Creative Technology joins the Ebook Market

chinesealbumart · 10-31-2009, 02:39 AM

Creative joins the rank ? An article from Singapore's newspaper.

=======================================
Creative's next chapter: e-book reader market

Singapore's audio devices maker Creative Technology is also moving into the red-hot electronic book reader market.

A working prototype - for now, named as MediaBook - is ready and will go on trial soon.

The final version will likely have a touchscreen, a text-to-speech function and an SD memory card slot. The e-book reader will also probably be Internet-enabled for a multimedia experience. It will run on Creative's 'Zii Technology' platform, chip and operating system.

As compared to the Kindle or Sony ebook reader, Creative plans to draw on the resources of at least 10 international and local publishers it is now holding talks with. They hoped to provide fiction, newspapers, magazines and educational materials such as textbooks.

It is expected that half the content will be international and the other half, local Singapore contents. They could tie up with publishers to offer subscription-based content.

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes 17 newspapers and more than 100 magazines in the island, could be among the local content providers.

Creative is planning a few models of its e-book reader, from a base, text-only model for children to a higher-end one with capabilities to display text and pictures.

It hopes to hawk the e-book reader in Singapore first, and then offer it in China and elsewhere in the region, as well as in the United States, where it has a foothold through its SoundBlaster audio cards.

Creative's project got a leg-up when Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) named it as a partner of its 'FutureBooks' initiative, which aims to grow technology for next-generation books. This means Creative will get MDA's support in funding and introductions to potential content producers.

Whether Creative succeeds hinges on its ties with big publishers, its pricing structure and its range of content. It also depends on what other services its e-book reader can offer. Creative is not new to entering a market dominated by big players.

ProDigit · 10-31-2009, 06:54 PM

Darn!
I just read this article at news.cnet.com, and thought to be the first one to report it!

Anyways the article is found here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10387880-1.html

eGeezer · 10-31-2009, 07:28 PM

At the risk of being accused of being one of those people who jump in with negative comments without actually having ever seen the product: Guess we'll have to see how they do all that stuff with a screen as comfortable to the eyes as e-ink.

Intriguing to see, tho. By the time the Nook finally gets within physical reach, I may have to reject the whole idea of an ereading device because I'll have to wait for the next, and the next, and the next. Well, perhaps after Christmas, they will stop popping up out of their gopher holes.

AND if they don't want negative observations about their ghostly products, I'd suggest they PRODUCE them before they SELL them. Although in this case, they haven't actually offered them for sale.

But they have thrown down the gauntlet:

"Mr Png said Amazon's Kindle 'ultimately is just another electronic device which displays books in text'."

without providing Kindle a face to slap their glove against.

charleski · 10-31-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesealbumart

Mr Png said Amazon's Kindle 'ultimately is just another electronic device which displays books in text'.

As opposed to what, the medium of dance?

It's pretty clear that all eReaders represent to Creative is another chance to sell poorly-designed and abysmally-supported gadgets to the masses. They heard all the rumours about the Apple tablet and decided they must have one too. I have no idea what their device will actually be like, but all this press release does is scream 'AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE'.

The Hooded Claw · 10-31-2009, 09:35 PM

I actually love my Creative Zen media player....Just the thing to slip in the pocket on an airplane flight and watch video (admittedly on a postage stamp screen) and listen to MP3s...."While taking breaks from reading on my Kindle!" he added hastily....

I'm going to have to do some googling to find out if Creative is truly focusing on the Asian market (which might be a very bright thing to do, Amazon Kindle has no penetration to speak of there yet), or if the Asia focus is simply from this being a Singapore article.

ProDigit · 10-31-2009, 09:52 PM

I'm still waiting for the first e-ink device that can run open format documents, and that has a larger than 800x600 pix resolution.

igorsk · 10-31-2009, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

I'm still waiting for the first e-ink device that can run open format documents, and that has a larger than 800x600 pix resolution.

iRex?

ProDigit · 11-01-2009, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

iRex?

is e-paper, no e-ink; expensive, and low battery life.
Also low contrast due to touchscreen.
I love the flip bar on the Iliad though!

HarryT · 11-01-2009, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

is e-paper, no e-ink; expensive, and low battery life.
Also low contrast due to touchscreen.
I love the flip bar on the Iliad though!

The iRex devices uses a Wacom inductive touch screen which is physically beneath the eInk (and it is eInk!) screen, and has absolutely no impact whatsoever on contrast. When I compare my DR1000S side-by-side with any of my non touch-screen devices (Opus or Kindle, for example), the contrast is identical.

DawnFalcon · 11-01-2009, 04:26 PM

Isn't the power drain of a Wacom higher though?

Well, anyway, still using an origional Creative SB Live!, so I'm perfectly willing to wait and see what Creative come up with on its technical merits alone.

HarryT · 11-02-2009, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Isn't the power drain of a Wacom higher though?

When it's actually being used - yes, it has a significant power consumption. Just sitting there and waiting for you to do something, however, uses little power, and you don't use the stylus for "normal" reading on an iRex device, only when doing something like opening a new document.

pauli · 11-02-2009, 04:26 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/01/z...s-very-little/

it looks like it is a LCD screen.... more like a Tablet PC than a dedicated e-reader. This explains the color and video capabilities

LDBoblo · 11-02-2009, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauli

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/01/z...s-very-little/

it looks like it is a LCD screen.... more like a Tablet PC than a dedicated e-reader. This explains the color and video capabilities

I'm hopeful. Something with 3Qi would be nice but I'd definitely consider an LCD if the thing has the right stuff. I'm pretty much done with e-ink until it becomes responsive enough for something other than novels.

