Although it has not been released, the eSlick e-reader is getting a lot of attention. Why? Its lovely $229 price tag undercuts Sony’s e-Reader and Amazon’s Kindle by a whopping $100!
Like most e-reading devices, the eSlick Reader utilizes E Ink Corporation’s Vizplex technology for its display. It displays in 8 levels of grayscale, with 600×800 resolution at 166 dpi.
The device has a 6-inch screen, is 0.4inches (9.2mm) thick, weighs 6.5 ounces and has 128mb of memory. There is an SD card slot to extend memory up to 4GB. A single battery charge supports up to 8,000 page refreshes. In addition the device being able to read almost any document type, Foxit has also added an MP3 player to it. The eSlick Reader is similar in appearance to the Hanlin eReader V3 and the Bookeen’s Cybook. All three offer similar dimensions, provide USB and MP3 features, and use the same E Ink screen. Although there is no WiFi on this version, Foxit plans to include it in the next iteration. This is a very important feature if it is to compete with the Kindle.
I think Foxit has done a great job with the branding of this device. It is hip and much more appealing than the awkward looks of the Amazon Kindle. This is definitely a step in the right direction if this industry is to hit mass adoption within 4 years.
Update March 30, 2009
The Foxit ESlick e-reader has officially shipped. The retail price is $259.99
e-ink, e-reader, eslick, foxit, vizplex
wow, it is CHEAP!!!
Is it just me or does this device look and function the same way as Kindle? Too bad I already bought my Kindle, this is a bargain!
zen, your choice of Kindle is not bad at all (and mine also ;)) ) … eSLick is another level - not only lower price, but also lower functionality. Roughly speaking the only eSlick advantage is focusing and optimization for PDF ebooks reading + build in MP3.
The newest and hottest e-reader for 2009 is the Barnes & Noble Nook. But the future is the flexible Bridgestone colour e-reader. See this link, Bridgestone E-Reader But Bridgestone’s plans are more directed to industrial uses as a tablet computer. I am sure that they will be making a deal with some company to produce an e-reader as well. Low cost is definitely going to be a challenge though. Maybe something for Google to seriously look into since they seem to be the leader in digitizing books for e-readers. 2010 is going to be the year for the eruption in e-reader technology.