Paradigm Shift intros 5- and 7-inch readers with color (LCD) displays
By Darren Murph 
posted December 31st 2009 12:01AM
posted December 31st 2009 12:01AM
It looks as if we're still waiting patiently for color e-ink to become a reality (at least in a mass produced shipping product), but if you're kosher with low-energy consumption LCDs, Paradigm Shift has the ticket. Similar to Sungale's Cyberus ID700WTA, the outfit's 5-inch EER-051 and 7-inch EER-071WF are both e-readers with color, but neither boast e-ink displays. The former includes 1GB of built-in memory, an SD expansion slot, an integrated MP3 player and support for just about any kind of ebook file (non-encrypted EPUB included). The latter steps up to 2GB of memory, and thanks to the Windows CE operating system, it'll also handle Office files and the like when it's not flipping text. Both devices are expected to ship in February through Delstar here in the States, with the 5-incher available in a rainbow's worth of hues for $149.95 and the big boy in black or white for $50 more. The full release is after the break.
Paradigm Shift Sourcing and Manufacturing Co. LTD Bows 5" and 7" Color E-Book Reader Series
CES 2010 January 7th, 2010: Las Vegas, Nevada: Paradigm Shift expands its cutting edge Techno-Gadget Line with two FULL COLOR LCD e-Book Readers.
EER-051: Unlike most e-readers on the market, the 5" EER-051 features full color TFT high resolution display with enhanced contrast panel designed for ease of reading and long battery life. It also features a full gamut e-book format compatibility, including: ANSI , UNICODE TXT ,DOC,PDF,HTML,FB2 ,PDB, EPUB (non DRM encrypted). In addition the EER-051 is an Mp3 player and photo viewer and has 1GB built in memory plus an SD card memory expansion slot. MSRP: $149.95
EER-071WF: Step up model EER-071WF, features a 7" full color TFT high resolution display with enhanced contrast panel designed for ease of reading and long battery life; plus adds Windows CE OS, a full touch screen interface and integrated WIFI. It also includes the a full gamut e-book format compatibility, including: ANSI , UNICODE TXT ,DOC,PDF,HTML,FB2 ,PDB , EPUB (non DRM and OPTIONALLY, DRM encrypted). In addition the EER-07WF is a full UMPC/ Tablet PC with Windows CE OS offering software support for Word Documents, Excel Files, and PDF reader plus such features as an Mp3 and MP4 player, and a photo viewer. Additionally, there is Flash Video player for You Tube and E-Buddy for cross-platform instant messaging. It also includes 2GB internal memory, plus a T-Flash memory expansion slot. MSRP: $199.95
5" Units will be available in white, pastel blue, pastel periwinkle, pastel pink, black and silver case colors and the 7" will be available in black and white case colors. Both begin shipping the end of February, 2010.
Units will be available in the USA through US sole distributor Delstar Electronics at major retailers everywhere.
Paradigm Shift is seeking OEM brand/ distributors in Europe and South America
Another useless e-book reader. :(
@rhezaganteng
This might be the most useless. At least I can use my Sony 505 ebook reader to, you know, read a freaking ebook. LCD is a dead-in-the-water solution for ebook readers, and trying to make a color e-ink screen in just as stupid. For hundreds of years, books have been black and white text on paper, as have the majority of newspapers.
Ebook readers need to replicate this as closely as possible, and as cheaply as possible. They don't need to be more like computers, they need to be more like BOOKS.
The first company to come out with a simple, B&W $99 e-ink reader is going to blow this whole thing wide open while all these other morons are worrying about whether they have 3G tethering and mobile apps...
"Why do I have a pounded headache everytime I read 10 pages on this thing!!!"
Durrrr.
E Ink makers need to really push their technology. Too many people think you can just read a book on any old screen.
@Marlowe
You wrote: "Ebook readers need to replicate this as closely as possible, and as cheaply as possible. They don't need to be more like computers, they need to be more like BOOKS."
Many of my books have color photos, charts, and diagrams. Not everyone is buying ebook readers to consume the latest mass-market fiction pablum from Dan Brown and Stephen King. Nor is everyone as price-sensitive as you are -- some of us are willing to pay a premium price for a premium product.
If you can't subscribe to magazines and get the full content, including color photos, on an ebook reader, then the ebook market is crippled. If you can't buy an art book, a book on collector cars, a book on stamp collecting, or a book on birding and see the photos in color, then what good is the ebook reader to someone who reads those things?
If I'm reading Cycle World, Popular Photography, Layers (a magazine for PhotoShop users), or Salt Water Sportsman, I don't want muddy-looking gray scale renditions of what had been vibrant color images.
