Foxit's eSlick ereader now supports EPUB, puts Kindle to shame
By Richard Lai 
posted Nov 6th 2009 12:09AM
posted Nov 6th 2009 12:09AM
Foxit's eSlick isn't exactly the most exciting ereader of all time, but now things have changed slightly with the addition of EPUB support, making this $259.99 device a more affordable (although less pretty) alternative to the Sony Reader, and a more flexible option than the Kindle. We looked around and have yet to spot the new firmware's download link, but chances are devices shipped this month will come preloaded with the new code. Still, Barnes & Noble's identical price tag will easily overshadow this in a few weeks -- hello Nook, goodbye eSlick.
Wow. Sick dude.
I'm just going to throw this out here, and I honestly haven't read up that much on the specs of any of these E-Book readers but...
For casual reading, can you imagine how many people would actually buy one of these once the price point hits $100? $50?
Once the prices for the devices hit that range, and the E-Book ecosystem gets more open and standardized (like PDF), I think the number of book purchases (in e-Book format) would start looking like App purchases on the iPhone (I'm not a fan at all of Apple, but it is a good comparison in this case).
I keep reading some silly people saying that reading is dead, but a simple $50 e-Book reader (doesn't *have* to look flashy, I'm going to be reading the page not it's surrounding border) seems like it would really spark a lot more interest in the whole eBook thing.
When I'm leisurely reading a real book, I know I don't usually need it to access the internet or tell me the weather.
For me, convergence devices should remain targeted at products that can provide a reasonably good experience with everything in one place: biggest example, cell phones. Playing music, watching video, getting information, apps. They're quickly becoming one step away from a portable handheld computer (this coming from a past owner of a Sony UX, awesome little machine).
But when I just want to read a book (which to me is the only point of having a dedicated E-Book Reader), just give me a cheap device that lets it access the internet via Wifi so that I can download new books. That's it. That's all I want a book reader to do, display books, and for a cheap price.
I'm not saying there cannot be higher end models that run Android and do all this other nifty stuff, but just like a cheap DVD player at Walmart for less than $20, just make me a basic E-Book reader that just does it's sole function.
Am I the only one that feels there's still a market for products that perform admirably the one task they're made for?
Just like I can see a market for the Peek, I can totally see a market for a $50 basic E-book reader.
I just don't feel compelled to spend well over $200 (even over $100) just to read books. Seriously.
*shrug*
The problem with your scenario is the cost of the e-ink panel. They're still way more pricey than the $50 you want to spend.
That said, this isn't a "more flexible" option than the Kindle:
It's the same price as a Kindle
It lacks a keyboard
It lacks wireless
The EPUB format still has DRM
Seems to me that you get less for the same money.
Maybe an Xbox/Gillette razor model? Price the initial outflow (the eReader, console, razor) cheap and then make money on the smaller, high quantity outflows later (eBooks, games, razor cartridges).
epub... kindle.. http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/04/savoury-native-kindle-epub-a.html
The kindle is still the best reader out there (I have several). I really don't get the point of the nook as the minimalist approach is what works for me and I would suspect anyone that wants to read. The incorporation of these other elements is simply a distraction from reading. I have about 80 books on my K2 (all read) and all of them are shared with my wife (for free). It works for us. It comes down to access, selection, and convenience, which the kindle does just fine right now. When (if) amazon could open up its library we might see some competition, but until then...
Maybe an Xbox/Gillette razor model? Price the initial outflow (the eReader, console, razor) cheap and then make money on the smaller, high quantity outflows later (eBooks, games, razor cartridges).
Those other examples you cited don't have competing formats, though (except perhaps razor cartridges vs. disposables). Ebooks cannot successfully be priced above their print counterparts, and even there they'd need to either price them lower than print, or somehow make up for the disadvantages (no lending being the most obvious).
@earthling, how well does Savory work?
