Fujitsu to release colour e-book reader

Chaos · 04-27-2007, 02:18 PM

Sorry, this was posted already, here. Sorry for any confusion - I'm still getting back into things...

Fujitsu issued a press release (useless unless you can read Japanese - and I can't), stating that they're going to release a colour e-ink reader, first discussed in another news post. The hardware looks quite nice, including the standard XScale ARM processor, an SD card slot, 802.11b/g, and a battery somehow 'rated' at 50 hours. Some of the less common hardware includes a stereo headpone jack, and the ability to play music from the SD card slot. Oh, and the screen is touch-sensitive!

So, of course, all this is too good to be perfect. The price, for one, is over $1000 per-reader (for ten readers, for testing purposes - presumably the final product will be slightly less expensive), for the small size. The large size more-than-doubles that price. It's also running "Japanese Windows CE 5.0" (apparently something different from Windows Mobile), and will only be available in Japan.

While the price and software may not be what everyone's looking for it, does at least mean the industry is beginning to show an interest in colour e-ink, meaning the e-book reader will become more and more useful for magazines, textbooks (with diagrams - like anatomy), and anything else that requires, or is enhanced by, colourful pictures.

[Found through PC Word, pointing to Digital World Tokyo, pointing to the actual release.]

Leaping Gnome · 04-27-2007, 03:22 PM

So this is really eInk and not some suped-up LCD?

Chaos · 04-27-2007, 04:27 PM

The articles both claim it as "e-paper", although you do bring up an interesting point... Are they using the term e-paper instead of e-ink to mean something different?

Judging by the price, I wouldn't be surprised if this was actual colour e-ink, though.

TadW · 04-27-2007, 05:57 PM

This is the FLEPia device --> http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...threadid=10480

Chaos · 04-27-2007, 08:04 PM

Ahh, missed that when I did a search trying to make sure it hadn't been posted... Added a note to the post I made. Sorry for any confusion.

Alexander Turcic · 04-27-2007, 09:03 PM

No biggie. It's definitely good news worth reporting

Leaping Gnome · 04-27-2007, 11:45 PM

So not "true" eInk then, right?

Chaos · 04-28-2007, 01:04 AM

It's not really clear, actually. They never call it e-ink by name, but call it 'e-paper'. I guess we'll have to wait a little while longer to truly figure it out.

Alexander Turcic · 04-28-2007, 05:46 AM

Fujitsu created their own e-paper that is not based on E Ink technology but on a display technology using cholesteric liquid crystals.

Leaping Gnome · 04-28-2007, 09:49 PM

Thanks Alexander, guess we'll have to wait for someone to get their hands on one to compare the screens quality-wise.

scotty1024 · 04-29-2007, 07:43 AM

So I wonder how long before they use color "e-paper" to make these?

http://brookstone.com/store/product....SB&prodtemp=t2

04-27-2007, 02:18 PM	#1
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	Fujitsu to release colour e-book reader Sorry, this was posted already, here. Sorry for any confusion - I'm still getting back into things... Fujitsu issued a press release (useless unless you can read Japanese - and I can't), stating that they're going to release a colour e-ink reader, first discussed in another news post. The hardware looks quite nice, including the standard XScale ARM processor, an SD card slot, 802.11b/g, and a battery somehow 'rated' at 50 hours. Some of the less common hardware includes a stereo headpone jack, and the ability to play music from the SD card slot. Oh, and the screen is touch-sensitive! So, of course, all this is too good to be perfect. The price, for one, is over $1000 per-reader (for ten readers, for testing purposes - presumably the final product will be slightly less expensive), for the small size. The large size more-than-doubles that price. It's also running "Japanese Windows CE 5.0" (apparently something different from Windows Mobile), and will only be available in Japan. While the price and software may not be what everyone's looking for it, does at least mean the industry is beginning to show an interest in colour e-ink, meaning the e-book reader will become more and more useful for magazines, textbooks (with diagrams - like anatomy), and anything else that requires, or is enhanced by, colourful pictures. [Found through PC Word, pointing to Digital World Tokyo, pointing to the actual release.]

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04-27-2007, 03:22 PM	#2
Leaping Gnome Evangelist Posts: 490 Karma: 1641 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Louisville Device: Sony Reader PRS-500	So this is really eInk and not some suped-up LCD?

04-27-2007, 04:27 PM	#3
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	The articles both claim it as "e-paper", although you do bring up an interesting point... Are they using the term e-paper instead of e-ink to mean something different? Judging by the price, I wouldn't be surprised if this was actual colour e-ink, though.

04-27-2007, 05:57 PM	#4
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,476 Karma: 8172 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	This is the FLEPia device --> http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...threadid=10480

04-27-2007, 08:04 PM	#5
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	Ahh, missed that when I did a search trying to make sure it hadn't been posted... Added a note to the post I made. Sorry for any confusion.

04-27-2007, 09:03 PM	#6
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 12,730 Karma: 71589 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Sony Portable Reader	No biggie. It's definitely good news worth reporting

04-27-2007, 11:45 PM	#7
Leaping Gnome Evangelist Posts: 490 Karma: 1641 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Louisville Device: Sony Reader PRS-500	So not "true" eInk then, right?

04-28-2007, 01:04 AM	#8
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	It's not really clear, actually. They never call it e-ink by name, but call it 'e-paper'. I guess we'll have to wait a little while longer to truly figure it out.

04-28-2007, 05:46 AM	#9
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 12,730 Karma: 71589 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Sony Portable Reader	Fujitsu created their own e-paper that is not based on E Ink technology but on a display technology using cholesteric liquid crystals.

04-28-2007, 09:49 PM	#10
Leaping Gnome Evangelist Posts: 490 Karma: 1641 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Louisville Device: Sony Reader PRS-500	Thanks Alexander, guess we'll have to wait for someone to get their hands on one to compare the screens quality-wise.

04-29-2007, 07:43 AM	#11
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	So I wonder how long before they use color "e-paper" to make these? http://brookstone.com/store/product....SB&prodtemp=t2