I have no doubt that there will be $99 grayscale ebook readers. And, at the same time, there will be $500 8.5" x 11" color ebook readers for those who need color. But it's not all about you (or me). Yes, there are trade-offs to get color, including eyestrain and battery life. If all you want to do is read printed text, those trade-offs will not be justified. But if your reading is primarily photo-rich books and periodicals, then it may be very much worthwhile to buy the color ebook reader (especially if it can deliver video content, too).
Why do they even try?
Nice.. I'll take one. makes kindle look pretty pathetic.. not that it didn't already look pathetic... in fact I'll take four for the price of an apple tablet
@(Unverified) When will people actually understand the value of e-ink? It's what makes reading actually something enjoyable to do on an electronic device. This device is just an oxymoron from the start.
@(Unverified)
What's an Apple Tablet?
@(Unverified)
How does it make the Kindle look pathetic? Kindle has e-ink and this one does not. I can sit there and read a kindle for hours. On an LCD I cannot. It is never recommended to stare at an LCD for more than a few hours. With e-ink its not so much of an issue.
@TonyMontana2367
Austrian delicacy.
A lot of of these Chinese devices would actually be amazing if they actually didn't discredit themselves by copying other companies or using their copyrighted images/logos/designs. Sad, really.
what is the point of having e-readers cant i read e-books on my cell or smartphone and what is the point with color e-ink when i can use a something that is readily available like lcd
@revan2
Lots of people can't sit there for hours reading an LCD without it straining their eyes. My parents can't do it ... and quite frankly neither can I. But an e-ink display is something most people can stare at for hours because it looks more like paper. I have the kindle app for my iPhone and use it for emergencies when I don't have my Kindle with me. It is night and day difference. For lots of people, LCD sucks for extended reading.
@Numetheus
I could not stare at e-Ink for a long time (My eyes would start to sting and weep) but I use my PC for 10-12 hours daily.
The one I used was PRS505 (Sony) which is one of the best available.
The contrast is not that good and the background is gray rather than plain white.
@wmac I agree with that. I was very disappointed in the contrast of eInk. Much less easy to read than I had hoped, at least for older eyes. Enough to make me NOT buy one and wait for whatever comes next.
That said, it is the battery life and outdoor readability that makes eInk so desirable. No power draw at all except to alter the screen (i.e., turn the page)--DAYS of battery life. Also, it is best in direct sunlight--LCDs are usually unreadable, or if they are readable, then the contrast is awful. I guarantee you won't be reading your iPhone whilst sunbathing.
now just imagine how the mactablet will look like...?
That's not a paradigm shift. That doesn't occur until the Apple iSlate is announced by CEO of the Millennium, Steve Jobs.
Joking aside, these do look like decent eReaders for a respectable price. I don't know too much about how good Windows CE is. If it's anything like Windows Mobile 6, I don't think it will be much of a success since tablets are supposed to be very simple to use by anyone.
Can people not be original anymore?
@Haus
This is such a rip off of the Apple Tablet.
@DrDr
My goodness. I wasn't referring to the Apple tablet, look at the effing menu.
God, sometimes people can be so sick.
How many of you have actually used the device? How many of you have used the software? Or does Apple have the patent on rounded square icons? Or have the patent for icons in a grid?
Tell me, which e-reader has color right now? Stop this stupid Apple-driven prejudice against devices that aren't perfect, closed-ecosystem, or wanted by everyone and their mama.
@Andurilan
And what I mean by Apple-driven, for those who don't know, is "look-and-feel". It was a ridiculous claim back then as it was now. Can anyone tell me which icons are "copying other companies or using their copyrighted images/logos/designs". None of them are actually Apples? Is that not JRiver Media's icon up there...
@Andurilan the background on the dock is a direct rip.
Seriously, this is the crap I'm going to be competing with?
@Steve Jobs CEO
thats if you ever bring yours out,
Can it be used in direct sunlight?
I couldn't find anything on Paradigm Shift Sourcing and Manufacturing Co. LTD so I went to my friend, Google for help.
I found the LinkedIn page for Daniel Sparrow who claims to be the CEO of Paradigm Shift. His company:
". . . is focused on developing the latest in Energy Saving "green" Products, and Consumer Electronics Products for the American and EU consumer markets.
Our primary focus in E-Reader / Electronic Book technologies, Android and Windows CE OS netbooks and tablets and "Green" sector includes: LED and CFL lighting, Solar Power , Wind Turbine and Kinetic Energy Generators. In Consumer Electronics: GSM Mobile Phones, Wrist Watch Mobile phones, Mp3/Mp4/Mp5 devices, iPod and Mp3 Speaker Bases, Digital Photo Frames,CE luggage and Bluetooth Accessories."
