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Asus color reader uses OLED, said to run 122 hours and allow Flash video: Coming by end of 2010?
January 17, 2010 | 3:43 pm
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By David Rothman
Well, so much for worries that OLEDs displays must be battery hogs. A forthcoming Asus reader is said to be able to run 122 hours on one battery charge. In a roundup on e-readers, Times Online says:
“Not all the ereader action was at CES. Asus, the Taiwanese manufacturer that pioneered the netbook concept, has given InGear exclusive details of its DR-570 reader, to be released by the end of the year. Asus says it has developed a 6in, high-brightness, OLED colour screen that should run for a whopping 122 hours on one battery charge — and that’s not just when displaying text but under real-world conditions, such as running Flash video over its built-in wi-fi or 3G. If that claim stands up, it would make this game-changing device nearly as energy-efficient as today’s monochrome readers.”
Sorry, I don’t know what the price will be. I’m also curious what tricks other vendors may have up their sleeves with OLEDs, including Apple. Or does Asus really have the sauce all to itself?
If the ballyhoo is on target, this could be great news for newspapers and magazines, which could run color advertisements and videos. Ads may might also start showing up in books from mainstream houses, given the temptations at hand, and we may see a lot more video. No hard facts. But that’s the way it seems to me.
One question some are asking: How will the OLEDs perform in sunlight?
(Via MobileRead.)
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Comments:
Forthcoming??
“Asus, the Taiwanese manufacturer that pioneered the netbook concept, has given InGear exclusive details of its DR-570 reader, to be released by the end of the year. ”
I.e. the last part of 2011, just before it becomes 2012.
Apple’s more likely to want a device that works well in sunlit conditions, a problem that OLED to this point has had ( a point the article fails to mention.
A bit of warning:
Asus can be overly ambitious on their specialty product release schedules. And some announcements are more like statements-of-intent than actual product announcements. They’re better than many others; very few of their product announcements are outright vapor, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for a 2010 release of an OLED ebook reader.
Their T91 convertible tabletPC/Netbook came in 6 months+ behind schedule and their eeePC Keyboard PC over a year. The dual-pane color ebook reader announced last fall wasn’t out in the open at CES, was it? So that “early 2010″ is looking more like late 2010.
And consider, too: 6″ OLED screens are real common, right? And real cheap? And the supply *isn’t* going to be sucked up by media player and tablets? And ASUS has lots of experience with ebook *software*?
Temper the expectations people.
OLED color readers are coming but not just yet.
Maybe next year.
2012 is more likely.
Tom and Felix:
T.: The question mark in the headline—about the year—is rather deliberate. We can’t say. I agree with your skepticism and Felix’s, but who knows? As for sunlight, the post did mea some people’s concerns.
F.: Same response as to Tom. Let’s just see what happens, while being properly skeptical—hence the use of phrases such as: “If the ballyhoo is on target.” Great specifics about the company’s past record.
Thanks,
David
On the specifics; I wanted to buy a T91 when they announced it. By the time I was finally able to, the Archos 9 was out and the Unicorn was on the horizon.
Plus I got a PB360 and a regular netbook for the same price, instead.
Being first to announce may get you early mindshare but being first to ship gets you actual marketshare.