But the question is, is there really room for one more ebook reader? And more importantly, what does it bring to the table to make it stand out from the rest? Let’s find out.

The Literati comes with a 7-inch, 800 by 480-pixel LCD color screen, full QWERTY keyboard, and Wi-Fi connectivity which will allow users to access download content from the Kobo ebook service. The device runs on a custom Linux operating system, and is available in white and slate grey colors.

Kirk McLean, co-founder of MerchSource which is handling distribution of the Literati, describes it as a “a simple, dedicated device that lets them get right to the book.”

When readers get their hands on the Literati, they will find it preloaded with 25 public domain books, with access to 125 more free ebooks upon registration. This ebook reading device supports ePub, PDF, and Txt formats to enable the user to have a wider range of ebooks to choose from. From the Kobo service alone, there are two million titles available including New York Times best sellers, new releases, magazines, and newspapers.

No details however have surfaced on the battery life of the Literati, which would presumably be “heavier” on resources considering its color display. It’s worth noting that the latest generations of the Amazon Kindle DX and 6-inch Kindle now feature batteries that can last for weeks without recharging.

All in all, it would be interesting to see how the Literati fares in an industry where there are so many players and seemingly not enough users. The Sharper Image device hits stores in October 2010 at a retail price of $159.

Mirasol is a display technology that is based on interferometric modulator displays (IMODs). This is a type of microelectromechanical system (MEMS). MEMs use a tiny mobile reflective surface to change the state of the colors. Every pixel is addressed individually much like an LCD works. It not only adds color to the ereading experience, it also extends the battery life of the device and reduces environmental impact.

Ebook readers are taking flight this year with high popularity, so it is no wonder that companies are competing for the next best technology. Mirasol may replace the grayscale e-ink displays with vibrant color and even replace the LCD which uses color filters and backlighting.

The technology mimics nature using the same principle as the one that enables iridescent beauty seen on pearls, soap bubbles, peacock feathers and butterfly wings. Incoming light is manipulated and reflects the color pixel by pixel.

Qualcomm is the owner of this new technology, and they claim that it will last 18% longer than e-ink. It depends on what the owner is using the device for: ereading, audio playback and/or even video playback. Mirasol doesn’t require extra lighting and can be used under direct sunlight. In fact, the Mirasol display becomes more vibrant when ambient light is present.

Mirasol saves energy in 2 ways:

1. A Mirasol display uses microscopic mirrors to reflect ambient light. There is no need for a backlight, or any other source of lighting which is typically a huge energy drain on current devices.

2. A Mirasol display doesn’t continually refresh like LCD’s due to its bistability. This allows near-zero power usage in times where the image is unchanged.

Not only will this technology improve ereaders, but also other handheld gadgets such as MP3 players and cell phones. Qualcomm and LG Electronics Inc. are teaming up to begin the development of Mirasol gadgets. If the Mirasol technology hits the market, it could be a fierce competitor for the iPad which has an LCD display.

Qualcomm demonstrated the Mirasol display at CES 2010. The company won’t be manufacturing ebook reading devices, but they are looking to supply the technology to companies that are searching for an alternative to e-ink and LCDs. Hopefully Amazon, will pick up this technology for a new Kindle model. Mirasol products are supposed to be shipping later this year, but we will have to wait and see.

Hearst, the magazine publishers behind Skiff, LLC, created a full-color, large-format multi-tasking gadget. It includes a wireless ereader that is joined with Sprint’s network of products. Consumers will have access to a content store and an advertising platform that is only associated with the Skiff.

Never fear, it won’t kill the Kindle fire, as the Skiff is geared towards magazines and newspapers. This actually makes a lot of sense as Hearst is the publisher of favorites such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, O, Esquire and newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Connecticut Post, and San Francisco Chronicle.

It is the first to feature metal foil e-paper technology. This enhances its durability by replacing the old glass displays that can be quite fragile. It is the next generation of e-paper display which is based on a thin sheet of foil. It is over a quarter-inch in height and the thinnest e-reader to date, although this could quickly change tomorrow. The Skiff weighs just over a pound and a single charge holds for over a week.

