iLiad Irex Iliad 2 in late 2017 - still usable?

Eusebius · 10-01-2017, 08:30 AM

Hi folks!

Just found an intersting offer for a Irex Iliad 2.

Since I need Epub support and full page layout (without disturbing elements) I am not sure if it is even possible today to patch the device to do that.

Anyone here who knows the situation?

JSWolf · 10-01-2017, 11:53 AM

Given how old the Iliad is, there's a good chance the battery may not work properly.

You'd be best to get a new Reader such as a Kobo.

Eusebius · 10-01-2017, 05:15 PM

Well, the offer is NIB and therefore I guess the battery will be working nicely. Am I wrong?

150€ seems to be a reasonable price for the thing...

Ok, my memory is coming back.... There is this developer package needed to install third party applications, right? To get that you had to register online .... Well, this is not possible anymore...

Is there any other way to make 3rd party apps installable?

btw. ist there any firmware higher than 2.11? Can´t find any informations online.

Jmirko · 10-02-2017, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eusebius

Well, the offer is NIB and therefore I guess the battery will be working nicely. Am I wrong?

150€ seems to be a reasonable price for the thing...

Ok, my memory is coming back.... There is this developer package needed to install third party applications, right? To get that you had to register online .... Well, this is not possible anymore...

Is there any other way to make 3rd party apps installable?

btw. ist there any firmware higher than 2.11? Can´t find any informations online.

I have a couple of Iliads and I wasn't able to get developer access and install apps, despite many hours of web research. Out-of-the box, the Iliad reads mobi, but not epub.

The battery may or may not be alive, depending on how it was stored - you should definitely ask about battery life before buying. The Iliad has old-school power management, so just ask the seller to charge fully amd measure standby time until completely empty. If the batzery wasn't charged periodically since manufacture, it probably won't even turn on.

If you only plan to read on the device, you can get a new 8-inch e-ink tablet with Android for 180€ - a much more modern and infinitely more versatile device. However, if you plan to annotate or take notes with the stylus, the Iliad is great. The writing experience is nicer than on the latest e-ink tablets (looking at you, Onyx), thanks to the genuine Wacom technology.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk

Eusebius · 10-06-2017, 04:37 PM

Thanks a lot, dear JMirko, for your kind help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmirko

I have a couple of Iliads and I wasn't able to get developer access and install apps, despite many hours of web research. Out-of-the box, the Iliad reads mobi, but not epub.

The battery may or may not be alive, depending on how it was stored - you should definitely ask about battery life before buying. The Iliad has old-school power management, so just ask the seller to charge fully amd measure standby time until completely empty. If the batzery wasn't charged periodically since manufacture, it probably won't even turn on.

If you only plan to read on the device, you can get a new 8-inch e-ink tablet with Android for 180€ - a much more modern and infinitely more versatile device. However, if you plan to annotate or take notes with the stylus, the Iliad is great. The writing experience is nicer than on the latest e-ink tablets (looking at you, Onyx), thanks to the genuine Wacom technology.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk

rhari79 · 10-07-2017, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eusebius

Well, the offer is NIB and therefore I guess the battery will be working nicely. Am I wrong?

150€ seems to be a reasonable price for the thing...

I think 150 is too high, for a 5+yr old one. NIB would also mean the battery has run down never been charged and probably dead by now.

I think, I got 2 used old ones, for 80eu and 10-20eu..off ebay. Both had bloated batteries.
I was able to replace the 1st with batteries from my rotted book edition. I am still yet to try some soldering skills on the second one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eusebius

Is there any other way to make 3rd party apps installable?

Please just look at the thread just before this one. I have posted a way to use a browser feature to enable shell access.
I can upload later some html+script to get it working.

HarryT · 10-08-2017, 05:05 AM

Good device for its time (I had one myself), but there were issues. The company went bust basically because they were unable to meet the promises they'd made for battery life, and this was a device whose battery life was very, very short indeed. With a 5-yo battery (which may well be completely dead, with no replacements easily available - if, indeed at all) I'd be very wary.

The second major issue is that, as I'm sure you recall, you couldn't just copy files onto the device directly - you had to transfer them via a program that you ran on your PC. Will that program run on current versions of Windows?

I'd be extremely cautious of this, personally. There are other 10"+ devices on the market if that's your need.

Jmirko · 10-08-2017, 04:39 PM

Harry, with all due respect, you are mistaken: you can connect an Iliad to a pc with the included USB cable + adapter, and it shows up as an external drive. I am looking at mine right now on Win 10. The only limitation is that although the Iliad can accept an SD card, a CF card, and an USB key at the same time (in addition to the internal memory), only one of those is visible via pc at any one time. You need to select this in the settings before connecting the device.
As for batteries (the Iliad has 2 of them): yes, this is a risk. Even in good condition, the Iliad can only last through a working day (but then so can humans &#128515

. That's why I suggested to the OP to ask the seller to test it. It is also possible to replace the batteries, but it's not trivial.
I stand by my opinion that 150€ is not a bad price for a NOS Iliad if you're going to use the Wacom stylus. If it's just for reading, there are much better devices for only slightly more money.

Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk

JSWolf · 10-08-2017, 05:01 PM

One other issue is that the Illiad is limited on what formats you can handle. Mobipocket is obsolete and it doesn't handle ePub. Also, there's no way to to update the firmware if it's not at the latest.

HarryT · 10-08-2017, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmirko

Harry, with all due respect, you are mistaken: you can connect an Iliad to a pc with the included USB cable + adapter, and it shows up as an external drive. I am looking at mine right now on Win 10.

Thanks. My memory must be playing tricks on me; I have a clear memory of having to use a PC app for something. I wonder what it could have been?

JSWolf · 10-08-2017, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks. My memory must be playing tricks on me; I have a clear memory of having to use a PC app for something. I wonder what it could have been?

Updating the firmware?

HarryT · 10-08-2017, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Updating the firmware?

Good suggestion , but no, I'm sure it was something more routine than that. My memory is absolutely shocking these days!

Jmirko · 10-09-2017, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Good suggestion , but no, I'm sure it was something more routine than that. My memory is absolutely shocking these days!

So is mine 😃 Fortunately I still have a couple of Iliads that I could test this on.

Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk

HarryT · 10-09-2017, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmirko

So is mine 😃 Fortunately I still have a couple of Iliads that I could test this on.

It's entirely possible that I'm mixing it up with an entirely different device - I've had so many! Anyway, sorry for any confusion caused.

JSWolf · 10-09-2017, 08:05 AM

IMHO, to answer the topic question, I would say, not usable.

10-01-2017, 05:15 PM	#3
Eusebius Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Irex Iliad	Well, the offer is NIB and therefore I guess the battery will be working nicely. Am I wrong? 150€ seems to be a reasonable price for the thing... Ok, my memory is coming back.... There is this developer package needed to install third party applications, right? To get that you had to register online .... Well, this is not possible anymore... Is there any other way to make 3rd party apps installable? btw. ist there any firmware higher than 2.11? Can´t find any informations online. Last edited by Eusebius; 10-01-2017 at 06:37 PM.

10-08-2017, 04:39 PM	#8
Jmirko Recovered collector Posts: 398 Karma: 1555507 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: see signature	Harry, with all due respect, you are mistaken: you can connect an Iliad to a pc with the included USB cable + adapter, and it shows up as an external drive. I am looking at mine right now on Win 10. The only limitation is that although the Iliad can accept an SD card, a CF card, and an USB key at the same time (in addition to the internal memory), only one of those is visible via pc at any one time. You need to select this in the settings before connecting the device. As for batteries (the Iliad has 2 of them): yes, this is a risk. Even in good condition, the Iliad can only last through a working day (but then so can humans &#128515. That's why I suggested to the OP to ask the seller to test it. It is also possible to replace the batteries, but it's not trivial. I stand by my opinion that 150€ is not a bad price for a NOS Iliad if you're going to use the Wacom stylus. If it's just for reading, there are much better devices for only slightly more money. Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk

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10-01-2017, 08:30 AM	#1
Eusebius Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Irex Iliad	Irex Iliad 2 in late 2017 - still usable? Hi folks! Just found an intersting offer for a Irex Iliad 2. Since I need Epub support and full page layout (without disturbing elements) I am not sure if it is even possible today to patch the device to do that. Anyone here who knows the situation?

10-01-2017, 11:53 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,421 Karma: 136564696 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Given how old the Iliad is, there's a good chance the battery may not work properly. You'd be best to get a new Reader such as a Kobo.

10-08-2017, 05:05 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Good device for its time (I had one myself), but there were issues. The company went bust basically because they were unable to meet the promises they'd made for battery life, and this was a device whose battery life was very, very short indeed. With a 5-yo battery (which may well be completely dead, with no replacements easily available - if, indeed at all) I'd be very wary. The second major issue is that, as I'm sure you recall, you couldn't just copy files onto the device directly - you had to transfer them via a program that you ran on your PC. Will that program run on current versions of Windows? I'd be extremely cautious of this, personally. There are other 10"+ devices on the market if that's your need.

10-08-2017, 05:01 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,421 Karma: 136564696 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	One other issue is that the Illiad is limited on what formats you can handle. Mobipocket is obsolete and it doesn't handle ePub. Also, there's no way to to update the firmware if it's not at the latest.

10-09-2017, 08:05 AM	#15
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,421 Karma: 136564696 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	IMHO, to answer the topic question, I would say, not usable.