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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For those who have been waiting for a Samsung e-reader in America, the upcoming Samsung e6 may not disappoint. With tablet-like capabilities and a partnership with Google Books, the Samsung e6 is more streamlined than the Samsung SNE-50K being sold in Korea, but how does it stand against ereaders on the market? 

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Features – Hardware and Software

Based on the prototype showcased at the CES convention this week, Samsung e6 may strongly appeal to PDA fans. The device will feature a 6-inch screen, slide-down control panel, and writing and PDA capabilities. The control panel reveals the navigation and menu buttons as well as the stereo speakers. The buttons for turning pages are found at the bottom of the main casing.

But what excites the market the most is the device’s electronic resonance stylus developed by Wacom, the world leader in interactive pen and pen tablet technology. Samsung e6′s e-writing technology addresses common issues with touch-sensitive ereaders such as mistyping caused by grazing of hand or chunky finger. The stylus even comes with an eraser and calligraphy settings if you’re up to doing fancy drawings. Pressure sensitive gauge enables the stylus to function like your PC mouse: it can be used to copy, cut, or paste selected texts.  

With its integrated WiFi technology, users can pull ebooks and other digital content in wired environments. Bluetooth 2.0 allows users to share copies with other compatible devices over the air. Samsung e6 can get public domain copies from the Google library, which carry more than a million titles.

With wireless turned off, the Samsung e6 can last up to two weeks without recharge. Recharge time is 4 hours.   

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The Bottom Line

Slated for release in early 2010 (probably March or April), the Samsung e6 is ideal for people looking for all-around entertainment in their device: reading, writing, and music. Its e-writing technology raises higher bars for ereaders, but is it enough to make the device stand out in the already crowded ereading market? It is early to tell.

As you would expect from Korean electronics behemoth like Samsung, the new SNE-50K is one amazing contraption. As its original working label suggests, Papyrus, it is both a reading and writing device. Currently available only in South Korea, it is more than just an e-reader, it’s your personal organizer, too.

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Features – Hardware and Software

With its PDA features, the SNE-50K is like one compact Filofax: one can manage schedules, view calendar appointments, and jot down memos with the accompanying stylus pen. But the SNE-50K is designed in the first place as a reading companion, and so gives a larger viewing screen than PDAs. Higher screen resolution and e-ink display also mean clearer images and less screen glare that causes eye strain.

Users can browse, shop, purchase, or download books from Samsung’s partner bookstore, the Kyobo Bookstore Company, which is one of South Korea’s largest bookstore chains.  Think Amazon for Kindle or Barnes & Noble for Pocket Reader. Currently, there are only 2500 titles – chiefly South Korean – available for the SNE-50K, although Samsung is still negotiating with publishers and trade books for more content.

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The Bottom line

Currently available in South Korea only for339,000 won (around $270), the SNE-50K is an exciting option for those who are looking for a device that makes reading and writing and other tasks in a busy world quite manageable. But how well does it stack up against the leading ebook readers in the US?  We have to postpone our judgment until 2010, when Samsung reveals its prototype for US release.