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Sharp readies colour e-book reader

Seeking international publishing partners, 'pparently

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Sharp is to enter the e-book reader market.

The Japanese company isn't saying much about what kind of devices it will offer, only that they will display files in the XMDF - "ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format" - files, tweaked to allow video and audio content to be embedded and presented, as well as the text and still that it can handle now.

That gives a clue to the Sharp e-book readers' capabilitites: if they can show video, they'll surely come with colour screens with high refresh rates. That suggests LCD or OLED rather than E Ink.

While Western e-book readers have tended to the de facto standard ePub format, according to Sharp, XMDF is commonplace in Japan where it's used for manga books.

There's no word on a UK release - Sharp didn't even say when the Japanese incarnation of the gadget will debut beyond a broad "within this year".

However, an international release is on the cards: "Various publishing houses... in Japan and overseas markets will be supporting Sharp," it said. ®

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Could bomb...

if features and price point dont balance out nicely... thanks to apple the days of high expense e-readers are dead.

Strange i am listening to Darth Vader's theme whilst thinking about apple :p

(but i am also typing this on my mac book pro - so i find my own lack of faith disturbing)

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Price Point

Constraining the device to ereader only will enhance the market, if they go for an all singing and dancing device then the price will encroach on the Tablet devices. Let's face it most people are not going to lash out $300-$400 for something that you can read a book with. Get that price point down to the $100 level and you will own the market.

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Forgot to mention....

......that an OLED screen would of course be a major contribution to battery life as well.

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