The Kindle Touch was announced back in September, and finally Australians can now get it through Amazon. However, is it a nice upgrade from the latest generation Amazon Kindle, and is the inclusion of the touchscreen a good or bad idea? Better yet, is the Kindle Touch worth the extra $30 compared to the Kindle?
Who would have known by the end of this decade, we would have an Apple phone, eBook readers and tablets all around us? Or even having devices that are better and smaller than the PCs of 2000. This year there have been many leaps and bounds, like the up and coming tablet war, the broad range of Android devices released, the new iPhone, all those eBook readers and not to forget, Windows Phone 7. We started the year at CES 2010, which was very Android and eBook focused, which has shaped the year that has followed.
eBook reader announcements are rolling in, especially when CES’s actual start day happened. DMC Worldwide, a company we basically never heard of (in Australia, that we know of), has announced that it will be releasing a eBook reader lineup known as the COPIA, and it will have two models – the OCEAN and the TIDAL (and yes, we also thought they were pretty lame names).
We all knew it would be making the product announcement. Plastic Logic has finally revealed the QUE proReader, an eBook reader – though they claim it is so much more – that is super slim and is suitable to read newspapers thanks to its large crisp display. With 8.5 x 11-inch dimensions, it has signed up a number of newspapers, including the LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Fast Company – all which join other announced titles like USA Today and IDG publications like MacWorld and PC World.
More eBook readers are being released here at CES, with Spring Design revealing the Alex – claiming that it is the only dual screen Google Android-based eBook reader to integrate web browsing and reading. The device features two screens – one 3.5-inch LCD screen and a 6-inch EPD screen. I should note that the Barnes & Noble nook also features two screens and uses the Android platform, but is restricted to only books. The colour screen allows it to act as a virtual keyboard and access to the growing number of applications from the Android Marketplace.
Skiff has announced a brand new eBook reader that has been optimised for newspapers and magazine content. The Skiff Reader features a 11.5-inch screen with a touchscreen, and claims to be the thinnest e-reader to date (of the announcement). Plus, because many purchases are done on the go, it will partner with Sprint to provide 3G to the devices and plans are underway to sell it on Sprint stores.
Looks like eBook readers are making a splash at CES, with Interead has announced new models joining its COOL-ER line – the COOL-ER Compact, COOL-ER Classic, COOL-ER Connect and COOL-ER 3G. The COOL-ER connect will feature Wi-Fi and a touchscreen; while the COOL-ER 3G will feature a 3G connection, though that will be out in mid-2010. The Classic is just the renamed product of its original product, while the Compact model will feature a 6-inch E Ink screen and 2GB onboard memory (expandable via SD card).