IREX is currently,
right this very second, taking the wraps off its big new splash in the ebook space,
the new DR 800SG. The 8.1-inch unit has wireless connectivity courtesy of Verizon in the US and
Qualcomm's Gobi multi-mode 3G for switching it up in the rest of the world. There's also 2GB of built-in storage, memory card expansion and stylus input ("true finger touch" is coming in Q2 2010 to a future product, right now you can only use the stylus, and a color reader is in the works as well for 2011), and IREX claims to have the fastest page refreshes in the biz. Perhaps most notable is that the reader is Barnes & Noble's first big play in the space, with support for the
B&N eBookstore -- though the whole thing is an "open platform" with support from content from Newspaper Direct and LibreDigital stores as well, and format support of PDF,
EPUB, Newspaper Direct, Fictionwise, eReader and TXT. Quite the mouthful, and IREX promises to follow wherever the market leads when it comes to DRM. The $399 device includes a leather cover and stylus in the box, and will be available this October in "select" Best Buy stores and will hit Europe in the first half of 2010. No wireless contract is required.
We got to play with the new reader briefly, and weren't quite sure how to feel. On one hand, it's another sexy, slim reader, with a pretty great and fast e-ink screen. On the other hand, the interface is totally minimal and a little nonsensical without the stylus. A bar on the left side gives you a "tactile" method of pushing right or left to turn the page, but it feels pretty janky. Notetaking isn't enabled currently, so you can't draw on the screen, making the stylus feel a bit of a burden, not a boon -- the closest you get to text input is tapping away at an onscreen keyboard. We're glad IREX avoided the visibility-hampering pitfalls of Sony's touchscreen ebook technology, but perhaps some more thought should've been put into the alternative. We didn't do any heavy downloading, but the reader takes a very long time to create a connection -- a good 20-30 seconds -- which might've been due to the concrete bunker we're hanging out in, or just a sign of a slow processor, we're not sure which. We love the "openness," and it's great to see so many format alternatives right out of the gate, but we're gonna need more time with the DR 800SG before we're sure it's worth the plunge.
posted Sep 23rd 2009 12:40PM
how would this compare to the kindle?
I don't think we have enough information to say. The pen input should allow handwritten annotations, which is awesome for some people and irrelevant to others. It's bigger and more expensive than the 6" Kindle, but smaller and cheaper than the Kindle DX.
I've owned the Kindle DX and the iRex DR1000S, and I ended up selling the Kindle DX. The DR1000S has a better screen (higher resolution, slightly better contrast). Then again, the DR1000S is a $860 device... (The high price is probably because of the Wacom digitizer, which is fantastic but possibly overkill. The 800SG probably uses something cheaper.)
Hes giving us all the finger!
He looks rather frightened. He must be a criminal...they are a cowardly and superstitious lot.
As long as it has some basic features and a good looking screen (hard to do with a touch screen), it will easily surpass the Kindle. Heck, Sony's readers arguably surpass the Kindle. The Kindle isn't really that great at all.
He's giving Amazon and Kindle the finger. These eReaders seem to be getting better all the time. I like the idea that it has a cover to protect the screen as long as the cover can fold back under the device when reading. I wish them luck. I think schools could really benefit from such devices.
The Kindle's distinguishing feature is the wireless connection - and it's not just a gimmick, it makes a huge difference in convenience.
As I said, I have an iRex DR1000S, but I also have the 1st generation Kindle and probably use it more. I can get updated newspapers and blogs anywhere. If I finish one book while sitting in a restaurant or airport, I can purchase another one on the spot. I only use the DR1000S for technical documents (PDF files).
The new iRex does have wireless, and hopefully it allows book purchases through the wireless connection. If it does, I think the iRex DR 800SG will be the first serious competition to the Kindle.
@KK: What about the Sony Daily Edition?
Oh come now. Wifi is a gimmick. I have a backlog of months worth of books to read. But then again, I read a lot of epic novels that are a 1000 pages long. I never find myself in a coffee shop thinking to myself, "If only I had wifi because I have nothing to read..." That's not to say I would not mind having it, but it is far from a deal killer. Supporting multiple files types, screen resolution and screen "whiteness" are far more important factors. I've been using my Sony PRS-505 and love it. I LOVE the high-end light wedge cover. It provides just the right amount of light when needed and a highly convenient form. This is why I will not switch from the Sony. Although I am considering the Sony Daly Edition, and I would hope they can offer some high-end accessories as well (another light wedge cover!).
