After the Kindle, the iPad is the new e-reader goliath.
(Credit: Apple)Ever since we had an inkling that Apple would come out with a slate-style device that resembled a giant iPod Touch, we knew that it would have a profound impact on the e-book reader world. We always figured there would be a before and after shot of the market--and it wouldn't be pretty for certain companies that had been working long and hard to deliver what they hoped would be innovative and appealing devices.
Of course, some of those devices will remain innovative and appealing, but when you're going up against a slick device like the iPad that has Apple's tremendous marketing muscle behind it, you're probably in for a rough ride if your product doesn't have a true competitive advantage and isn't priced properly.
While we expect the iPad to cause many casualties in the e-book world (only a select few will survive), we've come up with a list of several e-reader hopefuls that will be most profoundly impacted by the arrival of the iPad.
As always, feel to add your comments disputing our claims or suggest any products we might have missed. Click on any image to start the slideshow.
This episode of The 404 Podcast is dedicated to all of our heartbroken comrades out there who were expecting an Apple tablet computer, but got an Apple e-reader instead. Join us as we recap what might be the most underwhelming Apple product announcement since Apple TV.
Full disclosure here: This entire 30-minute episode is dedicated to the Apple iPad. We know a lot of you must be exhausted with all the moaning and groaning so far, but we'll take any opportunity to make fun of Wilson. Bear with us as we try to get him to say one bad thing about the iPad.
In addition to a healthy dose of polite yelling, we also play a collection of voice mails that drive the stake in even further. We guarantee tomorrow's show to be (relatively) free of Apple talk, and we're also very excited to welcome Jerry Ma and Cliff Chiang of the Asian-American comic anthology "Secret Identities," who will join us in the studio tomorrow to talk about state of the industry, ethnic minorities in the comic genre, and...well let's face it, we want their artistic opinion of the iPad.
EPISODE 507
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The Daily Edition, which retails for $399, is Sony's first e-reader to feature built-in 3G wireless service.
(Credit: Sony)One thing has always been clear about Sony's line of e-readers: they're arguably the sleekest and most elegant dedicated electronic-reading devices out there today (in a pre-Apple Tablet world, at least).
The same holds true for the Reader Daily Edition PRS-900, Sony's first e-reader to include built-in 3G wireless service for accessing e-books wirelessly from Sony's Reader Store. Like the Touch Edition PRS-600, this model also has a touch-screen interface, but its screen is elongated, measuring 7.1 inches diagonally instead of the more standard 6 inches. That makes it almost exactly the same length as the Amazon Kindle in terms of pure physical dimensions, but because the Kindle uses up some real estate for its physical keyboard, the Sony delivers several more lines of text on its longer screen.
The move to wireless is a big deal for Sony, because it allows the company to compete directly, from a features standpoint, with the Kindle and other e-readers like the Barnes & Noble Nook, which bundle in "free" cellular connectivity. Mix in a touch-screen interface and the Daily Edition's mark-up and note-taking capabilities and you should have one of the more appealing e-reader options out there, particularly when you factor in the aforementioned elegant design. However, a few shortcomings--including a high $399 price tag--keep this e-reader from truly outclassing the competition.
Read the full review of the Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900.
CES 2010 was full of the usual electronics wonderment, but some trends were more frequent or more prominent than others. We took a gander about the show floor and tallied up the five top trends from the show.
Take a look at the video then come back here for a chance to win the swag bag.
Could this be the future, or a laptop pipe dream?
LAS VEGAS--Amid the tablet, smartbook, and smartphone wars, a new conceptual spin on the old screen-and-keyboard-connected-by-a-hinge way of doing things has us wondering if the idea is so crazy, it just might work.
MSI showed off a concept 7-inch mini-laptop/e-reader at CES, and its most notable feature was the swapping out of the keyboard with a second screen. The device could generate a virtual keyboard in the lower space, or another sort of interface--and, of course, the device could be turned on its side like a book, allowing two-page reading in a more book-like format than single-screen e-readers. It's an idea the Nintendo DS has been on to for years. We've also seen it before from companies such as Asus, and had it on our future dream list. Now, however, with Windows 7 supporting touch devices more intuitively, the idea could be better than before.
What's most appealing here is the versatility: smartbooks and Netbooks have keyboards to enhance productivity, but ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
LAS VEGAS--Don't close the window yet; that show title is a joke. Don't worry, the video you're about to watch features three fully clothed nerds talking about the best of CES 2010 for The 404 Podcast's last show LIVE from the CNET stage here.
