| Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc., a provider of hand-held e-books,
has announced shipment of its eBookMan multimedia device. eBookMan combines
the functions of an e-book reader, music player, and personal digital assistant
in a single hand-held device. The three eBookMan models—EBM-900 (8 MB),
EBM-901 (8 MB with backlit display), and EBM-911 (16 MB with backlit display)—feature
large 240x200 pixel LCDs that reportedly display 87-percent more information
than most popular handhelds. Users can adjust the font size or switch the
display to landscape mode for easy reading.
All three models include a Franklin eBook Reader, an audiobook player,
an MP3-compatible music player, an address book, a date book, a to-do book,
and a memo book, all using natural-handwriting recognition. Available for
$129.95, $179.95, and $229.95 respectively, each eBookMan model is equipped
with a USB port for connection to a PC (an optional serial connection is
also available) and features optional memory expansion through industry-standard
multimedia cards.
Upgrading the unit’s operating system to accommodate new features and
improvements is done entirely through an Internet download. A built-in
voice recorder and an eBookMan version of the popular Microsoft Reader
software are in the works. eBookMan synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook
using Intellisync software from PUMATECH. Users of popular desktop tools,
such as Lotus Organizer 5.0 and ACT! 2000, will be able to download optional
Intellisync connectors from the Franklin Web site.
Source: Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc., Burlington, NJ, 800/266-5626;
http://www.franklin.com. |
