And the latest company to join the ebook reader bandwagon happens to be Creative, more popularly known of course for their media players. In a surprising announcement during the company’s annual general meeting in Singapore, Creative showed a working model of its upcoming eReader, tentatively named the Zii MediaBook.
Specs-wise, we’re looking at a touch screen display, text-to-speech function like the Kindle perhaps, SD memory card slot, Internet connectivity – in short a multimedia device that can handle videos, pictures, text and services.
And perhaps taking a cue from other ebook reader brands like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Creative is reportedly in talks with 10 international local publishers to provide ebook content for the Zii MediaBook. As early as now, Singapore Press Holdings seems to be the most likely candidate as the first providers of electronic magazines and newspapers.
No published photos yet of the working prototype of the Zii MediaBook, but given the growing excitement in the ebook market, I would bet Creative will make an official announcement just in time for the Holiday Seasons.
Originally posted on November 1, 2009 @ 8:11 am