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Plastic Logic debuts QUE proReader, shows off truVue publications
We're at Plastic Logic's CES press event, where they're at last showing off the finalized, market-ready QUE e-reader. The idea is to create a whole "new" device type for business professionals. There's a fullscreen touchscreen interface, with no touchscreen, and the device can work with email, calendar (including Outlook support) and other information outside of documents. "We're not just developing an e-reader, we're developing a complete solution space." The device design was based on the look of black and white print, and wanted to avoid metal in materials to drive home the "plastic" element. It's supposed to look like a glass container with ink. The only physical button on the frame the home button on the top right corner. The device controls with taps but also gestures. You can "swipe" through calendar days, for instance, and screen refreshes look very fast. The device can view and annotate Powerpoint, Word, Excel and PDF documents. You can create your own pre-defined searches for sorting devices, and the interface looks closer to an AJAXY website than an e-reader. With a finger you can draw directly on the screen for annotations, but while there's a touchscreen keyboard for annotations, it looks slow as sin. As previously announced, the device uses the Barnes & Noble web and device-based e-book store for a business-target selection of titles (and regular books as well), and B&N claims the QUE is a complementary and differentiated product from its own Nook -- and it's hard to disagree. One surprise of the presser is the new truVue format for publications that Plastic Logic supports. The standard was developed in conjunction with Adobe, and it preserves some of the style and layout (though certainly not all) of a print publication, with publishers such as Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Thompson Reuters and more on board.. To get documents onto the device you can print to a "QUE it" printer, as well as drag and drop documents to a "QUE it" droplet on the desktop for automagical document transfers. There's also a QUE application for the BlackBerry, which can bump any email or attachment from the BlackBerry to the QUE over Bluetooth. QUE has partnered with Good for "QUE Mail" and "QUE Calendar," with support for Exchange, Gmail, Windows Live and other email accounts. The device has Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G under the hood, with AT&T providing the wireless data. The proReader ships in mid-April, with pre-orders starting today. The 4GB model without 3G goes for $649, while the 8GB model retails with the AT&T onboard is $799. Wowsa. Naturally, this is just the start for Plastic Logic, and we should be seeing plenty more devices from the company, and PL also promises to extend the functionality of the proReader on an ongoing basis. There's full PR after the break. %Gallery-81988%
QUE proReader hitting Barnes & Noble retail stores in 2010
In a rather odd unfolding of events, it seems as if Barnes & Noble is finally clearing up the mystery behind that Plastic Logic e-reader slated to hit its retail locations by Spring of 2010. After making said announcement, the book seller then went out and introduced an e-book reader of its very own in the Nook, and only now are we learning that the Plastic Logic-built QUE proReader will also be splashing down at the outfit sometime next year. In a brief release posted today, we're told that the recently teased big-screen reader (8.5- x 11-inches) 10.5-inch will be sold throughout B&N's retail footprint and on its website; makes sense given that B&N is powering the proReader's online e-book store, but the fact that it'll be placed prominently near the outfit's own (somewhat competing) device is certainly interesting. We're expecting to see more come CES 2010, and seriously, with the rate at which these readers are hitting brick-and-mortar locations, Amazon might want to consider implementing some kind of physical trial in order to not go overlooked in its corner of the web. Update: Plastic Logic rather dubiously lists "large 8-1/2 x 11-inch shatterproof display" on its specsheet. A bit of digging into the Barnes and Noble listing, however, reveals the following spec "Display (viewable area): 10.5-inch diagonal, 944 x 1264 pixels at 150ppi, 8 gray levels." Sneaky.
