Samsung E61 e-book reader outed, brings physical QWERTY keyboard to lineup
By Ross Miller 
posted February 4th 2010 5:31PM
posted February 4th 2010 5:31PM
posted February 4th 2010 5:31PM
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Noo not glossy :(
Don't like it
@MoonWalkerCTE I just don't understand why manufacturers continue to make the plastic-y glossy icky looking devices. It would look quite hawt if it had the exact same design and material as the kindle next to it but kept the small size.
I realize other markets might like that gaudy plastic look but I dont believe the American and European markets do. Yet they still keep cranking them out. Blows my mind.
@gadgetfanboy if it is done right it can look really good, but but none does it right, the psp 1000 looked really hood with it on but since then i have never ever seen another looking that good
@Tangerinescream There's no doubt in my mind, that i'll go for the Asus e-readers, preferably the DR-950: http://bit.ly/asus-dr-950
Than this one. Looking the design of the samsung e-reader, and its constricted space makes me want to think thrice before recommending it to others.
We want COLOR e-ink. Not more of the same.
@ipxnsv No we don't. Most of us don't read picture books and the screen is too small for magazines.
I think eReader makers should incorporate a scroll wheel like a mouse has into their designs. Take the Logitech VX Revolution for example...its a three access scroll wheel. Button functions to scroll as normal but you can also press it down and push it left & right. It would help usability of these readers a great deal.
@Chaosdivine
Oh and it will keep your greasy mits off the screen a lot more too...
@Chaosdivine That 3 point scroll wheel is my favorite feature of that mouse. Don't see it working as well on an ebook reader, but I'd love to see someone try and incorporate it well.
@donatom3
Well scroll up/down obviously for longer pages...they don't have to fit on a normal piece of ePaper for example. Click left and right to "flip pages". Press down for an enter function perhaps...all that from one simple (and small) interface.
@Chaosdivine Have you seen the update rate of e-ink screens? Scrolling = ABSOLUTELY NO NEVER UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES. Seriously, scrolling involves repainting the entire screen, and that takes like half a second at best. That's why there is only ever a page down option.
A scroll wheel might work for selecting menu options if it can repaint small areas (menu cursor) more quickly, but I don't see a problem with the 'buttons down the side' layout on Sony Reader etc.
As for this device, um, well done Samsung for making it smaller than the way-too-big Kindle! Shame it's (a) still too big ('big' defined as 'size of everything except the screen'), and (b) much uglier. Kindle looks quite nice aside from the keyboard, so competing with it without ditching the keyboard is admittedly a challenge, but still...
Samsung's E6 touchscreen reader actually looks nice, so not dissing their range overall.
@(Unverified)
You raised a very good point, an obvious one that I missed I guess...no I have not used an eReader yet, I myself use my plugged in color screened laptop. But I do see your point about every time you scroll the screen needs redrawing negating the battery savings...
@Chaosdivine
See there is an ever blurring line between what a tablet is and an eReader is or ends up doing. The iPad is probably the highest profiled example of a product in production that has some multi-facetted functionality to it and still has a good color screen while maintaining decent battery life. I really think these mono-chrome eReaders themselves are dead end products that all require some ambient lighting to see the screen. The color screened ones are a lot better I think. The ones I saw on here that were playing video were awesome. Those too need ambient light or backlighting. I don't think people will ever be acustomed to eInk. This is where I think the iPad is superior. I can't wait for the Microsoft Courier to come out. I think it will be the true game changer. The HP one is nice too.
@Chaosdivine
What do you think that little Joystick type thing is there on the Kindle. It makes moving around and clicking on things really quick and easy!!!
I also like the buttons on the left side of the screen on the Kindle, not just on the right. I also could care less about a Color eInk screen. Not on a 6" reader that's generally for books. That would also raise prices greatly when what is needed is CHEAPER eInk readers.
@JBDragon
Well its not exactly a scroll wheel now is it? I mean IBM/Lenovo has had its famous nipple/nub mouse button working for eons...hell you could have put a D-pad on there too for that matter. Just so I'm clear here...what exactly is your point?
Quite intriguing yet the Kindle certainly has the upper hand (Amazon).
Why does that keyboard make me want to chew gum?
@ArhcAngel
Something strange about those see-through keys...
@whiskers Yes, kid's calculators used to have those keys 20 years ago.
@ArhcAngel
It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of...
oh wait, there's a piece.
You got lucky this time, Kindle!
An e-Book reader won't go anywhere if there's no easy way for consumers to buy books, hence the Kindle's success since it offer an instant buy of eBooks wirelessly directly on the device at no additional cost.
@pika2000 i believe that it could succeed if its cheap enough to make the hassle of uploading books via usb worthwhile.
@ep3232 That's how Sony eReaders work for years, and it didn't go anywhere. Consumers want convenience.
@pika2000
I guess I'm in a big minority, but I don't typically buy books on the fly. I usually check up on reviews and make sure it's worth my while and money. So having to wait to get home and plug in for a book wouldn't be a big deal. And it's still a lot more convenient than going to a bookstore.
If they could just come out with a simple reader without all the bells and whistles at a much lower price for the rest of us, I think they would clean up.
Looks like a glossy, smaller Kindle...
@OsoOto they all do, :-P
price?
If it more than 200, then I am not interested.
@k2001
Agreed!
Why is it that blu-ray players have made it below $100, but e-readers are still mainly up in the $300+ range?? I hope they're profit margins are huge to make up for the huge loss of volume of sales due to the outrageous prices.
I think the kindle is so much more aesthetically pleasing to look at than the samsung reader.
I'd also find the glossy bezel distracting to look at when reading.
It looks sorta dirty to me.
@mtnDewFTW
White plastic tends to do that...turn beige over time. I think any electronic product in white reflective plastic looks cheap. I think the best coating I ever had was on an old T30 IBM Thinkpad. It was a black matt finish. It resisited finger prints and was easy to clean. Only problem was it was paint and it was paint ON metal...so it was prone to wearing off. But light didn't reflect off it all day and distract you or turn into a smudge magnet.
@mtnDewFTW
Exactly what I thought... heavy smokers?
@Chaosdivine Yeah, I know what you mean. The Kindle just looks much cleaner, and I think it also stays cleaner as well. Anyway, back to what I was going to say, which is, I'm not sure why Samsung made a smaller, more cheap plastic version of the Kindle, with no new breakthrough features. Especially with all these new eReaders coming out, like the Barnes And Noble eReader, and dear I say, the iPad.
Those keys look horribly distracting. Why are they so bubbly???
The UI of these things feels like a return to 1984 Macintoshes.
Rather retro.
I just understand the draw to the Kindles. Other than the DX, I think they are ugly as sin. They must have some fantastic UI or something because I would take a sleeker looking Sony over a Kindle any day of the week.
Samsung's industrial design continues to do nothing for me.
@Charbax
The 9.7" one looks more impressive and the touch screen input for once seems to work like one should when writing... no doubt because of the Wacom input.
No love for south paws, either.
Samsung usually makes decent hardware, but this must be one of the worst looking e-readers i have ever seen. The glossy white plastic is just hideous, and those ridiculous see-through keys look like a usability disaster.
I think E-ink display is better than iPad LED.
both are great machine for e-book reader.
But, I think E-ink display is more comfortable to eyes. LCD/LED light are uncomfortable to eyes