Foxit licenses reading tech and axes eSlick device

Foxit today became the latest casualty of tougher e-reader competition as it said it would drop its eSlick hardware. The company will instead focus on licensing the software technology it uses to read PDF and ePub files. It justified the decision to exit hardware as needed to "eliminate the possibility of competing with our partners."

As part of the scaling back, Foxit will shut down is European branch and will work primarily out of its Fremont, California headquarters.

The company faced a bleak future with its current strategy as wouldn't have had success competing at the high or low ends of the e-reader space. At $199, the eSlick was originally one of the least expensive readers but has since been eclipsed by cheaper offerings. At $189, the third-generation Kindle is both less expensive while adding the 3G and Wi-Fi that the eSlick lacks; Wi-Fi only readers now cost as little as $139. Foxit similarly said that it expected a surge in digital reading at the high end from Apple's iPad, which is more than twice as expensive but can be used for many other roles.

By Electronista Staff