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back to article iRex Technologies heading titsup

iRex, e-reader pioneer and manufacturer of the nearest thing to an iPad, has run out of cash and filed for bankruptcy protection in the Netherlands, where the company is based. The company was spun off from Phillips and produced some of the first e-readers, including the Iliad and the DR1000, which is physically similar to …

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  1. Matt Bucknall
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    Am I the only one...

    ..who is bothered about reading things on an LCD for any extended period of time? I'm sure the iPad is incredibly responsive and can do all sorts of wonderful things, but one thing I would prefer it would not do is burn the image of whatever I'm reading into my retinas.

    E-book readers are not supposed to be personal organizer, app running, music playing, multimedia extravaganzas, they're supposed to be the electronic equivalent of a BOOK! These things should be dirt cheap, as simple as possible and not bound to any lame subscription services. Unless OEMs and display patent holds grasp this, I'm sad to say the standalone e-book reader market has no future.

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    1. Peter Mount
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      No you are not

      I like my e-ink reader - the battery life is great and all I want it for is to read - either books or documentation.

      Unlike an LCD it's readable in most environments and is easy on my eyes.

      If I want something more than reading books (like video etc) then I get the netbook out. For reading something that would be on paper, then the e-book reader wins.

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    2. Nick Kew
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      I'm still waiting

      I'm still waiting for a reasonably-general-purpose computer with e-ink screen.

      The rest of the hardware specs could look like an ipad, provided I'm free to run my choice of apps on it (and ideally a Free OS).

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  2. Eddie Johnson
    Badgers

    But Matt....

    How can we monetize the experience of reading without delivering flashing, muticolored, animated graphic ads? As you read about a beer in the story wouldn't it be awesome if the reader could detect that your pupils were directed at the word "beer" and bring up pictures of foamy pints of beer along the side? With the ability to print a coupon for the nearest pub?

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  3. Mage Silver badge
    Coat

    Not a tablet

    I've used pre iThing tablets. The iRex isn't a tablet, only a too expensive Reader. It's the Kindle and Nook et Al that has done it in. Not the iPad.

    Mine's the one with an Archos tablet in the pocket.

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  4. greensun

    JOURNALISM FAIL

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/fail_32.png

    You write an article on this company, you have even bought a device from them, yet you do not know the names of the devices they produce:

    "An improved interface for the DR1000 and wireless Iliad is already in beta"

    No, the ILIAD was discontinued a long time ago.

    I question your journalistic skills.

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