iriver prepping handwriting-friendly e-book / tablet?

To wrap up its CES week, iriver has some pictures and scattered Korean text about its booth experience and product reception in Vegas over the past days. Tucked below all the self-congratulation, however, is what looks to be an as yet unannounced prototype from the ever-active iriver designers. The product appears to be an e-book of sorts, but with handwriting recognition and potentially a color display. Obviously, there's no more info at the moment to go on, iriver has been feeling a little protype-ish of late, and we never got much of a product out of iriver's last e-book, but hopefully we'll be hearing more about this one soon.

[Edge @ Jan 13th 2008 12:48AM]

Sweetness!

[BigD @ Jan 13th 2008 12:54AM]

This would totally replace everything for me. I'm a student...and I approve.

[Shawin @ Jan 13th 2008 3:36AM]

If only that thing had an on-screen keyboard and some way to put in a sim card for in-class sms sending. Then it surely would replace everything.

[Generic @ Jan 13th 2008 1:01PM]

Surely great but if it can fold open 2 writable pages it will be a lot better.

You can either use it like a regular double-paged book/notepad

OR

one page to read/write say your literature notes while the other displays your novel eBook you bought online.

[David W. @ Jan 13th 2008 12:57AM]

If that were a decent price...and I could flip it (I'm a lefty) I would buy that in a second...that's a terrific thing for students.

[Superprime @ Jan 13th 2008 6:35AM]

So what if you're a lefty. Yo flip your notebook when you're writing?

[David W. @ Jan 13th 2008 2:41PM]

I take paper out of the notebook...

[Ben @ Jan 14th 2008 12:20AM]

The bulge along the left side of this tablet is more significant than that of a spiral bound notebook. It looks like it'd be unwieldy to use as a lefty.

[rick hyman @ Jan 13th 2008 1:13AM]

I want that... in my pants..right next to my ipod touch
:)

[atomicthumbs @ Jan 13th 2008 1:28AM]

I just want a Newton.

:(

[Superprime @ Jan 13th 2008 6:39AM]

You mean Pocket PCs? :P

[Argot @ Jan 13th 2008 3:32PM]

For the love of god, why? Don't punish yourself like that!

[dave @ Jan 13th 2008 5:30PM]

I love my Newton...still using it. Maybe I can finally retire it if this lives up to it's concept design ;)

[Seung-Hwan @ Jan 13th 2008 1:38AM]

e-ink I hope?

[BigD @ Jan 13th 2008 10:01AM]

A color e-ink display with a refresh rate high enough to support touch/handwriting....the stuff of future indeed.

[tits @ Jan 13th 2008 2:11AM]

this is great really! color would be even better.

[Matt @ Jan 13th 2008 3:47AM]

Um, take a look at that photo on the screen, I'm pretty darn sure that's colour.

[apw76006 @ Jan 13th 2008 2:14AM]

Is it bound in fine Corinthian leather (said in my best Ricardo Montalbán accent)?

[michael @ Jan 13th 2008 2:16AM]

Wow. iriver has been making really great stuff lately. Or least as far as I've seen at CES. Most of their latest devices seem sound and solid, and even nice looking.

Can't wait to see what else they'll pull out. 08' must be a great year for them.

[stickmanfc73_ @ Jan 13th 2008 2:28AM]

Only if people get off of Apple's silicon nipple and support iRiver. A great showing at CES won't mean jack.

BTW, this looks cool. Basically, combine this with the dictionary and you have a winner. And allow it it link to Unit2.

[Sam Winter @ Jan 13th 2008 5:46AM]

@stickmanfc73

I actually somewhat liked iRiver (although I never owned anything) until I saw this interesting comparison:
http://img261.imageshack.us/my.php?image=iphoneirivernp7.jpg

[Iain @ Jan 13th 2008 8:41AM]

But if you were paying attention, they've already said that that was just a demo OS.
They've got the hardware done and that was just thrown on there so that people could see something working on it but, by the time it's released, it'll look completely different.

[absurdio @ Jan 13th 2008 2:45PM]

@stickmanfc73_

Okay, hold on, man. How did Apple just get vilified here? Apple doesn't make an e-book. There's no competition there. None. And why does Apple have to fail for iRiver to succeed? Heaven forfend there be TWO companies with a decent sense of industrial design.