Loving the list of formats this thing can handle, but couldn't they have come up with a better name?
I love that the eReader* format made it onto a reader, but srsly, I don't want to pay for a cell radio and 3g service (even upfront). Just give me freaking wifi and call it a day.
*eReader isn't DRMless, but it's one of the least offensive DRM schemes currently in existence. Once you buy a book, eReader (now B&N) can't touch it, they can't even find it--they have zero ability to communicate with the book after you download it. Amazon has a sweeter selection and sometimes better pricing, but so long as they maintain even the ability to touch my stuff, I want no part of them. I don't rent, I BUY.
did you just say "big new splash in the ebook face" or did i misread that?
Couldn't you have just re-read it to make sure, rather than taking the time to actually type out that question?
also, if you tilt your head just the right way you can see that guys brain
"big splooge"
It looks like that guy is trying to give that ebook to someone so they won't shoot him.
And he's fingering the camera with his right hand while doing so
and B&N will sell their e-books for twice the price of Amazon- #fail
Damn, Tom Cruise looks scared!
This is how ebook-readers should look. Lovely minimalism, touch screen interface, just a power button (although the power LED seems a bit wasteful on the juice, but I'm probably just being picky - the auto-off is probably handling that) .
I want at least the prev/next page buttons to be tactile. I could do without the page number buttons, but they're nice for navigation if the redraw speed of the display is slow enough to make using up/down navigation cumbersome. As a direction, I think touch interfaces are the way to go, but not while it means sacrificing display quality.
Is it backlit?
No, it's obviously an eInk type display like the Kindle. You can't add a backlight, but you don't need to either - it's as legible as a regular (paper) newspaper under any lighting condition. Also, lack of a backlight is one reason the e-book readers have such good battery life.
If you want to read it in the dark, you can use a desk lamp or book light of some kind. I use a clip-on book light with my e-book readers.
Very elegant. The fact that it comes with a leather cover, puts it very close to the smaller Kindle in price.
Hay, do you see that guy with a gun in the back ground?
yes, what is he doing ?
That's the microphone on his camera.
More importantly, how do you turn pages? I -really- that isn't by stylus as well.
really hope that isn't by stylus, even.
I think the bar on the left side of the screen is the page turn switch (or switches).
I believe page turning is the same as their other e-ink reader, the Iliad, which has a switch that runs along the length of the reader on the left side.
Great looking reader, big ass stylus...I hope it does more things than take notes, and what's up with the leather case...did they slap that thing on at last minute...doesn't look like it's well thought out. Format support and everything else seems good. But we are all weaiting for the most important thing, battery life, battery life, battery life.
They included a leather case on the PRS505 (Sony eReader) too - it was ok, kept the dust off, but for practical reading, it's best just to unhook it from the hinges and use the device on it's own.
Until you get a two panel ereader device with one display on each side, that is. And full colour.
Nice shirt.
The long silver bar he is "pointing" to on the left is how you change pages. Thumb flip to the left, or right is all that's required.
He is flipping the bird
I came on here just to say that
It has to be still using wacom technology if a stylus is required, otherwise, you would be able to use your fingers. Wacom tech is suppose to be the reason irex's readers have really bad battery life but you get awesome contrast due to not having an extra layer over the e-ink for the touch resistance. A lack of a little joystick/dpad would mean you need the stylus for every little thing, including picking a book to read.
Not necessarily, it may be a resistive screen tuned to only respond to a sharp point. My Fujitsu P1630 tablet computer is like that - it's a resistive screen but doesn't respond to a finger. I have to use a fingernail or a stylus. I actually like it - it means I can rest my hand on the screen while writing on it. It responds to the stylus but not my palm.
This is just what I've been waiting for and it's coming out next month! Hell yea! I just hope they don't screw it up by not having good features or by having a bad looking screen.
any word on price?
399
Too big to fit in my wife's purse. She gives it a C- and says she'll keep her 505.
Whipped?
He carries his wife's purse. lol.
No, he makes the wife carry his gear. Not every man wants to wear cargo pants or have a batman belt.
