Sony PRS-900 OR Rex Iliad???

[SneakySnake]

Hi, and thank you in advance if anyone can help.

I live in Australia.

If anyone has been able to do a direct comparison between the PRS-900 and the Iliad, I would be grateful.

I understand a few points mainly...

The Sony is cheaper ( I think)- have to buy in the US and have sent to OZ
The Iliad has a bigger higher res' screen
Sony has 800mhz (and also far larger memory)and Iliad 400mhz processor
Sony has WiFi and USB. Looks like one or the other with 2 types of Iliad.

Questions

1. Both have touch screens - it one better?
2. Can you write notes on the Sony?
3. I am in Australia, is one company more helpful?
4. The Sony appear to support more formats but I am a little confused. Do we need ePub?
5. Which one will behave better reading technical PDFs etc.

I would appreciate some help

[eantipa]

Hey... i'm out there with you looking at exactly same question. And just like you i would have to order the thing in us and have it shipped.
I was set on the sony for it's 1,1 extra inch of screen vs most other models 6in screens when i happen to see that finally iRex launched the new 800.

Browsing around, reading reviews and stuff still doesent replace the feel of something u can just "check out" in a store so i had to make a list of things i want in my reader and,
As you can guess screen size is the first thing(i'm reading on a mobile phone)
so i started measuring my books to actually get a feel of what screen size i want but the decision was that a 6in screen is just not big enough to read in comfort.
Also the 9-10 in devices felt like too big to carry around
So i got to the only other choices around atmo the 7,1 in sony and 8 in irex

Also i don't really care about mp3 player, browsing the net on it, having a touchscreen, wireless connection and all other "cool" stuff the cram into these things. And is not only that i don't care if they have it, but i actually don's want to have useless features in my reader.
This being said, it would seem that irex 800s is the ideal thing
BUT
It doesent read txt... or word or anything but pdf and epub.
AND
to my great surprise i can buy the 800sg from amazon for 399 USD
but i would have to pay 670 USD(499eur) for the 800s?

i don't get it... seeing the prices would seem that there's a place where 800sg's come out of an assembly line and if you want the 800s some little green man have to take one apart and remove the 3g module and then repackage and brand it 800s not sure that even that is worth the 60% price raise

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Hi, and thank you in advance if anyone can help.

I live in Australia.

If anyone has been able to do a direct comparison between the PRS-900 and the Iliad, I would be grateful.

I understand a few points mainly...

The Sony is cheaper ( I think)- have to buy in the US and have sent to OZ
The Iliad has a bigger higher res' screen
Sony has 800mhz (and also far larger memory)and Iliad 400mhz processor
Sony has WiFi and USB. Looks like one or the other with 2 types of Iliad.

Questions

1. Both have touch screens - it one better?
2. Can you write notes on the Sony?
3. I am in Australia, is one company more helpful?
4. The Sony appear to support more formats but I am a little confused. Do we need ePub?
5. Which one will behave better reading technical PDFs etc.

I would appreciate some help

First: I'm a fan of both.
iLiad has been my very first reader (not counting PDAs and smartphones before) and I still love it.
Sony has the best design and very polished UI.

Main difference:
iRex is using WACOM screens. That's the main reason, why they're more expensive. You can't use the touchscreen with your finger, you need a stylus. It has less glare and better contrast than the Sony touchscreen units.

From Sony, I'd go for Sony 900 (still my personal favorite) if you want to have a touchscreen. Without touchscreen, I'd go for the all-time-classic Sony 505 or the newer Sony 300 (5", not 6" - might be a showstopper for you).

iRex 800 right now for me ranks a bit behind Sony 900 (*), but this may change with the upcoming firmware update from iRex, due in about 4 weeks.

(*) iRex 800 doesn't have dictionary yet. No scribbling and no "intelligent" zoom either (yet).

iLiad still can be highly recommended. Some outstanding features, you won't find on any other reader. Did love, changing the book title or author's name, on the fly on the reader.
I'd check the price, but carefully would consider iRex 800. iLiad isn't supported (firmware) anymore, you won't have DRMed ePUB for example.

Concerning your questions:

Both have touch screens - it one better?
As described above: WACOM screens have less glare, better contrast.

I am in Australia, is one company more helpful?
iRex is very active in this forum, best chance of getting direct response. Sony helpdesk is great, similar to Amazon. No personal experience with BeBook's support.

The Sony appear to support more formats but I am a little confused. Do we need ePub?
iRex 800 does support ePUB as well, so does BeBook Neo. It's widely considered the quasi-standard, it's certainly no mistake to cover it.

Which one will behave better reading technical PDFs etc.
For technical PDFs: The bigger the display, the better. I very much prefer the "intelligent" zoom, iRex iLiad did introduce: Marking the area of interest with your stylus and exploding to full screen. This only can be done on iRex iLiad and BeBook Neo. On Sony 900 and Sony 600 it's a bit more complicated and only valid for a single page. On iRex 800 it's not possible (yet?).

[SneakySnake]

Thanks mgmueller,

I know someone going to Germany next month, can you easily purchase ebooks there? He may be encouraged to bring one back for me if I am lucky.

Snake

[A4-]

You might want to take a look at the Onyx Boox (aka Bebook Neo). in short: Wacom touchscreen, wifi, and a better OS (packing heaps of features, even a browser) than the iRex 800.
As for the iLiad, I don't recommend it (unless your a geek, but if you were you wouldn't have asked for help...). It's a lovely device but no longer supported by iRex, and very primitive OS. Oh, and no ePub.

It shouldn't be to difficult to buy one in Germany (online?). You could try to find a physical store so your friend knows where to go.

Concerning glare (I know it's personal) : I've had the PRS-600 for a week, and I hated the reflections. I couldn't read a page without being distracted. Try to get a hands on of any touchscreen and compare it with one without.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Thanks mgmueller,

I know someone going to Germany next month, can you easily purchase ebooks there? He may be encouraged to bring one back for me if I am lucky.

Snake

It depends.
First of all, Germany is expensive. You can check: ciando.com, buch.de, weltbild.de, libri.de ..... to check prices.
Second, only non-3G models are available here. You don't get Sony 900 or nook here, for example.
But in general, Germany is kind of a paradise for books, eBooks and eBook readers: There are lots of "brick and mortar" book stores and prices are very consistent.