We’ve gotten our hands on the COOL-ER, a new Ebook reader coming out in two weeks that’s sporting a (relatively) low $250 price tag and a case that looks like an over-sized iPod Nano (it’s also coming in 8 Applesque colors). Interead, the small startup that built Cool-er, is obviously trying to bring Ebooks to a new market, shunning some of the features seen on the Kindle in favor of a lower price-point and a broader appeal. And it just might work.
Unlike Amazon’s device, Cool-er has no wireless connectivety, so you can’t buy books online or browse Wikipedia, nor does it have Amazon’s oddly controversial text-to-speech functionality. But it’s also over $100 cheaper than the Kindle, and while some other devices (like the Sony Reader) are in the same price range, Cool-er also has a very unique look – I’m sure many people (especially younger crowds) would rather sport a colorful Ebook reader than the beige and black color schemes that currently dominate the market.
The device is quite light, weighing in at around 6.25 ounces (the Kindle 2 weighs in at a comparatively hefty 10.2 ounces). Cool-er has 1 GB of integrated memory, which you can expand with up to 4 more GB through the SD card slot. Battery life on a single charge is around 8000 page turns, which the company says should last around three weeks. And the device supports JPEG, PDF, EPUB, and TXT files, as well as DRM for PDF and EPUB. You can find full specs here.
So how does the Cool-er work when it comes down to actually reading?
I’ve been using the original Kindle regularly for a few months now, so any gripes I have with Cool-er may have more to do with what I’m used to rather than what’s actually wrong with the device. That said, I’m not a big fan of the navigation wheel. It’s nearly flush with the device case, and while you can still feel for it with your fingers without looking, you’re going to have to apply some force to the button to change the page. Not a lot of force, mind you, but coming from Kindle’s massive shoulder buttons I could see it getting frustrating. Aside from these issues, the device works perfectly well for reading. You can change between a number of different fonts and sizes, the device supports eight different languages (including Chinese and Russian), and you can easily rotate text if you’d like to switch to a portrait mode (you’ll have to press a button, but seriously – do you really care if your E-reader has an accelerometer)?
The biggest issue I think new Cool-er users will face at this point is actually getting books onto the device. The process is actually quite simple: drag the book from your computer desktop onto the Cool-er using Windows Explorer or Finder on the Mac. It’s very easy if you’re comfortable around computers, but many people would likely prefer some kind of content manager connected to the Cool-er book store that they could sync to their device, so they wouldn’t have to worry about drag-and-drop. For the same reason Apple’s iTunes played a key role in making the iPod popular, Cool-er will need a similar application if it wants to appeal to a broad audience.
The company is also launching an Ebook store alongside the device at CoolerBooks.com, which has over 750,000 available books. Anyone can buy books at 20% off list price, but Cool-er owners will get an extra 5% off across all books. This is a fairly good price, but when it comes to New York Times Bestsellers, Amazon leaves it in the dust – on the Kindle, a bestseller costs $9.99, while CoolerBooks appears to charge anywhere from $3-10 more per book. That said, CoolerBook does have significantly lower prices on some books that are not bestsellers, and the Cool-er’s initial sale price is obviously much lower.
Another factor that will play an important role in Cool-er’s success will be its availability. CEO Neil Jones says that deals are currently in the works to sell the device in retail stores, which could be a huge boon for the company. Cool-er may not have all of the features of some of the other Ebook readers, but if its eight colorful models are sitting on the shelf next to the Sony readers and other less striking devices, it could do quite well regardless.
This is DOA. I can’t believe somebody green lighted this, and it didn’t get killed before it was mass produced.
Even if it was manufactured in China, and the markup from a $40 manu cost to $250 covers the spread in theory. I doubt it will in practice.
These will have to be marked down close to the manu + shipping price or lower from the demo, in my opinion, to move off the shelves.
Not to be mean, but these look like they should cost about $49, and be at the checkout line at Walmart next to the keychain flashlights.
You obviously have no idea what E-ink screens are about. Electronic Ink. It’s not cheap but it’s awesome.
Find someone with a Kindle and try looking at it for a second, and perhaps you will understand.
This device is actually pretty cheap for such 6″ E-ink reader.
I am waiting for a version with a Wacom touchscreen, WiFi and an unlocked 3G modem.