Newspapers, magazines and books will be delivered with the Sprint 3G Wireless Network. It will also support wireless connectivity with WiFi. It is fully intuitive allowing the user to navigate materials purchased through the Skiff Store, and the user will be able to access personal and work documents.

The screen is huge at 11.5 inches, and although this can be awkward for book reading, it is perfect for newspapers. The touch screen accepts taps and swipes with ease, and the refresh rate is alright. It is still e-ink, but it competes with current e-readers. It can handle 12fps animation which is a bit elementary, but in comparison to LCD, that is fine for small ads.

The problem may exist in its non-existent store. The Kindle and Nook entered the e-reader market with established bookstores, and the Skiff is starting from scratch. It’s still not out yet, so at this point, this doesn’t even matter. Once it launches however, and the store turns out to be lacking, the Skiff is likely to suffer because of this.

A color prototype is being honed and in its early stages. At the Las Vegas show consumers noticed that it was minimally pixilated and fairly clear, but not as sharp as an LCD. The release date and price is unknown. But where is the grayscale Skiff? Consumers want to know when it’s going to join the ereader party, and in the meantime, the Kindle is gearing up for more stiff competition.

The Nook first shipped in December of 2009, but received some negative reviews. Users complained about slow page refreshes and slower response of the touch screen. With 1.2 however, users will find faster refreshes and a responsive touch screen. The UI on the nook has been updated to make the buttons three dimensional for screen navigation. The cursor moves more quickly as well.

Frustration still lies with the highlighting, though. In order to select text to highlight, you have to tap buttons that are displayed in a circle. The buttons are small, and hard to tap. Additionally, the nook doesn’t synchronize bookmarks, highlights, or notes with other versions of the Barnes & Noble eReader apps. Nooks will finally be available in Barnes & Noble stores this week, and they should already have the 1.2 upgrade applied.

If you are a Kindle user, the nook won’t “wow” you. Barnes & Noble created a product that competes with the Kindle 2. It is slightly shorter and narrower than the Kindle, but one ounce heavier. The nook has a color touch screen-3.5 TFT Color LCD, touch control, and navigation where users can quickly view book covers in the nook’s library. Barnes & Noble offers up over 500,000 free titles for its nook users and exclusive content like free e-books and promotional offers when in a Barnes & Noble store.

One of the unique features of the nook is the “LendMe” technology. You can lend e-books to friends and family for up to 14 days. With that being said, you won’t be able to read the book yourself until you get it back after the 14-day period. The person you lend the book to doesn’t need to use a nook as they can download free eReader software for a variety of platforms such as iPhone, iPod touch, PC and Mac OS to name a few with promises of more platforms. Books can only be lent once, and there are only certain titles that apply.

All in all, it seems like Barnes & Noble has entered the market with strength this time, offering a product that can compete with the Kindle. Not only in looks, but functionality as well . . . finally.

plastic logic ebook from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Still following suit with e-reader technology, the user will be able to read newspapers, books and magazines. But that’s not all: users will also be able to use Word, PowerPoint and Excel. It is easy to find reports, spreadsheets and presentations with just a few taps of the finger. It is the same size as an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper, and is less than a quarter of an inch thick. It is the perfect size for any brief case or purse.

The plastic high quality display is very easy on the eyes while still has a uniqueness all its own, and surprisingly makes e-ink reading enjoyable. The price tag perhaps is a little scary, the WiFi 4GB model is in the $650-range, and the WiFi 3G 8GB model runs around $800. The consumer will find that the 4GB model can hold up to 35,000 documents and the 8 GB model holds up to 75,000. With this technology, a bursting briefcase will become a nuisance of the past!

Although high-priced, the Plastic Logic Que didn’t disappoint consumers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It was a hot attraction, and consumers were impressed with the features, especially, how easy it was to use.

Commands are completed without a stylus as the Plastic Logic Que offers up a crystal clear virtual keyboard. Additionally, the user can make notes and highlight important text contained in documents. The 10.7 monochrome screen is built into a simple and thin body, and the power button is the only hardware which is located at the bottom of the reader. The zoom feature is great for getting up-close and personal with all important documents, and the consumer won’t lose out on clarity.