Though I somewhat doubt Creative will take any high roads when it comes to whether they make their device as proprietary as Sony or Amazon or B&N...

DawnFalcon · 11-02-2009, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

When it's actually being used - yes, it has a significant power consumption. Just sitting there and waiting for you to do something, however, uses little power, and you don't use the stylus for "normal" reading on an iRex device, only when doing something like opening a new document.

Ah, fair enough

dmaul1114 · 11-02-2009, 12:23 PM

I'll keep an eye on it. I've been very pleased with my Creative MP3 players the past few years (small flash one for gym, 30GB Vision M for everything else.

And I'm interested in a tablet device as well.

10-31-2009, 02:39 AM	#1
chinesealbumart Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 332 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Singapore Device: Sony PRS505	Creative Technology joins the Ebook Market Creative joins the rank ? An article from Singapore's newspaper. ======================================= Creative's next chapter: e-book reader market Singapore's audio devices maker Creative Technology is also moving into the red-hot electronic book reader market. A working prototype - for now, named as MediaBook - is ready and will go on trial soon. The final version will likely have a touchscreen, a text-to-speech function and an SD memory card slot. The e-book reader will also probably be Internet-enabled for a multimedia experience. It will run on Creative's 'Zii Technology' platform, chip and operating system. As compared to the Kindle or Sony ebook reader, Creative plans to draw on the resources of at least 10 international and local publishers it is now holding talks with. They hoped to provide fiction, newspapers, magazines and educational materials such as textbooks. It is expected that half the content will be international and the other half, local Singapore contents. They could tie up with publishers to offer subscription-based content. Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes 17 newspapers and more than 100 magazines in the island, could be among the local content providers. Creative is planning a few models of its e-book reader, from a base, text-only model for children to a higher-end one with capabilities to display text and pictures. It hopes to hawk the e-book reader in Singapore first, and then offer it in China and elsewhere in the region, as well as in the United States, where it has a foothold through its SoundBlaster audio cards. Creative's project got a leg-up when Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) named it as a partner of its 'FutureBooks' initiative, which aims to grow technology for next-generation books. This means Creative will get MDA's support in funding and introductions to potential content producers. Whether Creative succeeds hinges on its ties with big publishers, its pricing structure and its range of content. It also depends on what other services its e-book reader can offer. Creative is not new to entering a market dominated by big players. Last edited by chinesealbumart; 11-01-2009 at 03:03 AM.

10-31-2009, 07:28 PM	#3
eGeezer NE1 seen my glasses? Posts: 396 Karma: 4864 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Seattle Device: Nook Glowlight (following previous nook STR and STR w/GL)	At the risk of being accused of being one of those people who jump in with negative comments without actually having ever seen the product: Guess we'll have to see how they do all that stuff with a screen as comfortable to the eyes as e-ink. Intriguing to see, tho. By the time the Nook finally gets within physical reach, I may have to reject the whole idea of an ereading device because I'll have to wait for the next, and the next, and the next. Well, perhaps after Christmas, they will stop popping up out of their gopher holes. AND if they don't want negative observations about their ghostly products, I'd suggest they PRODUCE them before they SELL them. Although in this case, they haven't actually offered them for sale. But they have thrown down the gauntlet: "Mr Png said Amazon's Kindle 'ultimately is just another electronic device which displays books in text'." without providing Kindle a face to slap their glove against. Last edited by eGeezer; 10-31-2009 at 07:35 PM.

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10-31-2009, 06:54 PM	#2
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	Darn! I just read this article at news.cnet.com, and thought to be the first one to report it! Anyways the article is found here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10387880-1.html

10-31-2009, 09:35 PM	#5
The Hooded Claw Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 6050 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oklahoma! Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Android phone with Kindle app, Kindle 4 in reserve	I actually love my Creative Zen media player....Just the thing to slip in the pocket on an airplane flight and watch video (admittedly on a postage stamp screen) and listen to MP3s...."While taking breaks from reading on my Kindle!" he added hastily.... I'm going to have to do some googling to find out if Creative is truly focusing on the Asian market (which might be a very bright thing to do, Amazon Kindle has no penetration to speak of there yet), or if the Asia focus is simply from this being a Singapore article.

10-31-2009, 09:52 PM	#6
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I'm still waiting for the first e-ink device that can run open format documents, and that has a larger than 800x600 pix resolution.

11-01-2009, 04:26 PM	#10
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Isn't the power drain of a Wacom higher though? Well, anyway, still using an origional Creative SB Live!, so I'm perfectly willing to wait and see what Creative come up with on its technical merits alone.

11-02-2009, 04:26 AM	#12
pauli Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 119824 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: iLiad, DR1000S, HTC Hero, DR800SG	http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/01/z...s-very-little/ it looks like it is a LCD screen.... more like a Tablet PC than a dedicated e-reader. This explains the color and video capabilities

11-02-2009, 12:23 PM	#15
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	I'll keep an eye on it. I've been very pleased with my Creative MP3 players the past few years (small flash one for gym, 30GB Vision M for everything else. And I'm interested in a tablet device as well.

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