|
Jan
11
|
Of the recent announcements, this is probably the reader that’s probably been most eagerly awaited, with early versions having been shown some time ago – So, now we’ve got more info, what do we know…
Well, just to get some context, it’s a 11 inch x 8.5 inch x 0.3 inch device, with a 8.53 inch x 6.4 inch (that’s a 10.5 inch diagonal) touchscreen display. The display has a resolution of 944 x 1264 at 150 ppi, 8 levels of gray and is a capacitance-type touchscreen, which means that the you’re intended to use your fingers to interface with it, rather than a stylus. The reason for that choice is that it allows for the touchscreen layer to be placed below the display layer, so there’s no impact on display clarity or issues with reflections, which can occur when the touchscreen layer needs to be the top layer. In a break from the current generation of readers, the screen doesn’t use a glass substrate but a plastic one, meaning that it’s much more robust than existing readers.
There are two versions available for pre-order, with a launch date of mid-April – the 4 GB WiFi equipped version for $649 and the 8 GB version with both WiFi & 3G support for $799.
As might be guessed from the prices, these devices aren’t aimed at the leisure market – no, they’re firmly focused on the business sector, where they’re being positioned as devices that can replace the stacks of paper needed to be taken along to meetings, etc.
The devices can support the ePub/IDPF, eReader, PDF & TXT formats natively but also come with a Windows desktop application that will allow you to convert and sent Microsoft Office documents to it, either by drag & drop or by sending to it as if printing to it.. While you won’t be able to directly edit the documents on the device, you will be able to zoom in and annotate them with it. You’ll also be able to read your Outlook emails and calendars on it, although it’s still unclear if/what you’ll be able to do more than that, although you will be able to search your documents and emails.
As it supports the ePub format, it will be able to read ebooks and is being promoted through the Barnes & Noble web site. In addition, it supports a new Adobe-associated format named “truVue”, which is intended to ensure that online newspapers and magazines can used the format to display “rich graphics, multi-column layouts and integrated page controls that make your favorite paper easier and more enjoyable to read.”
It’s certainly an device with a lot of people interested in it, but it’s hard to know at the moment if it’s going to take off in the business world – the other large screen ebook reader announced at CES was the Skiff Reader, which might address the same market, although there’s no word yet on pricing and availability, so it’s impossible to know if it is a contender yet…