Plastic Logic teases QUE proReader with 8.5 x 11-inch touchscreen
Details are scarce, since the official launch won't happen until January 7 at CES next year, but Plastic Logic is looking to crash into the "pro" segment of the e-reader market (currently mostly occupied by the Kindle DX) with its upcoming QUE proReader. The unit uses E Ink Vizplex tech in a shatterproof display the size of a regular piece of paper at 8.5 x 11-inches, and has 3G wireless capabilities courtesy of AT&T and a business-centric ebook store at QUEreader.com which will be powered by Barnes & Noble. There's also a touchscreen interface, but it's unclear if that covers the entire display, or is something more akin to the leaked photos we've seen of the Barnes & Noble reader. The device is "less than 1/3-inch thick," and can handle PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents, including tools for "interacting with and managing the content," which sounds beyond the scope of most e-readers on the market currently. We'll have to wait and see how useful the interface really is, and how much damage (if any) that touchscreen sensor does to readability, but a bit of diversification in the ebook space sounds like a good thing on paper. Full PR is after the break.
Barnes & Noble twin-screen e-reader revealed early?
At this point, there's little doubt that Barnes & Noble will soon be joining the e-reader game. We've heard whispers through the grapevine, seen FCC documentation and now, renders of what the thing might actually look like. With October 20th rapidly approaching, Gizmodo has secured images that it claims are of the forthcoming device -- and the design certainly jibes with recent happenings. If you'll recall, a B&N-badged representative recently noted that an e-book reader with its logo on it was on track for a Spring 2010 release, and by golly, it would sport a color display. Plastic Logic later stepped forward to deny the claim, but if these images are legit, both parties might actually be correct; the dual-panel device would boast a traditional e-ink display up top with a multitouch panel beneath, the latter of which would undoubtedly lead to all sorts of shenanigans. So, is it Tuesday yet, or what?
Plastic Logic deflates dreams, denies Spring 2010 release for color e-reader
We had a sneaking suspicion that it was too good to be true, and now Plastic Logic has stepped forward to officially kill our pipe dreams. Just days ago, the web was set ablaze when a Barnes & Noble representative mistakenly (or deliberately, for all we know) stated that a Plastic Logic-sourced color e-reader was on track for a Spring 2010 release. Today, the aforesaid outfit has stated that the video report was "inaccurate and the individual (who was apparently filmed while attending a trade show was not an authorized Barnes & Noble spokesperson) was misinformed." Continuing on, we're told that while "color is on Plastic Logic's roadmap, it is not on the map for the Spring of 2010." Welp, that settles that... unfortunately.[Thanks, Charlie]
Barnes and Noble 'confirms' color Plastic Logic e-book reader for Spring 2010 (video)
In no uncertain terms, a Barnes & Noble representative at what looks like the CTIA show says that a color (color!) Plastic Logic e-book reader will launch in Spring 2010. Now, we're not sure if Daniel Joresson is authorized to make announcements about its Plastic Logic partner but he did so nonetheless. The Plastic Logic e-reader will feature a color screen about the size of a paperback and runs the "Barnes & Noble e-book reader application." It's not clear, but it sounds like the B&N application will also be available for cellphones including the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. Right, similar to the Kindle app. So how does this jibe with rumors about a 6-inch Barnes & Noble e-reader from Plastic Logic launching as early as next month? Easy, the first version will be grayscale while a new model featuring a color display will launch in Spring. In fact, Plastic Logic's own web site says that its color reader is "around the corner" and expects to be "first to market with a large, flexible color display" -- take that Sony and Amazon with your PVI built E Ink-based displays. Watch the flirtatious B&N reveal after the break. [Thanks, Tom]Read -- Plastic Logic FAQ (color reader)Read -- Video
Barnes and Noble e-book reader hits the FCC
Barnes and Noble, the United State's largest book seller has filed with the FCC its own e-book reader, as it's insinuated in the attached Agent Authorization Letter. The dipping of the toes into the digital text industry isn't as peculiar as, say Discovery Communications, since Barnes and Noble already has some known precedence in the e-book reader market, partnering with Plastic Logic as their "exclusive eBookstore provider" -- this may very well be the Plastic Logic reader, but there's no indication one way or another. Chances are it'll be some time before we know, as all external and internal photos are under a confidentiality extension for 180 days as of September 3rd, or about six months from now. See you in Spring 2010!
