Polymer Vision has Readius ready to go, needs cash to push it out the door

A bit of delay is always worrisome, but it looks like Polymer Vision has more to worry about than just missing Readius' projected launch date: without some more cash, the little pocket-friendly e-reader might not launch at all. According the Polymer Vision CEO Karl McGoldrick, they've got the supply chain in place, but the product has been on hold since last year due to the company's financial woes. "We are ready to go into production but all depends on exactly when the funding comes through," says Karl. It's not exactly a hot market for venture capital at the moment, especially for something as potentially floptastic as an e-reader, no matter how great that e-reader might happen to be. Still, we would hope that with the device and component supply (supposedly) in the bag, and an arguably revolutionary form factor, Polymer Vision is gonna be able to scrape somebody's coffers for what it takes to get this into our awaiting hands.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Gallery: Hands-on with Polymer Vision's e-ink Readius

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[AT7 @ Apr 22nd 2009 7:59AM]

whoa.... WANT! Love how it folds like that I hope they get someone with moneybags along for the ride.

A7

[mattedwardsuk @ Apr 22nd 2009 7:59AM]

Shame looks like it would be the perfect portable Kindle Amazon didn't even know they wanted!

[superhobo @ Apr 22nd 2009 8:03AM]

You're eagerly awaiting this?

I see...

[chefgon_ign @ Apr 22nd 2009 9:26AM]

Your icon is mysteriously hypnotizing.

[Joel Stephen @ Apr 22nd 2009 8:23AM]

They should try to team up on some level with Google. Google is recording all the worlds books and such it would be cool to have a rival device to the kindle but this doesn't run on android not sure if its worth Googles time to invest in a mobile device that they cant cross promote their OS with.

[Bad Beaver @ Apr 22nd 2009 8:28AM]

Uhm, why not ask PHILIPS?

[Sara @ Apr 22nd 2009 8:55AM]

Shame it needs so much supporting plastic and power.

But I guess this is still a fairly new thing - bring on the Harry Potter -esque newspapers!

[KilgoreTrout @ Apr 22nd 2009 9:12AM]

In my humble opinion standalone e-reders are going to disappear as soon as decent and functional (and affordable) MID/smartphone/PMP/GPS/videocam will hit the market.
I don't have an e-reader but I often download reading stuff and comics and I use both my netbook (MSI wind) and my HTC touchHD to read my stuff.
That's why I look forward to see devices like HTC's Thoth or the new Toshiba TG02 / 03 etc. or possibly the Android dream device promised by Archos and Texas Instruments.
I never use anymore my old GPS device nor my point and shoot camera, because my smartphones (HTC touchHD and Samsung Omnia) are just as good and more practical and the e-book reader is a device I refuse to need, I prefer to wait for THE communication pocket device that will include also netbook capabilities.

[AT7 @ Apr 22nd 2009 10:05AM]

such a super convergence device will require power. If all you really wanted to was read books/newspapers/magazine/feeds etc, you will not want to pay the extra $100s required for the type of device you mention. This form factor is nice, but if these type of devices take off, they can only get smaller and thinner. Couple these e-ink devices with some solar cells, make them smaller and thinner, and the darn things will never need extra power or mains recharging >> just like real books. When these gizmos achieve this, they will be ready to bring in the shift from paper>device for mass media of the printed nature. 5 years?

[Plothole @ Apr 22nd 2009 4:41PM]

I'm sorry, but your point and shoot must have been a piece of **** if you felt it worth replacing with your phone. Any decent camera is going to kick a camera phone's behind in terms of ISO performance, dynamic range, and resolution.

[Plothole @ Apr 22nd 2009 5:47PM]

You're kinda contradicting yourself First you say the phone is better than most P&S. Then you say any.

But fine, some may be adequate for very casual shooting. (Depending on the expectations of the shooter for this roll)

BTW, I view dedicated ebook readers as basically the dSLRs of the ebook world. In no small part because the display technology, which would never appeal to the multimedia hungry phone buyers (refresh rate is too slow; no color as of yet), is so exceptional for its task. And no LCD or OLED is going to match up any time soon.

[chefgon_ign @ Apr 22nd 2009 9:25AM]

The form factor is definitely awesome looking, but is it really a better form for reading a book than the Kindle? I think the Kindle is simultaniously easier to hold for extended reading and also less prone to breaking because it doesn't have all the moving parts.

I could be wrong, of course, I've never used either device, but this thing just looks like it's built entirely on first impressions instead of long-term usability.

[KilgoreTrout @ Apr 22nd 2009 5:21PM]

@ Plothole
I said "my point and shoot camera", not my DSLR camera: I also have a Casio EX-F1 for more serious photography.
In any case before my present 2 smartphones I had a Nokia N95 8gb; and its camera was better than most commercial point and shoot (not DSLR), and this is one of the reasons I want to get rid of the TouchHD and the Omnia to get the N97 or maybe one of the new 8 mpx equipped smartphones that apparently are even better than the cam on the old N95.
While most of the cameras in phones suck, there are cameraphones at least as good as any point and shoot and mini videocam (such as Flip Minos): I know for sure of the N95 and the Samsung Memory, but I heard there are others from SE and LG (like the new viewty).
Not all cameras in phones suck, only most of them; and a few of them are really good too.

[Emceay @ Apr 22nd 2009 9:41AM]

VAPOR!
I've been waiting for this for like 3 years, I finally just caved in and got a Sony e-reader.

[Jason @ Apr 22nd 2009 10:02AM]

It looks like it can make calls too? WTF? an e-reader phone? Seems like a cool idea though....

Some other options -

-Put a thumbpad where the buttons are so you can actually type out full messages.
-Leave the phone part completely out, and have it tether to a phone via bluetooth for the same Kindle online features.
-Leave the phone part completely out, and have it tether to a phone via bluetooth to act as a giant external display/ebook reader passing the image through the phone (ala RedFly - WindowsMobile)

This would also make it a good amount cheaper, since you don't need an EVDO modem (ala $40 kindle part) and you don't need extra service. They just need to make the software compatible.

I can dream, can't I?

[BradBot @ Apr 22nd 2009 10:55PM]

I've got a few bucks they can borrow.

[Overgauss @ Apr 22nd 2009 5:37PM]

Onegai!

[m.edgar @ Apr 23rd 2009 10:40AM]

IF they can price this at or below 200 euro's, it'll be a hit. Anything above and I just can't justify it to myself.

Thing is, I consider myself to be firmly in the demographic which wants one of these things, and I firmly believe that if they sell one to me, they'll have hit a huge market. Sure, they might sell a few at higher prices (yes, Sony and Kindle do sell), but the money will be in the larger market.

[Sol @ Apr 23rd 2009 4:45PM]

If Amazon really was forward thinking, they'd buy this company, try to put a lid on it for half a year or so, develop this a bit more and release it in conjunction with sprint, who they already have whispernet through, as well as a larger full page e-ink reader... ideally with a touchscreen and probably no keyboard. Then you'd have three great devices that span the whole e-book reader form factor spectrum.