subject: A Review of Irex DR800SG and DR800S [print this page] A Review of Irex DR800SG and DR800S A Review of Irex DR800SG and DR800S
It has to be said that the Irex DR800SG is not the most exciting and imaginative name for an eBook reader but I guess this is a case of "it does what it says on the tin". "DR" literally stands for "Digital Reader", "800" indicates that it has an 8-inch display (although technically it is 8.1-inches) and "SG" indicates that it has a built in 3G connection. Although, before I launch into my usual discussion, I do want to point out that the built-in 3G function only applies in the United States. For the rest of the world, there is the DR-800S which has wireless but not 3G. Because that is effectively the only difference between these two models, you can safely consider this review to be a generic for both (unless I specifically mention otherwise that is).
Design
When looking at the DR800SG/S, it is clear that iRex has gone for the simplest design possible. But don't get me wrong, simple does not mean plain; instead its minimalist approach is refined in every sense of the word. The overall size of this reader is actually quite remarkable as it has an 8.1-inch screen which is significantly larger than the 6-inch screens out there. When comparing the DR800SG/S to the Barnes & Noble Nook for example, the DR800SG/S is only slightly wider but is in fact not as tall or thick, despite the Nook's screen being 2-inches smaller. As far as screen size goes, 8-inches is a very happy medium as a 6-inch can sometimes prove to be a bit too small and in the case of the Kindle DX, 9.7-inches can also be too large.
The back of the device is a near-featureless, slightly rounded black plastic, while the front of the device has a plastic bezel border. It feels solid and sturdy and is definitely not as plastic as many of its competitors are. iRex needs to be given credit for its fantastic attention to detail here as the matte-gray bezel does well to match the grayish background of the e-ink display and thus does not distract your reading in any way a small but significant point I think.
The controls come by way of either a single flip bar which is used for page turns and selections or through a stylus. The flip bar can easily be operated with your thumb while you hold something more important in your right hand like a cup of coffee. Below the flip bar is the home button and above it is an LED light which flashes amber when it is charging and blue when wireless is on. The saving grace about these buttons is that they allow you to navigate through almost all of the menus in much the same way as you would with the stylus.
I have to point out that inasmuch as the stylus does well for selection, etc. what completely baffles me is why the body of the DR800SG/S does not have a built-in holder for the stylus. Yes, the neoprene case that they provide has a stylus holder but who cares! The stylus is still not attached the body. For me, this is a recipe for the stylus getting lost.
On the bottom of the DR800SG/S is a USB jack and a power button and that's pretty much it. The micro-SD slot is packed with the rechargeable battery on the rear of the unit.
Display
When it comes to display, the DR800SG/S is just the thing for bookworms everywhere! Boasting a 768 x 1024 resolution for sharpness and 16 grayscale levels for brightness, the e-Ink Vizplex display is comfortable to read, whether you are in natural or unnatural light.
Because of its integration of stylus-based navigation, the DR800SG/S has a WACOM display. The good thing about having a WACOM display is that it doesn't interfere with clarity and thus reduces the glare. This in turn allows for a higher contrast meaning you won't be constantly angling it to avoid the shine from overhead lighting. However, I have heard through the grapevine that iRex is working on adding capacitive touch ability at some stage by laying the touch layer under the e-ink layer, eliminating the loss in contrast. If they can get that right, that will be a feather in their cap.
For the visually impaired or for those who just appreciate bigger text, you are able to adjust the font size to small, medium, large and extra large. Not a huge selection admittedly but at least there is that option.
Software
When it comes to software, the DR800SG (US version) and the DR800S (global version) are almost exactly the same barring their wireless ability. So for the sake of clarity I will analyze the wireless differences separately and will then discuss the software of this eBook reader in general.
The DR800SG
The DR800SG offers 3G connectivity in the US (via Verizon) to download content from the iRex eBook Mall which is a home for book (Barnes & Noble) and periodical vendor (Newspapers Direct) stores. The iRex uses a webkit browser for access to these stores. You don't have to pay a monthly subscription to use it (always a plus) but you can only use it to download books as there is no web browser available to visit websites.
The DR800S
The DR800S has built-in wireless but not 3G (yet) and does not link to the eBook Mall.
What they have in common
Both the DR800SG and the DR800S use a Free Scale i.MX31L processor. Thanks to the built-in 2GB SD media card, they can hold up to 1,000 books or photos. Internal menus are available in the following languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Greek.
At the moment, iRex doesn't include the ability to add notes but iRex has recently issued a press release indicating that firmware updates will be available for download by the end of April. Some of the things included in this upgrade are: a note-taking capability, zoom in PDFs, and the "Go to page" menu function.
The DR800SG/S supports the securable ePub eBook format, which almost all major booksellers except Amazon use. It also supports PDB eBooks (Barnes & Noble's format), TXT, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, GIF and BMP file formats. Unfortunately the DR800SG/S does not support HTML web pages, RTF files and Microsoft Office documents. Fingers crossed that a firmware upgrade will rectify this.
The 8,1-inch display is very good for displaying PDFS as the text is clear and illustrations tend to be in tact. But be warned, should you try and zoom in, you will lose the file format and images and be left with a mess. The same applies when turning the PDF to view it in landscape mode; the PDF will not expand accordingly and will in fact become even smaller and illegible. No accelerometer, though; you need to manually switch modes.
By supporting all of the above file formats, you are able to purchase and side load content from Sony's bookstore books, Barnes & Noble eBooks, Google's 1 million public domain books, Kobo Books and public library eBooks among others. This can all be done via the USB that is provided. Very nice!
But most importantly, the DR800SG/S is fast, very fast. It is quick to load almost all documents and turning the page takes far less time than every other eBook reader out there to date. Now that's what we like to hear!
Battery life
The 2800 mAh lithium-ion battery lasts for up to 6,000 page turns which is pretty standard as far as eBook readers go.
Something worth noting is that the DR800SG/S arrives completely uncharged and will require up to 15 hours of charge before using it for the first time. An added bonus is that you are able to replace the battery yourself which is very much appreciated.
To compare more about wireless reading device or the eBook Readers click on Compare eBook readers or eBook reader reviews.
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