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While the computer industry waits for Apple to release an expected color tablet computer later this month, ASUS is already there. According to news reports, the company is releasing a six-inch OLED color touchscreen tablet e-reader called the DR-570 that includes Adobe Flash, either 3G or Wi-Fi — and a capacity of 122 hours on a single battery charge.<\/p>\n
\nWith the addition of color and additional computing power, the emerging categories of e-readers and tablet computers may begin to merge. The DR-570 is expected to be released by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
‘Moving at a Fast Rate’<\/p>\n
\nThe Taiwan-based ASUS is a leader in netbooks, the subcompact laptops that have been one of the bright spots in computer sales for the last year. In addition to the color DR-570, ASUS will reportedly release 5.7-inch and nine-inch black-and-white e-readers. <\/p>\n
\nThe e-reader category, led by the Kindle from Amazon, several devices from Sony, the nook from Barnes & Noble, and other products, saw new entries at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A dual-screen e-reader from MSI, for instance, is based on the Intel Atom chip used in many netbooks and will have enough power to compete with most netbooks. Samsung showed six- and 10-inch touchscreen devices, each offering text to speech and, since they use Digital Living Network Alliance standards, could be viewed on compatible TVs.<\/p>\n
\nPlastic Logic showed the Que, a lightweight e-reader that is the first commercial device based on plastic transistors. In addition to less weight, this means physical flexibility. Hearst’s Skiff Reader offered the first product with a display that uses a flexible sheet of stainless steel, providing a resolution of 1200×1600. <\/p>\n
\nThe categories of e-readers and tablet computers are “definitely moving at a fast rate,” said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret Research. But… <\/p>\n
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