@(Unverified) I'm with you on the cost of a basic ebook reader. I have been reading .PDB (ereader) on a WinMobile phone and would like a slightly larger, stand alone reader with longer battery life. The eSlick or the nook seems to be a good idea since I could put my eReader books on it, but the price, at $260, is pretty high in my opinion.
I hesitate to get a Kindle, but those books can be read on several devices (6, as I understand). In my case, these would include the Kindle itself, my wife's iPhone and both our computers. I know I can do the same with eReader software for PCs and the iPhone, but for the same price, why not go with Amazon and the wireless download? Now for $150 or $179, I might be enticed.
What I would really like is a smart phone sized eBook reader that I can carry in a dress or sport shirt pocket.
Ed
why is Yahoo reporting this,aren't they against the epub format? seems like they would black out or dismiss this info altogether.
Not every news company works like Fox.
Thank you Richard, finally an informative article about e-ink readers with proper comparisons!
http://www.djvu.org/
Better, quicker and open for longer.
I see the point of getting the nook, isohunt inspired me to get it while demonoid is away. It will pay itself off in under 6 months.
I would think the bigger news is that it supports e-reader format so you can buy all the books at Barnes and Noble even before Nook comes out.
The MSRP on the Sony Reader Pocket edition is $199. This is significantly cheaper than the ESlick and it already supports EPub, PDF, RTF, and the Sony BBeB formats. It also has a very nice build quality.
The thing I would really like to see is mention of this just being another rebrand of a CYBOOK. It seems half the eReaders featured on these tech blogs are nothing more than Cybook re-badges.
Unless this new flavor of the same reader is different, you could pick these up at Fry's for $150 on sale a couple weeks ago. That seems to be a far more reasonable reasonable price. Otherwise nobody in their right mind would spend the same price on this thing as a nook. Other than being an inch or so shorter, there is literally nothing this thing can do that the nook won't do or surpass.
I think, thanks to the nook, basic eReaders like these and the Sony Pocket Reader are going to be commonly available for $150 by Christmas. I love competition in the market!
This is not a rebranded cybook. This is a different reader that uses the standard netronix EB-600 hardware that Bookeen uses for the Cybook Gen3. The firmware is quite different, resulting in a very different user experience. The firmware variations among the different EB-600 devices are quite significant: these include ebook format support, dictionary support or lack there off, support for different DRM schemes, MP3 capabilities, text entry capability to facilitate searching, folder support, etc.
for me, the most important things are content and price. all the other features such as mp3 playing, wifi, internet browsing, etc. are nice pros but not dealbreakers. the kindle was the first e-book reader to really make mainstream, and when publishers create ebook releases, they're going to definitely take the kindle into consideration.
for pricing, it seems like the kindle is a winner here as well. if you compare similar titles in the kindle store/barnes&nobles/other ebook stores, you'll notice that for books that aren't current bestsellers, the kindle pricing will be 10-20% lower than b&n. saving $1-$2 per purchase may not seem like a lot, but it adds up.
i'm still heavily favoring the kindle right now just based on the hidden costs involved
Yeah, I'm totally on board with the Nook. I didn't really know what I wanted at first, but after reading a lot of ereader things at http://ereaderquestions.com/ I think I have a solid choice lol.
I am a resarcher/writer who works with an extensive and growing library of very large .pdf documents. I have just ordered the Foxit because their .pdf software experience is extensive Since I suffer from eyestrain (.pdf eyeballs, I call it) I particularly like having simple and effective document reflow and zoom capabilities.
When I am reading, I could care less if I am connected to the Internet. I have been using my laptop to download the files I need and keeping them on a usb thumbdrive anyway.
I am just thrilled to think that I will no longer be tied to my computer for the reading end of the research project. The eSlick will hold me until there is a low-end version of color touchscreen, that will allow me to take notes and highlight on the document itself.
The only other reader that was in my price range, and that used the Foxit software was the PocketBook 360 at $240. I liked the way it looked, but it was a bare bones unit, with no AC charger, or memory card. And until the quality of Ukranian electronics are a better known quantity, I didn't want to take a chance on them.