Infibeam PI

[mohityadavx]

Infibeam PI
Hi I am a proud owner of Infibeam Pi since the day it launches in fact I had preordered it at Book Mela at Pragati Maidan. Here is a brief review ( nOt writing technical stuff like no of button etc which can already be seen on official website)

BOX PIC

Pros:-
1) Inexpensive (Rs9999)
2) Lightweight
3) Good Battery backup
4) Awesome clarity under sunlight
5) Expandable Memory
6) Support for native Indian languages
7) Excellent Customer Care

Thickness



Cons:-
1)Pathetic Firmware
2)Can’t study in dark
3) Lack 3G, Wifi
4) Lack support for audiobook
5)No Volume Control



The Infibeam Pi is 7.5-inch long, 4.5-inch wide, and 0.4-inch thick.The Infibeam Pi supports ebooks in the these formats TXT, DOC, PDF, HTML and EPUB.The User Interface is simple and minimalistic.It has all the common features of an average ebook reader which are bookmark, landscape-portrait mode,auto restoration to last page you read(auto restoration is not accurate and will lead you 2 or 3 pages back than from where you left),change font size,search within page for text.You could just plug in the device with USB and it shows a storage device , just copy/cut paste the files in neatly preset organized folder no complicated software requires simplicity at its best. All the buttons are inscribed with a symbol and even a 3rd grade child will learn to use the device within few minutes.

Menu View

Infibeam is overall a VFM device. It has extra features like Sudoku and can play music however it doesn’t support audio books. Its voice clarity is good but 3mm port for earphone makes the earphone propitiatory to Infibeam with no other choice. The Pi gives an average of 14-15 hours battery backup. The biggest problem with Pi is its firmware . The firmware corrupts now and then. Though the steps to reinstall the firmware are damn simple but till this date I haven’t managed to reinstall on my own. I have to send it to Infibeam office and they do it for me. Infibeam biggest pro is its biggest con also the ability to clearly read the text under sunlight by removing backlight also deprive the ability to read under complete darkness. However I overcame this problem with the help of a combination of APC Mobile Power Pack + USB Light.

Infibeam USB and Audio Jack




The zoom option works great but don't even think of reading comics (I tried asterix comics in pdf but text wasn't legible) PDF with two to three panes in side with index etc are also not supported very well by PI.

I would like to conclude this review by saying that just like sandybridge wait for a stable firmware to come before buying the pi.

Read my review on my PMP Philips GoGear SA52xx bt

---------- Post added 25-02-2011 at 03:04 PM ---------- Previous post was 24-02-2011 at 08:58 PM ----------

these are my first reviews so please tell me if i am missing something, more details etc

[mohityadavx]

Complete makeover!!!

[noob]

Not required. PC/lappy/tablet/4 Inch mobile phones ftw

[mohityadavx]

^^ i didn't get u

[amitava82]

eww that thing is a rip-off coupled with poor screen and build quality.. Love my Kindle

[mohityadavx]

eww that thing is a rip-off coupled with poor screen and build quality.. Love my Kindle

there is a thing called price factor!!!

Also infibeam pi is much lighter 190g compared to ur hefty 290g kindle.There would be various other pro also i would soon make a chart.

[amitava82]

there is a thing called price factor!!!

Also infibeam pi is much lighter 190g compared to ur hefty 290g kindle.There would be various other pro also i would soon make a chart.

Hmm lets see the price factor.. Paid about Rs. 6500 for it compared to 10k for Pi? And it is 240g. Kindle has better Screen (which actually looks like paper), battery life, WIFI and build quality. Pi looks like one of those roadside Chinese product. Pi has no "pro" against kindle, so don't bother making a chart.. lol

[Krow]

Kindle's battery life is longer isn't it? They advertise it as 25 days, but how much is it actually?

@OP: Could you post pics of ebooks on the Pi so that readers can know about text clarity, etc?

