Foxit's eSlick (credit Wired.com)

From Wired:

Despite its ugly appearance, Foxit’s upcoming eSleek [sic] Reader will get a close look because of two key things: Its $230 price makes it attractive against the more expensive Kindle and Sony Readers and because, according to rumors coming out today, it might be the first large hardware ]]>

Foxit's eSlick (credit Wired.com)

From Wired:

Despite its ugly appearance, Foxit’s upcoming eSleek [sic] Reader will get a close look because of two key things: Its $230 price makes it attractive against the more expensive Kindle and Sony Readers and because, according to rumors coming out today, it might be the first large hardware eInk device to play eReader files.

eReader formatting is used for mobile devices like smartphones and PDAs. It’s a pretty common format, ubiquitous at Fictionwise, and this is quite a feat for the underdog eSlick.

I’m still not tempted to get one, because of the eSlick’s limited functionality (no searching, highlighting or bookmarking = no go for me), but the more devices available (especially ones that nudge us toward that universal ebook format), the quicker the Great eReader Adoption begins.

Another few interesting tidbits from this article:

If this move works for Foxit, it could open up other eInk hardware makers to allow other file formats on their own devices.

Yes, good, “other” potentially including a candidate for a universal format. And:

Currently, one of our biggest gripes with the current generation of readers is their unfair DRM content stranglehold they have on content. Amazon’s Kindle can only play downloaded books from its site, and Sony’s Reader works the same way. [...] DRM is going out of style, right?

First of all, hear hear to DRM going out of style. But Sony’s Reader can read the same PDFs eSlick can, and those aren’t downloaded directly from Sony’s site, as insinuated here. And the Reader can even play DRMed PDFs.  Also, the writer calls PDFs “the eInk format,” which they’re not.

So, full marks for spirit, no marks for fact-checking (or spellchecking).

[via Wired]