This e-book will be awesome as soon as there's no iPhone!!!!!
...brilliant, man.

[jivetrky @ Jan 13th 2008 3:51AM]

Actually they JUST came out with those too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop

[absurdio @ Jan 13th 2008 2:38PM]

Wow. You thought that was funny enough to post twice, huh?

[jivetrky @ Jan 13th 2008 3:52AM]

Actually they JUST came out with those too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop

[3rdsun @ Jan 13th 2008 4:48AM]

It looks like a book..an ebook

[Wodheila @ Jan 13th 2008 7:02AM]

I'll have to stick with a keyboard. I quit trying to re-read what I've handwritten some years ago.

[Scott_t @ Jan 13th 2008 8:14AM]

Not much of an ebook reader without page up/page down buttons. The screen is an obvious photoshop so dont even try to guess if it'll be eink or not.

[jgrnt1 @ Jan 13th 2008 11:41AM]

I have an iRex iLiad and, though it's not color, it is an e-ink device with an integrated Wacom tablet. I can take notes in meetings, read books, view pdf files, etc. It has WiFi. It is also a Linux device, which the manufacturers have pretty much opened up for development. People have ported browsers, games and a whole bunch of other stuff. I love mine. Some people have had problems with broken screens and iRex support has been less than stellar, but I think the former is people not being careful, and hope the latter is just growing pains.

http://irextechnologies.com/

[Ayle @ Jan 13th 2008 12:09PM]

699$??? Wow that's expensive... YOu could get a decent laptop for that price... I hope the Iriver is in the 100-300 range.

[Mabedan @ Jan 13th 2008 12:01PM]

i'm liking this company... their recent products are so "open-minded" and really good-looking...
they're one the good way...

[lp @ Jan 13th 2008 12:31PM]

Finally a compagny that understand that after working with paper for the last 2000 years and more, Human get use to work with paper and they reseach the look and feel of that medium in their electronic device.

Please electronic GOD spread the good news an make sure manufacture understand it well.:):):):):)

I just hope that some genius (company) will not try to make this idea better by thinking they can impove the roundness of a wheel, by making it rectangular or polygonial.... For those genius (company) that may be frustate not having thinking/produce this before step beside and think harder.

The only inmprovement make sure it has USB ports to plug a mouse and keyboard to make it more comfortable for certain type of input. I also belive this will be a dual touch screen (hand and pen)

[SAM @ Jan 13th 2008 12:58PM]

How large is the screen & resolution?

[Syke @ Jan 13th 2008 5:30PM]

I just want a DATAPLATE which does NOT have a thousand bells and whistles I'll never use. :P Email and internet connectivity would be nice, but really... I need a lovely digital notebook with all the functionality of paper, but takes up less space. ;)

[roach @ Jan 13th 2008 6:18PM]

My TC1100 does everything this thing do and a lot more! you probably can buy a used one for $500 on ebay.

http://www.previewgadgets.com/gadget/hp-compaq-tc1100-tablet-pc/

[Dr.A @ Jan 14th 2008 2:38AM]

Another Photoshop-ed .... just look at the writing...

[Generic @ Jan 14th 2008 2:59PM]

more likely not because the post reads:

"To wrap up its CES week, iriver has some pictures and scattered Korean text about its booth experience and product reception in Vegas over the past days. Tucked below all the self-congratulation, however, is what looks to be an as yet unannounced prototype from the ever-active iriver designers."

[Realitista @ Jan 16th 2008 8:54AM]

I would so be all over that thing! That's exactly the device I've been waiting for! Something to take notes and read books on! Hopefully the battery life will be right! MAKE IT! MAKE IT!

[linda @ Jan 27th 2008 7:39AM]

we live in western NY. I was recently told that our school district has deleted hand writing from it's curriculum. They apparently teach to many other subjects and have no time for handwriting. I was shocked to find out they expect parents to teach this to their children. I have seen working mom's, they are exhausted after work. This says something for Catholic schools I am glad we sent our kids to catholic schools.Perhaps more will do so.

[meg @ Feb 12th 2008 3:33PM]

I wonder if it would work with Doane Paper?