| e-Book Reader 101e-Book readers have been around | | | | e-Book format to the open format ePub. |
| for many years in fact, electronic paper was first | | | | Barnes & Noble, a Serious Contender |
| developed at Xerox PARC in the 1970s. Recent | | | | Barnes & Noble has an e-book store with some |
| advances in e-ink technology have made practical | | | | features that differentiate it from Amazon. For one |
| lightweight devices with high contrast, reflective | | | | thing you can "lend" a book you own to a friend |
| displays and long battery lives. Reflective displays are | | | | using their LendMe technology that allows you to |
| like paper, they rely on a light source like the sun or a | | | | "lend" one of your e-Books to someone for 14 days. |
| light bulb, to make the e-ink visible. On the other | | | | The Barnes & Noble "Nook," has a 6 inch 16 level |
| hand, transmissive displays like LCD monitors and | | | | grayscale e-ink display and a small 3.5 inch |
| laptop displays use backlights to light up the pixels so | | | | touchsrceen LCD that sits below the e-ink display. |
| it's possible to read them in almost any light condition, | | | | The Nook runs under the Android operating system |
| bright or dark. Backlit displays can drain batteries | | | | but unfortunately no plans to open up the device to |
| much faster than E-ink displays that use just a trickle | | | | third party developers. Like Amazon's Kindle it |
| of power when the display is not changing allowing | | | | includes free 3G wireless connectivity and WiFi and |
| them to run for a very long time, like days, between | | | | unlike the Kindle 2 it supports PDFs. |
| charges. Color e-ink displays have been slow in | | | | Plastic Logic Announces the QUE |
| coming but prototypes have been seen in labs | | | | The frequently announced but so far, unreleased |
| however, no one seems to be willing to say how | | | | QUEreader Pro has a plastic backplane and large 8.5 x |
| soon they'll appear in e-Book readers. | | | | 11 inch E Ink display. The QUEreader Pro will support |
| What Makes Readers Tick? | | | | open formats like PDF and ePub. The reader includes |
| Source E Ink Corporation | | | | WiFi and AT&T's 3G network and the QUE |
| Most e-readers are made with electrophoretic "film," | | | | store, powered by Barnes & Noble, will offer a |
| that use tiny "pigment chips" inside microcapsules | | | | large collection of books and other reading material. |
| which are forced to move between the front of the | | | | Alex from Spring Designs |
| display (white dot) and the back (dark dot). E Ink | | | | Spring Design recently unveiled an e-Book reader |
| Corporation of Cambridge, Mass, founded in 1997 | | | | called "Alex," that looks surprisingly similar to Barnes |
| provides the film for most popular readers including | | | | & Noble's Nook. Spring Designs claim they have |
| the Kindle, Sony Reader, IREX readers, and the | | | | a patent on the dual-screen concept which makes us |
| forthcoming reader from Plastic Logic. | | | | wonder how the Nook is getting away with using it. |
| Plastic Logic is a British company that makes readers | | | | Like the Nook it's an Android-based e-Book reader |
| with E Ink's Vizplex, 2nd generation film that offers | | | | with dual screens and WiFi and 3G connectivity. |
| faster switching speed, improved reflectance and | | | | Here's a video demo: |
| more levels of gray. Plastic Logic uses a plastic | | | | Update |
| backplane instead of a glass backplane. Glass | | | | Apparently, it may not be a coincidence the Nook |
| backplane displays are easier to make but plastic | | | | resembles Spring Design's alex. This week Spring |
| offers several advantages including durability. Plastic | | | | Design filed suit this week against Barnes & |
| Logic says plastic backplanes allow them to increase | | | | Noble, accusing them of "misappropriating," trade |
| the size of the displays without adding weight. Plastic | | | | secrets. Spring Design claims Barnes & Noble |
| Logic will be offering the new 8.5 x 11 inch | | | | may have "borrowed," their design when they |
| touchscreen "QUE proReader," in partnership with | | | | showed it to them under non-disclosure. |
| Barnes and Noble early next year.e-Book Readers | | | | Lowest Priced e-Book Reader |
| There are more e-Book readers on the market and | | | | The New York-based ECTACO, known for their |
| many more expected to jump in. Here's a look at | | | | translators has entered the e-Book market with the |
| what's available now and what's coming down the | | | | jetBook-Lite. ECTACO sells the reader on their site |
| line. | | | | for $179 but we hear it will available for as low as |
| Amazon Kindles are the King of the Hill | | | | $149. It users four AA batteries that provide 23 |
| Amazon re-invigorated the e-Book category with the | | | | hours of continuous use. It works with the Barnes |
| release of the Kindle in 2007. It was praised for its | | | | & Noble eBook store and supports many file |
| size and weight although it generated some criticisms | | | | formats including PDF. One drawback is the lack of |
| for a few ergonomic issues mainly it was too easy | | | | wireless connectivity. |
| to accidently advance a page. Free 3G connectivity | | | | Asus e-Book Readers Coming Soon |
| and vast library of instantly accessible books made | | | | Look for an announcement from ASUS before the |
| the first Kindle a big success. | | | | end of the year of a dual screen, touch-enabled |
| In 2008 Amazon addressed the complaints of the | | | | e-Book reader. Word is it might look similar to the |
| original Kindle in the Kindle 2 that offered improved | | | | prototype pictured above and offer a 6 inch or 9 |
| ergonomics and an improved display using E Inks | | | | inch screen possibly in color. |
| Vizplex film that offers a 16 level grayscale display. In | | | | The Astak Mentor from Taiwan |
| the summer of 2009 they launched a larger screen | | | | This new e-Book reader comes out of Taiwan from |
| Kindle DX, a 9.7 inch (diagonal) display selling for $489 | | | | a collaboration between Netronix a network and |
| and dropped the price of the 6 inch Kindle 2 to $259. | | | | multimedia product manufacturer and Astak also |
| Recently Amazon announced an international version | | | | known as Team Research, a supplier of memory and |
| of the Kindle which is priced at $279 and will work in | | | | other electronics products. Netronix makes several |
| over 100 countries. | | | | Linux-based e-Book readers. The Mentor is a 6 inch |
| Sony Readers Come in Sizes and Colors | | | | reader with an SD card reader that reads PDFs and |
| Sony's early readers pre-dated the Kindle. With no | | | | other document formats. It has a built-in Soduko |
| wireless connectivity and limited and expensive | | | | game too! You can buy it on their site for $289. |
| books, it never really took off. Sony came roaring | | | | IREX DR 800SG From Established e-Book Maker |
| back with the Sony Reader PRS-505 in 2008 and | | | | IREX Technologies is a Dutch company that has been |
| most recently the Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300) | | | | developing e-Readers since 2001. They built the Sony |
| which has a 5 inch display, 8 level grayscale, and | | | | Librie which was launched in 2004. They recently |
| costs $199 and the Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600) | | | | announced the IREX DR 800SG a wireless e-Book |
| has a 6 inch touchscreen 8 level grayscale display and | | | | reader with worldwide 3G. IREX claims this reader |
| retails for $299. The Daily Edition (PRS-900BC) has a | | | | has the fastest page refresh. It supports the Barnes |
| 7 inch touchsrceen 16 level grayscale display and 3G | | | | & Noble eBook Store and other platforms and |
| connectivity which the Pocket and Touch Editions | | | | formats like PDF and ePub. It will cost $399 when is |
| lack. The Daily Edition will be available in December for | | | | goes on sale at Best Buy. |
| $399. Sony recently switched from a proprietary | | | | |