Plastic Logic Que Reader: Already Dead?

More than a year ago, I wrote a piece about how exciting Plastic Logic’s plan were and how its e-book could make a difference in the e-book reader market. The device got a boost in coverage at the beginning of 2010. The company promised to bring its device to the market in April 2010. Unfortunately, I predicted a while back that the device will be in trouble as the minds behind it couldn’t seem to find a way to bring the device to the market. The device has been delayed a few times already, and it has been delayed yet again. Apparently, after months of working on the device, the company needs more time to improve the product.

Plastic Logic had a nice concept when it presented its product at DEMO a couple of years ago. At the time, Kindle and Sony Reader were kings, and Plastic Logic had features not offered by other e-readers on the market. When the product was presented at CES 2010, many were upset with its pricing model. But the device still had a good chance of making it in the business world. I am not sure that’s the case now that Apple, Amazon, and B&N are getting ready to lock horns and take their games to the next level.

Plastic Logic may be wary of all the issues that Nook fans had to deal with when the device was launched. The company does not want to alienate its early adopters and is apparently working to address kinks in its device. The quest for perfection may have cost Plastic Logic any chance of making a splash in the e-reader world. For starters, the device is not cheap. In fact, it’s more expensive than the iPad. Sure, it’s capable of handling business documents, but would that be enough for Plastic Logic to sell enough units and make Que proReader viable?

The concept of “Do It Wrong Quickly” very much applies here. Plastic Logic has had a decent concept on its hands for a while now. But it has failed to take advantage of the landscape and has allowed the e-reader market to pass it by. I am sure there will be people who will pick up Plastic Logic and feel it will be enough for their needs. After all, Plastic Logic’s e-reader was never going to beat Amazon Kindle or Nook in their own game. But these delays seem to have hurt the device’s momentum badly. At this point, does proReader even have a future?

Your turn: has the iPad effectively killed off proReader? With Amazon and B&N focusing on bringing their platforms to as many devices as possible, does proReader have a chance?