Samsung intros 5-inch e-book reader, notepad
updated 11:55 am EDT, Mon July 27, 2009
Samsung e-book reader
Samsung on Monday announced it will soon bring out its own e-book reader, the 5-inch SNE-50K, in its home market of South Korea. Users can also make notes on the device, unlike competing e-book readers from Amazon and Sony. While content will not be downloaded wirelessly straight to the device, it can be transferred from a PC, originating from a local bookstore chain. Other than the 5-inch screen and its 600x800 resolution, there is 512MB of onboard storage, slotting it between the Kindle and Reader in terms of space.
Versions of the SNE-50K for other markets are expected to be shown at CES in January, and Samsung is said to be in negotiations with publishers and retailers for providing content. In South Korea, the Kyobo Bookstore offers some 2,500 electronic books for download. Microsoft Office documents and PDF files can be displayed on the Samsung reader.
Battery life is rated at 4320 continuous page views and the reader is just over a third of an inch thick and weighs 6.5 ounces.
The SNE-50K will be priced at the equivalent of about $274 when it is launched in Samsung's home market of Korea. There is no talk of when or if it would arrive in the US.
