Plastic Logic to announce partners and start field testing

[Alexander Turcic]

As the salivating e-book junkie, you'll be pleased to hear that Plastic Logic is rumored to announce the identity of their first publishing partners during the O'Reilly conference in New York on Feb 9th. Former WSJ and Washington Post reporter Bill Richards writes:

Plastic Logic, a privately held Silicon Valley startup that plans to begin field testing its version of an e-reader later this year, says it will announce the identity of its first publishing partners at the O’Reilly conference. The company has been working for more than a year with Hearst’s secretive e-paper venture, FirstPaper, in Palo Alto. Plastic Logic officials confirm that their 8.5-inch-by-11-inch display screen is designed to accommodate traditional newspaper layouts.

We can't deny that we wish we could wrap our hands tightly around this beauty, slim and light enough to fit into a tuxedo without mussing your lines; alas, as Plastic Logic has recently stated, it's likely not going to happen before early 2010.

Related: Plastic Logic e-reader not before 2010 - Really!, PDAToday's Plastic Logic e-reader hands-on

[yagiz]

I want one of those... Looks excellent to read magazines, technical books and comics...

[lilac_jive]

That is too big for me, but I can see why people would be spastic over it.

[Steve Jordan]

Say, who's the cutie on the right checking out the new reader?...

Hey, waitaminit... there's still no color!

[grooks]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Say, who's the cutie on the right checking out the new reader?...

I think she's too young for you.

[TheRealBillc]

I contacted Plastic Logic and applied to become a beta tester. They were non-committal, of course, but like my mom used to say, if you don't ask, you won't get. So I asked, and told them how I would use it and the audiences I would demonstrate/promote it too. They took all my information and said they would be in touch as they got closer to inviting select members of the business community and media to test and review pre-production samples. With any luck I could actually make the cut. If I do get one I'll be sure to do an in depth review here, as well as for legal industry groups and nearby chapters of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (my peer group) that I can reach by car or train.

[CTH]

same day and city as amazons press conference...

"know what I mean, know what I mean, snap snap nudge nudge wink wink, say no more, say no more" - Monty Python

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by TheRealBillc

I contacted Plastic Logic and applied to become a beta tester. They were non-committal, of course, but like my mom used to say, if you don't ask, you won't get. So I asked, and told them how I would use it and the audiences I would demonstrate/promote it too. They took all my information and said they would be in touch as they got closer to inviting select members of the business community and media to test and review pre-production samples. With any luck I could actually make the cut. If I do get one I'll be sure to do an in depth review here, as well as for legal industry groups and nearby chapters of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (my peer group) that I can reach by car or train.

Good luck!

[rhadin]

I'm hoping one of Plastic Logic's partners is the New York Times. I am a 7-day subscriber and would love to get my copy transmitted on the Plastic Logic rather than delivered in paper.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I'm hoping one of Plastic Logic's partners is the New York Times. I am a 7-day subscriber and would love to get my copy transmitted on the Plastic Logic rather than delivered in paper.

If you had a Kindle, then you could have it delivered daily, now.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'!

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

If you had a Kindle, then you could have it delivered daily, now.

That's true but then I would have to be satisfied with a device that I find ergonomically incorrect, visually apalling, and sold (and manufactured [theoretically]) by a company that is trying to monopolize the publishing world, which is something I refuse to support. I figure that's 3 strikes so the Kindle (and Amazon) are out, and so I'll continue to receive my print version of the New York Times.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I figure that's 3 strikes so the Kindle (and Amazon) are out, and so I'll continue to receive my print version of the New York Times.

I can't imagine if you owned a business that you wouldn't do what you could to increase market share and sales.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I can't imagine if you owned a business that you wouldn't do what you could to increase market share and sales.

I do own a business -- two, in fact. And, yes, you are correct that I do what I can to increase my businesses. Sadly I do not have the market power that Amazon has; I face lots of good, energetic competition. I do not fault Amazon for wanting to dominate the publishing world; as a consumer who can be (and likely would be) adversely affected by such dominance by Amazon, I do not support its efforts.

I think supporting Amazon's efforts to increase its business is detrimental to the general public's well being. I'd like to insure that there is always healthy competition in the publishing world because I would hate to have some corporation dictate what I can read and what you can say because it has monopoly power. Equally important, I do not want Amazon to gain such economic power in publishing that it can dictate pricing. Right now, it is selling for less; once it has monopolistic power in the ebook (or pbook) world, it may decide that $9.99 best sellers should become $49.99 books and all we can do is pay the price or not buy.

I do not begrudge Amazon's attempts; I just choose not to give them my dollars to help them along (and besides, I really do think the Kindle is badly designed even if it does function well). Consequently, I have not bought a book -- p or e -- from Amazon for years, preferring to pay a little more if necessary to competitors.

[Xiaopanda]

Meh.... If Plastic logic need some beta testers, I'm in!

And amazon's business model doesn't seem to hampering me at all......A Kindle in the house in Singapore and no real hassel with DRM or the Amazon store etc......I think it's time for this kind of major cometition in the E-book market place, maybe other ebook retails will clean uo their act and their websites (finally).... As a consumer, it can only be a good thing (IMHO)

[HansTWN]

The reason Amazon could not possibly corner the market is that they haven't sold internationally. That allows other firms to sell enough to survive and now the competition is ganging up on Amazon with Epub.