Asustek Developing A Pointless $599 E-Reader

Aug 6 2010, 9:32am CDT | by Jordan Cressman

So apparently Asustek felt so left out of the e-book reader market that it has decided to launch its own device, but it's more expensive and has worse e-ink than its competitors, and there's no content available.
The device has an 8-inch TFT-LCD screen with a 64-grayscale resolution. The LCD screen is what kills it because other devices like the Kindle use a special kind of technology that reduces eyestrain caused by standard LCD screens.

It seems puzzling why the company decided to go this route, especially since it hasn't signed on any content partners yet and it still plans to launch the device in October. Additionally, the $599 price tag might have been seen as reasonable three years ago, but in a world of $139 Kindles and $150 Nooks, that price seems ludicrous.

Asustek's e-reader will have mobile data connectivity, so there may be a saving grace if it is able to strike up deals with mobile service providers. They could then offer the gadget at a cheap price as long as the customer offers to sign up for a multi-year service agreement.

It also just doesn't look that great. Asustek will most likely lose a lot of money from this gadget.

Via Digitimes

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