The website that he lists for Paradign Shift is http://www.pssourcing.com/. Don't bother going there, it's not a functional website. The other businesses he lists are http://www.lightoftomorrow.com/ and his website is http://www.gadgetcraver.com/.
I'm all for new products hitting the market. These devices sound wonderful for the money if they are legit. I guess we'll wait until CES to find out. However, I would much rather see the EER-071WF running a low resource Linux that can be easily hacked like the Nokia N770/N800/N810 than Windows CE.
@jsevans
I did the same thing as you. I cannot find a website for the company. How weird! What kind of PR is that? I am very interested in these and have no idea of how to buy one or where!
This really defeats the purpose of a separate reader device. Sounds to me like they started making a tablet, said "this is too hard," then released an "e-reader."
They had me until they mentioned Windows CE.
In my opinion, if it can handle PDFs better (zoom etc) it could be much more useful than the available 6" readers.
I obtained a 6" Sony PRS505 reader and sold it because it was almost useless with PDFs. Windows CE and the WinCE version of acrobat reader should be good.
Besides it is more cool to read color magazines on this compared to let's say kindle DX.
@wmac
It doesn't use e-ink and is worthless as device for reading documents because of this in my opinion. Reading e-ink is like reading printed paper. Reading from an LCD is like reading from an LCD - tiresome and leading to burning eyes.
I'm really perplexed why nobody can get some decent pdf support on e-readers, I mean the pdf format was made open source and all, how freaking hard can it be? They should just release a SDK for e-readers so un-paid kids can do a better effort than overpaid professionals working for all those companies.
The ui is very iPhone esque-maybe Apple will use for using similar icons and copyrighted design parts
1) Take a MID, turn it on its side
2) Call it a color 'reader'.
3) No profit
i wonder what kind of cpu and browser this thing has ... all the people griping about lcd vs e-ink need to shut up ... i can read for hours on my Dell Mini 9 netbook on it's reader. I would not even consider a e-reader that wasn't color ... the kindle and sony e-ink readers look like something out of a 1950's sci fi movie ... low tech. Black and White? really? get some color ... join the 1970's already.
I thought that the display was the only thing separating a laptop from an e-book reader.
That interface isn't a rip off AT ALL.
This really should be filed under KIRF.
Hmm, if it has an LCD screen and runs WinCE, isn't it a PDA? I have plenty of those, albeit none with that big a screen. I'll keep my nook for long reading and smartphone for mobile web browsing, thank you very much.
Is it just me or does it look a tiny bit similar to the iphone?
Wait... isn't it ironic that most of the world who would be *reading*on this thing wouldn't be able to read and pronounce the name properly.
As an extension of my comment, why doesn't somebody just buy an real e-ink screen and slam an open source hardware/software package around it to drive it, or even release it with a simple vga connector so netbooks can use them as display, that way you can support any and all formats without all the hassle, and it should be cheaper, and there are tons and tons of netbook owners already, so the market is there.
Plus every clever thing the open-sourcecommunity thinks up for it the big boys can steal and put in their pricey e-readers.
but it gets internetz!
will it let me read my digital magazines? digital comics? then i'll get one of these before an e-book which wont.
This look more or less like a PMP. And for 149 I think I'd get one... maybe.
Honestly, I'm excited about this. It has two important things for an electronic book reader.
1. Small, pocketable size.
2. Backlight so it can be viewed in bed without bothering the significant other.
As a bonus, it's under $200. Make the 5" version $99 and you'll have parents buying them for their little kids, grandparents and themselves. I for one am wanting something to replace my Tapwave Zodiac. It's living on borrowed time.
I want a BOOK reader. Not newspaper, not web browser, not a device whose wireless service won't be supported when the carrier upgrades their network. Keep it simple, small and so I can read in the dark.
@strommsarnac I recently retired my Zodiac. I still have it but I haven't used it much since I got an iPod Touch 1g. This year I got a little slice of Chinese clone heaven called the Wirelession A81 or W1060. 7" touchscreen, micro-sd card slot, wince. It does everything my Zodiac PDA did like run TCPMP for great video playback (at 800 x 480), display ebooks with scalable fonts and changeable background/text colors, as well as music. It won't play games well as it has no buttons besides power but tetris and bejewelled look nice on a big screen. It also surfs the web with built-in wifi.
I have a Sony Reader and at times I prefer that but since much of my reading is done under poor light conditions or in the dark a backlit LCD display is very useful. Maybe they'll devise a hybrid that has both or at least build-in little LCDs around the borders to let you read at night. Reading on a 7" color display with 800 x 480 res is very different from reading on a PDA screen. But I still read on my Touch if that's all I have and it doesn't strain my eyes since I can resize the fonts as needed.
Did anyone see these devices at CES - I didn't see any reporting on them.