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Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag

The stranglehold E-Ink has had on the e-book market is slipping. We've seen the tantalizing promises of Pixel Qi, mixing a color LCD with a low-power reflective display, but in the here and now we've got a new LCD-based e-reader from Aluratek. Extensively dubbed the "Libre eBook Reader PRO," the unit uses an unnamed 5-inch monochrome reflective LCD panel, with 24 hours of continuous use off a battery charge. Not as great as E-Ink, but it should be plenty for most people, and the resultant $179 price is hard to knock. The Libre is ePUB and PDF compatible, and comes with a 2GB SD card -- just the right sort of barebones-yet-functional we appreciate. We'll have to see how well that LCD performs in person before we pull the trigger, but for people looking for an alternative to the premium devices out there (or something with a faster page refresh rate), it might just fit the bill.