The Que Store offers up a diverse selection of newspapers, magazines and books, and is perfect for the mobile professional. Consumers can pre-order their device on the Que website, or expect to pick up the gadget from retailers mid-March. With ebook readers equipped with more advanced features such the Plastic Logic Que, the Amazon Kindle should be ready for more serious competition.

Is it another iPhone and iPod in the making, and put the lights out of the Kindle? Let’s take a closer look at its so-called “killer” features.

Great Looks and Feel

First impressions do last and the Apple iPad creates a great one. Almost everyone is in agreement that in the looks department, the iPad comes out with flying colors. It looks pretty as devices go, and those who have had a chance to try it hands-on say that it feels great on the hands as well — a solid feel without being too heavy. At half an inch thick, its 9.7-inch LCD is amazing and is very reactive to the swipes, pokes, and sweeps that you do to a gadget using touchscreen technology.

What It Can Do

While it looks and feels just like an oversized iPhone, the iPad’s capabilities extend beyond what its popular cousin can do. Those who’ve actually tried using it say that the device provides an unmatched surfing experience with web pages loading super fast, plays videos smoothly, and can handle many games pretty well. Most of your existing iPhone applications are immediately usable on the iPad. It can also serve as an ebook reading device, although its huge LCD screen is still not the best for long-form reading. Most bookworms would still prefer the strain-free, glare-free e-ink technology for this.

What It Can’t Do

But while this tablet-PC-slash-ebook-reader has been marketed as one that can practically do anything and everything, many gadget geeks still find it lacking in some areas. For instance, it doesn’t come with a camera so video conferencing isn’t possible here. Also, many are wondering how such a powerful device is unable to support multi-tasking. You open one page and that’s it; no applications running in the background while you’re checking out pages. Other setbacks: it doesn’t support Flash, or come with a stylus, USB port, or SD card slot.

Killer Price?

When it comes to Apple products, and especially one that’s said to create an entirely new device category, we’ve been used to seeing prices that are just way out of reach for the average consumer. But surprisingly, iPad prices start at $499 and not the $999 it was rumored to be. Other models sell for $599, $699, $729, and $829.

Just as the Apple captured the MP3 and the smartphone market with the iPod and the iPhone, the company could also revolutionize the tablet PC industry with the iPad. But not everyone is convinced of that. It still remains to be seen whether the niche for the Apple iPad will really take hold, but for sure, it’s not replacing the Kindle as the gadget for ebook readers anytime soon.

The Message

Macmillan’s CEO, John Sargent, added an explanation in the Macmillan website, addressing it to “Macmillan authors/illustrators and the literary agent community” with a reference to “missing books on Amazon”. To sum it up, he makes the point that the ink-on-paper world has followed an agency model that is profitable for all involved, and that the digital ebook market needs one as well. Under the digital agency model, Macmillan will sell the digital versions to the consumer through the retailers. The retailer will get a 30% commission. So, the plan is to price the digital versions in the range of $5.99 to $14.99.

The Disagreement

Macmillan claims that Amazon will make more money, and that they (Macmillan) will make less. According to the Sargent’s message, the disagreement isn’t about the short term, but the long term “viability and stability” of the market.

The Conclusion

I understand that everyone needs to make money, the publisher, the retailer and the actual author and/or illustrator, but the Macmillan monopoly will in the end, put a dent on the consumer‘s pocketbook. Although the Kindle team stated that they thought other publishers wouldn’t follow by example, why shouldn’t they? If I find an eager itch to read the newest hardback, I’ll pay the thirty bucks, so why wouldn’t I pay extra for the new digital version? I just can’t wait, that’s why.

I could boycott all Macmillan titles for awhile, but the excitement of a new read will get the best of me. The nagging voice in my head will remind me of this topic, but I will somehow ignore it as the addiction to reading a new book on my Kindle will get the best of me. It is American marketing, and I haven’t overcome the urge yet.

What makes this particular screen most suitable for handheld ebook readers is its ability to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper, minimizing the strain on the eyes that backlit LCD screens often bring about. Simply put, reading on an e-ink screen is as close to having a paperback in hand.

According to a PC world article however, the latest round of ebook reading devices unveiled at this year’s CES in Las Vegas last January included new electronic products that were classified as e-readers but were more of multi-function gadgets that could be used for a number of other purposes besides reading. In fact, many of them were of the mini notebook and tablet PC-type, sporting LCD screens rather than the usual electronic ink display associated with e-readers.