Sounds like you’re waiting for the Txtr Reader: http://reader.txtr.com/. I don’t work for them, just pissed off that I can’t get a Kindle since I don’t live in the USA and the Txtr looks like the closest I’ll get. Oh, and I live in Berlin, so I guess I’m biased toward a local company. :)
Txtr doesn’t have a wacom stylus touchscreen nor a 3G modem. txtr is only using 2003 EDGE technology, I want HSDPA.
Obviously you’ve never heard of the Kindle then, which is much more expensive and “moving like hot cakes” without any issues.
What are your truly valid reasons for this being “DOA”, “shouldn’t have been green lighted”, and “killed before mass production”? With all that vitriol aimed at something you’ve never touched, I hope there’s a really good reason behind it.
No wireless, plus this doesn’t have a strong brand behind it.
I know about e-paper screens, but when you can get an Acer Aspire with 120GB, dual core, plus 1GB of ram for $200 on Froogle, this doesn’t compare.
If this were a stock, I would sell after viewing the demo.
Unlike Amazon with the Kindle, maybe they’ll make it available in Canada!?
None of these devices were made in the USA including the kindle, nor in Mexico, so they can not safely be imported into your constitutional Monarchy without paying very heavy tariffs to the federal government. Punishment for not buying goods made in your country.
NAFTA does not apply to these goods, which is why they are far more expensive or unavailable in Canada. The US is cheaper to import to because we don’t have a socialist parliamentary monarchy here.
Canada is very protectionist.
Well get in line. Everyone is protectionist – different countries just talk “a nice big open market” game. Some are foolish enough to believe them.
Having said that I have purchased BeBook without a border issue.
Interested in readers/tablets (wifi or not) with touch screen from an “assistive” technology angle.
Not true in the least. There are no extra duties or tariffs in Canada on electronic devices manufactured in countries in asia and most anywhere else. The fact is Canada has been very aggressive in signing new trade deals with several countries to remove all duties, and are currently working on one with the EU.
As far as protectionism, consistently in dealing with the USA, they have been the one putting up protectionist roadblocks. The USA has consistently talked of open and free markets, but in the background fails to follow through on agreements and issues punishing tariffs. And don’t get me started on the levels of government you must deal with in the states(several federal departments, 50 state governments and their departments, and then city and county government departments)–communist Russia had less bureaucracy.
The problem with the Kindle and the I-Tunes in Canada has not been the government as it has been the content distributors in Canada differ from those in the USA. Agreements must be made with each one before the content can be distributed in Canada often causing huge delays, and often adding to the price to make up for extra costs. For example if you want to sell a movie for a device in Canada you would have to deal with a distributor of that movie in Canada to get rights to sell it.
“There are no extra duties or tariffs in Canada on electronic devices manufactured in countries in asia and most anywhere else.”
That’s completely, utterly and totally false.
http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/document.jsp?did=18005&cid=512&oid=32
“China’s accession to the WTO. The average tariff dropped from 15.3% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2005.
The General Administration of Customs administers the tariff and publishes a tariff schedule on an annual basis (available from the Economic Daily Press, 65 Youanmen Nei Da Jie, Xuanwu District, Beijing, 100054, tel: 6356-2870 ext 2515).
Value added tax (on almost all products) and consumption tax (on some products) are also assessed at the point of importation. The normal VAT rate ranges from 17% to 13% for certain items. Importers of certain consumer goods (e.g. tobacco, liquor and cosmetics) must pay consumption tax at a rate varying between 3% and 45%.”
Any person or business who imports goods from China or any other country where the goods were not manufactured in the US or Mexico has to pay HUGE import tariffs and BROKERAGE fees.
Americans DO NOT have to pay such high tariffs.
We in America are free. You are subjects of the Crown. Don’t ever forget it.
Here’s a link to the HBO special on John Adams.
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/_lpUuwc3VS4/
The same people tried to make Americans such as John Hancock pay these same tarriffs 200 years ago.
Fast forward to 50:00 minutes into the vidoe and the tarring part to see what America did to the commonwealth that runs your country.
Chris, you, sir, are a douche.
The biggest problem is you can’t do a wifi download. I travel a lot so being at an airport and being able to download a book is a big deal.
WiFi in airports usually is too expensive to bother with. They should not only have WiFi but also a 3G modem.
