Plastic Logic's e-reader vs Amazon Kindle... fight! (updated with video)

The kids at tgdaily have a hands-on video of Plastic Logic's biggie e-reader unveiled at DEMO earlier this week. With it, they've also nabbed a bit more information on this potential subscription-based, Kindle killer. The 7-mm thin reader connects via micro-USB to a PC to charge the unit or transfer documents. Documents can also be transferred over WiFi or Bluetooth (no cellular radio?) -- the reader can even communicate wirelessly with other readers to transfer documents. The 8.5- x 11-inch touchscreen allows for gesture control, as we heard, with the added bonus of quick and easy on-screen annotation of any supported media type such as Word docs, PowerPoint slides, or PDFs. Plastic Logic says they don't plan to compete with Kindle directly, instead, it's targeting business mobile professionals with "a lot of documents already," not those who will get all their content from the Amazon store.

Of course, a variety of leaks have already made it clear that Amazon's not exactly standing still with its Kindle reader with larger and more, eh hem, attractive models in the works. Sony, too, is planning a special Reader-based event next month. So... is 2009 shaping up to be the death of print? Oh hells no -- but it's certainly getting a lot more interesting.

Update: DEMO launch video showing a complete walkthough of a prototype device now posted after the break.

[Saad Rabia @ Sep 11th 2008 4:18AM]

Without a doubt and with all logic and honest human thinking, ANYTHING other than that fugly Kindle is a better device. I have never hated a designs in my life as much as I did for the Kindle.

So great job Logic, what a piece of art! Clean and a breath of fresh air AND super amazing features! I would pay anything for that thing. :)

[j_g_puff @ Sep 11th 2008 4:41AM]

Yeh, the WiFi and Bluetooth are particularly amazing. How do they pack all that into such a thin body?

[ahdok @ Sep 11th 2008 4:55AM]

It's because the actual screen part of the device is so ridiculously thin.

Have a look at this youtube video, linked off their site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYc4dnVs4RM&feature=related

[j_g_puff @ Sep 11th 2008 5:19AM]

Thanks ahdok, that's a great video. I love the shoe-smashing comparison. It's reassuring to know that, if necessary, I can perform tribal rain-dances on top of my e-reader. It's something that's always irked me about laptops.

[EJ @ Sep 11th 2008 10:17AM]

The hardware is attractive (and it admittedly looks amazing), but content is king as far as non-business use is concerned, and PL admit they have no near-term plans to provide content for this. I'd love to read a novel on this in some kind of portrait mode, but the fact is that the only novels you can get are either out of copywrite/public-domain books or the limited selection the torrent community has transcribed.

[Wwhat @ Sep 11th 2008 10:26AM]

That shoe thing was so fake, they gently touch it with a shoe and it's OK, then they hammer a LCD and it's not OK, yeah thanks for that demonstration.

[EatingPie @ Sep 11th 2008 11:34AM]

Great video! You *can* see a screen glitch at 0:10 when they lay it flat again. But that's expected.

THIS is the one for textbooks. The fugly Kindle and (beautiful) Reader simply have too small of screens. They're both great for paperbacks -- they're paperback sized! -- but this is textbook sized. And you can zoom all you want but "hassle" and "I need to see ALL the math equations on the page" pretty much kill that idea.

Looking forward to this. Still a year or two before it hits Universities I suspect. But hack your math book DRM and you've payed for your $700.00 device in two semesters!

-Pie

[Rod @ Sep 11th 2008 4:59PM]

This is finally the product that students and academia have been waiting for.
8.5 X 11 is ideal for textbooks (although somewhat smallish for some textbooks) and it is also ideal for most research journals (although lack of color makes it less than ideal).
I really hope they allow some sort of stylus input rather than the crude finger tapping for simple annotating.

[Plothole @ Sep 11th 2008 4:23AM]

Micro-USB? Ah drat. That means I would have to pack another "unitasker" cable. (at least until micro-USB becomes as popular as it "Mini" counterpart)

Now the addition of WiFi sounds intriguing though. I wonder if the device will feature some sort of web browser? I suppose even if it didn't, the homebrew community wouldn't be far behind with a solution.