[mohityadavx]

Kindle's battery life is longer isn't it? They advertise it as 25 days, but how much is it actually?

@OP: Could you post pics of ebooks on the Pi so that readers can know about text clarity, etc?

Even pi advertise 10000 click or 30 days standby backup. i will post the pic after 20th April

[mohityadavx]

@OP: Could you post pics of ebooks on the Pi so that readers can know about text clarity, etc?

posting pics u requested

I am not a good photographer first of all and then i had to downscale file size due to size limit on TDF and don't know why imageshack linked photo are not appearing here on TDF

the images are shot at different views with different text size small and medium

[mohityadavx]

Is it ok!!!

[Krow]

Yeah, thanks for the pics. Could you post one side view for viewing angles?

[mohityadavx]

Yeah, thanks for the pics. Could you post one side view for viewing angles?

Sorry! I didn't get u

[amitava82]

Yeah, thanks for the pics. Could you post one side view for viewing angles?

eInk display don't have any viewing angle. It's same as looking at a real page. Though PI looks like a monochrome LCD; current generation (Pearl) eInk display looks exactly like a sheet of white paper.

[Krow]

eInk display don't have any viewing angle. It's same as looking at a real page. Though PI looks like a monochrome LCD; current generation (Pearl) eInk display looks exactly like a sheet of white paper.

Sorry I did not know that. Thanks for explaining. So the Kindle has Pearl?

[amitava82]

Yes.
Here is a random photo: http://thebookstop.files.wordpress.c...8/img_2527.jpg

[mohityadavx]

Hmm lets see the price factor.. Paid about Rs. 6500 for it compared to 10k for Pi? And it is 240g. Kindle has better Screen (which actually looks like paper), battery life, WIFI and build quality. Pi looks like one of those roadside Chinese product. Pi has no "pro" against kindle, so don't bother making a chart.. lol

Pi is an indian product so it will support indian technology and only product with which u can read indian fonts like HIndi , malyalam etc.

then u haven't paid customs on it which will void the warranty
Lets see howThese are from amazon site only)

amazon kindle with wifi :- 139$
shipping :- 21$
Custon: - 56$

total :- 216$ - Rs 9500

so price wise no difference

also a con of this model is that this 139$ model cannot display international fonts such as the Cyrillic font (Chinese or any other non-Latin font), PDF and the web browser are limited to Kindle 2 features.

Another con of kindle is that it doesn't have expandable memory.



In the box-
Kindle comes with no bundled earphone rest is same + u have to buy a convertor for US voltage

Weight:- Pi is 100g lighter than Kindle ( It makes hell of a difference when u hav 2 carry all over in ur palm)

Piracy:- Yup ! it exist and would make a lot of difference as in this way my Dad only bought Pi when i convinced him that i will never buy a novel again and download everything for free via the net. U can't do so with kindle.

ADDITIONAL ACCESSORY:- If u wanna buy a cover for kindle ur cheapest bet is of minimum of RS 600 however Pi offer a specialized cover for just
Rs 300 ( Shipping Free) Here watch the cover 4 urself Isn't it premium :- LInk

AnD finally u will never face this problem with Pi

:-

Remote content removal

On July 17, 2009, Amazon.com withdrew certain Kindle titles, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, from sale, refunded the cost to those who had purchased them, and remotely deleted these titles from purchasers' devices after discovering that the publisher lacked rights to publish the titles in question.[85] Notes and annotations for the books made by users on their devices were left in a separate file, but "rendered useless" without the content they were directly linked to.[86][87] The move prompted outcry and comparisons to Nineteen Eighty-Four itself. In the novel, books, magazines and newspapers in public archives that contradict the ruling party are either edited long after being published or destroyed outright; the removed materials go "down the Memory Hole", nickname for an incinerator chute.[88] Customers and commentators noted the resemblance to the censorship in the novel, and described Amazon's action in Orwellian terms. Some critics also argued that the deletion violated the Kindle's Terms of Service, which states in part:[89]

"Upon your payment of the applicable fees set by Amazon, Amazon grants you the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy of the applicable Digital Content and to view, use and display such Digital Content an unlimited number of times, solely on the Device or as authorized by Amazon as part of the Service and solely for your personal, non-commercial use."

