Asus to launch affordable dual-touchscreen Eee Reader before year-end

An Asus Eee Reader is said to be in the works and that it will be released before the end of this year. This information is based on a rumor that originated from online news site Digitimes a little over a week ago. Today, the Times Online says that Asus is indeed working on a so-called Eee Reader, and this time it is said that the information came from the Taiwanese company’s president Jerry Shen himself. Also according to Shen, there may be an entire line of Eee Readers out before 2010. Perhaps they plan to cover all market segments with both budget and premium offerings with different features and price points. Asus apparently wants to make a difference in the e-book reader market as it did in the notebook market after it launched its affordable netbooks, portable computers that beat good old-fashioned laptops in every important aspect: portability, usability and battery life. Not to mention affordability.

What makes the thought of an Asus Eee Reader so exciting is that Asus is already well known for producing low-cost devices that all work just as well if not better than their more expensive counterparts. Even better, the Asus Eee Reader is said to feature a hinge in the middle and dual touchscreen displays that are in full color instead of e-ink, which implies that they will both be backlit. Possible other features might include a built-in USB port, webcam, mic and speakers as well as standard range Wi-Fi for wireless Internet connectivity. It sounds more and more like a laptop to me the more I think about it, but if it’s designed to work as an e-book reader and costs a lot less than what the market currently offers while giving a lot more value, then I’d be glad to sign up for one. If Asus doesn’t screw up with this one, they might just have another hit. We will see.

Via Times Online