[drzeller @ Sep 11th 2008 12:14PM]

Micro USB is rapidly becoming the new cellphone connector standard. Didn't Engadget and/or Gizmodo cover an agreement by the various major cellphone makers that they would move to one common connector - micro USB? I know Motorola and LG have already started along this path.

D.

[bobartig @ Sep 11th 2008 2:06PM]

You could always pack a plug adapter instead of a separate cable. Or, just get more micro USB devices. They're all over the place.

[mattclarkie @ Sep 11th 2008 4:26AM]

There's only one way to find out.....FIGHT!

[Mario @ Sep 11th 2008 9:54AM]

Harry Hill FTW!

[spammerhamster @ Sep 11th 2008 4:43AM]

so.. let's see when the first troll comes along, nagging for color screen and ability to play movies

[Mario @ Sep 11th 2008 9:10AM]

LOL, I'm no troll, but a colour screen shouldn't be too far away. LG Philips were demonstrating colour e-paper more than a year ago.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/14/lg-philips-announces-a4-color-e-paper/

As to movies, probably not, as the refresh rate of e-paper is slow.

[Mojo_Yugen @ Sep 11th 2008 9:31AM]

I believe they said color screens were 3-5 years away.

[Plothole @ Sep 11th 2008 3:15PM]

@Mario

Showing color eInk in a lab is one thing. Getting it to the mass production stage is a whole different matter. It took almost three decades to bring the Electrophoretic display (eInk) itself to the market. (Of course I doubt it'll take remotely as long for color)

[ntlam @ Sep 11th 2008 4:43AM]

"Plastic Logic says they don't plan to compete with Kindle directly..."

huh? if this thing priced on par with Kindle, they are not compete with Kindle directly... it's Kindle which compete with Plastic Logic directly.

[Plothole @ Sep 11th 2008 4:54AM]

But Kindle is mostly a novel reader. It's size makes it more convenient to carry around casually. The size of this device on the other hand makes it far more ideal as a document reader.

[Wwhat @ Sep 11th 2008 5:29AM]

Also the kindle does the wireless tie-in with their shop, and unfortunately it has its own closed format, this company says it uses an open format for the files, and supports PDF without any travel through somebody's website.
So it makes sense, kindle for shopping for books and buying them remotely, this one for reading your previously aquired stuff.
I do wonder about the price though, factory in germany, target audience business people, it all sounds like it's not going to be cheap at all.

[Josh @ Sep 11th 2008 4:45AM]

It certainly is much bigger than the Kindle. Downside is it's gonna be harder to take along with you. Either way, I still want one.

[spammerhamster @ Sep 11th 2008 4:48AM]

I guess if you can fit an A4-paper in your bag, you can fit this reader too.
Looks more like it's competing against the iliad due to it's screen size.

[Josh @ Sep 11th 2008 4:53AM]

Yeah, that's true. Problem is, my bags are always so full of other crap I need to tote around already. I guess I'll have to rearrange some things. I'll definitely be getting one though, I want a good e-reader, and this looks to fit the bill.

[Ryan @ Sep 11th 2008 9:46AM]

It's the sort of thing I'd find a way to take with even if I already have a heavy-ass bag. This thing would be great for academic reading too-- and they cited one of the issues preventing others from functioning well directly: screen size. This has it covered. w00t!

[ahdok @ Sep 11th 2008 4:46AM]

I still want one of these...

[luisengard @ Sep 11th 2008 4:53AM]

I must know the price of this!

[Josh @ Sep 11th 2008 5:00AM]

Me too, I want a price!

[FuzzyCat @ Sep 11th 2008 5:24AM]

This is going to be very very expensive, particularly if they're aiming it as the business market.

[Chris Johnston @ Sep 11th 2008 6:13AM]

Dear Amazon,

Please release the Kindle in the UK.

Yours sincerely,
Me

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 11th 2008 8:42AM]

Dear Amazon,

Please release a Kindle that isn't totally hideous.

[Hellaphunt @ Sep 11th 2008 11:32AM]

Dear Amazon,

Please make available Plastic Logic's e-reader instead.