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener stated that the company is "… changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances."[90] On July 23, 2009, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos posted an apology about the company's handling of the matter on Amazon's official Kindle forum. Bezos said the action was "stupid", and that the executives at Amazon "deserve the criticism received."[91]

On July 30, 2009, Justin Gawronski, a Michigan high-school senior, and Antoine Bruguier, a California engineer, filed suit against Amazon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Gawronski argued that Amazon had violated their terms of service by remotely deleting the copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four he had purchased, in the process preventing him from accessing annotations he had written. Bruguier also had his copy deleted without his consent, and found Amazon "deceit[ful]" in an email exchange. The complaint, which requested class-action status, asked for both monetary and injunctive relief.[87][92] The case was settled on September 25, 2009, with Amazon agreeing to pay $150,000 divided between the two plaintiffs, on the understanding that the law firm representing them, Kamber Edelson LLC, "...will donate its portion of that fee to a charitable organization...".[93] The settlement also saw Amazon guaranteeing wider rights to Kindle owners over their eBooks:

For copies of Works purchased pursuant to TOS granting "the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy" of each purchased Work and to "view, use and display [such Works] an unlimited number of times, solely on the [Devices]. . . and solely for [the purchasers'] personal, non-commercial use", Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the United States unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the Work or otherwise fails to pay for the Work (e.g., if a credit or debit card issuer declines to remit payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer or the operation of a Device or network through which the Device communicates (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within a copy of a Work downloaded to a Device).[94]

On September 4, 2009, Amazon offered affected users a restoration of the deleted ebooks, an Amazon gift certificate, or a check for the amount of $30.[95]

In December 2010, three eBooks by author Selena Kitt were removed due to violations of Amazon's publishing guidelines. For what Amazon describes as "a brief period of time," the books were unavailable for redownload by users who had already purchased them. This ability was restored after it was brought to Amazon's attention; however, no remote deletion took place

One more thing i want to add was that i finally solved the firmware issue

actually i had to extract firmware in memory card at root level but when i extracted it it got extracted in memory card so it was the main problem.

I haven't faced any other issue with my Pi.

[baccilus]

Most of the custom you mentioned is returned after a month of buying the Kindle. They charge extra customs just in case there is a problem at customs. To be honest with you, there is absolutely no reason to buy this at 10,000 bucks.
No converter is required for US Voltage. Just an adapter is required which costs Rs 40/-. Te biggest downer is that it seems to have page turn button on just one side. So you can only use one of your hands to hold it.

[amitava82]

I have absolutely no reason to reply to reply to this thread however I could not help but to clarify all the wrong informations you are trying to pass just to prove the PI is a better product (!!!!)

Lets see..

1. Look ma I can read Hindi on Kindle (well, I can't )



Not too difficult to convert any document in any language into PDF and send it to Kindle. So yeah, technically you can read documents in any language on Kindle.

2. Kindle comes with International warranty. Regardless how you buy it.

3. You can easily pickup a wifi Kindle for around 8.5k from some of the indian online stores.

PDF and the web browser are limited to Kindle 2 features.

4. Kindle 3 comes with built-in PDF and web Browser. Along with MP3 player and Text-to-speech.

5. Could not care less about headphone, it has built in speakers. It's not a MP3 player. Unlike mobile phones, you gonna charge it once in a month for 2 hours. USB is more than enough. If you need, buy one of those 30Rs converter for the charger.

6. 100g makes hell of a difference? May be you should eat some more and gain some strength. ebook readers weigh less than paper books. BTW, PI is 180g vs Kindle at 240g. May be I'm doing the math wrong, how is that 100g difference?

