Bookeen showed off the Cybook Orizon at CES 2010 and then later came clean with all the details. It’s a 6-inch, multi-touch e-reader that was supposed to hit retailers in the summer of 2010 for $250. That didn’t happen. It did however just hit the FCC which seems to state a 2011 release is on tap at a price point dramatically lower than originally planned. $250? *shudder*
According to the FCC docs, the multi-touch functions are still present with the usual gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swiping left and right for turning the pages. The battery life is about average with a 2 week life if used 2 hours a day. Though the supported documents scream “I’m just another e-reader!” with support for ePub, FB2, HTML, TXT, and PDF.
Inside the case is 2GB of memory and a 400 MHz ARM-type CPU along with WiFi b/g/n, a microSD card slot, a micro USB connector and a 1230 mAh Li-Polymer battery. The 6-inch E Ink SiPix screen features a 600 x 800 screen with 167 dpi and 16 grey levels. It truly doesn’t seem like that bad of a device, but even the multi-touch gimmick won’t sway the masses away from the Kindle. As long as it’s priced right though, there’s a niche market for a Kindle alternative that sports WiFi and expandable memory.