E-book device (E Ink, 2nd-generation) comparison matrix

Alexander Turcic · 03-24-2006, 06:12 PM

We've compiled an overview of forthcoming 2nd-gen e-book reader devices that are all based on E Ink technology. They include two readers from Chinese Jinke (HanLin V2 and V8), one from Sony (Sony Portable Reader), and one from Dutch-based iRex (iLiad).

Link to the overview: https://www.mobileread.com/eink/

For corrections or add-ons, feel free to post anything that comes to your mind in this thread.

Also my thanks to May from Jinke for sending me his version of the device matrix. If I had to pick one of the devices based on quality of customer service, it'd certainly be a Jinke HanLin reader.

Snappy! · 03-24-2006, 08:07 PM

Wow! Great compilation of all the devices and their info in a side-by-side comparison chart! Neat!

luag · 03-25-2006, 10:59 AM

that is very useful! many thanks for compiling it

edit: i'm surprised sony reader can read RTF and txt now...

avid · 03-25-2006, 04:51 PM

Forgive my ignorance - I am recently knew to the world of ebooks and the associated technology. I have been excited to read this and other forums, but do have a question about the comparison chart for the eink readers.

What is built-in DRM? Does this mean that they will only be able to read DRM ebooks in their own format? Will any of them (probably not the Sony) be able to read DRM pdf's or Mobipocket or ?

Thanks for the reply, and thanks for such a great forum!

Alexander Turcic · 03-26-2006, 06:24 AM

Welcome avid! It means every device has software that is capable of "supporting" DRM in one way or the other. While this is not directly significant to the consumer, it is significant to the publisher (unfortunately), who at the end decides what copyright-protected material will be available for the device.

Alexander Turcic · 03-26-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luag

that is very useful! many thanks for compiling it

edit: i'm surprised sony reader can read RTF and txt now...

It does - well indirectly, its Windows software converts text, RTF, and PDF to BBeB prior loading the text onto the device.

rmeister0 · 03-26-2006, 10:09 AM

I think this is the kind of things that manufacturers should be taken to task for.

Yes, I'm being picky, but if you have to convert a file from RTF or TXT to some other format to make it readable, than it is dishonest to say that the Sony Reader "supports" RTF or TXT. Supports should mean, to my ornery self, you can load an RTF or TXT file right on the thing and it will work.

I wish the marketing literature did a better job of differentiating what formats are supported natively (without conversion) and which ones are supported via conversion. This is why I am still confused about whether or not PDF is natively supported, because the blurbs on the Sony website suggest it both ways.

Mostly, I'm just tired of converting stuff.

avid · 03-26-2006, 10:36 AM

Got it - thanks! I guess there is hope...
The Iliad looks like the best bet - for me because of screen size. Cost is a concern though.
Tha ability to carry documents in such a nice sized reader would sure be nice.

CommanderROR · 03-26-2006, 10:57 AM

Some VERY interesting new info from the Teleread Blog...apparently iRex told Banko Collins (he visited them and is now writing a review on Teleread) that the Iliad can handle 10000+ Page-Turns on a fully loaded battery. WOW!
If that is correct and true, then I'll go with the Iliad as my first Eink device I think...even if the price of around 550Euro is a bit on the heavy side...

Now what i'm wondering about is the fact that the iRex homepage talks about 21 hours...which is incompatible with the page-turn number in my opinion...any views on that?

Laurens · 03-26-2006, 11:18 AM

Slight correction: iRex has been around a good while longer than since 2005. (I think 2001.)

Alexander Turcic · 03-26-2006, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

Slight correction: iRex has been around a good while longer than since 2005. (I think 2001.)

Thanks, that's correct, I found reference to 2001 here:
http://eetimes.com/news/latest/showA...leID=175006885

Alexander Turcic · 03-26-2006, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CommanderROR

Some VERY interesting new info from the Teleread Blog...apparently iRex told Banko Collins (he visited them and is now writing a review on Teleread) that the Iliad can handle 10000+ Page-Turns on a fully loaded battery. WOW!

So it's about the same as for the HanLin readers. Thanks, I put that info in our matrix!

CCDMan · 03-26-2006, 12:46 PM

My concern right now is less the DRM than the content availability. Sony, for all it's bad DRM history, seems to at least have addressed this, while content for the others are a big question mark at this point. Since for me this is a recreational reading device - not for practical, educational, or business use, I would be really hesitant to buy anything but the Sony until I know that the same or better level of content will be available for the others.

I would also think that textbooks would be a wonderful niche for these. I can remember carrying many pounds of bulky texts to class though 8 years of college! I wonder if anyone is planning this use? It could be a big foot in the door and given the cost of college texts, the $350 or so cost of the devices would not be all that significant.

eduj · 03-26-2006, 06:27 PM

I read the matrix comparison post that you have made available. I'm wondering is there anyway to anticipate the quality i.e. the longevity of these second generation ebook readers? I have a ebookman 911 and it is starting to breakdown and I don't think I can get it fixed. Do you think one manufactuer-Sony,Jinke, Dutch- is more reliable than the other two? It's my experience that if things go wrong with the hardware they don't repair it, they replace it. What kind of warranty is coming with these new units. TIA EDUJ

luag · 03-26-2006, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmeister0

I think this is the kind of things that manufacturers should be taken to task for.

