Electronic books reader manufacturer Plastic Logic announced Wednesday that it will offer wireless access in its upcoming devices through AT&T’s 3G network. The e-book reader expected to launch early next year will also have Wi-Fi connectivity.
“Built in 3G access adds mobility to the product and allows users access to books at all times, wherever they are,” Daren Benzi, vice president of business development at Plastic Logic told Wired.com
The move also positions Plastic Logic squarely against Amazon’s Kindle e-reader that uses Sprint’s wireless connectivity for over-the-air book downloads and basic internet surfing.
Since Amazon launched the Kindle in 2007, the e-books reader market has taken off with more than 15 models of e-readers available today. E-readers with 6-inch displays, such as those seen in the Kindle 2 or Sony Reader, are the most popular among consumers. But earlier this year, Amazon launched the Kindle DX with a 9.7-inch screen for $490.
Plastic Logic is targeting its e-readers at business users. The device is about 8.5 x 11 inch, the size of a large notepad, less than 0.25-inches thick and has a touchscreen interface. The company has not disclosed pricing for the product.
On Monday, book retailing giant Barnes & Noble said it will power the Plastic Logic devices through its new e-books store. Barnes & Noble’s e-book store will have more than 700,000 titles, compared to the 300,000 odd books that its closest rival Amazon has. And because of the wireless capability of the Plastic Logic devices, the combination will be a completely integrated experience for consumers, says William Lynch, president of Barnes&Noble.com.
Lynch did not comment on whether Barnes & Noble would eventually sell Plastic Logic devices at its stores but said the e-book store partnership with the latter is not exclusive. “We are open to working with other manufacturers,” says Lynch.
The Plastic Logic Reader will offer users more than just newspapers, books and magazine content. It will support the document formats such as PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, some of which current e-readers cannot.
Plastic Logic is also counting on AT&T’s wide network of Wi-Fi hotspots to please its customers, says Benzi.
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Photo: Plastic Logic Reader/Plastic Logic
more than 200 countries and regions. AT&T is also the nation’s largest Wi-Fi provider,
