The annual Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is currently being held in Las Vegas. I've long had my calendar bookmarked in anticipation of yesterday being the release of Plastic Logic's Que e-reader, as its 8.5" x 11" dimensions poses it to become for periodicals what other e-readers are doing for books. From the Que's Web site:
Product Specifications
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), USB, Bluetooth ® 2.0
- Memory: 4 GB (Approx. 3.6 GB available for user data)
- Display (viewable area): 10.5-inch diagonal, 944 x 1264 pixels at 150ppi, 8 gray levels
- User Interface: Full Touchscreen, Virtual Keyboard
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, charging via computer or wall charger
- Dimensions: 8.5" x 11" x .3"
- Weight: Approximately 17 ounces
Supported Formats
- QUE has native on-device support for PDF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, ePub, and TXT
- Using the QUE software on your computer, QUE supports printable formats such as Microsoft Office 2003/2007
The Que's touch-screen interface sets it apart from the Kindle and Nook, which rely on traditional physical input. I believe doing so eliminates a cumbersome layer between the user and the content, and the Que's ability to annotate and highlight text is an expected feature of print media, which e-readers are trying to improve upon. Given that touch screens are available on as affordable and versatile a device as the Nintendo DS, I see no reason not to apply this technology to more practical purposes.
However, the device's price tag definitely identifies it as for "business professionals": models are available at either $649 and $799. And beyond the hardware is the software — which, if previous demonstrations are any indication, still have a ways to go.
It takes a lot of clicks on Plastic Logic's various Web sites before you finally arrive at the page to pre-order the Que, which ships in April 2010. Oddly enough, the page's domain is http://buyque.barnesandnoble.com/ specifications/ — Barnes and Noble? What involvement does the publisher of the Nook have in this competing product?
Computerworld, one of Plastic Logic's publishing partners, has the full story on the Que, one of 40 e-readers due to be released this calendar year.