Wizpac txtr reader announced - the Kindle killer?

Alexander Turcic · 01-22-2009, 04:03 PM

Fabian sent us some noteworthy news about a new e-reader from German company Wizpac Ltd. Dubbed txtr reader, it features everything an e-book affectionado would die for, including (quoted from their press agent):

Quote:

The latest 6-inch eInk display for maximum readability
Advanced power management guaranteeing weeks of reading time
Full connectivity including USB, Bluetooth, and true mobility with SIM-enabled UMTS/GPRS
An user interface that will blow away everything you’ve seen on eInk so far
Bookstore on-device and on the web
Of course, tight integration with our online platform txtr.com
and very cool design

Find a full list of specs over here (take a special look at "Special Features"...).

I dug further and found evidence that this reader should support PDF, HTML, Office, and ePub among other e-book formats and that also a developer API is planned with support for on-device 3rd party applications.

Alright, let's take this all with a grain of salt, but should this reader come into existence, it could be a real Kindle/Sony/you-name-it killer for what it matters.

pilotbob · 01-22-2009, 04:05 PM

>An user interface that will blow away everything you’ve seen on eInk so far

The user interface is a BOMB?

BOb

TadW · 01-22-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

>An user interface that will blow away everything you’ve seen on eInk so far

The user interface is a BOMB?

BOb

Hmm... I see a problem here if you want to carry it on a plane...

zelda_pinwheel · 01-22-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Find a full list of specs over here (take a special look at "Special Features"...).

all that and an accelerometer !!

epub support and touchscreen, i'm interested ! can't wait to hear about price and availability...

not sure how interested i am in being integrated with an "online solution" but we'll see what they propose... deifinitely one to keep an eye on !

Sweetpea · 01-22-2009, 04:29 PM

Did you read the page that is linked behind the zebracomb hair?

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/22...eaders-for-all

Quote:

But this assumes there are texts out there to download. While I’m aware of the rich treasure trove of free books out there (The People’s Common Sense Medical Adviser or Iliad, anyone?), unless you’re an scholar of ancient Greek or a anti-medical bore, you’re pretty hard-pressed to find anything you’d read on the beach.

Somebody that has never seen all those other online bookstores?

Oh, and Zelda, where did you read that touchscreen bit?

zelda_pinwheel · 01-22-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Did you read the page that is linked behind the zebracomb hair?

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/22...eaders-for-all

Somebody that has never seen all those other online bookstores?

yes, i wondered about that too. sheesh, amazon is not the only thing out there.

where did i read about the touchscreen, hm, i'm not sure now ; maybe i inferred it from the "capacitative slider interface". i could be wrong. ah no, i think i saw it in the crunchgear review.

JasonB · 01-22-2009, 04:34 PM

I don't like the fact that there's no status information on the display itself - especially page numbers. Maybe this can be customized, but, if not, it would annoy me to not know what page I was on without having to access the menu.

Steve Jordan · 01-22-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Somebody that has never seen all those other online bookstores?

You have to have the sense to look, first. What else would you expect from Crunchgear? If it's not standard equipment on an SUV, or good to eat during the Superbowl, it's a miracle they've even heard of it...

Steve Jordan · 01-22-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonB

I don't like the fact that there's no status information on the display itself - especially page numbers. Maybe this can be customized, but, if not, it would annoy me to not know what page I was on without having to access the menu.

I wouldn't be too concerned. It could be a mockup... or a "max page" setting that can be changed with a finger-tap.

Edit: Ah, of course... it IS a mockup. Day's been too long, I guess...

pilotbob · 01-22-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Find a full list of specs over here (take a special look at "Special Features"...).

Ah... I get it. This is a joke. Someone use Godaddy and go one of them cheap domains and created this farce of a web site.

BOb

Sweetpea · 01-22-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ah... I get it. This is a joke. Someone use Godaddy and go one of them cheap domains and created this farce of a web site.

BOb

I get the impression the previewer invented that part...

From the comments on the preview:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andreas Steinhauser - January 22nd, 2009 at 2:22 pm PST

John,

Thanks for your review… It did trigger a whole discussion here about how we could forget the zebracorn in the specs!
We fixed that: http://reader.txtr.com/specifications.html

As you know, Germans love well engineered gear, the txtr reader will be for those who crave a better connected reading experience… anyway, we will keep you posted.

And btw. it’s barely a touch pad, not a touch screen, hm… but…
… let me think about that ;-)

Steini

Alexander Turcic · 01-22-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ah... I get it. This is a joke. Someone use Godaddy and go one of them cheap domains and created this farce of a web site.

BOb

I don't think so. The company behind it (Wizpac) is real. I also heard (business development Ulrik Deichsel) that the txtr reader is supposed to come out in Q3 2009 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland first. Supposedly they invested around 1 million Euro so far in the project.

wallcraft · 01-22-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

and touchscreen

No touchscreen. What it has is:

Quote:

capacitive slider interface

These are probably the same kind of "keys" as the iRex Digital Reader has, and I assume the "slider" is the long axis of the cross.

pilotbob · 01-22-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I get the impression the previewer invented that part...

From the comments on the preview:

Ah... I see. Putting something like that in the actual specs does make it look suspicious.

Reading the specs if they do release this thing it will be about $500.

BOb

David Munch · 01-22-2009, 04:54 PM

Very interesting.. Would love a price and availability..

01-22-2009, 04:05 PM	#2
pilotbob Grand Wizard Posts: 12,327 Karma: 38310 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Classic	>An user interface that will blow away everything you’ve seen on eInk so far The user interface is a BOMB? BOb __________________ It is desirable that we should have a supply of good books; we cannot have such a supply unless men of letters are liberally remunerated; and the least objectionable way of remunerating them is by means of copyright. -- Thomas Macaulay, 1841

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01-22-2009, 04:34 PM	#7
JasonB Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Sony PRS-505	I don't like the fact that there's no status information on the display itself - especially page numbers. Maybe this can be customized, but, if not, it would annoy me to not know what page I was on without having to access the menu.

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David Munch Scholar Posts: 96 Karma: 1252 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Denmark Device: None :"(	Very interesting.. Would love a price and availability..