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New Librie-style machine from China: E Ink and up to G of plug-in memory from SD/MMC card
September 27, 2005 | 9:27 am
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By David Rothman
A Librie-type machine is coming out–from Tianjin Jinke Electronics Company–complete with a six-inch screen with E-Ink technology. That should mean low power consumption and screen visibility in strong sunlight.
The Tianjin e-book device, which includes a Librie-type fold out cover, could be a harbinger for $150 Librie clones, especially since E-Ink is releasing a display kit for developers. Besides having 64M storage inside, this baby supports SD/MMC memory cards up to a gig rather than confining you to Sony-blessed memory sticks. Plus, the Model V8 in the “Hanlin eBook” series reads TXT, HTML, PDF, DOC, PPT and even Excel. Size is 194mm(L) by 133.6mm (w) by 13.4mm (H). Oh, and notice the subscreen in the photo? Is there interaction via a stylus? I’m just hoping that the screen contrast is better than the Librie–and that we’ll soon see an affordable and reliable U.S. version with an English-language OS!
More photos
Via just-received photos you can see a front shot, another front shot, a cover shot and a side shot. I won’t shrink the photographs, so you can enjoy all the details. Big thanks–for the information and the forwarded photos–to Vladimir Levchenko at LBook and MUK’s Department of Mobile Computers in the Ukraine.
Along with OpenReader‘s alliance with OSoft, this potentially could be catnip for the global e-book industry.
About the company behind the machine–and U.S. stupidity
Maker of the machine is Tianjin Jinke, a Hong Kong-based company. See? Told you China is becoming E-Book Central, assuming it isn’t that already. Hats off to the Chinese for being more visionary than we Yanks have been. Remember, E Ink originated here in the States, but the Fortune 500 and U.S. pols so far have blown it. I wouldn’t be surprised if zillions of Tianjin machines or the equivalents from another company appeared in Chinese schools and libraries. Something to think about in the States, where some of our textbooks are decades old. Talk about national priorities!
Translation help: Can one of TeleRead’s Chinese-speaking readers translate what’s on the screen in the photo below?
Update, 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Washington, D.C., time: The vision for the Tianjin machines goes back a way. See old People’s Daily clip from 2002. I’d love to find out the extent to which E-Ink has relied on Chinese research. A big lesson could be that no single country has a monopoly on the enabling technology and that it will advance faster through open exchanges of knowledge. What is frustrating is the backwardness of American policymakers in understanding the technology’s importance. Not to mention American cutbacks in R&D that will pave the way for future technologies such as E-Ink. (Thanks to “Infosquawk” for the pointer to the old clip.)
In other hardware news: New miniature Windows PC model from OQO, via BobR at MobileRead.
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Comments:
Is this reader an update of this?:
http://english.people.com.cn/english/200010/17/eng20001017_52846.html
More evidence the Chinese will rule the world.
Nokia doesn’t have to worry about Microsoft trying to steal their Internet Tablet. It’s China that’s the threat.
Japanese I could pick up. Chinese — about the only sound I can make out is “schway.” My tongue can never make those maneuvers…
aww man so a libre that can actually read ebooks? What type of genuis decided to release this… damn… i can drive to shanghai to pick one of these ups at this rate. here’s hoping it hits korea next week or so so I can finally have a decent portable ebook reader.
peace,
a
My questions:
1)how big are the ebook binaries?
2)does it read HTML files? Or does it provide a conversion program for their ebook program for the HTML/txt?
3)I’d really like to know about the price they are trying for? I wouldn’t surprise if the price for the English version is significantly higher.
I remember with Zaurus they took a long time making a English language version. Americans are going to have to face the fact sometime that cutting edge devices are no longer going to come out initially in English.
I look forward to a hands on review, David.
This looks pretty cool (as does the e-ink developer kit).
I don’t think those are truly photos of the unit but rather computer generated design drawings. Take a good look at one of the philips-head screws in the cover image.
I’ve made the point before that the Chinese government would probably restrict devices that allow unrestricted ability to copy/distribute subversive content via SD memory or other sneakerware. In this current political climate, it is unrealistic to think a device like this could remain legal for very long in China. I’m not saying that centralized authentication or DRM will work either. But the flash memory reader might work only on an export-only product.
Look on the bright side. Maybe this product will be stay off the radar screen of the Communist Party for long enough for it to gain market share in the West.
Doug: Given that E-Ink is releasing developer’s kits, I don’t think the actual unit is that far off even if those are computer-created photos.
Robert: I totally agree with your concerns about freedom of expression. That said, despite the risks, there are powerful reasons for the Chinese government to popularize the device one way or another. The government can save a ton by using e- rather than p-books in schools. Let’s hope D.C. can learn here.
Thanks,
David
[...] Teleread preview look at a Chinese ebookreader. In other news, slashdot covers China’s censorship policies. [...]
Tianjin Jinke Electronics Company – website: looks like maximum is 128mb mmc card not 1gig !
