i have seen is an indication that iRex will address battery life - but no dates - sometime in future. they dont even acknowledge that there is a pdf rendering problem so i guess that means that they have no intentions of fixing it. and remember that there are some serious issues which cannot be fixed by software update.

so, if you want a display you can drool over, go ahead and get one, else my advice will be to wait for something with decent usability and performance.

since i bought the sony reader last week, i only use the irex for the newsreader app, which is really good and read all my newspapers.

good luck!

/bazmi.
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Old 01-24-2009, 04:54 PM   #7
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thanks for your thorough response.
well i myself was contemplating either Irex Iliad or the Sony reader 700.
but i thought of them both , with some setbacks:
the Iliad is some sort of a step back , not forth , since it was around for more than 2 years. i need something that reads NEW all over it. if i'm gonna pay over 400 pounds , i'm gonna make it worth the money.
the Sony Reader , is a good choice , yet i am not sure how it works , i mean , can i see unprotected DPF and CHM files on it? will it be able to show iSilo compatible PDB files too?
thanks for your feedback guys , a while a go i posted on this very same forum and got absolutely no response after two weeks, it's like i'm in another forum
cheers
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Old 01-24-2009, 07:42 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KingDani View Post
the Sony Reader , is a good choice , yet i am not sure how it works , i mean , can i see unprotected DPF and CHM files on it? will it be able to show iSilo compatible PDB files too?
If you have a Windows PC you can check out the PRS-700 capabilities (except landscape support, which is probably helpful for some PDFs) using Sony's Windows ebook Reader. My original post was for the PRS-505, but the latest version emulates the PRS-700 (5 zoom levels vs 3 levels).

Calibre can convert many ebook formats to LRF or ePub for the PRS-700 (or to MOBI for the DR1000). However, it does not support iSilo and I don't think any EInk device can read iSilo currently. Calibre also does not support CHM, but CHM can be exploded to HTML which might work with Calibre (CHM -> HTML -> ePub). You can certainly use MobiPocket Reader to go from CHM to MOBI and then Calibre from MOBI to ePub for the PRS-700.

FBReader is available for the Iliad and DR1000 (and the BeBook via OpenInkPot), and it reads CHM. However, a limitation of FBReader is that it reads the entire ebook into memory before starting. CHMs tend to be big, and even the DR1000's 128 MB of memory may not be enough (and startup will be slow, even if it works for large CHMs). You can try out FBReader on any Desktop PC. The DR1000S version is essentially the Linux Desktop version (and the Windows version is very similar).
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Old 01-25-2009, 05:52 AM   #9
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Touch Screens

Hello all,

I have been a long time user of the PRS-500 and PRS-505. I recently bought the PRS-700 on the strength of the touch screen. It went back 3 days later.

The menu system and reduction of buttons were great, BUT the device was almost unusable by these old eyes. The contrast and clarity were nowhere near as crisp as the PRS-505 and the glare was a big problem. It was like reading before I had cataract surgery in both eyes.

Having said that, I am concerned that when I finally receive my 1000S (who knows when) that the contrast and clarity will also be inferior (albeit on a bigger page) than the PRS-505. Does the touch membrane / technology on the 1000 diminish the contrast and clarity?

Thanks,

Not even a Newbie Yet - Alex

p.s. I posted this here since there seemed to be a number of comparisons (in previous comments) of the 1000 to the PRS-700.

Last edited by Mookie; 01-25-2009 at 05:54 AM. Reason: add comment
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Old 01-25-2009, 09:08 AM   #10
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The short answer is no. The DR1000s display is very good indeed.

regards
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Old 01-25-2009, 03:45 PM   #11
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thanks wallcraft ,
well you're saying that isilo(PDB) is not yet supported on any ebook reader?
and are you suggesting that sony ebook reader does have the capability to read all unlocked PDF books too?

what about our fellow's note here , about under par screen res of 700 ?

and finally , if i plan to buy a 500 , does it in your opinion not a step back? since it was released 3 years ago . or is it the inertia of the ebook reader market that mandates this sorts of decisions?
thanks again
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Old 01-25-2009, 03:50 PM   #12
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The display in the Sony PRS-700 is probably crisp and clear in itself. It is the touch screen layer, extra thick glass and spacing for the front lighting which makes it... as it is. As the DR1000 (and the 505) doesn't have these extra layers on top of the display, it doesn't suffer from the degradation.
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Old 01-26-2009, 09:46 AM   #13
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hi mookie,

i havent seen the PRS 500 or 505 displays so cant compare them, but certainly compared to PRS700 the DR1000S is much much better. it is clearer, bigger and without glare. the wacom layer doesnt seem to have a negative effect on display readability.

good luck with your DR1000S. i am just waiting for the s/w update and also a good app for using it as a writing pad. then the wait would be worth it.

cheers,

/bazmi.
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Old 01-26-2009, 10:30 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mookie View Post
Hello all,

I have been a long time user of the PRS-500 and PRS-505. I recently bought the PRS-700 on the strength of the touch screen. It went back 3 days later.

The menu system and reduction of buttons were great, BUT the device was almost unusable by these old eyes. The contrast and clarity were nowhere near as crisp as the PRS-505 and the glare was a big problem. It was like reading before I had cataract surgery in both eyes.
That has to do with the extra layers Sony added on top of the eInk display in order to support the light and touch screen. You're basically looking through those layers in order to see the ink, so the contrast is much worse than other eInk devices.

Quote:
Having said that, I am concerned that when I finally receive my 1000S (who knows when) that the contrast and clarity will also be inferior (albeit on a bigger page) than the PRS-505. Does the touch membrane / technology on the 1000 diminish the contrast and clarity?
No. On the DR1000, the touch membrane (WACOM layer) is under the eInk display, not on top of it. So it doesn't effect the contrast/clarity at all.
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Old 01-27-2009, 12:49 AM   #15
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thanks all for all the incoming advice . but for not too go beyond what i've asked, does anybody knows in Amazon kindle does the same thing, i mean is it meant for only online book downloading , or can it be used with ebooks on your desktop , in PDF format?
cheers
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