iRex Technologies heading titsup
iPad collects first scalp
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 Apple's iPad. But the market for hugely expensive mono-screened tablets with dodgy user interfaces was surprisingly limited, and despite rushing out a 3G-enabled version of the Iliad iRex found sales didn't pick up fast enough and has now run out of cash.
Unlike its competitors, iRex concentrated on the technology rather than services, which is a shame given that it's services that punters seem to want. We reviewed the DR1000S last year, and your correspondent actually bought one and has been using it ever since for reviewing long documents, a task at which it excels.
But the technology focus of the company continues to be evident in the almost-impossible-to-navigate interface (never, ever, let engineers design interfaces) and when compared to Apple's iPad even we had to admit there was no reason to buy an iRex these days. As one commenter on the iRex forums put it, when switching to an iPad:
"Everything is so fast and intuitive that it is a real joy to use. I have a number of scanned to PDF documents that are still in graphical format. These are unusable on the iRex as it takes so long to open, but on the iPad they open instantly and are very fast to navigate and zoom around."
An improved interface for the DR1000 and wireless Iliad is already in beta, and the company's UK rep told us that restructuring plans are in progress to try and save the company, or some of it at least.
Being a first mover isn't always the road to profitability, and much as we'd enjoy blaming Apple for crushing iRex, in reality the products just weren't rounded enough or cheap enough, even if the iPad hadn't come along to finish the job. ®
COMMENTS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
