Plastic Logic's plastic reader is thin, simple, strong

The Plastic Logic digital reader is a thin, light device that can store all kinds of digital documents.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

Why would you want an Amazon Kindle, which is kind of bulky, not too attractive, and of limited scope when you could have a real digital document reader that is thin, easy to use, and very strong?

That's the business case from Plastic Logic, one of the first companies to be on stage at DemoFall this morning.

The company's plastic reader is designed to store dozens or hundreds of business documents on a very thin digital reader. It can store e-books, magazines, newspapers, PDFs and all kinds of information, the company said.

It's made with plastic, not glass, meaning that it is designed to be strong and to be able to stand up to being hit with objects or, presumably, even dropped.

It looks pretty cool, and is said to weigh only ounces, "not pounds," has a battery that lasts days and can be read in bright daylight.

The company hasn't given this product a name yet, and it's not clear when it will be available. But Plastic Logic said it is opening a Germany manufacturing plant later this month, so it shouldn't be too long.

[lmasanti]

I think this is not all the story!
What technology and on what premises do they say that has "battery that last days..."
At least, I hope they show up "something" more "plastic is light".

[Darth Monkey]

As far as the battery life, I easily believe it. The technology in E-Ink screens, while difficult for someone with as little technical knowledge of it as me to explain, allows the battery to last very long. The Sony E-Reader I used lasted weeks, in constant "On" status, without a recharge.

My biggest issue with the Sony model was its price (Around $300). Other than that, it was a pretty viable device. The glass screen (At least I think it's glass, and I don't intend to find out the hard way) seems a bit of a liability, and its aluminum housing is pretty hefty for something so small, but not a big deal.

In summary, I welcome a new device to the sparsely populated E-reader market. Bravo, Plastic Logic.

[Alphaman63]

Heck, I'd go with the Kindle. It's heavier, has a proprietary DRM, can't read PDFs natively, won't load books from other publishers... We don't need no steenkin' lightweight, unencumbered, multi-publisher, foldable ebook!

Oh, wait... Yes we do!

[darkknight671]

When was the last time you changed the battery in a calculator? or your digital watch? Nothing is new about the technology in the battery, only the screen - since it's black and white and, according to other pictures I've seen, doesn't have a back light, it's no different than either of these devices, and the batteries in them last months...

[llihbob]

Competition is GOOD, but the above description doesn't sound all that competitive as yet to the ebook readers like the Kindle (which I have) or the SONY (which my wife has). Both have many, many days of life use with it's battery and battery recovery is relatively fast. Although my wife just got the handy new light gadget made for her sony, I use a four LED book or music stand clip on light with my Kindle. That's something i'd like to see built in for those low light times. Otherwise the ability to change font size makes for easy reading for tired eyes. The wireless direct contact to reading sources (Amazon or email, etcl) makes my Kindle great for traveling and while I drive, my wife loves to download whatever is new. Holding around 200 books at a time (and once read, they still are readily available, although aren't held in internal memory when you remove them) is more than my current needs, but I do have at least 25 new books at a time ready to read and seem to keep about that many regularly. I don't go anywhere without it and thus my reading numbers are a lot more than prior to Kindle. It'll be very nice when or if Mobibooks become available at the local library where my wife gets her audible books (I'd rather read than listen). I don't find the looks, weight, or usability of the Kindle in any way a negative and I've had mine for a little more than six months. (and over 50 books read since then). My wife uses her a bit less than I use mine, but likes hers very much and she doesn't miss not having the wireless ability (I suspect because she uses mine so much, although she doesn't read what she downloads on mine). Certainly the books of the future as far as I'm concerned. I haven't purchased a "paper" book (except for research) since purchasing the Kindle.

[InklingBooks]

This does seem more practical for a lot of business uses than the smaller and thicker Kindle. It's large enough to display magazines, newspapers, and almost any book. And the size isn't a hinderance for anyone carrying the sorts of cases people use for their notebooks. The Kindle, too large for most coat pockets, has no size advantage over it.

Much of its success will depend on the software and connectivity. How will it get texts to display? Will it be able to browse the Internet and will it work with WiFi? Cellular data doesn't work that well inside buildings. And finally, will it display open formats such as ePub and PDF rather than just something proprietary that will trap owners in a proprietary ghetto.

--Mike Perry, Inkling Books, Seattle

[digitalwaveridingdotcom]

I think it´s a great step in the right direction. Of course all this products are still far away from perfect, but in two years we will have a great solution.
The publishing industry should think about that. These devices will change the industry as digitalisation has changed many other media industries. Time is running, and who says that this will have no impact on book sales or magazine sales... well ... some people will never learn anything.

[phoghat]

Plastic Logic has confirmed a partnership with Fictionwise an e-book seller which has just been bought by Barnes and Noble.