Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXII: Looks like "WeFound" a total Kindle ripoff

Kindle doppelganger? The gang at Tech-On stumbled upon this little number at this week's Tokyo's Digital Publishing Fair, and unless our eyes deceive us, this snowflake's the spitting image of Amazon's e-book reader. It comes from Founder International, Inc., the Japanese unit of Chinese Peking University Founder Group Corp., and aesthetics aside, the screen comes from the same manufacturer (E Ink Corporation) and even lets you insert a SIM card and download directly to the device. And yet, despite the evidence, the company claims its gadget was "independently developed" and has nothing to do with the Kindle. Sure, whatever you say, wink wink, nod nod. The so-labeled WeFound is heading to China at the end of 2009 for around $209, with a possible release in Japan sometime after.

[Thanks, Alex]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 10:55AM]

Yeah, "WeFound" it.
It's such a funniest craziest name "WeFound" (ever) :D

[edsc86 Posted Jul 11th 2009 11:37AM]

but will it do PFD?

[pangzee Posted Jul 11th 2009 1:03PM]

Well, I won't approve this boot leg product at all, although myself is a boot leg queen.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 1:16PM]

does it have bluetooth? then you could hook a wiimote up to it and call it a WiiFound!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 2:13PM]

if you guys like it so much, go buy one. Hopefully it will last for a month before crash n burn, like most of any other China products.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 3:10PM]

you're talking about ipod, right?

[Bro Posted Jul 11th 2009 2:48PM]

I'm buying this fuck the kindle

[17th Posted Jul 11th 2009 4:36PM]

Does Kindle support multi-language?
If not, at least they added Simplified Chinese, maybe Traditional Chinese and others as well.

[peepeeland Posted Jul 11th 2009 4:59PM]

What's incredible about gadget knockoffs is that there's actually valid technology behind them to make them functional... With a proper industrial designer behind the knockoffs, they would be transformed into... REAL PRODUCTS!

But I guess doing a knockoff allows for feeding off of a real company's marketing.

If I had the technology and money to bring knockoffs to market, I'd make all sorts of cool shit.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 7:51PM]

Bet it will be more like 270$ when it come to Japan, at that price, better get the Sony PRS-505. Its black, more cute and have real support and web community.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 7:57PM]

nice?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 11:15PM]

looks pretty good?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 5:20AM]

@ I lost:

Have you ever been to Shenzhen? Now tell me again, that pirated products and DVDs / Software have to be distributed 'discreetly'. No way. Never seen such a rip-off industry before.

Joe

[SHFT Posted Jul 12th 2009 7:44AM]

Wel if the "WeFound" is cheaper and does the same stuff as the Kindle I wouldn't care!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 10:21AM]

Kindle still doesn't do native PDF, right?
Kindle still has that horrible keyboard (as opposed to just bad keyboard and button placement of its predecessor, right?)

Is WEFOUND the joke here? Hmm, I don't know, but I do know one thing:
They should have come up with their own exterior... but then again they probably wouldn't be getting this free publicity on Engadget :) People like to associate with familiar things... I guess it would make the purchase easier for them if they can say it's "just like the Kindle...".

Doesn't seem too much cheaper, but I am willing to bet it is PDF-friendly.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 6:02PM]

I lost.@

Judging from a few of your posts, I have to say you are among the minority of sober Americans that have sensible knowledge about what's going on in the rest of the world.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 8:35PM]

I like this e-reading, and I don't even think it qualify as a knock-off.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 11:58PM]

China? Producing cheap copies of electronic devices? What has the world come to?

[icebox Posted Jul 13th 2009 2:42AM]

Heck, if they left out the DRM amazon stuffs in the Kindle, it might actually be an improvement :)