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An e-book reader, also called an e-book device or e-reader, is a device used to display e-books. It may be a device specifically designed for that purpose, or one intended for other purposes as well. The main advantages of these devices are portability, readability of their screens in bright sunlight, and long battery life. Any Personal Data Assistant (PDA) capable of displaying text on a screen is also capable of being an e-book reader, but without the advantages of an electronic ink display.
Contents |
Commercially available devices based on electronic paper
Devices using Vizplex Imaging Film
Devices using E Ink Corporation's Vizplex Imaging Film:
 Barnes & Noble nook |
 The first (left) and second (right) version of the Amazon Kindle |
 The Cybook Opus |
 A BeBook |
Devices sold directly by the manufacturer
| Make | Model | Intro Date | Size | Shades | total # of formats | Touchscreen | Wifi | .epub | .pdb | .arg | .azw | .djvu | .html | .lbr | .lit | .mobi | .opf | .pdg | .tr3 | .txt | .xeb | .mp3 | .mp3 remembers last mp3 file played | integrated dictionary | directory organization capability | amount of memory | user replaceable battery | Text-to-Speech | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony | Reader Daily Edition PRS-900 | 2009-12 | 7" | 16 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Barnes & Noble | nook | 2009-11 | 6" | 16 | Yes (bottom screen) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||
| Iriver | Story | 2009-10 | 6" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Reader Touch Edition PRS-600 | 2009-08 | 6" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanvon | N516[1] | 2009 | 5" | 8 | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanvon | N518[2] | 2009 | 5" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanvon | N526[3] | 2009 | 5" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hanvon | N520[4] | 2009 | 5" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 | 2009-08 | 5" | 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bookeen | Cybook Opus | 2009-08 | 5" | 4 | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elonex | eBook | 2009-07 | 6" | 4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Endless ideas | BeBook | 5" | 16 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Endless ideas | BeBook | 6" | 16 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Interead | COOL-ER | 2009-06 | 6" | 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung | Papyrus | 2009-06 | 5" | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amazon | Kindle DX | 2009-06 | 9.7" | 16 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||
| Amazon | Kindle 2 | 2009-02 | 6" | 16 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foxit Software | eSlick | 2009 | 6" | 4 | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Reader PRS-700 | 2008-10 | 6" | 8 | Yes | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Reader PRS-505 | 2008 | 6" | 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| iRex Technologies | Digital Reader 1000 | 2008 | 10.8" | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jinke | Hanlin V5 | 2008 | 5" | 8 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||
| Amazon | Kindle | 2007 | 6" | 4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bookeen | Cybook Gen3 | 2007 | 6" | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jinke | Hanlin V3 | 2007 | 6" | 4 | 19 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Reader PRS-500 | 2006 | 6" | 8 | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jinke | Hanlin V2 | 2006 | 6" | 4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||||||||
| iRex Technologies | iLiad | 2006 | 8.1" | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony | Librié | 2005 | 6" | 4 | Y | Y |
Rebranded devices
- Hanlin eReader hanlin V3 & V5 Astak (North America)
- Hanlin V3 -> BeBook (EU): BeBook
- Hanlin V3 -> Koobe (HU):
- Hanlin V3 -> EZ Reader (US):
- Hanlin V3 -> lBook V3 (RU):
- Netronix EB001 -> PocketBook (UA), Astaka Mentor EZ Reader, Cybook Gen3 (200Mhz version)
- Netronix EB600 -> Cool-er, PocketBook+, Elonex eBook, eSlick, Astaka Mentor EZ Reader, Cybook Gen3 (400Mhz version), PocketBook (UA, EU)
Announced devices or prototypes
- QUE proReader by Plastic Logic (January 2010)
- Reader Daily Edition PRS-900 (7 inch touchscreen, 16 shades of gray) by Sony (December 2009)
- Boox by Onyx
- txtr, (October 2009), 6 inch reader from Wizpac
- Readius by Polymer Vision (Autumn 2008) UPDATE: Polymer Vision filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009. This ebook reader will not be coming to market in its current form.
- CoolReaders
- Nook by Barnes & Noble
- eClicto by Kolporter (PL, December 2009)
Device using an LCD screen
- Ectaco Jetbook using a TFT Transflective screen
- eBook - JE100 JoinTech using a TFT Color Screen Touch Panel LCD
- eBookwise 1150 [1] Back-lit 5.5" diagonal 4-bit grayscale LCD touch screen
Rumored devices or prototypes
Apple is rumored to be working on an e-book reader.[5] There have been reports of Apple receiving 10" touch screens from Wintek (manufacture of touch screens for iPhone and iPod Touch). The Apple iPhone and iPod Touch can read ebooks through third party applications from the iTunes App Store.
Discontinued models and products
- Cybook / Cybook Gen1 Sold by Cytale (1998 - 2003) then by Bookeen (2003 - 2007), now replaced with Cybook Opus
- Franklin eBookMan - 1999(?)-2002 (last model), although new eBookMans are available from Ectaco
- Apple Newton MessagePad - 1993-1998
Other mobile text viewers
Some portable multimedia players and smartphones include a text viewer, e.g. several Cowon players, including the Cowon D2 and the iAUDIO U3 and Mobipocket Reader for Symbian OS mobile phones. Adobe Reader mobile also turns Windows Mobile devices (for example, Samsung Omnia) into suitable e-Book viewers. Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch are also acquiring status as e-book readers through the Lexcycle Stanza and eReader apps. WordPlayer or FBReader turns Android phones into e-book readers. PalmOS based devices including Palm pilots, Tungsten series, Zire series & T/X are great for reading books. PalmOS supports PalmDoc, iSilo, Mobipocket reader, PDF, HTML conversion, text format, Handstory, TealDoc among many other software titles. Also, it is capable of word-processing, meaning that one can edit the documents on the palm. It's lightweight and very portable. There are also mobile devices capable of wordprocessing. Conversely, fully functional tablet notebooks (with screens that turn 180 degrees and lie with the back to the keyboard) and subnotebooks are used as e-book-readers.
See also
- Comparison of e-book formats - includes both device and software formats
Notes
References
- ^ http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/EPD-applications/WISEreader_N516.html
- ^ http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/EPD-applications/WISEreader_N518.html
- ^ http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/EPD-applications/WISEreader_N526.html
- ^ http://www.hanvon.com/en/products/EPD-applications/WISEreader_N520.html
- ^ "Rumored Apple Netbook Actually an E-book?". All Things Digital. http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20090311/apple-netbook-actually-an-e-book. Retrieved 2009-24-7.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: E-book readers |
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