Plastic Logic Reader

1
E-Book Readers and the Future of the Printed Word

• Sony E-Reader
• Display8
• E Ink display SVGA 800600
• Approximately 170 pixels per inch 8-level
  gray scale Size11
• 6.9 inches x 4.9 inches x 0.5 inches 6 inch
  display
• Interface and Features Latest model (PRS-700)
  offers touch screen interface13
• Book marking available to save place while
  reading11
• Formats Supported11
• PDF JPEG TXT RTF BBeB (Encrypted and
  Unencrypted) GIF BMP PNG Supports
  audio books and background music with AAC
  (Unencrypted) and MP3 Expansion8 2 slots 1
  SD slot, 1 memory stick Duo slot. These can be
  combined for a maximum of 10GB of extra storage
  (Holt)
• Connectivity8 Use USB cable to transfer
  content from computer to the E-reader.
• Download content directly to memory card to
  bypass USB cable transfer.
• Content8
• Just over 160, 000 books available through The
  CONNECT TM Store
• Requires computer for purchasing and
  downloading books
• Weaknesses13
• No wireless connectivity capability.

• Amazon Kindle1
• Display
• E Ink Display
• 800 x 600 Color Screen
• No Color Depth
• 4-bit (16 gray levels)
• Size
• 7.5? x 5.3? x 0.7
• Interface and Features
• Interface Hi-Speed USB, 1 x headphones - output
  - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
• Bookmark while reading book
• Online Store accessible through device itself
• Built-in dictionary
• Look and feel of book
• Can subscribe to popular US and international
  newspaper titles and have them auto-delivered to
  the device
• Supported Formats
• Kindle format .azw (DRM)
• TXT

• State of the Art Future of e-Books
• Reading E Ink is similar to reading print on
  paper, as opposed to computer screens it is
  displayed on a substrate and remains there until
  the page is flipped, without requiring extra
  power to maintain it.
• E Ink is currently black-and-white (with
  grayscale) only. The first color e-ink products
  are expected to appear in 2009 prototypes
  already exist7.
• E Ink takes approximately a second to redraw,
  which frustrates users. However, screens that
  redraw themselves more quickly are being
  developed7. Eventually, the redraw time may drop
  far enough to lead to video on e-book readers.
  Multimedia books may become standard.
• Mirasol, an e-ink competitor, is being developed
  by Qualcomm and Audiovox this may lead to
  further or faster advances in color display and
  redraw time7.
• Readers may eventually all be made flexible,
  based on the same technology as the Polymer
  Vision Readius (shown above, not available in the
  US), where the e-ink is printed on flexible
  plastic7. Rumors suggest the Plastic Logic
  reader may also be flexible4.
• With the ability to carry thousands of books, in
  color, on a substrate as thin, flexible, and easy
  on the eyes as a magazine, the purchases of
  paper-based books will likely decrease
  significantly over time. Added-value features
  such as video may lead to paper-based books being
  viewed as a less desirable than e-books.
• DRM for e-books is still a considerable
  difficulty moving books between one technology
  and another is difficultsometimes impossible.
  Strides will have to be made in terms of
  interoperability. We predict that, like MP3
  players, e-book readers will be designed to
  handle multiple types of DRM, as well as none at
  all.

iRex iLiad9 Display 8.1-inch (diagonal)
Electronic Ink 768 x 1024 pixels resolution,
160 DPI. 16 levels of grey-scale Touch sensor
input Size 8.5 x 6.1 Weight 435 grams
(15.3 ounce) Interface Features Uses
electronic paper Can write notes within
material Can create own documents Integrated
Wacom Penabled sensor board and Stylus (Wacom
Slim Pen) Automatically download newspaper
subscription Built-in stereo speakers and
3.5-mm stereo headphone mini-jack Supported
Formats File formats supported PDF / HTML /
TXT / JPG / BMP/ PNG / PRC (Mobipocket)
Additional formats supported in the
future. Storage and expansion 256MB internal
flash memory of which 128MB accessible to user.
Expandable via USB, MMC or CF cards. Connectivity
Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11B/G wireless networking
Optional external 10/100MB Ethernet networking
via Travel hub. Content 49,000 items available
for download Price 699.00 Weaknesses
Expensive Limitation of newspaper subscription?
Les Echoes and NRC Handelsblad

• Plastic Logic Reader
• Display
• Uses E Ink
• Size
• 8.5 x 11 x 7mm
• Display area is 10.7 diagonal inches4
• Interface Features10
• Touch-screen interface for comments and
  proofreading on books and documents
• Battery life measured in days, not hours
  battery only used during page turns and document
• Formats supported
• PDF
• MS Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• Support for digital rights managed content is
  promised, but the specifics have not yet been
  announced.10
• Expansion
• None announced.
• Connectivity

References 1. Amazon Kindle Team, The. Kindle
Amazon's Wireless Reading Device. Amazon.com.
http//www.amazon.com (accessed November 29,
2008). 2. Anderson, Nate.  Down with paper A
review of the Sony Reader. Ars Technica.
 http//arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/sony-read
er-review.ars (accessed November 27, 2008). 3.
Bertolucci, Jeff.  Paperless at a Price.
Kiplingers Personal Finance, http//www.kiplinger
.com/magazine/archives/2008/08/e-book-reader-revie
ws.html (accessed November 29, 2008). 4. Chen,
Brian X. "DEMOfall 2008 Plastic Logic's Reader
Is Thinner, Less Ugly Than Kindle." Wired Blog.
http//blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/plastic-logi
cs.html (accessed November 29, 2008). 5. Cook,
Debbie. Amazon Kindle or Sony eReader Which
Tells the Best Story? Hub Pages.
http//hubpages.com/hub/Amazon-Kindle-or-Sony-eRea
der-Which Tells-the... (accessed November 27,
2008). 6. Glaskowsky, Peter. Amazon's Kindle
vs. Sony's Reader.  CNET News.
http//news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9820409-7.html
(accessed November 27, 2008). 7. Greenberg,
Andy. "The Future of E-Books." Forbes.
http//www.forbes.com/2007/12/03/ebooks-kindle-dig
ital-tech-personaltech-cx_ag_1203ebooks.html
(accessed November 29, 2008). 8. Holt, Mike.
Kindle vs. Sony E-Reader (PRS-505) Comparison
(Updated). Freshtech. http//freshtech.wordpress.
com/2007/12/13/kindle-vs-sony-ereader-comp...
(accessed November 27, 2008). 9. iRex
Technologies. iRex Digital Reader. iRex
Technologies. http//www.irextechnologies.com/
(accessed November 29, 2008). 10. Plastic Logic.
"Product." Plastic Logic. http//www.plasticlogic.
com/product.html (accessed November 29,
2008). 11. Reader Digital Book.  Sony Style
USA. http//www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/se
rvlet/CategoryDisplay?ca... (accessed November
27, 2008). 12. Ricker, Thomas. "Plastic Logic's
e-reader vs. Amazon Kindle...fight! (updated with
video)." Engadget. http//www.engadget.com/2008/09
/11/plastic-logics-e-reader-vs-amazon-kindle-fight
/ (accessed November 28, 2008). 13. Slocum,
Matt. New Sony E-Reader Has Touchscreen, No Web
Connection. OReilly, http//toc.oreilly.com/2008
/10/new-sony-e-reader-has-touchscr.html (accessed
November 30, 2008).