Hearst Skiff previewed ahead of CES

Publisher Hearst today provided firmer details of the Skiff Reader, its self-produced e-book device. The new model is one of the largest e-book readers ever at 11.5 inches and provides a 1200x1600 touchscreen display better suited to magazines and newspapers. Its use of e-paper is equally new: rather than glass, it uses an LG-made flexible steel foil that resists shattering.

The extra size lets Hearst actually slim down the reader to where it's just slightly over a quarter-inch thick in spite of a battery life of over a week. Sprint will supply the reader with a 3G connnection to download books and subscriptions within the US. Wi-Fi will be an option for international travel or elsewhere beyond Sprint's coverage.

In step with its creator, the Skiff Reader is one of the first devices made explicitly for the Skiff format's more visual and cross-platform texts.

The reader doesn't have a definite ship date or pricing, but unlike the Kindle it will be available in Sprint's retail shops when it releases sometime later this year.

By Electronista Staff