14 DAY TRIAL // If you have been keeping a close eye on the electronics industry then you have surely noticed that eTablets are among the hottest things available out there, Asus DR-900 offering, that was announced quite some time ago, starting to make its appearance in some parts of the world, a pre-production sample being tested by the Hispazone website.
Featuring quite a stylish exterior, this all black eReader comes with a 9 inch e-Ink screen that packs a pretty impressive 1024x768 resolution, its compact, 10mm thick chassis holding either 2GB or 4GB of storage space, expandable through a microSD card clot, a micro USB port being also present.
Connectivity wise, the DR-900 comes with 802.11 b/g wireless as well as an optional 3G module, Asus estimating the battery life at about 10,000 page turns, if the device is used for nothing other than reading.
According to the same website, the DR-900 requires about 2 hours for the battery to be fully charged, the eReader coming with an accelerometer so it can work in either portrait or landscape mode.
Reading the review, it becomes apparent the build quality is quite impressive, the integrated web browser also working pretty good for such a device, the DR-900 allowing users to select text from the documents or books being read, copy it and then paste it inside the browser, a pretty nice feature for a eReader.
Judging by the enclosed video, the user interface seems to be really simple to use, although there is some lag present when most functions are selected.
However, this is a pre-production sample and many things can still be changed until Asus releases the DR-900, as I think a simple firmware update can do the trick.
Finally, the DR-900 eReader will be available sometime in February or March 2011 for an estimated retail price of about 300 Euros (around $426), a pretty hefty price tag if you ask me.