Category Archives: eReader

September 25, 2009

Irex DR 800SG e-reader now available

By rayrr

irex-dr800sgIrex Technologies aim to introduce the world of reading to even more people with the introduction of their new Irex DR 800SG e-book reader that offers a multi-mode 3G wireless connection to keep you hooked up to its store just about round the clock, allowing you to download tomes of your choice wherever you are and whenever you like. This sleek looking device comes with a 8.1″ touchscreen display to help you get started, and you are able to purchase a range of reading materials including books, newspapers or magazines from a wide variety of sources. Apart from that, Irex has made sure that their DR 800SG will support a wide range of formats including the industry standard ePub format alongside multiple DRM solutions compared to being restricted to a single, “closed” proprietary format that locks content to a specific device.

Key partners for the Irex DR 800SG will be Barnes & Noble, Inc., Best Buy, Qualcomm and Verizon Wireless, where they work in tandem to offer unbridled access to the content and retail presence, all over the “most reliable wireless network in the country”. Through the Barnes & Noble eBookstore from Barnes & Noble, users are able to gain access to over 750,000 titles, and these won’t be old releases but include new books and bestsellers that retail for $9.99. If you’re a voracious reader, then going the e-book way might be just the thing since it helps save on paper, although we’re not sure the carbon footprint generated by these devices might be more detrimental in the long run.

Avid readers will find the generous 8.1″ touchscreen display to be extremely suitable for reading, where the DR 800SG employs the latest electronic paper display technology in order to deliver an experience that is closer to reading ordinary paper than possible with a netbook or tablet device. Apart from that, you will find it a snap to use, even for first timers thanks to its intuitive user interface and straightforward buttons. Expect the Irex DR 800SG to arrive later this October for $399.99 a pop. All downloads via wireless access won’t require a contract, which is always a good thing.

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August 27, 2009

More Competition for Amazon’s Kindle: Barnes & Noble Partners with Irex

By rayrr

More Competition for Amazon’s Kindle: Barnes & Noble Partners with Irex

Written by Frederic Lardinois / August 24, 2009 9:14 AM / 3 Comments

irex_readers_logo_aug09.jpgAll the major eBook vendors are currently trying to expand their eBook and eReader line-ups as fast as possible in order to compete with Amazon. Today, Barnes & Noble announced that it has partnered with Irex Technologies, a Dutch eReader manufacturer. B&N will sell Irex’s new consumer-focused device in its stores and online later this year. B&N already signed a deal with Plastic Logic earlier this year. Irex already offers a number of different eReaders in its store, but this device looks to be specifically designed to take on the Kindle. It will feature an 8.1-inch touchscreen with stylus navigation and a 3G wireless connection.

We featured a longer discussion about Irex’s plans in an interview with the company’s CEO Hans Brons earlier this year. During this interview, Brons stressed that Irex was focused on the business market but was also planning to expand into the consumer market if the right partners came around. With B&N, Irex now has a major partner to expand in the US market.

In the press release about this partnership, B&N’s president William J. Lynch and Irex’s North American CEO Kevin Hamilton both stressed that the two companies “share a distinctive, open view of the eReader market.”

3G Connectivity

Given that the Irex reader will feature a 3G wireless connection, B&N looks to be in a very good position to compete with the Kindle. While we confirmed with Irex that the new eReader that B&N will use will indeed have 3G wireless connectivity, neither Irex nor B&N were ready to confirm which wireless carrier in the US will power the wireless connectivity.

Currently, the ability to download and sync books wirelessly is one of the Kindle’s real advantages over other readers. The mock-ups of the new Irex reader look very good, and B&N currently offers a wider variety of eBooks than Amazon at similar price points. Sony also just announced its new line-up of readers for the holidays and the company is set to announce yet another new product later this week (possibly a reader with wireless connectivity as well).

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  1. We havent had the opportunity to really spend much time checking out eReaders but they do look handy and maybe something we will be picking up for Christmas. Two more models of Sony E-Reader coming up, one of them costs $199 but excuse them for not having WiFi http://www.trigeia.com/article.php?id=3653

    Posted by: Trigeia Author Profile Page

    | August 24, 2009 11:21 AM

  • I still love my Kindle – I think it is great. They will have to make some incredible changes for me to even consider at move. Amazon tech support has always been great and I only had to use them when I switched from the first Kindle to the next generation. Awesome product.

    Posted by: George Naspo | August 25, 2009 7:20 AM

  • “B&N currently offers a wider variety of eBooks than Amazon at similar price points”

    While I guess I wouldn’t quite categorize this as an outright myth, it’s not really true — for either B&N or Sony. If you simply go down the New York Times best-seller list, you’ll discover that Amazon’s Kindle store still has a sizable lead in available titles. And the price comparison is even more tilted towards Amazon, especially on back list type stuff.

    Sony and Barnes & Noble are both pumping up their book count with the zillions of free out-of-copyright works. Fine as far as it goes but the most popular several tens of thousands are available on Kindle and much of the rest is really, really niche stuff. The 1915 annual report of the Massachusetts Water Authority freshly scanned from the bowels of Widener Library at Harvard, anybody?

    Posted by: Aaron Pressman | August 25, 2009 6:00 PM

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