14 DAY TRIAL // E-readers have only recently taken off as a market, but a significant number of models have already been previewed, showcased or launched. In most cases, however, the main issue with the devices, regardless of their functionality, is the availability, or the lack thereof, of purchasable online content. Samsung is among the hardware makers that have launched such a device, but the company's plans seem to have drastically changed. A recent press release has announced the fact that Samsung's E60 e-reader will now have access to the extensive online library of Barnes and Noble.
As most end-users probably know, Barnes and Noble already has its own e-reader, the Nook. This product has already seen a significant success, with its maker having been repeatedly faced with the inability to cope with the strong demand for the product. With its new partnership with Samsung, B&N's wide content base will also be avalable through the E60. As such, a much wider consumer base will gain access to the bookstore chain's extensive library, increasing, in the process, the e-reader's appeal.
“We are very excited to be entering the explosive eReader market with a device that brings the best of a traditional reading experience into the digital age,” Reid Sullivan, senior vice president at Samsung Electronics America, said. “Samsung prides itself on identifying and fulfilling unmet consumer needs through innovation, and the eReader is emblematic of that approach. We are partnering with the best in the business to offer access to an extensive array of content, and have developed innovative features and technologies designed to make reading that content as personal and intimate an experience as reading a hard copy book has always been.”
Thanks to Samsung's partnership with Barnes and Noble, purchasers of the e-reader will have access to the over one million electronic books, magazines and newspapers that the bookstore owns. The E60 has 2GB of internal memory to store any purchased content, space which can be further extended to 16GB through a microSD card. Content can be acquired via WiFi or Bluetooth.
In order to make sure that its device is also price competitive, Samsung will be selling its E60 for $299.