Thanks,

Me

[Isindil @ Sep 11th 2008 4:07PM]

Dear Amazon,

Please release a Plastic Logic e-reader in paperback size in Norway.

Yours sincerely,
Me

[Jimmith @ Sep 12th 2008 8:56AM]

Dear Amazon,

I second the above comment from Isindil.

anticipating a positive answer,

Me

[ssrat_ @ Sep 11th 2008 7:50AM]

Ok I will be the one to say I would LIKE color support, and the ability to view jpg's in a compressed format (CBR support would be nice..yeah COMICS alright!)

Other than that I would like to see this thing come out under $400 so it can fully compete on price

[Cray @ Sep 11th 2008 9:29PM]

I won't be buying one these until I'm able to read my comics in color.

[Darth Lord @ Sep 11th 2008 8:16AM]

Reading an ebook on the PDA is a pain, and who the phuck wants to walk around with the amazon brick aka Kindle? this is the kind of technology that people understand right away. Put this thing at price point of under $199 and I will never buy another paper book again..except for porn..sometimes you need a tactile response ;)

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 11th 2008 8:40AM]

Not competing with Kindle + aimed at business professionals = ultra expensive


Do not expect this thing to launch at the same price as Kindle.

[sforce @ Sep 11th 2008 9:10AM]

What I'm hearing is that the Plastic Logic Reader will be priced competitively with the Kindle...

[LG @ Sep 11th 2008 9:18AM]

The major missing peice in all these readers is waterproof, sand/dust and shock proofing until then a books the better option!

[Tod @ Sep 11th 2008 9:52AM]

Ziplock baggies for the win!! Thats what I use with my Kindle. Its not like you can't turn the page through a ziplock bag or turn the switches in the back on and off.

Ugly or not, the Kindle is the greatest gadget I have owned, with my Iphone and my Kindle I never lack for entertainment.

[absinthe party @ Sep 11th 2008 10:04AM]

I don't remember buying any books recently that were water-proof and I've personally never wrapped any of my electronics in Ziplock baggies, but I seem to do okay. Where the hell are you two doing all of your reading? In the shower?

[Vcize @ Sep 11th 2008 11:22AM]

The beach?

[Tohe @ Sep 11th 2008 4:09PM]

Yeh I know, what's a book worth if you can take it for a dive....
Skinny dippin' and knowledge go hand in hand.

[Plothole @ Sep 11th 2008 4:15PM]

The whole point of this device using a flexible display is to make it shock proof (or at least resistant). And as Tod mentioned, a regular old zipper bag will protect it from the sand and water.

[adabbas @ Oct 16th 2008 9:34AM]

Waterproof?? None of my paper books are waterproof, none of my mobiles are waterproof and none of my laptops are waterproof?? Do you really need to read while swimming!!!

[Dubb @ Sep 11th 2008 9:42AM]

For all those hoping this will be cheap can probably forget about it. Should be more in range with the Iliad pricing, which is ~$800 I think. ($600 for ebook edition and $700 for the 2.0 ver, just looked it up)

Sony and Amazon will remain the cheapest. I'm honestly holding out until one of these companies can hit the $150-$199 mark.

[Wwhat @ Sep 11th 2008 9:59AM]

You don't know yet what it'll be, but as I said; with factories in germany and targeting business people I expect they expect it to be not so low either, now if the factory was in taiwan or poland or some other former east-block place then maybe, but seeing it's all such new technology for them it might be wise to start in a place where there's people with enough expertise so they can fix issues and once the bugs are ironed out expand with some factory in a country that are expert in cheap bulk.
On the other hand they ARE competing with the kindle on some level so they can't push the price up too much.

[Zizmorosa @ Sep 11th 2008 10:05AM]

I`m waiting for the roll-up screen display ..

[nate @ Sep 11th 2008 10:12AM]

that picture of the "factory" in germany looks totally photoshopped (or is it "after effected" in video ??). The Plastic Logic sign looks like is coming off the page.

[ronzo @ Sep 11th 2008 10:13AM]

That thing is cool... and much nicer than Amazon's Kindle...