ASUS planning dual screen Eee Reader: world's cheapest e-book reader
By Darren Murph 
posted September 7th 2009 3:03AM
posted September 7th 2009 3:03AM
According to president Jerry Shen, the Eee Reader will become the planet's cheapest e-book reader, though a premium model could also be launched to satisfy those craving higher-end features -- probably amenities like inbuilt 3G, a web browser and expandable storage. The dual screen form factor would enable users to read books as books were intended to be read, or they could use the secondary panel to surf the web, type on a virtual keyboard or whatever else ASUS dreams up. We're told that the firm is aiming for the £100 ($163) mark on its low-end model, and based on the affordability of its Eee PCs, we'd say it'll probably get awfully close. Hey Kindle, you skeered yet?
[Via BestTabletReview, thanks Rob]
In the example provided, the second screen can act as a keyboard. Also, in the article they hinted at a single screen device.
If you're using a textbook or reference book, it is very handy to have two pages open at once.
Not that this is the intended function of this device, but eventually comic books will either require a reader with 2 screens like this or one large screen to capture the magic of a dual-page spread.
Don't point.
*Points*
well I don't think 2 screen in waste of resource
how about diagram in one side and text on the other :)
If it comes with PDF support at that price, I would like to order one!
Not having expandable storage in the cheap version could make it pretty useless if it doesn't have a decent amount of memory. They really should rethink that.
How about 2 pixel Qi screens with ebook reading mode.
above one screen keep the cost down . I would love buy one of this even if it costs at much as kindle
since I go to and fro in wiki and book most of my reading . :)
But there is a huge technical problem as far as I know .
lets say screen 1 shows full colour .
then the other screen which is cheap ebook readability screen needs to be touch screen.
well pixel Qi screens are not friendly with touch screen technologies since it no longer reflects required amount of light.
E ink one side and pixel Qi other side will increase the cost of production dramatically ..
very much curious to see the solution :)
The whole point with such readers are the screen type; being as "paper-like" as possible. And the battery life. So if this won't be anything more than 2 cheap LCD panels combined, really, good luck with that.
I've always thought the point of such readers was to allow you to easily carry a whole library with you, and allow the benefits of digital content such as search, editing, saving multiple copies, and multimedia features. Seems like this would qualify.
Well we have those features on our netbooks and laptops. Even the PDF support is there if you look at that way.
@Fred
I really wasn't giving your comment much thought... until you used all capitals at the end. That really got my attention. You really took charge there.
I personally have been using Sony Readers since they came out. I assume, Fred... if that is your real name... that you don't have one. Because, aftering having owned a couple e-ink readers I would have to say that it is more natural to read with to pages than one. I think it's the fact that we have been reading like that since children. Though some of us are still children in that case it wouldn't make much difference. But, I would really like the ability to read from left to right across a bind to another page. Close the book. Open the book, and be on another page. I am sure that not everyone feels that way. But, apparently ASUS and the OLPC do... because they are making one that I would buy almost immediately. And, yes... OLPC's second model is a similar design. Look it up on this great page called. Goodle, or Goggles, or Googles. Something like that.
"and based on the affordability of its Eee PCs"
So, like the original Eee-PC it'll be half the announced capabilities at a 50% higher price?
If it's going to use Pixel QI's tech for the screens. uses perhaps Barnes & Nobels for Content. and has an all day battery life. Count me in.
Unfortunately Pixel Qi's screen will have less battery life than an e-Ink screen.
Some of the latest news is that they are working on getting the refresh rate to lower then 15 cycles per second, which means it will always use more power, even if it was only 1 per second.
@SiXiam
Maybe, maybe not. Another factor to consider is how much each type of display consumes during a refresh cycle. I could be wrong, but I think an individual cycle of an LCD uses considerably less energy than eInk. It's the sum total that makes them less efficient over time. I hypothesize that if the refresh cycle were low enough then in practice there may not be a huge difference (depending also on the user's reading habits).
NOTE: I'm really thinking towards the future of this technology, rather then the incarnation that should be available when the time this device is released.
I predict $369.
I actually find this kind of annoying.
'Cheap' is useless. I'm interested in 'value'. And w.r.t e-readers, the value is in the content. What content can I get for this thing? What newspapers? Can I get newly released books? Can I get books on the NYTimes bestseller list? And what happens to that content if my hardware becomes lost or broken? What happens to my content if/when I want to upgrade to a newer model? Or what happens if I want to upgrade to a competitor's e-reader? If only a higher-end model has 3G, what's the content distribution model for this?
Until the questions surrounding the whole e-reader 'ecosystem' are answered, this thing is useless.
IMO, the value proposition isn't there for any e-reader yet, due to content issues. Bringing down the price of the reader itself doesn't change that.
Great innovation. As long as they stick to e-ink and remain an e-reader, they will be able to lead the market. But as the link to the article pointed, they might implement needless distractions such as webcam and speaker etc. If only they can avoid cramming unrelated features.....
One screen is enough... Why bother with 2?
