| Windows CE-based e-reader has 9.7-inch display |
Mar. 11, 2008
 Netronix has announced a Windows CE 5.0-based e-reader that also plays MP3 audio files. The EB-300 features a 9.7-inch "E Ink" touchscreen display with four gray scales, 1200 x 825 pixel resolution, WiFi, Bluetooth, and an SD expansion slot, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of Netronix's EB-300)
Like the Linux-based Amazon Kindle, the EB-300 uses an electro-phloresecent display (EPD), sourced in both cases from E Ink Corporation. Electronic paper offers a bright, high-contrast, thin, lightweight display technology that remains legible under "any lighting condition" -- much like newsprint. Once an image has been "printed," no power is needed to hold it, reducing energy requirements by 99 percent compared to LCDs, E Ink claims.
E Ink's electronic paper requires no power to hold images
Source: E Ink Corporation
The result of this technology on the EB-300 is that up to 5000 pages can be read on a single charge of the device's 2100 mAh battery, according to Netronix. Its 9.7-inch screen is significantly larger than the Kindle's six-inch counterpart. The 170dpi display supports four levels of gray.
The EB-300 is controlled via touchscreen and four programmable buttons. These provide functionality such as turning pages, zooming in and out, adding bookmarks, deleting files, or jumping to a certain part of a book.
Apparently designed as an open, format-agnostic device, the device supports TXT, PDF, RTF, and HTML documents, along with BMP, JPG, GIF, and PNG graphics. Possible languages are English, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, and French. As mentioned earlier, it also plays music in MP3 or AAC formats, and is equipped with a 3.5-mm headphone jack for that purpose.
Documents may be loaded onto the device a variety of different ways, since it features not only 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless interfaces, but also a pair of USB 2.0 ports. In addition, an SD slot provides for data transfer or up to 2GB of added storage.
Netronix does not disclose the processor employed in the EB-300, but says the device comes with 64MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage. Other features and specs listed by Netronix include:- Processor -- n/a
- Memory -- 64MB RAM, 4GB flash
- Display -- 9.7-inch E Ink screen with 170dpi, 4 grayscales, and 1200 x 825 pixel resolution
- Wireless networking:
- Other I/O:
- 2 x USB 2.0
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Expansion -- SD card, supports up to 2GB
- Battery -- 2100 mAh lithium-ion battery, offering up to 5000 continuous page turns
- Operating temperature -- 0 to 40 deg. C
- Dimensions -- 10 x 7.7 x .55 inches (255 x 195 x 14mm)
The company has not provided availability or pricing information for the EB-300. It also markets an EB-100 model, which has a six-inch E Ink screen and runs Linux instead of Windows CE.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
