More details emerge regarding Barnes & Noble electronic reader
by Stevie Smith - Oct 15 2009, 16:15
Set to bring Amazon and Sony down a peg or two? Image: Plastic Logic/Barnes & Noble/Gizmodo
You may remember that we recently covered rumours that leading bookstore Barnes & Noble was preparing to follow the unveiling of its gigantic download-friendly online store with a full-frontal assault on the electronic book reader market.
The tech plot now thickens thanks to tantalising pictures of the rumoured device, mounting reports that the prominent bookseller’s eBook platform will be bolstered by the inclusion of Google’s increasingly popular Android mobile operating system (OS), and also the appearance of what seems to be a confirmation video.
According to the eagle-eyed industry watchers at Gizmodo, the above snaps of the device have been leaked by an unnamed internal source ahead of an official announcement, which is expected to arrive on October 20 during an invite-only media event.
If swirling speculation is to be believed, the Barnes & Noble electronic reader will arrive in two configurations, with the first equipped with a six inch E-Ink display, a screen resolution of 800 x 600, and a similar contrast and refresh rate as Amazon’s iconic Kindle reader, while the second will boast a multi-touch LCD screen.
On the video front, a recent CTIA interview conducted between Mashable’s Jennifer Van Grove and Barnes & Noble’s Daniel Jorrison seems to confirm that device manufacturer Plastic Logic is presently producing a paperback-sized “dedicated eBook reading device” for the bookseller ahead of a spring 2010 launch.
According to Jorrison, the reader “will run on the Barnes & Noble eReader application and is going to have a colour screen,” while also sporting a lot of “new and cool features” that help separate it from the competition (as in the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader).
Although unwilling to divulge details regarding pricing and/or regional availability, Jorrison said Barnes & Noble plans to officially announce the unnamed reading device during an upcoming media-only event.
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The Tech Herald: Rumour: Barnes & Noble developing electronic reader
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