With all the talk about the nook lately, you might have forgotten that this is ending up as being the year of the e-book reader. Just to remind you, pricing leaked today on the IREX DR 800SG reader.
Now please remember that Best Buy’s system has been known to have incorrect pricing, and this might be the case with the IREX. For their sake I hope that is the case here, because pricing yourself above the Kindle DX and the nook is pretty much suicide at this point. So, $499. Gonna rush right out and buy that anybody?
[via Engadget]
There’s a reason I forgot about it: unexceptional hardware without the backing of major online publishing or wireless distribution network. Stick a fork in it, IREX is DONE.
I think what IREX is bringing to the table here is a bigger (for an E Ink device) screen, Verizon 3G and the B&N store @ $399.00 (according to IREX) which is about $100 less than the Kindle DX. Some of the IREX readers use Wacom pens for input – not sure about this one. Still, color me uninterested.
If its $400 and not $500, I could understand. If that’s the case, then its basically and in between device. Larger than 6″ and more costly, but smaller than the DX and thus cheaper.
It’ll be interesting to see how well they do. But I think the Kindle and Nook have too much “mind share” for them to make a serious impact.
This should be more cheap. Also, don’t have trusted service centers across the globe.
$499!? It is now forgotten.
I’ll say… The new barnes and noble one is way less and looks a lot nicer.
It’s off of the Best Buy store now. I went there this afternoon to find out when they might have it in and their employees had no knowledge of the product. I think we are likely to still be waiting at least a week.
As for price complaints…the stylus alone makes it better than the Kindle or Nook. It’s a Wacom tablet and ebook reader. Great for artists and readers. It’s only real competitor is the Sony Daily Edition, which isn’t out yet either.
This is all contingent on the quality of the included software though, which is why I will wait until I can see it in store before deciding. If it is laggy, poorly designed, or hard to do basic tasks such as changing pages or drawing, it will be useless.
All these comparison on features are unimportant if the software on the nifty hardware is crap. Fortunately, iRex has been in the biz for a while. This is their third reader. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
I am still interested if it costs $399 or less. I want to use it to read PDF documents. My hope is that an 8.1″ screen will be just big enough. I have pre-ordered the Nook as a plan B. Plan C is get the new Acer Aspire 1420P tablet and see if I can survive with that. Anything about the $400 price point just isn’t worth it to me. I don’t read enough to pay that. Hopefully the next time Best Buy puts the product online it will be the correct price and in stock.
It was listed at $449.00 at Best Buy. And, the WACOM isn’t working yet. Irex says that it will be added as an “upgrade” sometime in the future. To much money for too little functionality, in my opinion. I will wait. I still have my Iliad – which I love. But, IREX abandoned the Iliad fairly early on. The same could happen with the DR800. With all the nex devices on the horizon, I opt to wait.