Look at this guys hand. Is it just me or is this guy really FLIPPING OFF everyone off during his presentation of their new EBook with Vorizon Wireless built in? Like his is going to be better than everyone else's so "Blank You" all you other Ebook Manufacturers!!
it doesn't have wifi or a card slot, does it?
I'm really curious if it has a suspend/sleep function like the Sony and Kindle. This has been the achilles heel of irex in the past along with the corresponding poor battery life.
I don't know what's worse: the stylus or the blinding blue LED next to the screen. It's like a dual time-warp to 1999 & 2004!
If you think the stylus is a thing of the past then I really don't want to live in your idea of the future. I mean do you seriously expect handwriting to just die out, everyone to digitally "fingerpaint", and all interfaces to be ridiculously scaled up to the point that there is barely any screen real estate?
Even though I would not buy this I am happy to see many companies coming out with Ereader these days. More on the market the more popular it becomes with consumers. Cannot wait until we can live in a paperless world.
Some of their other readers let you run your own software on it. They were running linux and you could get firmware access to it. With a Wacom pen, and some modified open-source software (MyPaint comes to mind). This thing could make a nice little sketch pad.
That bar on the left better act like a touch-sensitive four-direction and push-in-for-select control or this is a big fail if the stylus is needed even to pick a book to read. You would want to switch off the stylus-sensitive hardware to prolong battery life and it would be a freaking pain if you had to turn on and off hardware just to make a single click.
I wonder if you can flip the device 180 degrees since putting the page-turn hardware at the spine of the cover seems pretty silly unless they think everyone will like bending the cover back. I bet they own paperbacks that have completely destroyed spines.
What what the hell is with the super-bright led? The beauty of e-ink is that it can be off but still look on. With that led, oh, you'll know perfectly well that it's on and draining on the batteries... almost like a warning light, like on any non e-ink device. Maybe the led color indicates how fast the battery is draining:
red: device + wireless + stylus: on
yellow: device + stylus: on
green: device: on
blue: demo mode so everything is on and running at max speed, but battery will last one hour
Need to know: resolution (at least 1024x768 would be good), shades of gray, non-stylus controls, battery life (looks like it's user-replaceable with that cover on the back), and landscape / 2-page view mode?
Answering some of your questions:
1. The flip bar on the left side can be pushed down and act as an enter button.
2. It can be flipped 180 degree.
3. The LED is NOT always on. During the demo the blue light was on to show that it is connected to a network (verizon).
4. The resolution is 1024x786, 16 shades of gray, works without stylus, I don't know yet about battery life, I'm guessing comparable to kindle and sony, and the battery is replaceable.
Thanks for the info concord. It's looking to be the e-reader to get and will be available this year, as long as most menu navigation doesn't require the stylus and the battery can last at least a week with wireless and stylus off.
I really hope that blue LED fades away once you open a book, else it will be really annoying! My Sony 505 just has a small charging light on the top which you can't see when reading
Not thrilled with the 256 shades of gray or whatever. It's like time traveling back to 1985 and using a TRS-80.
16 shades most likely. But that's [currently] the trade-off you make for the superior reflective contrast and ultra-low power consumption of eInk.
Some people just don't get the point of e-ink. It's not meant to be a replacement for an LCD display, nor is it meant to be a replacement for a tablet PC. It is meant to mimic the look and quality of the printed word in a book, and in that regard, e-ink has no equal.
If what you want is a color display that can handle video, then you don't want an e-reader; You want a tablet PC. If you want to use it to read manga or surf the web, then you don't want an e-reader; You want a netbook.
If you haven't picked up a book *without* pictures or color in over three months, then you're NOT in the target demographic for an e-reader. Go get something else. If color is your major concern, then you're clearly not worried about trying to read a novel while on the go, and should direct your attention to the umpteen-million devices that have a full-color, backlit LCD screen.
And for the record, by 1985 there were several color versions of the TRS-80.
Maybe you should get one of those if you need color when reading a book.
Ok. This versus Plastic Logic.
Compulsive ductile reasoning demands that I make an informed early adopter purchase!
Bah nvm. Too small for college.
"Europe in the first half of 2010"
:-(
What does "Notetaking isn't enabled currently" mean? Does that mean it will be enabled at some point? How? When?
It will be enabled with a firmware upgrade. Every other IREX devices is able to do note taking job. It won't be a problem for them, they just need more time to make it better than their predecessors. I'm guessing around early 2010.