Would such devices fast outdate the current crop of ebook reading devices like the Kindle and the Sony Reader? And more importantly, has the era of the e-ink technology passed?

At a glance, it would seem that this is so, especially with the recent and much-talked about launch of the Apple iPad, which also comes with ebook reading capacity. And with Apple on the move, couldn’t others be far behind? But giving it more serious thought though, it would be foolhardy to dismiss electronic book readers using e-ink technology just yet.

Ebook readers after all, increased in popularity and usage mainly because they can actually substitute for reading a real book with the added convenience of portability and storage. While you can read for hours on end from an e-ink screen without causing any undue stress on your eyes, I doubt if you could say the same reading from an LCD screen.

In the world of consumer electronics, new technologies are sure to be introduced from time to time. But another thing’s quite certain as well: none of these will be able to replace the electronic ink display for long-form reading and for a more comfortable reading experience.

While the Kindle may not have a bright LCD screen, it does have all you would need in an ebook reader. Feel free to read our Kindle review to find out just why it continues to be the top e-reader in the market today.

Spring Design’s Alex

Alex by Springs Design made its appearance at the CES 2010 early this year but was already introduced in October 2009. The company behind Alex initially ran into some controversy when Barnes and Nobles announced its own twin screen ebook reader running on the Android OS – in short, a device very-much like Spring Design’s Alex – a day later. Putting all issues aside however, the Alex is one of the forerunners in the dual display electronic book reading devices and does bring a new approach to the ebook market.

The gadget is equipped with a 6-inch e-ink display on the top portion of the device for the user’s reading needs, while a 3.5-inch LCD is found on the bottom portion for web browsing function or viewing videos and photos. It also comes with a with a host of accessories and a unique Duet Navigator feature that allows the user to view content captured on the LCD on the electronic paper display (EPD) to save on battery life. The $349 device starts shipping on February 22.

Entourage Edge

The Entourage Edge was earlier touted by PC World as the “Coolest Textbook Ever” as the device comes in a clamshell design, and is seen to target mainly the student population. The user can open it to a 9.7-inch e-ink screen with 16 shades of gray on the left, and a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution screen on the right. Both sides are equipped with stylus-centric touchscreen technology.

The left or ebook reader side is said to open ePub and PDF files by default, while the right or netbook side which also runs on the Android system and supports Wi-fi internet access, is convenient for casual browsing. Its other add-ons include 4G of internal memory, 2 USB ports, and headphone and microphone jacks. The three-pound Edge costs $490 (or $530 for a color other than midnight blue) – a pricetag that’s closer to the average netbook and Amazon’s top-of-the-line Kindle DX than to most other ebook readers. Shipping starts February 2010.

Possible Kindle Killer?

Merging the functionality of a netbook and the convenience of an ebook reader in one device is a pretty clever idea and because the manufacturers say it’s not out to replace the netbook, then it’s obviously out to offer reading enthusiasts an alternative gadget that comes with more features than the standard ebook readers available today.

The question is, can the seemingly perfect combination of the e-ink display and the LCD really catch up with the Amazon Kindle which is the current undisputed leader of the industry? Now that’s certainly something worth watching out for.

According to Sony, the collection of books added to their library will include some well-known classics such as “The Awakening,” “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” and “Sense and Sensibility.” It will also include lesser-known classics as well as titles in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and other languages.

With this deal the Sony ebook store will now have around 600,000 compared to Amazon’s Kindle Store which has roughly 250,000 titles. While this may seem like the Sony Reader and the selection of titles has taken a huge leap over the Amazon Kindle, think again.

The bulk of the titles available at the Kindle Store are today’s best sellers and other modern, well-known titles. In addition, the Kindle Store has a growing list of today’s popular newspapers and magazines – not to mention a number of blogs.

By contrast, if you strip away this deal with Google, the Sony ebook store really only has 100,000 titles of modern titles with no access to newspapers or magazines. Unless you are an avid reader of pre-1923 classics, this deal does very little to help boost the availability of content on the Sony Reader.

Source: CNET News