iRex readying wireless e-reader while Plastic Logic's own snags $299 price point
Who says the world stopped reading decades ago? With CES 2010 looming ever closer, it looks as if 2010 may end up being the year of the e-book reader. Amazon's got a few Kindles out, Sony's now vying to compete on price, Hearst is doing whatever it's doing, Plastic Logic is jumping in early next year and even iRex is purportedly hoping to issue a consumer-centric alternative. Speaking of those last two, we're hearing that Plastic Logic's long-awaited entrant into the e-book reading world will "be launched in the US at the beginning of next year at a similar price to the Kindle, which starts at $299," while a UK launch is expected in late 2010 or early 2011. As for iRex, the mockup you see above portrays a wireless device with an expansive 8.1-inch display, inbuitl 3G, a full touchscreen and a fall 2009 release date. 'Course, we're also hearing that this one will hover well above the $300 mark, so it's certainly not aimed at the budget-minded bookworms. So many syllables, so little time...[Thanks, Tom]Read - iRex readerRead - Plastic Logic pricing
Plastic Logic e-book reader will use AT&T for its 3G needs
Things seem to really in motion for Plastic Logic, first with news of a partnership with Barnes & Noble and now this. AT&T is announcing that it'll be providing 3G data for the company's upcoming e-reader, the capabilities of which we found out during a noteworthy showing at D7. Still lots of questions up in the air, though, such as if AT&T will charge monthly for the use or provide service gratis like Sprint does with the Kindle. We're also wondering if it'll have access to AT&T's numerous public Wi-Fi hot spots. One bright note is that, unlike Sprint and its CDMA towers, AT&T's GSM network is compatible with carriers worldwide, which makes an international transition theoretically much smoother. Early 2010 can't come soon enough.[Thanks, Tom]
Barnes & Noble partners with Plastic Logic, becomes "exclusive eBookstore provider" for its e-reader
It's not exactly an e-book reader of its own as previously rumored, but Barnes & Noble's announced an alliance with Plastic Logic in which it'll serve as the "exclusive eBookstore provider" to the long-in-development e-reader, which unless we're playing with semantics here means any and all digital literature you're wanting to purchase on-device will have to come from BN. According to the press release, downloads from Google's public domain archives will also be made available gratis, and as for the enigmatic 8.5 x 11-inch slate, it's still reportedly on track for an early 2010 launch. Much in the vein of Amazon's more recent maneuvers, the ole' brick-and-mortar retailer is taking what it's calling a device-agnostic approach, with apps already available for iPhone and iPod touch, Blackberry, Windows, and OS X. Practice your reading skills with the presser after the break.Update: A few added details from Barnes & Noble's conference call. The company says it'll be announcing support for other products in the future (not Kindle or Sony e-reader) and that it has no announcements at this point as to whether it'll be selling Plastic Logic e-readers in store, exclusive or otherwise.
Plastic Logic e-book reader: now with 3G
You're probably wondering what's been happening with that super thin, super sexy Plastic Logic e-book reader that we've seen floating around various tradeshows. Well, the device has landed at D7, and it's got a few new features cooked up -- most notably, built-in 3G data. There's no specifics on what carriers or bands, but besides that WiFi connectivity, you'll be able to go totally nuts out in the real world. Additionally, it looks like the company has seriously tweaked the UI, now providing a simple and clear interface for getting around your documents, and a page-turning gesture (don't mind the green tint in the pic above, the screen is still very much grayscale). The slate is definitely lust-worthy, but we noted a fairly slow screen refresh (way slower than the Kindle), which is kind of a downer -- along with that fairly distant 2010 launch date. Plastic Logic also made an appearance on Fox Business News today, and the video is embedded after the break.
