I heard about Fujitsu’s color Kindle killer a while ago. At the time, I didn’t think too much of it. Fujitsu was never clear about targeting global markets with FLEPia, and I always thought Amazon would be the first company to introduce a color e-book reader. It seems Fujitsu has finally made up its mind and decided to release FLEPia in April. But here is the catch. It will only be released in Japan. No words yet on if we will ever see FLEPia in the U.S.
FLEPia certainly looks attractive, and who wouldn’t want to try this cool 8″ screen device. The problem is it’s going to cost you about $1000. The company expects to sell 50,000 units in Japan market by the end of 2010. That’s not what I call setting the world on fire. And I am not even sure if the U.S. market can handle such an expensive device. Fujitsu may be hoping to kill Kindle with FLEPia but it takes more than a pretty gadget to topple Amazon Kindle. Kindle has access to more books, has a significant advantage in power management, and is less expensive. We also know that Amazon has tested color-screen Kindles and will release them as soon as it finds a way to offer them in a more affordable way. That means Amazon can still be first-to-market with its color Kindle reader.
With that in mind, here are the specifications for FLEPia:
Your take: would you pay $1,000 for such a cool looking gadget?
You May Also Be Interested In:
- Kindle Repairs: Where do you go?
- 15 Kindle Games Worth Checking Out
- How To Find Your Lost Kindle, iPad, or NOOK {Infographic}
- 10 Best nook Cases For The Road
0 comments
#1CameronMarch 20, 2009, 10:26 pm
I am very curious who is going to buy this device.
The re-draw speed is pretty bad and could seriously hurt usability.
I do wonder if they are going to focus this at the manga market. Comic books would be a great place for digital distribution. Right now due to BW screens of most current readers it has not been very feasible, although there has been some interesting attempts on the iPhones platform.
If Fujitsu has some good content deals with Manga publishers then i could see this going somewhere. Although it is a hell of a time to bring out something so expensive.
#2JakieMarch 21, 2009, 12:26 am
$1000? It seems that’s an estimate. It could be close to $1200. Please. That’s a Macbook.
#3CameronMarch 21, 2009, 6:28 pm
Traditionally the Japanese market has been very gadget friendly. I have no idea if that is more of a stereotype than a reality but it has been somewhat true in the past.
The only thing that is great about this development is it means we should see color eink at decent prices and with faster refresh rates much sooner. With Fujitsu basically working out all the kinks in the system before Amazon, Sony, or whoever else gives the stuff a try.
Add your comment