iRex to release color e-reader in 2011?

Remember when iRex single-handedly revolutionized the e-reader industry last fall? Remember "Seeing Is Believing?" We didn't either, until the company reminded us of its continued existence with the announcement that it's developing a new color e-book reader that uses subtractive color mixing to display text and images three times the brightness of existing displays. While this won't be the first color e-ink tech we've laid our eyes on, the promise of print-quality color e-books is certainly tantalizing. Your move, Sony.

[Via SlashGear]

[blueangel00100 @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:34PM]

I'm sure everyone will buy this after looking at Amazon's reader sales.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:42PM]

Now that's what I call advance notice and with a question mark, to boot. With probably a dozen makers coming out with tablets and pads by next year, who really cares. They'd be better off naming the product iWrecks. That's the state their company will be in by 2011.

You'd better be able to do more than just read books on this thing by 2011.

[BigD145 @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:37PM]

"We all live in a ...."

Oh, I'm sorry. Is this one of the better companies for e-readers?

[The Walrus @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:38PM]

When the hell was this designed, '98?

[dan @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:24PM]

Did you follow the yellow submarine here?

[Bad Beaver @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:43PM]

Gimmmeeee, gimme gimme gimme! Actually, no, give me a regular sized B&W one that is really FAST, with good PDF support and comes with Bluetooth, WiFi & Touchscreen, all for €250.

[Richard @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:48PM]

I'll take a black and white ereader with a faster refresh rate any day. Hopefully by 2011 they will have made some leaps and bounds in regard to the tech.

[nxp3 @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:55PM]

The problem with IREX is it tried to do everything and cost way beyond anyone would even consider one. Not to mention all that options shorten battery life which makes any reader useless. A reader got to last a long time else what's the point of it.

Forget the wifi and color display, concentrate on batter life and screen size. And note taking is probably good too, nothing beyond that.

[miko34 @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:58PM]

Are they trying to entice stockholders to jump on early?
What's the point of announcing this so soon?
We're not gonna be like ... hey, I'm gonna wait for the iRex ... it's gonna kick Kindle's ass.

Maybe they really are trying to be innovative, but I think they are just trying to cash in on other companies' successes.
I think they should change their name too. An iPod mixed with a T-Rex doesn't work well.
How about ... VelociPod? Nahhhh.

[Toy Yoda @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:47PM]

But why can't these readers display color now? Amazon has Kindle for the iPhone. I asked Amazon if any kindle Book with colored illustrations display with color on the iPhone. They said "no", well why the heck not? I read Science books and many have colored illustrations. I don't plan on buying any eReader until they are capable of color.

[Bad Beaver @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:53PM]

"We" should note that iRex actually bothers to sell its devices in more than one country, so for some people it's "why should I wait for the tied kindle model when I can have an iRex in the mail tomorrow?".

[nxp3 @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:01PM]

toy yoda: that's because the kindle device is black and white and all those ebooks were originally optimized for kindle...no point in scanning those books in color and using up more space. So the kindle for iphone wouldn't be capable of displaying those books in color either I imagined. When they do come out with color kindle, I'm sure the books would be able to view in color.

[TareX @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:16PM]

Definitely trying to pull in Investments.

For me, seeing something like this makes me want to put my money in Amazon stocks. I mean it's a no-brainer that they will have a Kindle-product with this very same color technology. It may not be better, but it will sell.

[vansmack @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:03PM]

@toy yoda: it's because the Electrophoretic screen (commonly used in readers) require less energy (longer batery life) and by not being back lit the way a color LCD screen is, are much easier on the eyes. Color Electrophoretic screens are being worked on but are not close to market.

http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12971020

[davesa @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:30PM]

I'm making a paper-thin, bendable, nano-tubed full color fuel cell quantum cpu'd realtime streaming-1080p transparent aluminum space-elevator-phone-iZune-msPod sprinkled with angel's breath and fully integrated unicorn smiles. It'll be ready in 2011! See how easy it is? Gimme some money!

[RIMM Jobs @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:28PM]

Only to be overshadowed by my simultaneous 2011 release of a cure for cancer.

[john @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:01PM]

Forget the netbooks. ipods, and smartphones for just one minute and try to remember reading a really good book.
I've said it before & i'll say it again. An ebook reader should mimic a real paperback in basic size & shape PERIOD. Folds open, color oled tscreen, reads all formats (doc, pdf, txt, lit, html-everything). Throw in a tiny ssd hard disk, with wifi, bt, a microsd slot, & a usb3/2 port for sharing,
One 'paperback' should be able to hold the entire collection of books you have at home plus any others you have downloaded and are curious about. Lastly, encrypt the ssd & give it a finger print reader so no one will bother to steal it.
Finally, slip it in your pocket for a good read anytime anywhere.
I'll probably (definitely) own a smartbook before this device is ever conceived. Too bad as I know I won't be pocketing that very easily.

[Wwhat @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:19PM]

They made a great deal with GM management to sell them 50,000 color e-readers just last week, looking good.

[thedude @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:54PM]

@ John - I like where your head is at

I'd prefer something a little larger than a paperback though - say a 5"x7" screen
ability to do high quality B & W for plain text books and switch to full color for enhanced text books

the thing is to actually sell the books on an SSD card so you can actually own a copy of the book
package the SSD's with the hardcover releases to increase the probability of someone wanting to buy the ereader

I have some 10,000 titles in my personal library and even though I would love to be able to take them all on vacation with me in an ereader
I would NEVER exchange my hardcovers for a little chip

most avid readers enjoy the tactile experience of holding a book in your hand and just immersing yourself in the medium (same with reading a newspaper)

If ereaders are going to break into the true readers milieu they are going to have to replicate the book as closely as possible
No visible keys, no technology screaming in your face
we read mostly to get away from these things

but by the same token it is a gadget and should be able to do many things very well
throw in some 3G connectivity and give it the ability to surf the web and display any kind of document is critical

[stromm @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:09PM]

As I've said before too. Pocket size, backlit, multi-format, screw all the fancy features. As another also said, one does not need a large screen (heck, not even a 4" diag) to read ebooks. Maybe PDFs, but those were never meant for a small screen, not even a 10" laptop screen.

Ebook reader device manfs need to take a look at the Tapwave Zodiac. I dread the day mine dies. It fits in the palm of your hand, is backlit, SD slots (2), 12 hours of batter life even with backlight and SMOOTH, clear autoscrolling. Just take that device, cut out the 8MB ATI video card and stereo audio and analog game stick. Do it for under a $100us and you'd sell at least a 100 million.

[old_fogie_late_bloomer @ Jun 3rd 2009 11:35PM]

Not to be Captain Obvious, but if they're using subtractive (CMY with optional K) e-paper for this thing, there's not a chance in hell that the colors on the screen are going to look anything at all like they do on the mock-up pictured here. Color would be a nice feature, I guess, but we're probably talking newspaper-quality color reproduction, or maybe a little better since halftone dots aren't going to be involved here.