ConsumerAffairs.com
January 7, 2009 Soon, it seems, everyone will be offering an e-reader. Samsung Electronics America has unveiled its first e-book devices, with six-inch and ten-inch screen size offerings, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The E6 and E101 join Amazon's Kindle, Barnes and Noble's Nook and a host of other devices, all designed to capture books electronically and allow users to read from the screens. But Samsung says its made some significant improvements to the e-reader with its offerings.
Samsung is addressing a common frustration that users experience with many of todays digital readers with a stylus that allows them to annotate their favorite works or take notes, said Young Bae, director of display marketing, Samsung Information Technology Division. Coupled with wireless functionality that enables sharing of content, this is a truly multi-faceted device.
Unlike other e-book devices, Samsung says its E6 and E101 enable handwriting directly onto the display, allowing users to annotate their reading selections, calendars and to-do lists with a built-in electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen. This dedicated pen is supposed to prevent mistypes caused by hands and other objects that may graze the screens surface. The devices will feature a variety of pen and eraser thicknessesfor drawing and writing.
Samsung also says its addressed a common complaint with e-readers, screen glare. The company says its e-book displays reflect light naturally and deliver an appearance similar to that of printed paper, allowing people to read more naturally than they would with other backlit electronic paper devices. The E101 boasts a ten-inch screen, while the E6, is the more portable sibling at six inches.
Because Samsungs e-book is not backlit, the power consumption is lower than that of other portable display devices. Only four hours of charging prepares the battery for up to two weeks of use, depending on the extent of daily use.
Samsungs e-books are equipped for wireless connectivity as well. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g allows users to download content such as books and newspapers from a server wirelessly, as well as to share certain content with other devices. Bluetooth 2.0 is also a built in feature.
The Samsung E6 and E101 will be priced at $399 and $699, respectively. They will be available in early 2010.
