Asustek Unveils Low-cost Eee Note E-reader, Notepad

From PC World: Asustek Computer on Monday unveiled the Eee Note EA-800, an e-reader with a stylus for taking notes on its 8-inch touchscreen. The device will be available in Taiwan later this week for the suggested retail price of NT$6,999 (US$228), Asustek executives said.

Asus already sells the Eee Reader DR-900, which has a 9-inch digital ink screen and is on sale in Taiwan for NT$11,988 (US$391).

The main difference between the two e-readers, and the cause for the price discrepancy, is the Eee Note's cheaper screen. It uses a monochrome LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 by 768, while the Eee Reader uses an e-paper screen made by Sipix Imaging, a rival to E Ink Corporation's popular screens.

"The entire cost structure of the Eee Reader is more expensive," said Samson Hu, vice president and general manager of Asustek's Eee system business unit. The Eee Note is made with standard PC parts, making it less expensive than the Eee Reader, he explained.

Aside from price, the other significant difference in the technologies is battery life. The Eee Note will last only about 13.5 hours when in constant use, while the Eee Reader will run for up to two weeks without needing a recharge. LCD screens typically need power to maintain the image, while e-paper displays only require power to change the image.

The Eee Note runs Linux and comes with software for reading e-books, writing notes, drawing, recording lectures, taking photos with the 2-megapixel camera on board, listening to music or lectures with the 3.5mm headphone jack and more.

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