Skiff Reader, the dazzling offering from the publishing company Hearst, is about to bring the superlatives into the e-reading world.  Boasting of 11.5-inch screen, it is the largest e-reader on the market, but its barely a quarter-inch chassis also makes it the thinnest. It is bendable, it is durable, and it boasts of a visually appealing layout. Will the Skiff Reader, geared more towards digital newspapers and periodicals, sail towards Kindle-like horizon?

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Features – Hardware and Software

The Skiff Reader sets a new bar in display technology by introducing a display panel based on thin sheet of aluminum metal foil and consisting of silicon thin-film transistors. This departure from glass backplanes used by other ereaders makes the Hearst Reader flexible and least prone to damage or risk of cracking, shattering, or breaking. The chassis, made of magnesium, adds to overall sturdiness of the device.

At 11.5 inches, no other e-reader is better suited for widespread reading materials such as magazines than the Skiff Reader. And with a screen resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, also the highest on the market (4 times more than typical ereaders on the market), it can display the entire page of your daily paper – including advertisements – without compromising readability.

Equally impressive is the device’s software, which lays out reading materials (particularly magazines and newspapers) in the way they were originally intended. Designed by periodicals themselves, the Skiff Reader’s layout is aimed to optimize e-newspaper reading experience.

Like the Kindle and the Nook, the Skiff electronic book reader will have its own e-store. Users can access the Skiff store, Skiff services and other online sites over the Sprint network. In addition to free 3G connectivity, the Sprint Reader is WiFi-enabled.

The device’s internal storage is as generous as its screen size: 4GB. A single charge can provide 1 week of continuous reading. No word yet on what file formats the device will be supporting.

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The Bottom Line

Skiff is planning to release their reader for purchase this year. While the prototype has already captured the imagination of the e-reading market, final judgment has to be postponed until the Skiff Reader hits the shelves.