HTC to make ebook device

[Shadowplay]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/17042...ok_market.html

Taiwan's largest telecommunications service provider, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), has teamed up with Microsoft, smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) and others to start building an e-book business for Chinese language materials.

The company unveiled dozens of business and content partners at a news gathering in Taipei aimed at building support for its online Hami Book City and Hamibook software. The idea is to launch the online book store for content and sales and develop Hamibook software to work on smartphones and other devices such as e-readers.

Now this seems to be focusing on the Chinese market, but if HTC makes an ebook reader I suspect we'll see it or some variant in other regions, too.

[HarryT]

That's good news; HTC make good kit.

[switchman2210]

Its not as good as you think. They are not saying they will be making a reader. This seems to imply they will be adding a better book reading capability to their phones.

From DigiTimes

Taiwan market: Chunghwa Telecom to launch e-book service in September

Taiwan's largest telecom carrier Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) on August 18 announced a strategic alliance with High Tech Computer (HTC), Microsoft Taiwan and a number of local publishing companies to launch its Hami Bookstore, a platform to provide e-book service, in September 2009.

Reading devices for the e-book service will be smartphones instead of electronic readers, with the iPhone to be selected initially and then smartphone models based on Android and Windows Mobile, according to CHT.

CHT has struck a cooperation deal with the local publishing companies, which will set content charge rates, with CHT getting a 25% commission on sales, the carrier said

[Alisa]

Well if this translates to better screens in the smartphones, that would be nice for us, too. There are plenty of folks who don't want a separate reading device and want to be able to read on their phones. More people reading ebooks helps the market. Even though I do the bulk of my reading on an e-ink device, I'd love it if my HTC smartphone had a more reflective screen.

[wodin]

I already have an HTC ebook reader. I's called an HTC Touch, and it reads MobiPocket and eReader; and could probably do more if I wanted to load the software. That's all I read on for years, until I bought a PRS505.

Damned small screen though!

[CleverClothe]

Hmmm, just an annoucement about a new e-book store and reading software venture. No mention of hardware.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by switchman2210

Its not as good as you think. They are not saying they will be making a reader. This seems to imply they will be adding a better book reading capability to their phones.
...

Yep, that's how I read it too.

I'd guess we'll see a large screen device from Apple, before we see one from HTC.

I personally don't consider phones usable as e-readers, anymore than I consider them usable as TVs. Other than in a pinch, that is.

[HansTWN]

Actually I use my WM phone with a 3.6" screen quite often to stream TV when I am in a place with free WiFi and don't have my reader with me. That is, for me, less of a problem than reading a book on the same device or on my iphone! And soon phones will have those built-in projectors, then it will be even better.

And extended reading of Chinese characters on a small screen? I can't see that becoming popular. My guess is initial delivery of the content to the phones and then when people realize what a pain it is then CHT will have a real reader to sell them.

[wodin]

I just heard that HTC has a new phone that's WinMo 6.1 or 6.5, has a qwerty and 3.8" VGA screen. It's called the Touch Pro 2, and should be available from most cellular providers before the end of the summer.

I think this is finally HTC's answer to the iPhone. Until now their screens have been too small. PDAPhoneHome has a thread about it here.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by wodin

I just heard that HTC has a new phone that's WinMo 6.1 or 6.5, has a qwerty and 3.8" VGA screen. ....

I believe you are confusing the Touch HD, which has 3.8" screen, and the Touch Pro 2, which has a 3.6" screen.

I do like HTC hardware (I've had two.) And I did consider the Touch HD, and the then upcoming Touch Pro 2.

But I ended up giving up my HTC, for the iPhone 3G S. The HTC sets are nice, and can do so much on paper. Unfortunately, underneath the HTC UI, lives WM.

I find the iPhone so much more more enjoyable and easy to use, it's not even close.

BTW, if you think Apple is overpriced, you should check out the price of the Touch Pro 2.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sonist

But I ended up giving up my HTC, for the iPhone 3G S. The HTC sets are nice, and can do so much on paper. Unfortunately, underneath the HTC UI, lives WM.

I am a little puzzled why you consider that to be "unfortunate". If one wishes to use a phone as an eBook reader, there's a much wider range of full-feature eBook reading software available for Windows Mobile than there is for the iPhone.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Sonist

I believe you are confusing the Touch HD, which has 3.8" screen, and the Touch Pro 2, which has a 3.6" screen.

I do like HTC hardware (I've had two.) And I did consider the Touch HD, and the then upcoming Touch Pro 2.

But I ended up giving up my HTC, for the iPhone 3G S. The HTC sets are nice, and can do so much on paper. Unfortunately, underneath the HTC UI, lives WM.

I find the iPhone so much more more enjoyable and easy to use, it's not even close.

BTW, if you think Apple is overpriced, you should check out the price of the Touch Pro 2.

I will possibly buy the new HTC superstar or the Samsung with hardware keyboard and AMOLED screen, because I want a new processor. Not the outdated one in the touch pro 2.

Actually, your price comparison is not really correct. Unsubsidized the Iphone 3GS is about 800 and the Touch Pro2 is less than 600. I had WM phones for years and last September listened to the hype and bought an Iphone 3G. I find it rather frustrating to use, more of a toy than a mini computer, WM phones can do so much more. You have to jailbreak the iphone to use it all (background operation and video) and Apple skimped on RAM and ROM so that even then it doesn't work correctly, I never can keep even one IM program consistently running in the background. Just open 2 pages in Safari and RAM is down to 10MB! All that journalists' hype has played up the iphone, but I can do a lot more with my 2 year old flame than with my iphone! I can watch TV, chat, send and receive SMS, and have several browser pages and widgets open at the same time with no slowdown. And nothing beats a really good hardware keyboard. Admittedly the iphone is easier to use, unfortunately it can only do half of what an advanced WM phone can. The Iphone looks good, it made bigger screens popular, and caused HTC and others to lower prices.

If you really believe in that "slip-and-slide" interface, get an add on for WM like Mobile Shell. It is fashionable to talk down Windows Mobile. But you can turn it into anything you want, it is that customizable. I personally have come to dislike the Apple straight jacket.

[Sweetpea]

I know I wouldn't ever get another HTC. I have one from work right now and I hate the thing. The only positive thing about it is the OS... And yes, I did install Mobipocket on it (but the screen is too small and bright (even in daylight!) to read comfortable on)

[HarryT]

I like my HTC Touch. Yes, the screen is small, but that makes it "pocket-sized".

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I am a little puzzled why you consider that to be "unfortunate"....

Because, for general use, it sucks compared to the iPhone OS, IMO. I do have my gripes about the iPhone, but overall, I find the experience much more satisfying.