Taiwan’s BenQ Corp. unveiled Nov. 17 the country’s first electronic reader capable of displaying texts in Chinese, English and Japanese.
Dubbed nReader, the reading device is the result of years of research and development by the BenQ AUO Group in electronic paper technology and handheld devices, said company vice chairman Jerry Wang.
The device is scheduled to hit the markets in January 2010 with a price tag of NT$8,900 (US$277).
Capitalizing on BenQ’s core mobile technology, the nReader measures between 0.8 cm and 1.1 cm in thickness, and features a six-inch black-and-white touch screen and 3G wireless Internet access. Its built-in memory is capable of storing up to 4,000 books.
With the appearance of a handheld console, the device can be recharged with built-in USB ports, and allows for standby time of up to two weeks and 7,500 page turns per charge. BenQ expects to launch a color version of the nReader in the second half of 2010.
To make the e-reading experience more akin to the print version, the nReader allows readers to read Chinese texts in a vertical format. The unique texture of the device’s casing not only reduces excessive hand sweating, but also enhances holding comfort. The 6-inch touch screen facilitates intuitive operation that enables users to retrieve and shop for books with a single touch.
Wang pointed out that the nReader will offer free contents in the beginning, but will also offer business magazines, newspapers, novels and even translations of Japanese comic books in the future. BenQ is in talks with publishers for copyright authorization, and will come up with diversified service plans that will be definitely more favorable than those of the print versions, he said.
In order to provide readers with a wider variety of content, BenQ is planning an “electronic book store,” where, with a wireless Internet card, readers can buy, read and store e-books online. The company does not have a specific plan for the store yet, but hopes to launch the service along with the nReader at the same time next year.
Wang said that he expects the market for e-readers to double every year, with 5 percent of the global population becoming e-reader users in three to five years. He estimated that 100,000 such devices will be sold in Taiwan in 2010, with BenQ taking half of the share. (SFC-HZW)