Plastic Logic e-reader not coming until early 2010
If you've been waiting (and waiting) for Plastic Logic's ultra-durable e-reader, you'll have to stick with recycled paper for another dozen months or so. According to a company representative at the outfit's CES kiosk, the device is now scheduled for an "early 2010" release, and as expected, final pricing has yet to be determined. Though, Mr. Joe (seriously, that's his first name) did admit that it would be "competitively priced for rapid adoption" and that the company would be pushing hard to get this into corporations / enterprises. Don't believe us? The full five minute interview is there in the read link.[Thanks, credo]
Plastic Logic's e-reader vs Amazon Kindle... fight! (updated with video)
The kids at tgdaily have a hands-on video of Plastic Logic's biggie e-reader unveiled at DEMO earlier this week. With it, they've also nabbed a bit more information on this potential subscription-based, Kindle killer. The 7-mm thin reader connects via micro-USB to a PC to charge the unit or transfer documents. Documents can also be transferred over WiFi or Bluetooth (no cellular radio?) -- the reader can even communicate wirelessly with other readers to transfer documents. The 8.5- x 11-inch touchscreen allows for gesture control, as we heard, with the added bonus of quick and easy on-screen annotation of any supported media type such as Word docs, PowerPoint slides, or PDFs. Plastic Logic says they don't plan to compete with Kindle directly, instead, it's targeting business mobile professionals with "a lot of documents already," not those who will get all their content from the Amazon store. Of course, a variety of leaks have already made it clear that Amazon's not exactly standing still with its Kindle reader with larger and more, eh hem, attractive models in the works. Sony, too, is planning a special Reader-based event next month. So... is 2009 shaping up to be the death of print? Oh hells no -- but it's certainly getting a lot more interesting.Update: DEMO launch video showing a complete walkthough of a prototype device now posted after the break.
Plastic Logic finally ready to launch 'flexible' e-newspaper reader
Later today, Plastic Logic will be showing off its new e-newspaper reader (name, undecided) for the first time. The black and white, E Ink device features a wireless link to download content, room enough to store "hundreds of pages of newspapers, books, and documents," and a display more than twice the size of the wee Kindle while suffering just half the ugly. Better yet, the device is said to use "flexible, lightweight plastic" rather than glass resulting in a reader about one-third the thickness of the Kindle at about the same weight -- the reader itself (pictured left) looks rigid compared to that flexible display Plastic Logic has demonstrated in the past. Expected to go on sale during the first half of 2009 with more details, including which news organizations will feed information to the reader, promised for CES in January.Update: Announced official with 8.5 x 11-inch display with gesture-based user interface and additional support for MS Office formats as well as PDF. Second picture added after the break.
Plastic Logic to build first electronic paper plant
U.K.-based Plastic Logic has announced that it has secured some $100 million in funding to build the world's first factory dedicated to manufacturing plastic electronics on a commercial scale. More specifically, the factory's set to produce flexible active matrix display modules, aimed at making various electronic reading devices a little more portable and a little less hard on the eyes. According to the company, the plant will be built in Dresden, Germany, with production set to ramp up sometime in 2008 at an initial capacity of more than a million display modules per year.[Via Slashdot]
Plastic Logic bumps their flexible E Ink display to 150ppi
Considering that only one E Ink display has made it into a major device on the US market so far, and virtually zero flexible display devices exist, you wouldn't think there'd be as much crazy competition surrounding the various related technologies to this eensy commercial space. Still, that hasn't stopped us from drooling on these technologies since forever, and Plastic Logic just keeps plugging away at them pixels. They've just upped their flexible active matrix game to 150ppi, nearing on a workable newspaper resolution, but still a fair bit away from truly matching paper and ink for sharpness and contrast. The E Ink-display is just part of long line of prototype displays from Plastic Logic, but a commercial display is still a good bit off -- they're hoping to mass produce a 10-inch 150ppi flexible display in 2008.[Via MobileRead]
