New Digital Reading Devices from iRex
By Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 9/23/2008 7:13:00 AM
Not quite ready to cede the market for digital reading hardware to the Amazon Kindle, iRex Technologies, the Dutch firm that developed the iLiad wireless digital reading device, announced the introduction of the Digital Reader Series, a new line of three professional level digital reading devices with bigger screens, touch screen functionality, super-thin design and, for the top model, enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities. Earlier this year iRex introduced the iLiad Book Edition, a lower-priced and simplified version of its standard iLiad Reader that does not offer wireless connectivity.
The new DRS 1000 series features three devices with 10.2 inch screens (the basic iLiad reader and the cheaper iLiad Book edition offer 8.1 inch screens) with hi-res b&w gray scale screens, handwriting recognition software that allows notetaking and wacom tablet capability. However, only the top end DRS 1000SW—which will not go on sale until a later date—will offer wireless and blue-tooth connectivity for easy purchase and download of digital content. Like the lower-priced iLiad Book Edition device, the DRS 1000 and DRS 1000S devices require a PC to connect and download titles.
While the new devices look to be designed to compete with the Kindle (priced about $400 with wireless capability and over 100,000 branded titles available), the DRS series is aimed and priced at the professional consumer. Nevertheless, despite the touchscreen capability and other enhancements, the pricing and the lack of wi-fi capability for the DRS 1000 and 1000S (as well as the iLiad Book Edition) would seem to undermine their utility and convenience, particularly to a professional or executive consumer.
Prices for the new DRS series start at about $650 and range to about $800 for the DRS 1000SW at the top end. The iLiad Book Edition is priced about $600 and the standard model iLiad reader (which also offers wireless connectivity) is priced about $700. iRex also offers about 50,000 branded e-book titles in the DRM-protected Mobipocket e-book format and the devices can also read a wide range of public domain e-book content.
