Quote:
Originally Posted by BillSmithBooks
I would think that technology could be applied to an ereader. If Chinese companies can profitably sell these 4" MP3 players for $20-25 (and have been doing so for years), I think the ereaders could also be profitable.
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As I said, the technology is there... more or less.
You'll likely find that the reason most of those cheapie devices use color displays is because they are cheaper than even grayscale lcds, simply because there is less supply of grayscale.
What you are contemplating seems made to order for Kickstarter. Cook up a design, price it out, float it on Kickstarter--if there is interest, the pledges will tell you.
What I would suggest is try to contact the folks doing the Earl and see if they can put you in touch with some of their OEM partners.
Just keep in mind that the primary reason cellphones have limited battery lives is that they power up the radio full time. Take the radio out out and go with a bulky (kid-resistant) case and you may be able to slip in a substantial but cheap rechargeable battery. And going with a stripped down Android would let you load in a quality pre-written reading app. Making it boot up straight into something like FBreader or Aldiko would dramatically reduce coding costs. Preload a few thousand PD titles and it would be useful out of box.
Also, remember to bake in enough margin for significant discounting.
I would aim for a $15-20 OEM cost and a $50 retail list, judging by that LG phone. That would make $30-35 more attractive.