All Things Digital: iRex 800 (vs. Kindle)

[mgmueller]

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100310...e/?mod=ereader

"Irex's E-Reader Poses No Threat to the Kindle"

.....
The new Irex has some advantages over the Kindle. Its larger screen makes for a better reading experience, allowing many more words to show on the page, at similar font sizes. The screen also seems slightly sharper.
.....
However, in my tests, I found the Irex much clumsier to use than the Kindle and, because of that, I still prefer the Amazon device. For instance, the Irex requires a stylus—an ancient and fading navigation device—for some operations. Yet it lacks a holder for this pointer except in the leather cover, so the stylus is easy to lose. The Irex also lacks a Home button, a note-taking function, any way to highlight text and a built-in dictionary.

More important, I found the mall concept for downloading books to be frustrating. Because the Irex isn’t seamlessly linked to its own online store, I had to establish, or sign into, four different accounts to test the device fully. Even after that, each Barnes & Noble download required multiple steps. On the Kindle, ordering books is a breeze, and they appear almost instantly after you click a single “Buy” button.
.....
Irex says it is working on a color model for next year. I hope it works more smoothly than the DR800SG.

I read that review too. I think Mr. Mossberg places too much weight on the download convenience of the Kindle and not enough on the screen superiority (at least from I've seen) of the DR800.

And from that same article:

I found the Irex much clumsier to use than the Kindle and, because of that, I still prefer the Amazon device. For instance, the Irex requires a stylus—an ancient and fading navigation device—for some operations.

I think a person of Mr. Mossberg's maturity and reputation ought to think twice about calling anything else "ancient and fading".

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by akira28

I read that review too. I think Mr. Mossberg places too much weight on the download convenience of the Kindle and not enough on the screen superiority (at least from I've seen) of the DR800.

And from that same article:

I found the Irex much clumsier to use than the Kindle and, because of that, I still prefer the Amazon device. For instance, the Irex requires a stylus—an ancient and fading navigation device—for some operations.

I think a person of Mr. Mossberg's maturity and reputation ought to think twice about calling anything else "ancient and fading".

I always thought that he was on Apple's payroll. What is wrong with using a stylus? I actually still prefer resistive screens on a phone. Ever tried to hit a link in Safari on an iphone? Not unless you zoom in first. Are resistive screens responsive and work smoothly? The new ones are more than good enough, thank you. And on a reader stylus only system is exactly what I want, screen clarity is not affected by the touch layer and the screen doesn't get dirty from fingerprints.

[mgmueller]

The review doesn't mention it explicitly, but indirectly. The link to the bookstore may be considered monopolistic or something like that by many. But it's one of the winning factors of course.
2 friends of mine made outstanding experiences with Amazon's support (one even posted somewhere in the forum. He dropped his Kindle, crushed the screen. Amazon, although not being responsible, did exchange it for free, although it already was out of any warranty [which wouldn't have covered such accidents anyway]). This they only can do because their cashflow and profit lies in the content, not in the hardware itself. And this in many ways allows extraordinary customer experience.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

The review doesn't mention it explicitly, but indirectly. The link to the bookstore may be considered monopolistic or something like that by many.

You can look at it both ways. It provides a simplified experience, but you're also tied to only a single retailer for your content. Is that good or bad?

2 friends of mine made outstanding experiences with Amazon's support (one even posted somewhere in the forum. He dropped his Kindle, crushed the screen. Amazon, although not being responsible, did exchange it for free, although it already was out of any warranty [which wouldn't have covered such accidents anyway]). This they only can do because their cashflow and profit lies in the content, not in the hardware itself. And this in many ways allows extraordinary customer experience.

To be fair, I've also seen iRex repair/replace devices for free that were outside of warranty and technically should not have been covered.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

To be fair, I've also seen iRex repair/replace devices for free that were outside of warranty and technically should not have been covered.

Maybe they surprise me with my dying iLiad (2 permanent line errors)...

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Maybe they surprise me with my dying iLiad (2 permanent line errors)...

Ask, you never know. I've seen them fix line out errors before, outside of warranty. Of course, I don't represent them (despite some accusations to the contrary ) so can't make any promises on their behalf.

[MobileTechReview]

Mr. Mossberg fails to note that one can do most everything without the stylus he disparages.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by MobileTechReview

Mr. Mossberg fails to note that one can do most everything without the stylus he disparages.

I strongly disagree with his statement about the WACOM stylus being a fading technology. This may be true for tablet PCs, given for example iPad's UI.
But for eBook readers, I couldn't imagine a more user friendly UI.

On the other hand, I (partially) agree with his statement about usability without stylus. On Sony 900 or 600, you have a fully loaded separate button interface. On BeBook Neo about the same.
On iRex 800, having no stylus, in my opinion really is a painful experience.
Simple to explain: Most menus you access in a vertical structure. The flipbar only allows for horizontal movement. To me, that's counter-intuitive. You can access every single function. But it's not all to practical. Kindle, with its (flimsy and mechanically questionable as it may be) 5-way-button is way closer "to the real thing".
But is it really that important, how a stylus powered gadget does without stylus?
You could ask as well, how well a graphical PC interface would do without a monitor...

[HarryT]

Having a user interface that's "operable" without the stylus is certainly convenient. On the Neo, for example, I do pretty much everything with the buttons. The only thing I use the stylus for is text highlighting.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Having a user interface that's "operable" without the stylus is certainly convenient. On the Neo, for example, I do pretty much everything with the buttons. The only thing I use the stylus for is text highlighting.

I agree. Changing font size on BeBook Neo with the "inner ring" is brillant = a simple push up or down. Way more convenient than finding the stylus, opening the menu, opening the submenu "font size". Choosing the font. Pointing at it. Closing the menu. "Hiding" the stylus again.
Personally, I'd always choose "convenience" over "smallest possible bezel".
BTW: I'm really thinking about testing the Onyx Boox FW 1.3. Have you heard anything, when BeBook will incorporate this?

[superhero]

Originally Posted by MobileTechReview

Mr. Mossberg fails to note that one can do most everything without the stylus he disparages.

This is only true for the short term...I hope. If, as promised, the new firmware released in April adds the ability to annotate, highlight and possibly a dictionary then those important features that really bring the Irex in line with other units will not be usable without the stylus. So the stylus will be a much more integral part of the functionality and it will be frustrating not to be able to access it easily or to lose it because there is no slot for it in the unit. As much as I like the unit, no stylus slot was a VERY poor design decision.

[eLiNK]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I'm really thinking about testing the Onyx Boox FW 1.3. Have you heard anything, when BeBook will incorporate this?

already online
- >
http://www.onyx-international.com/support

[TGS]

Originally Posted by superhero

As much as I like the unit, no stylus slot was a VERY poor design decision.

Whilst I take the point about not being able to store the stylus on the device, I can't actually see where a stylus slot could have gone without changing the form factor. One of the good things about the DR800 for me is that there is no wasted real estate - it's almost only a screen!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by eLiNK

already online
- >
http://www.onyx-international.com/support

Thanks, I've seen that. But I (and so does HarryT) have BeBook Neo. Its original firmware is slightly different and so (probably) will be the firmware update. I can use the Onyx firmware of course. But as long as we can't download the initial Neo firmware, there's no way back. And that's why I hesitate. I'd like to try, but I'd prefer the BeBook over the Onyx firmware...