Cutting-edge tech might not come out first in the US (or even the West; Sony has shown this, as have other Japanese companies) — but you can be sure it will be the US/West that buggers the hell out of that tech to strip out the stupid restrictions.
It’s already beginning to happen with the 2.0 PSP ROM! Up yours, Sony!
[...] A Librie for the rest of us Hong Kong-based Tianjin Jinke Electronics Co., LTD will be releasing their Sony Librie-like Hanlin V8 e-book reader. This device has a 6 inch 800X600 pixel E-Ink display just like the Librie, 64MB of internal memory, SD/MMC memory card expansion up to 1GB, a 254X96 auxiliary display, and supports TXT, HTML, PDF, DOC, PPT and Excel formats. No word yet on pricing, English language support, or availability. You can drool over more photos here. Considering the fact that the Sony Librie converted to English by Dynamism will currently set you back about $479 USD, an affordably priced V8 could be the first dedicated e-book reader for the masses with the exceptional readability E-Ink provides. While it remains to be seen whether or not dedicated e-book devices will appeal to mass markets or will be limited to education, libraries and e-book enthusiasts, a platform like the V8 will mean more devices that could create the incentive for publishers to offer their content in friendly, open, electronic formats. David Rothman at TeleRead has more details. [via TeleRead] __________________ Reading: Revolution in the Valley Listening: eBoys : The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work [...]
Sweet, I want it.
Howard: The site says, “SD/MMC card (Support 1G capability ).” As my post made clear, we’re talking about plug-in capacity.
Robert: Excellent questions. Hard to say if the HTML is built-in, but my guess is that it is. Can’t wait for a hands-on if one is possible.
Thanks,
David
I don’t see why this device couldn’t be brought to market rather quickly. It shares a similar form factor and the same technology as the Sony Librie (minus the proprietary formats), which has been out in Japan for about a year.
The big question: Will it be exported in Japanese, English and other language versions?
If economies of scale come into play here, this could easily become a sub-$150 device as David suggests. Where can I pre-order a unit??
Googling for Hanlin ebook conjures up more questions than it answers. The former lead software developer for Jinke is specialized in wireless sensor networks. Hanlin means Forrest of Pencils. Contrary to some comment Jinke and its ebook device seem to be chummy with the Chinese gubmint. And if anybody here does speak Chinese, please try and decode what the Shanghai library means by “Hanlin ebook can project people’s eyes“.
FWIW, the E-Ink developer kit costs 3000 smackers, so not something you’ll order just to mod your own case around. Interestingly, an E-Ink engineer made a GNU/Linux based ebook/mp3-player that, IIRC, cost around 50 dollar to make. Perhaps that was without the E-Ink screen.
What makes this a darkhorse for school e-textbooks is that it obviates the internet-IM-email discipline issue that school administrators and teachers won’t be able to manage.
All you’ll get is something to read from, not use to create or research with.
It probably means “protect your eyes.” *Every* company operating in China is pitty-pat with the warlords — or else.
>>>All you’ll get is something to read from, not use to create or research with.
>snort
Oh you bloody commentware! You don’t *like* the “less than sign” in comments. Replicating…
*snort* You’ll change your tune when someone has hacked it to use a WiFi SD and cobbled together a browser for it. I didn’t know you were such a pessimist, Roger. Hasn’t what’s been done with the *PSP* taught you anything?
I can see jillions and jillions of these being bought by companies here to replace their paper/online (online as in desktop PC on corporate server) manuals. And if it evers allows input, your next parking ticket will be done on this.
What’s that I smell? Ah, the future!
Case closed!
PSP crackers break console ‘wide open’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/28/psp_firmware_crack/
Read that, Roger, old bean.
[...] Hanlin V8 e-book reader Very similar to the Sony Librie, the Hanlin V8 e-book reader features a 6″ 800×600 pixel E-Ink display (just like the Librie’s), 64MB of internal memory, SD/MMC memory card expansion, and supports a number of different formats (TXT, HTML, DOC, PDF, Excel, PPT, and HTML). No word on pricing, availablity, or English language support. [...]
Visited the Hanlin’s company site this morning and this evening, and I noticed something that piqued my interest: the image of the reader is now displaying the information on the mockup screen in English. Does this mean that they are going to be making this, and marketing it, in an English language format? Here’s hoping. And here’s hoping that I can get one here in Japan! I’d definitely take this over the Librie.
Have you seen the Linux-based version (V2): http://www.jinke.com.cn/english/v2/index.asp ?
It’s also mentioned on the Contact Us page as having an SDK (for custom file formats): http://www.jinke.com.cn/v8/contactus.asp
There is a huge amount of electronic text online that most people dont read because its too difficult. I never read Gutenberg texts because its too difficult on my eyes for any length of time. Same with long essays. I just buy the paper copies, its cheaper and easier than printing. An eReader would open up the world.
I don’t think China producing some top notch e-book technology means they will rule the world. In any case, I think the world needs developments like this to be spread out across its four corners.
But back to the e-book – is there any indication of the length of battery life?