How many of you want to bet it will be GLOSSY SCREEN?
Can't wait to see reviews.
Cut the second screen and sell it for $80
What is the screen technology? LCD are not as easy on your eyes as is e-ink.
What is the battery life? Can you go a week on a battery charge?
How heavy is it? Is it as light as a paperback book?
Hmmmmmmm... LCD+electronic device that LOOKS like a book=e-reader?
It's an amazing concept, but what makes e-readers expensive is what also makes them e-readers: e-ink. Leave it to Asus to pioneer a new ebook design, though. I'm sure it'll be just as high quality as everything else they make.
I've been holding out on buying one of these readers because I want the 'proper' book form factor. Seems someone has finally decided to offer it.
For those saying a device has to have an e-ink display to qualify as an ebook reader / e-reader, no it doesn't! The e-ink displays simply make readability easier for some (personally I find reading from LCD more comfortable) and used less power. Any device that can display text/images in a similar manner to printed media can technically be considered an ebook reader.
I started reading ebooks back in 2000 on my Psion 5mx and have continued doing so on various devices (iPAQ 2210, HTC Magician, HTC TyTN, and HTC Touch HD).
Clearly this is that new LCD screen that doesn't need backlighting reported on recently, beware of it and beware it's not the same as e-paper.
Electronic paper is not one single technology, but rather a category that includes any display which is high contrast [reflectively] and bistable. The PixelQi technology fails in the latter, though it performs admirably in the former (even if it's still a little behind eInk).
lol i love the DON'T TOUCH sign at the bottom, it just makes the smudge funnier
For the sake of technology, this seems like progress. For sake of functionality, this seems to be a waste of time (almost). I read one page at a time for most books. The only place where I can see some real usefulness is if when reading text books and there is a reference to a diagram, the diagram appears in the opposite page.
Otherwise, why do I need to see a page of words. Especially if having the other page on means that the battery drains twice as fast.
If it only had integral GPS, it would be the netbook (that's right, *netbook*) of my dreams. Sigh. Even so, If ASUS delivers all it promises for this device, I'm definitely getting one. As for battery life, perhaps it will leverage the ARM technology to save power and extend battery life.
The e-reader market hasn't exactly been a hotbed of competition yet. The Kindle, the Sony Reader, and most of the other entrants to the market have been very similar products launched at very similar price points. That's all about to change thanks to Asus. They're finishing up work on a brand new e-reader that's going to blast the status quo and leave the competition gasping to catch up. Visit http://www.i4u.com/article26783.html for more information on this topic.
I remember when the first workstations had your choice of amber or green screen monitors. Lots of people believed this was all the computer world needed. Very few people wanted to pay an extra $300 for the original IBM 4-color monitor. Many of us knew that color & graphics would make computers a much more valuable tool, allowing color graphs, pictures and eventually the video output we enjoy today. I think e-ink advocates have assumed that most e-readers are paperbook centric. A book or a newspaper comes alive with color, pictures and video -- even if traditionalists promote "it stifles the imagination" argument. Mankind has progressed from books -- to color books -- to film -- to radio -- to color film -- to television -- to color television -- to PC's -- to color PC's & bulletin boards -- to the internet -- to internet video -- to HD television -- to e-readers -- and now to color dual-paged e-readers. Soon nearly all e-readers will be touchscreen & color & video & internet & phone capable. We'll just invent whatever is necessary to make it happen. I think most e-readers will be dual screen with both touch sensitive and touch responsive to be used as a keyboard, when necessary. Remember that Samsung already makes phones (Alias 1 & 2) using e-ink to create shifting e-ink keypads that display differently when displayed horizontally or vertically. The creative minds at ASUS have again started a paradigm shift. But as we continue to invent new and better things, we're probably only taking baby steps as to what devices we'll have in the future. -- John Hite, retired, Oklahoma City
Screw this, I want the new iReader from Apple. It is supposed to be around $650, and Steve Jobs voice will read the stories to you at bedtime in a soothing voice. It will also have a nodofforameter so just when you are about to drift into deep sleep, his desembodied voice will tell you to buy the new iPhone.
Comes with iFart from the app store to use as an alarm clock.
Regarding "if it's not e-ink, it's not a real e-reader" - toss that!
I have seizures, and I can read 150 - 200 pages an hour. The standard e-Ink readers? Well, they have a problem for me - *blink* *blink* *blink* *blink* *blink* *blink* *blink*
Within 10 pages I have a massive headache. I've already left a message with the head of the Kindle engineering and development group about it, but I'm sort of an edge case.
On the other hand, a nice, calm LCD with back lighting? Wonderful. Especially if I can switch it to black screen with white lettering. I can read for hours that way. As long as I have a cord, I don't care about battery life.
I am a big fan of the Elonex eBook reader. It is sturdy, reliable and less expensive than the Amazon Kindle. They are available at http://www.buyingcheap.co.uk/Elonex-eBook-reader-eReader but I have to admit the idea of a dual panel eBook reader is cool. Is it going to be released in the UK?