7. So you purchased an ebook reader so that you would never have to buy a book? Anyway, Kindle Store is not the only way to get books on Kindle. Plug in the USB and copy paste any book you want and it's good to go.

8. I bought myself a premium Kindle cover for Rs. 450 with free shipping. Looks better though.

9. Good job with digging up a story from 2009. Since you never going to pay for any book anyway, don't see how that matters to you.. Not just Amazon, every company remove contents from their store if it against their TOS. Look up Apple or Google App Stores.

You might be happy with PI but don't suggest that it is a better product than Kindle. Quality of display and response time itself makes it 100 times better product, let alone other features that I have not discussed.

[mohityadavx]

I

1. Look ma I can read Hindi on Kindle (well, I can't )


Not too difficult to convert any document in any language into PDF and send it to Kindle. So yeah, technically you can read documents in any language on Kindle.

it directly doesn't support Hindi does it?? Of course u could convert into pdf. ( Well i am talking about inbuilt feature)

4. Kindle 3 comes with built-in PDF and web Browser. Along with MP3 player and Text-to-speech.

i m sorry 4 this due to source @ wikipedia.

Could not care less about headphone, it has built in speakers. It's not a MP3 player.

I heard something called audiobooks!!

100g makes hell of a difference? May be you should eat some more and gain some strength. ebook readers weigh less than paper books. BTW, PI is 180g vs Kindle at 240g. May be I'm doing the math wrong, how is that 100g difference?

i just saw this google suggested result
& there is a difference in the way u hold a book and an ebook reader
and i definitely know my strength level


link:-

So you purchased an ebook reader so that you would never have to buy a book?

Man even digit talks about piracy when they review console

and if u really think i am a goddamn pirate then let me tell u i take my books frm project gutenburg

Have u tried here ( Its completely legal 2 download from this site)

Link

u will find here most of the books u mentioned like

Shelock Holmes : The Norwood Mystery

The Count of Monte Cristo

Oliver Twist

OT:-

R u reading on Pc or an ebook reader.

Thread link

Kindle 3 comes with built-in PDF

Same goes for PI

Kindle comes with International warranty. Regardless how you buy it.

I am not sure about it but since u bought it 4 Rs 6500 u didn't pay custom then let me tell u law of the land

Its illegal to bring along any electronic good without paying cutsom tariff unless it is under the baggage limit

Paid about Rs. 6500 for it

Even that would be considered wrong info for most of the Indian scenario

Check out some more cons

Source:-

Lack of library books. A few people have mentioned that they chose Nook or Sony instead of Kindle only because of the lack of support for library books. This is a real issue.
Lack of ePub support. This is usually mentioned in connection with library books. However, a few people also mentioned it independently. Don’t see how this is relevant. If you feel very strongly about ePub then this is an issue – not otherwise. The only significant way in which it currently impacts readers is lack of support for Library books.
Freezing – Kindle 3 is freezing on some PDFs, some websites, and rarely in other situations. That’s what it seems like from the forums and from my experience. This might be a real issue and might need a software fix. This does happen – not often enough to be a big issue but often enough that you can’t disregard it.
There might be variation in screen quality. Have taken a lot of photos of my Kindle 3 and the review unit Amazon sent me and can’t really find anything conclusive – So the probability is low but not zero. Lots of people look at the same thing and see different things so it’s quite possible that the screens are all within 5% to 10% of the same basic improved level of screen contrast.
The size of the screen isn’t conducive to PDFs. This really isn’t the Kindle 3′s fault. It does very well as this Kindle 3 PDF post shows. However, if you’re expecting to be able to read PDFs page by page you’re going to be disappointed – the screen is 6″ and not an A4 size sheet of paper.
The thinner page turn buttons have got some people upset. You can hold the Kindle 3 along the side edge (a tiny bit to the back so you don’t press down on it) and then this shouldn’t be a problem.
The 5-way being next to Back and Home means you sometimes accidentally press Back. The solution to this is to keep your thumb over the 5-way centre button and then move down or up or left or right from this central position to press the inside edges of the up,down, left, and right buttons. This works much better.
The 5-way and page turn buttons take a little getting used to. There’s no way around it – you have to spend a little time to get familiar with them.
There are no number keys. You have to either use Alt+Top Row to get numbers (Alt+Q = 1, Alt+W = 2, etc.) or use the SYM key.
The Kindle 3 Graphite gets pretty hot in direct sunlight. This is actually a pretty important point. It’s a bit obvious but it might mean that when it’s really hot outside you can’t take the graphite Kindle 3 out for reading. Hopefully, someone in a hotter place than Montreal will let us know if that really is the case.