Or you could try planing ahead.
You can’t plan ahead to read news and blogs that are published just then.
Looks good! Now pricing needs to go down and it will be a boon to all those who have ebooks galore.
Really looks like a Cybook clone.
Same button positionning and number, same overall look, roughly same pricing range.
Yet beautiful colors !
This device must be based on the same hardware platform (a netronix EB100 I think)
looks cool, I am holding off on buying an ebook reader until I see what plastic logic bring out.
I don’t want or need all the crap that comes with the kindle and I hate the design of it too. who needs a keyboard to read a book? I have a laptop or a phone to surf the net so I don’t need an ebook reader for that etc.
if they could sell this for £125 in the uk it would be a winner and give sony some real competion.
Plastic Logic is vapourware
its alive and well, have to wait until next year for the device.
this companies tech is amazing and I really can’t see them going anywhere.
http://www.plasticlogic.com/news.html
waiting for plastic logic too
How would you like to see technology conferences evolve into the future? This is a crowdsourcing experiment so any developers/designers please voice your opinion! http://bit.ly/116gD0
What exactly is different about this reader from the CyBook Gen3–except that the firmware isn’t as good? In fact, this product and the Foxit eSlick seem to be private label versions of the Gen3.
Actually the Gen3 is a private label version of a Netronix device as are the eSlick and this device.
I’m not too impressed with the CyBook firmware — I have one. When I have several hundred books loaded up on it, the Cybook takes up to a minute to turn on. In contrast, my Kindle 2 can get into a book in five seconds from turning it on.
As mentioned in the article, button presses on the Cybook take more effort than the Kindle and aren’t too responsive. Even though the Cybook doesn’t have the flush buttons.
Agreed. I get discombobulated trying to navigate the CyBook, but I like its weight and size. Foxit and Cool-er just write their own firmware for the device, correct, so the problems you mention could be better managed?
I think this is going in the right direction: eBook readers need to be cheap to compete with paper. The fact that it comes in trendy colors doesn’t hurt either.
The txtr reader is in another category: it looks interesting but I am afraid the price will keep it out of most pockets, a bit like the Kindle DX.
Big question: will they release it worldwide immediatly or not?
The kindle is only to be found in the U.S., if CoolEr enters only the U.S. market, they will have to compete heavily. If however, CoolEr is globally available, they could quickly become the global player.
It looks like price and color are its strongest features. But if the books are more expensive, that cuts into the price advantage (unless you’re buying it to read free ebooks).
As for Plastic Logic, it looks totally cool, but since it is aimed at business travelers and not at novel/magazine/nonfiction book readers, I predict it will be more expensive than Kindle, not less. Unless they can cut a real deal with content providers, PL won’t make any money when you buy stuff to put on it, unlike Amazon.
Lot has been said about the device – my comment is on a side-topic: I would reccomend you to check your camera setup when producing videos. The focus is always on the wall in the back (which is crispy and clear), while the product you show is blurred.
For Plastic Logic, the issue is whether they can mass produce them at a low enough cost. Their investors put up hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a full scale manufacturing plant. That is up and running now and they are trying to produce them in high volumes now.
If they can pull it off Plastic Logic should own the e-reader market in the coming years. Their readers are made with plastic, not glass. Plastic makes them lighter, cheaper, black on white ink, and they can’t break, it’s just a huge advantage over the competition – if they can do it.
Any word how it renders PDF – page turning and rendering take substantially longer?
But the books themselves are more expensive. – I.e. “The Host” sells on their website for $21.60. The Sony eBook store sells the same for $11.99 and Amazon Kindle edition is $9.99
Of course, that number for their books goes down drastically when you realize that at least half the books you click on that they display as being “available”…actually AREN’T. They just display as being “unavailable for the device chosen”. Right, still glad I bought a Kindle.
Why are these ebook readers are outrageously expensive? I’m not going to touch one until I can read an 8.5″x11″ or A4 formatted .pdf with graphics on it. Not one review I’ve ever read says whether this is possible.
That is really neat. It will be interesting to see what happens with the great battle of the ebook reader: who will be the best?! Soon you will be able to buy ebooks via Filedby!
Readers will win in this battle. Among manufacturers it will be probably who takes over content supply market and it doesn’t too much depend on technical features of an e-reader