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Are my EBook Reader dreams going to be answered in 2010? A full size reader?

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mouser:
Today I read something that made my heart fill with joy.. The possibility of a full sized ebook reader:

First on the list is the QUE, from Plastic Logic, a company with e-reader technology that we've been covering since at least 2007. Like many of the others that will debut at CES, the QUE's display is E-Ink-based. But, unlike other E-Ink readers, the QUE's display is printed on a flexible, plastic backplane that will make the device lighter and more robust. QUE also sports a 8.5x11 inch screen, so that it can display printed business documents at their full size without scaling.

Aside from its form factor and enormous screen size, the other advantage the QUE has over its non-Sony competitors is a touch-based interface. Users will flick a finger across the display to change places, or tap to select items. Unlike the Nook, the action takes place on a single screen.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but Plastic Logic has had a factory working away on producing their displays since September of 2008. The QUE will be sold at Barnes and Noble (where it will compete with the bookseller's own hardware), and the latter is actually a content partner for the device, as well.

From the information released so far, it's clear that Plastic Logic's ultimate target isn't the Kindle, but the laser printer. The QUE aims to replace the stacks of print-outs in your briefcase, and not the paperback in your carry-on. In this respect, the Kindle DX, another device that's sold as a laser printer replacement, will compete with the QUE for business customers.

As a DX user, it's already clear to me that the QUE will be the superior option, barring any showstopping technical glitches or reliability issues. The DX's screen just doesn't work well for 8.5x11 documents—because it can't render them at their native resolution, the DX forces you to either scale or scroll. The former is hard on the eyes, while the latter is very awkward thanks to E-Ink's slow refresh rate.

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http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/12/three-e-readers-at-ces-2010.ars





This is the only tech product i've really been craving badly for years.. I've been waiting so long to be able to read full sized 8.5x11" academic papers.. This just can't come fast enough for me.

Nod5:
I've longed for an A4 sized ebook reader for some time too. It is weird that so little of the ereader buzz is focused on large size screen readers. Maybe my first ebook reader will not be a standalone device but instead an ultrathin netbook/laptop with swivel and a screen with ebook mode. PixelQi screens are said to reach markets early 2010. Check this link for some amazing looking preview photos of their screens. http://pixelqi.com/blog1/2009/11/22/screens-in-office-lighting-part-2/

xtabber:
This is the only tech product i've really been craving badly for years.. I've been waiting so long to be able to read full sized 8.5x11" academic papers.. This just can't come fast enough for me.
-mouser (December 29, 2009, 06:28 AM)
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I read somewhere (don't remember where) that the Plastic Logic QUE will be an 8.5x11" tablet, but the screen size will be 10", whatever that means (diagonal? length?). We should know soon enough since Plastic Logic will be unveiling it on January 7 at CES.  Given that it is supposed to be aimed at business users also indicates that the price will be high.

In any event, while my aging eyes demand a bigger screen than those available in ereaders today, what I consider far more important than physical size is screen resolution. An 8.5x11" screen with 1024x786 pixels is not going to be as useful as an 8x10 screen at, say, 1280x1024, or even a wide screen that can rotate.

The biggest problem I have with all the ereaders I have seen is primitive and poorly designed software. They all flow text, but none can zoom and few can pan, both of which are essential for reading many PDF files.  Also, most have minimal organizing ability and little or no search capabilities.

I have little use for buying books via a cell-phone network, à la Kindle, but would like to have WiFi access to my own computers and the Internet to download materials.

mouser:
My desires are:

* 8.5x11" Screen
* Native PDF rendering
* Reasonably fast page turning
* Basic ability to add notations

cmpm:
this is close
whatcha think?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/18/notion-ink-smartpad-comes-with-tegra-aims-to-be-first-pixel-qi/

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