iRex 800 vs. BeBook Neo

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I use the Irex 800 with newspaper direct. Full page turns are a little slow, but otherwise it is great, a real "newspaper feel". The Epub files are just like the Calibre generated papers, not really what I am looking for. MGMueller is right, the German newspaper selection they have is mostly for the dogs (with a few exceptions) but I don't want to read a lot of local news, sports, and ads, anyway. I like the International Herald Tribune, perhaps the most informative. Not all papers can be downloaded to the reader though. I send them an e-mail and they gave me a free month trial.

Yes, direct download by WiFi is the only thing I miss.

I'm with you: Local newspapers are only of minor interest.
But I'd like to see "Süddeutsche Zeitung" or "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" or any other of the major ones. And not "Deggendorfer Zeitung" (no kidding). The latter certainly is a professional local newspaper. But how many people does it reach? 50.000?
You can have the big ones on their own websites. But usually, it's just PDFs. And the fun, reading a newspaper in its original size (> DIN A3) on a 6" inch reader is rather limited...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I'm with you: Local newspapers are only of minor interest.
But I'd like to see "Süddeutsche Zeitung" or "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" or any other of the major ones. And not "Deggendorfer Zeitung" (no kidding). The latter certainly is a professional local newspaper. But how many people does it reach? 50.000?
You can have the big ones on their own websites. But usually, it's just PDFs. And the fun, reading a newspaper in its original size (> DIN A3) on a 6" inch reader is rather limited...

Perhaps if all of those that are interested would write to the papers and ask them to participate in newspaper direct it would help. I personally would be happy with either one of those two you mentioned.

[lolivierlol]

In this match between Neo and iRex 800 about newspapers :
I deduce that iRex 800 is better, but may be the iLiad with wifi is a plus

My choice is in a good way now.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by lolivierlol

In this match between Neo and iRex 800 about newspapers :
I deduce that iRex 800 is better, but may be the iLiad with wifi is a plus

My choice is in a good way now.

I am not sure, but I think the newspaper direct reader only works on the DR800 and DR1000.

[lolivierlol]

Waps !

So, no wifi
I thought it was possible because on the irex web site they show a photo and newspapers capabilities on iLiad :

http://www.irextechnologies.com/products

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I am not sure, but I think the newspaper direct reader only works on the DR800 and DR1000.

Yes and no. There's no reader application on Neo, but on iRex. But you can export files for almost all readers ("export to Kindle"...).

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Yes and no. There's no reader application on Neo, but on iRex. But you can export files for almost all readers ("export to Kindle"...).

You can do that, but then it is just like a list of RSS feeds, not like a newspaper. You get the same info, but the feel and navigation is not what I want. Others may be happy with it. With that option, of course, any reader would be fine, even the most basic 5 inch. Just try it out.

[oncdoc]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Yes and no. There's no reader application on Neo, but on iRex. But you can export files for almost all readers ("export to Kindle"...).

mgmueller, i was wondering with the new firmware update for the dr 800 whats ur opinion now?

dr 800 getting better?

where did u get it anyway? thx

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by oncdoc

mgmueller, i was wondering with the new firmware update for the dr 800 whats ur opinion now?

dr 800 getting better?

where did u get it anyway? thx

The new firmware on iRex 800 solves most of the problems I've mentioned.
Somehow, BeBook Neo doesn't grow on me. The features are great, the price is more than competitive. But it never will be one of my absolute favorites. iRex 800 with the new firmware definitely ranks higher than BeBook Neo for me.
In my opinion, BeBook Neo has a single argument: € 100 cheaper in Europe than iRex 800. Without that gap, for example with more or less identical prices in the US, I'd clearly go for iRex 800.

BTW: I've ordered my iRex 800 directly from iRex in the Netherlands via their webshop.

[gastan]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

In my opinion, BeBook Neo has a single argument: € 100 cheaper in Europe than iRex 800. Without that gap, for example with more or less identical prices in the US, I'd clearly go for iRex 800.

If I don't hear some positive news about SiPix or Pixel Qi in the next few weeks I will be ordering a Neo. In my opinion it has at least four arguments in favor of it:
1. it is $100 cheaper than the DR800 in the US
2. it has wi-fi instead of 3G
3. it is not locked into only Barnes & Noble and their lousy pdb drm
4. it has basic web capabilities -- including e-mail, which is the important feature

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by gastan

If I don't hear some positive news about SiPix or Pixel Qi in the next few weeks I will be ordering a Neo. In my opinion it has at least four arguments in favor of it:
1. it is $100 cheaper than the DR800 in the US
2. it has wi-fi instead of 3G
3. it is not locked into only Barnes & Noble and their lousy pdb drm
4. it has basic web capabilities -- including e-mail, which is the important feature

Concerning issue 3.): iRex 800 isn't bound to B&N. You can use any source with ADE scheme = ePUB/PDF.
Concerning "web capabilities": I find Spring Design's Alex quite interesting: Full blown LCD, equal to iPhone, for surfing the web. And in addition, the usual 6" ePaper display. I don't use the web function very often (just the usual Wikipedia search), but it works very well.

[HansTWN]

It really depends on what is important. Yes, I wish the iRex had WiFi, but in the end browsing on a computer is a much better experience.

But now that I have the iRex I would never want to go back to a 6" screen. The 8" is just so much more convenient.

[lolivierlol]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Briefly, after 1 hour with BeBook Neo:

BeBook Neo:
Pros:
WiFi: To me, way more important than 3G.
SD card: Easy to exchange, standard SD card.
Touchscreen plus jogdial: Obviously I prefer the touchscreen. But even without stylus you have the same functionality as for example with Sony 300.
Mobipocket support: Great, I really missed that.
PDB support: Haven't tried it yet, but it's in the manual.
Zoom: It's got the "intelligent" zoom we know from iRex iLiad (marking any area via stylus and exploding to full screen). For the moment, that's missing on iRex 800.

Cons:
Metadata: So far, it only does show the filenames, not the metadata. I don't like that at all.
WiFi data: It doesn't remember my standard network, so I can't login automatically.

About the wifi : With the new firmware 1.4, there is a better gestion of wifi connection.

1/ You can now have in memory login and passwd for a quick connection, or for your pressdisplay reader account, or ...
2/ You have a gestion of WEP, WPA, WPA2 and encryption TKIP, AES for many providers or network.
3/ When you have a lots of wifi acces, you can now turn pages in order to find your provider (yes, downtow sometimes you can have more than 10 access points and don't find your on the first page !!).
4/ Proxy management if you want to go outside your buisness network (or to access of your university subscription).

For me it was a real progress about this new firmware and it allow me to download easier my newspaper directly on wifi ! It change my point of view of the book since this new firmware.