txtr launch on the Book-Fair in Frankfurt

CommanderROR · 10-14-2009, 05:12 PM

A press release from german startup "Wizpac" just arrived in my mailbox. It contains lots of new information about the newest eink device, the so-called txtr which made it's debut on the Book-Fair in Frankfurt today.

Apart from pricing and release-date information it also gives us some more tec-specs, book selection information and some insight into how the wireless book browsing and purchasing is supposed to work and what kind of subscription cost can be expected.

Here are some tidbits from the press-release:

The txtr will

- start selling on December 1.
- cost 319€
- initially be available in Europe and the US
- come with the txtr store that you can browse directly on the device (but for now ony in Germany, more countries to follow)
- come with optional service plans for wireless ranging from 11.99€ to 14.99€ per month depending on the length of the subscription period
- come with 8GB SD card
- weigh 300 grams
- offer a 6" 16 Greyscale eink screen
- be splash water protected

I'll attach the german press release to this post for all the details.

zelda_pinwheel · 10-14-2009, 05:14 PM

wow, it's finally almost here !! a bit more expensive than i was hoping, but i'm sure the price will go down after a while. i can't wait to hear the reviews !

thanks for the update !

CommanderROR · 10-14-2009, 05:15 PM

Exciting news indeed. Sadly I could not go to Frankfurt and look at it in person..work interfered this time...

zelda_pinwheel · 10-14-2009, 05:17 PM

stupid work !

sheesh, as if we don't have more important things to do with our time.

well, hopefully you'll be able to see it somewhere, soon. i'm really looking forward to hearing your reaction ; this is one of the devices i've been following with a lot of interest.

tompe · 10-14-2009, 05:40 PM

No mention of bluetooth or WiFi? This can be bad. I am not interested in paying a data subscription plan since I alread have flat rate on my phone.

The-eBook-Reader · 10-14-2009, 05:54 PM

€319! What are they smokin'! That's $475 US!

zelda_pinwheel · 10-14-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

€319! What are they smokin'! That's $475 US!

well, we don't know if the US price will be the same, but, ah, you do know that sony charges us 299€ for the same model that you pay 299$ for, right ?

grooks · 10-14-2009, 06:01 PM

Perusing the press release I see the supported formats are pdf, epub, doc and powerpoint. Looks like their store will be epub. I did not see any reference to DRM, but I also cannot read German.

CommanderROR · 10-14-2009, 06:04 PM

The subscription is optional and only neccessary for certain activities if I read the text correctly. Buying books over the air is always free (apart from the book price of course) as far as I understood...but I'm too tired right now to really try and really comprehend the entire text...

igorsk · 10-14-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

No mention of bluetooth or WiFi? This can be bad. I am not interested in paying a data subscription plan since I alread have flat rate on my phone.

The developer site claims it will have WiFi, Bluetooth and even NFC.

hallali · 10-14-2009, 06:08 PM

They didnt mention DRM. They only said that the txtr shop will focus on epub.

The-eBook-Reader · 10-14-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

well, we don't know if the US price will be the same, but, ah, you do know that sony charges us 299€ for the same model that you pay 299$ for, right ?

Ah! But you can get the Sony for 229 pounds, which is €246, which is $346 USD, which is a mind-boggling 13, 814 Yen that you can have converted to 1,234 Malaysian Ringgets . . .

So yeah . . . you pretty much get screwed.

tompe · 10-14-2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

The developer site claims it will have WiFi, Bluetooth and even NFC.

This looks very good. The question that will decide if I buy one is how open it is? Will I be able to access everything to write my own applications?

fugazied · 10-14-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

€319! What are they smokin'! That's $475 US!

Well in all fairness the US dollar is back in the dumps again (and will remain so as long as they keep printing so much money and getting massive loans from the Chinese)

igorsk · 10-14-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

This looks very good. The question that will decide if I buy one is how open it is? Will I be able to access everything to write my own applications?

Looks like it.

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10-14-2009, 05:14 PM	#2
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	wow, it's finally almost here !! a bit more expensive than i was hoping, but i'm sure the price will go down after a while. i can't wait to hear the reviews ! thanks for the update !

10-14-2009, 05:15 PM	#3
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	Exciting news indeed. Sadly I could not go to Frankfurt and look at it in person..work interfered this time...

10-14-2009, 05:17 PM	#4
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	stupid work ! sheesh, as if we don't have more important things to do with our time. well, hopefully you'll be able to see it somewhere, soon. i'm really looking forward to hearing your reaction ; this is one of the devices i've been following with a lot of interest.

10-14-2009, 05:40 PM	#5
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	No mention of bluetooth or WiFi? This can be bad. I am not interested in paying a data subscription plan since I alread have flat rate on my phone.

10-14-2009, 05:54 PM	#6
The-eBook-Reader Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 4637 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: United States Device: All	€319! What are they smokin'! That's $475 US!

10-14-2009, 06:01 PM	#8
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	Perusing the press release I see the supported formats are pdf, epub, doc and powerpoint. Looks like their store will be epub. I did not see any reference to DRM, but I also cannot read German.

10-14-2009, 06:04 PM	#9
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	The subscription is optional and only neccessary for certain activities if I read the text correctly. Buying books over the air is always free (apart from the book price of course) as far as I understood...but I'm too tired right now to really try and really comprehend the entire text...

10-14-2009, 06:08 PM	#11
hallali Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 468 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Köln, Germany Device: Es ist das PB 302, ich schiele aber schon auf das 360	They didnt mention DRM. They only said that the txtr shop will focus on epub.

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