We've rounded up the funniest stories from this year's show for this wrap-up episode, starting with Jeff eating his hateful words about 3D PS3 and Xbox 360 Game Room. Turns out the gameplay in 3D actually impressed our former cynic, but we can all agree that those ridiculous 3D glasses are truly the only detractor from 3D games, and especially movies. After this story, we promise never to speak of 3D again...until 4D comes out.
Next, we have a lineup of stories that allow us to do what we do best: make fun of the more outrageous aspects of the show. For example, did anyone walk by the Samsung booth? Someone needs to notify these folks that we are, in fact, struggling to pull ourselves out of a recession--jeez is that booth consuming ridiculous amounts of energy. Other hilarious stories from CES 2010 include IoSafe's virtually indestructible hard-drive demolition, and a Taser demo that you have to see to believe.
We've also got a story about a controversial iPhone app that claims to see through clothing and we see if anyone can guess the most pirated e-book of 2009. Finally, be sure to check out our Best of CES 2010 nominees that represent the top products in nine categories as recommended by our techspert CNET editors.
If it's your first time listening to The 404, be sure to catch us our live show every morning at 11 a.m. EST on CNET Live. You can find all past episodes archived at The 404 Blog, and be sure to follow us on Twitter or add us on Facebook!
EPISODE 494
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... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
LAS VEGAS--Our good buddy Clayton Morris from "Fox and Friends" joins us live onstage at CES 2010 to chat about this year's ongoing trends in technology. But before we get to all of that, we feign responsibility for the power outage at Wednesday's Microsoft keynote address. Just kidding, guys; please divert your hate mail elsewhere.
The first half of the show is all about emerging tech at this year's CES: we quickly touch upon the growing popularity of 3D visuals and their place in the home, and Clayton fears the day that he finds his parents sitting on the couch staring at the TV through huge glasses. Jeff dishes his usual plate of hate on 3D (not to mention Project Natal and iPhone gaming), and we have to quickly move on before he blows a gasket.
The next story is about another fallen child at the hands of 4Chan, but the story is admittedly kind of funny. YouTuber Lukeywes1234 was just another kid expressing his love for Super Mario Bros. and Harry Potter through a series of YouTube videos; that is, until 4Chan got word and innocently subscribed to his videos...by the thousands.
For the rest of that story and more on the latest e-readers and an appearance by the Google Nexus One, be sure to check out today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast and come back tomorrow for our final show from the CNET stage at CES 2010!
EPISODE 493
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... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Que e-reader
(Credit: Plastic Logic)LAS VEGAS--Plastic Logic on Thursday showed the final version of its Que e-reader, though the price tag is not as slim as the device.
The device, as expected, is a full-screen e-reader with a touchscreen and interface designed to move quickly through a document or book. What's new is its sleeker frame, which is noticeably free of buttons. Instead, the device operates entirely by touch interface, using gestures such as swipes to move from one page to another.
Plastic Logic will sell a 4GB model with Wi-Fi and an 11.6-inch display for $649, while a version with double the memory and 3G in addition to Wi-Fi will sell for $799. Release is set for April.
"What we are trying to do at Plastic Logic is give you the benefits of paper without all of the drawbacks," CEO Richard Archuleta said here.
The device can also access e-mail, calendar and other data ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
(Credit:
Gizmodo)
LAS VEGAS--Coming from the womb of Philips' Research Labs, Liquavista is working on a full-color e-reader. Specifications aren't being offered as of yet, but you can tell by the picture above that the device is very much angled at magazine and newspaper reading.
Building upon the company's LiquavistaBright platform, the new reader uses its LiquavistaColor technology for that full color screen, as well as "electrowetting" display technology, which involves modifying the surface tension of liquids on a solid surface using a voltage.
The e-reader prototype sounds pretty promising for now, but with plenty of e-readers being let out of the bag this week, Liquavista's conservative 2010/2011 launch estimate will have to be brought forward to actually gain any traction. Particularly with tough competition from the Nook.
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.
The Skiff Reader features an 11.5-inch touch-screen display and both 3G and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity options.
(Credit: Skiff)With plenty of e-readers expected to be trotted out at this year's CES, Hearst Corp.-backed Skiff and Sprint are hoping to attract attention with a reader that's thinner and larger than anything currently out there. In Las Vegas, the companies will be previewing the Skiff Reader, which features an 11.5-inch touch-screen display (1200x1600 pixels) that's just over a quarter of an inch thick and is designed for reading newspaper and magazine content along with e-books and personal documents.
Company reps say the Skiff Reader is the first consumer product to feature LG's "metal foil" technology, a next-generation e-paper display that's based on a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. The new technology is less vulnerable to breakage than "the fragile glass that is the foundation of almost every electronic screen," the press release notes.
Other than dimensions and the fact that the e-reader will have built-in wireless 3G capabilities, ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
