Creative to enter crowded e-reader market
As if the e-reader market wasn’t already crowded enough, Creative is preparing its own entry in to the space.
Creative, best known for its Sound Blaster computer sound cards, is preparing to enter the ever more crowded e-reader market according to Epizenter.
Tentatively named MediaBook, the new e-reader was shown as running on the companies Zii technology at an annual meeting and is said to feature a touchscreen, text-to-speech function and an SD memory card slot. Where it gets a bit murky if this is more a tablet computer than an e-reader is that it is also supposed to feature Internet connectivity with support for services such as Facebook and Twitter. (Are you listening TechCrunch? You may want to get the CrunchPad in to the market ASAP)
Creative says that it is already in talks with several publishers, and that the MediaBook will be able to display normal books, newspapers, magazines and textbooks.
The new device is said to be at least partially supported by the government of Singapore as part of its FutureBooks initiative which would see traditional books being replaced by e-books in schools. Essentially it sounds like Creative has gotten a government contract to aid in the development of this device, which could in turn lead to a lower cost for this device when it hits retailers.
Two big questions linger over the project at this time: Will it be sold in countries other than Singapore and what type of screen will it have? The answer to the former seems like a given, but the latter is monumentally important. Many pundits have said the barrier to an e-reader being accepted as a text book replacement hinges on it having a color screen for graphics, tables, charts, maps and so on. If Creative is able to deliver with a full-color screen, it may not matter how late it is to the marketplace.
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