E-Read It and Weep, Amazon
by John Paczkowski
Posted on September 8, 2008 at 10:28 AM PT
Founded nearly a decade ago on patents for printing active-matrix electronic display panels on thin, flexible plastic substrates, Plastic Logic spent the ensuing years developing a lightweight plastic screen that mimics the look–but not the feel–of a magazine or newspaper. And this morning, the company uncrated it. Thinner than a typical pad of notebook paper, the Plastic Logic Reader boasts a letter-sized–8.5-by-11 inches–touchscreen capable of displaying not just newspapers, periodicals and books, but a full range of business document formats as well.
Like Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle, the Plastic Logic Reader uses a highly legible black-and-white display technology developed by E Ink. And like the Kindle, it can be updated wirelessly. But unlike the Kindle, the Plastic Logic Reader includes touch-based markup and annotation features. It’s also about one-third the Kindle’s thickness and its screen is more than twice as large. It would appear, then, that Plastic Logic’s device will significantly raise the bar on electronic reading devices when it debuts in Jan. 2009, perhaps even beyond the reach of Amazon’s rumored Kindle 2.0.
Comments
Sounds promising but companies have been trying for years to create the mainstream reader… the equivalent of the iPod. Breaking people of their paper habit will be tough. Perhaps an assist may come from an unexpected place like the airlines. The new charges on luggage may encourage some to look to technology to help lighten their load.
Posted by Ken Okel at September 8th, 2008 at 12:08 pmBetween the Plastic Logic’s device, and the Readius, the Kindle looks a (cheap) child’s toy…
http://www.readius.com/
Posted by Tom Marhoefer at September 8th, 2008 at 12:16 pmJohn, think you can get a few of these competitive E Ink reader devices together (Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, Polymer Vision Readius, and this Plastic Logic Reader), trade them amongst the ATD writers for a week or two, and get each to write an independent critique?
I think a “definitive” multiple device/multiple perspective review would be very enlightening. Really seems the technology is to the point were this needs to be done.
Posted by Tom Marhoefer at September 8th, 2008 at 5:03 pmUm, the Kindle has markup an annotation features actually, which is why there is a keyboard on the device. I would love something thinner and sexier looking, but the Kindle is out now and serves my purposes fine. My School work has me downloading very large PDF documents ad this saves the paper I would have wasted printing it. Any new ebook devices should, IMO, have open conversion utilities for MS Word or PDF documents.
Posted by Dave Melon at September 8th, 2008 at 5:57 pm“Um, the Kindle has markup an annotation features actually, which is why there is a keyboard on the device.”
but does it “includes touch-based markup and annotation features.”
Regards,
John Grant
Posted by John Grant at September 9th, 2008 at 2:17 amThis is a very interesting product. I think, in some ways, it takes e-media another step forward. I like that it is thin and it appears that the graphics capabilities are superior to my Kindle, but the 8.5×11 size it too large, IMHO. This is not an easy size to slip into a purse or (over crowded) backpack. I wonder how durable the screen is both to scratching as well as breakage.
I think the Kindle is the right size although the form-factor could be done a little better.
In the end it’s the content that will make or break any new e-media reader. That is where Amazon has a huge leg up at the moment.
Posted by Tony Clark at September 9th, 2008 at 9:23 amtouch-based, that would be nice, glossed over that one, my bad
Posted by Dave Melon at September 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pmRemarkable to see it in someone’s hands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v226DYqlbHQ
Posted by Tom Marhoefer at September 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am