Why is the Ebookwise 1150 a Legacy Device? -- Please note: it's *not* anymore :)

[jbenny]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

In that case, where is Ebookwise getting them? I strongly doubt that they would sell them retail without a wholesale source. At the very least they would job it out to a small manufacturer.

P.S. I just checked Ebay. There are enough different sellers that someone has to be still making them.

I don't know this for a fact, but my understanding is that there is still a huge warehouse full of 1150 readers from the GemStar days. Considering that the sales of units can't be too high, I don't see any reason that this couldn't be true. And considering how small SmartMedia cards are, you could store a lifetime supply of those in your closet.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by jbenny

I don't know this for a fact, but my understanding is that there is still a huge warehouse full of 1150 readers from the GemStar days. Considering that the sales of units can't be too high, I don't see any reason that this couldn't be true. And considering how small SmartMedia cards are, you could store a lifetime supply of those in your closet.

The 1150 came out, what, 4 years ago? Given the low price and long time period, I bet there are more 1150s out there than Sony Readers. Also, I know that the president of ETI was in here once, and I think he said that they still made the 1150.

Anyway, the whole point of this topic is that the Ebookwise 1150 should to be taken out of the legacy devices subforum.

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by jbenny

huge warehouse full of 1150 readers from the GemStar days. Considering that the sales of units can't be too high

I got my eBookwise two years ago, and the serial number is only 3750, which suggests they're not flying off the shelves. (Find someone who bought a year before or after and a rate might be estimated.) I have to think units are no longer being manufactured: surely it's not difficult to change the name being silk-screened on, yet the hardware is branded Gemstar, with eBookwise only pasted over the old name.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Jadon

I got my eBookwise two years ago, and the serial number is only 3750, which suggests they're not flying off the shelves. (Find someone who bought a year before or after and a rate might be estimated.) I have to think units are no longer being manufactured: surely it's not difficult to change the name being silk-screened on, yet the hardware is branded Gemstar, with eBookwise only pasted over the old name.

I just bought one, and will tell you what the SN is when I get it.

[nekokami]

Apart from the backlight (which many people do like), a main attraction of the 1150 is the low cost. An e ink version would probably cost around $300, like the other e ink units out there. I don't know if it could compete. I suppose it would depend on what other features it offered. A touch-sensitive overlay might not add too much expense, but as I understand it, the touch-sensitive (as opposed to Wacom-style pressure-sensitive) overlay isn't transparent enough for a reflection-only display. Adding a side-light as well as the Wacom screen would probably bump the price up to the range of the iLiad.

[Jadon]

On cost, you can get a tablet-convertible portable DVD player with a seven-inch screen for the cost of an EBookwise. I've long wondered why one of the companies that makes these couldn't put simple TXT and HTML viewing capabilities in one, maybe add an SD slot, and sell a movie player that also does simple books. It would cost very little, and might get them a few more sales.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Jadon

On cost, you can get a tablet-convertible portable DVD player with a seven-inch screen for the cost of an EBookwise. I've long wondered why one of the companies that makes these couldn't put simple TXT and HTML viewing capabilities in one, maybe add an SD slot, and sell a movie player that also does simple books. It would cost very little, and might get them a few more sales.

You can't get 20 hours of pleasure out of one of those on one charge.

Dale

[mogui]

Originally Posted by Jadon

On cost, you can get a tablet-convertible portable DVD player with a seven-inch screen for the cost of an EBookwise. I've long wondered why one of the companies that makes these couldn't put simple TXT and HTML viewing capabilities in one, maybe add an SD slot, and sell a movie player that also does simple books. It would cost very little, and might get them a few more sales.

Good idea.! Do you have any ideas on hacking a portable DVD player?

The low-end eBw is only US$110. It has a USB interface and ergonomic features. The only "legacy" factor I can see is that the Smartmedia card is almost junque. Without the card it will still hold about a dozen eBooks -- good enough for me.

At that price I could see picking up one or two for hacking. It would make a great platform for an open-source reader software initiative.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by mogui

Good idea.! Do you have any ideas on hacking a portable DVD player?

The low-end eBw is only US$110. It has a USB interface and ergonomic features. The only "legacy" factor I can see is that the Smartmedia card is almost junque. Without the card it will still hold about a dozen eBooks -- good enough for me.

At that price I could see picking up one or two for hacking. It would make a great platform for an open-source reader software initiative.

Certainly would and the Smartmedia card could easily be hardware hacked for XD cards. They are electrically the same and you can already buy SM to XD card adapters. I do not know if the current rom would support greater than 128 Meg but then if you are hacking the OS this would be easy to fix.

Dale

[Nate the great]

So is the 1150 going to get its own forum?

Please consider these facts:

There are more 1150 owners on this forum than Kindle owners (obviously), yet the Kindle has its own forum.

There are more 1150 owners on this forum than Hanlin owners (obviously), yet the Hanlin has its own forum.

There are more 1150 owners on this forum than Cybook owners (obviously), yet the Cybook has its own forum.

[wallcraft]

I agree that the 1150 should have its own forum under E-Book Devices. If that isn't going to happen, then 2nd best would be for it to have its own Sub-Forum under Legacy E-Book Devices.

I also think there should be a separate forum under E-Book Uploads for IMP Books. At the moment it is hard to find non-IMP books in the Other Books forum because of all the IMP books. Any format this popular (measured in uploads) deserves its own forum.

[UncleDuke]

rat shack here in nyc doesn't have sm cards anymore, if rat shack don't have it, it ain't being made anymore

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

You can't get 20 hours of pleasure out of one of those on one charge.

You can't get twenty hours on a portable DVD player when playing DVDs, but you're powering the drive, which is a huge cost, and you likely have the backlight on higher for a film than you would for text. Decoding video also has to be costlier in terms of power than displaying text, but that may not be a big deal. If such a device could be used for ebooks you're probably talking about getting three or four times the usage on a charge. Maybe not 20 hours, but quite possibly 8 or 10. So it's a charge-every-night device, instead of every few, as the eBookwise. Still workable.

On eBookwise cost, for at least the last two years the site has had a December sale. I paid $99 for mine, IIRC.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Jadon

You can't get twenty hours on a portable DVD player when playing DVDs, but you're powering the drive, which is a huge cost, and you likely have the backlight on higher for a film than you would for text. Decoding video also has to be costlier in terms of power than displaying text, but that may not be a big deal. If such a device could be used for ebooks you're probably talking about getting three or four times the usage on a charge. Maybe not 20 hours, but quite possibly 8 or 10.

Seems to be the screen that's the biggest battery drainer, rather than the drive, at least for a hard-disk based unit. Eg, I have an Archos media player. It will play about 4h of movies, but about 20h of MP3 on a battery charge, the difference being that the screen is blank while it's playing MP3s.

I would imagine, though, that a DVD drive probably requires more power than a hard disk.

[Nate the great]

I really don't think it's a legacy device. Mine just arrived, and I am pleased by the quality. It does not look like old stock that has been refurbished; it looks new.