That’s a good collection of Kindle 3 cons and it helps highlight that while Amazon did get things right with the Kindle 3 it is by no means perfect. You can find discussions of various Kindle 3 Cons as well as lots of Kindle 3 reviews at the official kindle forum.

Kindle 3 Cons – The Interesting Ones

Here are some interesting Kindle 3 cons -

A few people find the new size too small and the weight too low. They felt using the Kindle 3 with the cover fixed the issue.
A few people don’t like the new layout of buttons. The top complaint seems to be the power slider being at the bottom.
There are some concerns about the Kindle 3 graphite not disappearing in the background as well as a white Kindle would. For me there was no difference and in fact the better screen contrast of the Kindle 3 helps make it more engrossing than Kindle 2. If we were to compare the white Kindle 3 and the black Kindle 3 perhaps there’s some difference – Haven’t tried it so don’t know.
Concerns about the weight of the lighted case. Well, it’s 7.8 ounces.
Concerns about the uneven lighting the Lighted Cover provides. Well, you can read the entire screen but the top corner (that is closest to the light) is brighter than the opposite corner (which is the case with every reading light in my experience).
It’s smaller and the bezel around it is narrower so you have to be careful how you hold it. Tip: You can only press the page turn buttons if you have downwards pressure on them – so just hold them with your fingers a little to the back of the side of the buttons. Try a few positions and you’ll see what I mean.
PDFs still can’t be downloaded using the web browser.
Several people are finding that they need to try a few times to connect to WiFi. Sometimes it’s a WiFi network issue solved by resetting the WiFi network or changing the type of encryption by choosing ‘Enter other WiFi network’ in Kindle 3′s WiFi dialog.
Sometimes the browser will cause a problem where the top bar of the browser with the url etc. stays even after leaving the browser. A reset (slide and hold power button for 15 seconds) fixes this bug.

I have absolutely no reason to reply to reply to this thread however I could not help but to clarify all the wrong informations you are trying to pass just to prove the PI is a better product (!!!!)

The list is endless

but all i am trying to say is that it is not a kindle vs pi debate zone

for the same reason i not even once mentioned Kindle even once in the main review

until u made these sarcastic statements

eww that thing is a rip-off coupled with poor screen and build quality.. Love my Kindle

Pi looks like one of those roadside Chinese product.

u should have better kept ur personal opinions with urself only

If u like kindle more than Pi be happy with it but don't say Pi as a ripoff this is something i won't tolerate

[Faun]

@mohit
You had to pay only the listed price and no extra taxes (octroi etc) ?

[mohityadavx]

@mohit
You had to pay only the listed price and no extra taxes (octroi etc) ?

Only 9999 nothing else
free shipping and no extra taxes

Now they r also giving a cover free ( Worth 300 ) with it when i had bought it cover was to be bought separately.

[Faun]

^^thanks for the clarification.

[mohityadavx]

^^thanks for the clarification.

Welcome!!!

[m-jeri]

Thght of adding the pi to my ebook decision list. After this review no point in getting this if kindle already in list.

So its between Kindle and new Nook Touch.