iLiad
Built in Holland, the iLiad covers the higher end of the eBook Reader market. With some neat features and wireless connectivity, it’s a good choice for those people who want a little bit extra from their portable device …
Compare Price:
| Product Name | Store | Cost | Postage | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iLiad | WHSmiths | £399.99 | £0.00 |  |
Design
The first thing you notice about the iLiad is that it’s slightly larger than its competitors. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, as the vast majority of the front of the reader is taken up by a very clear and sharp screen. The design of the casing may be unremarkable in its design, but it’s sleek finish means that the user can’t help feeling attracted to it. Indeed a lot of thought has obviously gone into the design of the iLiad. When using the device, readers are encouraged to mimic the actions of reading a real book: a vertical bar at the bottom of the screen needs to be moved from left to right in order to turn a page. It’s nice a touch that helps to contribute to a generally relaxing read.
Display:
The large, non-reflective 8.1″ screen can generally hold around twenty lines of a book at time. Text is displayed at a resolution of 1024 x 768 and is incredibly clear. In fact, the iLiad uses the same E-Ink Technology as the Sony eBook Reader meaning that the text remains sharp and easy to read even in bright sunlight. The iLiad handles darker conditions with equal ease. Due to the fact that the screen isn’t backlit, readers don’t feel their eyes being strained when reading novels in less than bright surroundings.
Additional Features:
The iLiad comes with a few extra features that you won’t find on other eBook Readers, but I think it’s probably fair to say that they frustrate as much as delight. On the plus side, the combination of a touch screen and a supplied stylus means that readers can make handwritten notes on the screen as they read. This is particularly useful for those who find themselves regularly studying literature or technical documents while on the move and adds a real sense of ownership to the eBooks that you have on your reader.
The iLiad also comes with a WiFi connection, although rather disappointingly it can’t be used for web access. Instead, it will only connect to the iRex delivery service. This can be useful for downloading new content such as books and newspapers, but it still would have been nice to have been given full web access.
Conclusion:
When deciding whether to purchase the iLiad, you really need to think carefully about how you’re going to use it. There are a lot of things that it does well: it has a crystal clear screen, a nice feel to it and is easy to use. Similarly, the ability to make your own handwritten notes on the screen is not something that you’ll find on other readers and is a great addition for those who like a permanent reminder of their thoughts on a particular passage of text.
However, if you’re simply looking for a device that will allow you to read books on the move (and you’re not going to be looking to download wireless content on a regular basis), then your money may well be better spent elsewhere. That’s because for all its promising features, the iLiad is let down slightly by it’s ‘clunky’ software. Users can’t transfer a book from a Flash Drive to the internal memory without wiring the device up to a computer. Similarly, opening up a file can take between 10-15 seconds and turning a page can take a couple of seconds.
In summary, it’s a case of a case a great looking machine being let down slightly by the software running on it. However for the professional, the iLiad offers a lot of useful functionality which won’t be found anywhere else. If you’re going to use it, then great. If not, you may want to try elsewhere.
The iLiad Reader is available from the WHSmiths »
Technical Specifications:
Dimensions:
Height: 271mm
Width: 155mm
Depth: 16mm
Weight:
435g
Battery:
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 7,500 page turns on a single charge
Display:
8.1″
160dpi
16 Greyscales
Touch Sensor Input
Internal Memory:
64MB (approximately 80 books)
File Formats Supported:
| TXT | HTML | |
| PNG | JPG | BMP |
Additional Information:
Comes with 50 books pre-installed (including such classics as “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, “Dracula” and “Oliver Twist”. For full list, click here)
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