Yes, I'm being picky, but if you have to convert a file from RTF or TXT to some other format to make it readable, than it is dishonest to say that the Sony Reader "supports" RTF or TXT. Supports should mean, to my ornery self, you can load an RTF or TXT file right on the thing and it will work.

I wish the marketing literature did a better job of differentiating what formats are supported natively (without conversion) and which ones are supported via conversion. This is why I am still confused about whether or not PDF is natively supported, because the blurbs on the Sony website suggest it both ways.

Mostly, I'm just tired of converting stuff.

i agree

03-24-2006, 06:12 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	E-book device (E Ink, 2nd-generation) comparison matrix We've compiled an overview of forthcoming 2nd-gen e-book reader devices that are all based on E Ink technology. They include two readers from Chinese Jinke (HanLin V2 and V8), one from Sony (Sony Portable Reader), and one from Dutch-based iRex (iLiad). Link to the overview: https://www.mobileread.com/eink/ For corrections or add-ons, feel free to post anything that comes to your mind in this thread. Also my thanks to May from Jinke for sending me his version of the device matrix. If I had to pick one of the devices based on quality of customer service, it'd certainly be a Jinke HanLin reader.

03-25-2006, 10:59 AM	#3
luag Zealot Posts: 144 Karma: 30 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Device: Onyx Boox 60	that is very useful! many thanks for compiling it edit: i'm surprised sony reader can read RTF and txt now... Last edited by luag; 03-25-2006 at 08:59 PM.

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03-24-2006, 08:07 PM	#2
Snappy! Addict Posts: 260 Karma: 4256 Join Date: Feb 2006 Device: SHARP Zaurus C1000	Wow! Great compilation of all the devices and their info in a side-by-side comparison chart! Neat!

03-25-2006, 04:51 PM	#4
avid Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 97 Join Date: Mar 2006 Device: Palm TX, Ebookwise 1150, Cybook Gen 3	Forgive my ignorance - I am recently knew to the world of ebooks and the associated technology. I have been excited to read this and other forums, but do have a question about the comparison chart for the eink readers. What is built-in DRM? Does this mean that they will only be able to read DRM ebooks in their own format? Will any of them (probably not the Sony) be able to read DRM pdf's or Mobipocket or ? Thanks for the reply, and thanks for such a great forum!

03-26-2006, 06:24 AM	#5
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Welcome avid! It means every device has software that is capable of "supporting" DRM in one way or the other. While this is not directly significant to the consumer, it is significant to the publisher (unfortunately), who at the end decides what copyright-protected material will be available for the device.

03-26-2006, 10:09 AM	#7
rmeister0 Addict Posts: 270 Karma: 298 Join Date: Mar 2005	I think this is the kind of things that manufacturers should be taken to task for. Yes, I'm being picky, but if you have to convert a file from RTF or TXT to some other format to make it readable, than it is dishonest to say that the Sony Reader "supports" RTF or TXT. Supports should mean, to my ornery self, you can load an RTF or TXT file right on the thing and it will work. I wish the marketing literature did a better job of differentiating what formats are supported natively (without conversion) and which ones are supported via conversion. This is why I am still confused about whether or not PDF is natively supported, because the blurbs on the Sony website suggest it both ways. Mostly, I'm just tired of converting stuff.

03-26-2006, 10:36 AM	#8
avid Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 97 Join Date: Mar 2006 Device: Palm TX, Ebookwise 1150, Cybook Gen 3	Got it - thanks! I guess there is hope... The Iliad looks like the best bet - for me because of screen size. Cost is a concern though. Tha ability to carry documents in such a nice sized reader would sure be nice.

03-26-2006, 10:57 AM	#9
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	Some VERY interesting new info from the Teleread Blog...apparently iRex told Banko Collins (he visited them and is now writing a review on Teleread) that the Iliad can handle 10000+ Page-Turns on a fully loaded battery. WOW! If that is correct and true, then I'll go with the Iliad as my first Eink device I think...even if the price of around 550Euro is a bit on the heavy side... Now what i'm wondering about is the fact that the iRex homepage talks about 21 hours...which is incompatible with the page-turn number in my opinion...any views on that?

03-26-2006, 11:18 AM	#10
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	Slight correction: iRex has been around a good while longer than since 2005. (I think 2001.)

03-26-2006, 12:46 PM	#13
CCDMan *** Posts: 335 Karma: 5759 Join Date: Mar 2006 Device: ***	My concern right now is less the DRM than the content availability. Sony, for all it's bad DRM history, seems to at least have addressed this, while content for the others are a big question mark at this point. Since for me this is a recreational reading device - not for practical, educational, or business use, I would be really hesitant to buy anything but the Sony until I know that the same or better level of content will be available for the others. I would also think that textbooks would be a wonderful niche for these. I can remember carrying many pounds of bulky texts to class though 8 years of college! I wonder if anyone is planning this use? It could be a big foot in the door and given the cost of college texts, the $350 or so cost of the devices would not be all that significant.

03-26-2006, 06:27 PM	#14
eduj Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2006 Device: EBM-911	I read the matrix comparison post that you have made available. I'm wondering is there anyway to anticipate the quality i.e. the longevity of these second generation ebook readers? I have a ebookman 911 and it is starting to breakdown and I don't think I can get it fixed. Do you think one manufactuer-Sony,Jinke, Dutch- is more reliable than the other two? It's my experience that if things go wrong with the hardware they don't repair it, they replace it. What kind of warranty is coming with these new units. TIA EDUJ

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