Samsung E61 Reader
Samsung E61 ereader Review
After debuting the E6 and the E101 at the CES convention in January this year, Samsung unveils a 3rd addition to its E series at the ISE Conference held in February in Amsterdam. Named Samsung E61, the device is expected to be Samsung’s budget-minded addition to its E series. Unlike the Samsung E6, which retails for $399, and the E101, which sells for $699, the still not-priced E61 doesn’t come with a touch-responsive 6″ display. With its white casing and QWERTY keyboard, it’s a dead-ringer for Kindle, but how does it fare in the features department?
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Features – Hardware and Software
While the Samsung E61 also comes with a 6-inch display like the Kindle, it pares down extraneous spaces. Overall dimension is smaller and lighter; the design, more compact. The QWERTY keyboard can be used for note taking and, like the Kindle, for searching.
Basically, though, the Samsung E61 is just the E6 without the touch capacitive screen and sliding tray. It offers what is now a standard among ereaders: 600 x 800 pixel resolution and support for PDF and ePub texts. 2GB flash storage, however, puts it on a par with Kindle. If that’s not enough to store all your books and personal files, there’s microSD slot for external storage device.
The device will also be rolled out with WiFi capability. No words yet whether it will get a 3G.
The Bottom Line
No word yet on pricing or release date except a tentative “early 2010” so there’s still plenty of time for improvement. If Samsung could give a price point far, far below from Kindle’s $259, it may also influence more buying decisions in their favor. Based on the Amsterdam exhibit, the Samsung E61 may not be the best-looking ereading device, but it is quite competitive in capabilities.
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Pros
The prototype showed by Samsung hints several applications including email, news, calendar, and dictionary. The device will also come with a user-accessible battery, allowing users to remove and replace the battery on their own.
Cons
Because its form factor strongly mimics the Kindle, it can’t be helped that Samsung E61 begs is compared with pioneering giant. There seems to be a consensus among techies and gadget lovers that the E61 is a Kindle rip-off with sub par capability. The E61 may have a smaller footprint, yet the Kindle even wins in the looks department. The Samsung ereader’s keyboard is tacky looking and the white casing looks plasticky.
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Main Features
• 6-inch reader with physical QWERTY keyboard
• 2GB flash memory stores thousands of books and personal files
• Accesses the web over WiFi connection
• User-accessible battery
• 600 x 800 pixel resolution
Key Features
• Multiple applications including email and news
• Pocketable form factor
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