Mobile Technology

Elonex shows off range of new e-Readers and tablets

Elonex shows off range of new e-Readers and tablets
The Elonex eTouch tablet and case on display at IFA 2010
The Elonex eTouch tablet and case on display at IFA 2010
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The 700EB showing the solar system
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The 700EB showing the solar system
The Elonex 621EB e-Reader
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The Elonex 621EB e-Reader
The 500EB color e-Reader
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The 500EB color e-Reader
The keyboard case connects to the eTouch tablet via USB
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The keyboard case connects to the eTouch tablet via USB
A built-in stands helps create a good viewing angle
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A built-in stands helps create a good viewing angle
Gizmag tests the keyboard case at IFA
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Gizmag tests the keyboard case at IFA
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Close up of the tactile keyboard
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Close up of the tactile keyboard
The Elonex eTouch tablet and case on display at IFA 2010
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The Elonex eTouch tablet and case on display at IFA 2010
The eTouch touchscreen Android tablet
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The eTouch touchscreen Android tablet
The Elonex 710EB e-Reader
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The Elonex 710EB e-Reader
The 700ET with keyboard case
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The 700ET with keyboard case
The eTouch 700ET features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlit resistive touchscreen display
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The eTouch 700ET features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlit resistive touchscreen display
The 700ET has 2GB of NAND flash storage, that's expandable via an included microSD media card slot
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The 700ET has 2GB of NAND flash storage, that's expandable via an included microSD media card slot
The rear of the eTouch 700ET tablet
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The rear of the eTouch 700ET tablet
A landscape rendering of the eTouch 700ET tablet
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A landscape rendering of the eTouch 700ET tablet
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The Elonex eTouch 700ET tablet runs on Android 1.6
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The Elonex eTouch 700ET tablet runs on Android 1.6
The Elonex eTouch 1000ET tablet runs on Android 2.1
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The Elonex eTouch 1000ET tablet runs on Android 2.1
The 1000ET has a 10-inch LED-backlit, resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600
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The 1000ET has a 10-inch LED-backlit, resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600
The eTouch 1000ET is powered by an ARM-based LNX 11 processor running at 1GHz
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The eTouch 1000ET is powered by an ARM-based LNX 11 processor running at 1GHz
The 1000ET also has 2GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot
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The 1000ET also has 2GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot
Users of the 1000ET can either type using the onscreen keyboard or via an optional keyboard case
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Users of the 1000ET can either type using the onscreen keyboard or via an optional keyboard case
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Nestled amongst ten new products launched by Elonex at IFA 2010 were a threesome of eTouch tablet computers. Powered by the company's own ARM-based LNX processor and running on the Android platform, there are a couple of 7-inch (17.78 cm) models and a 10-inch (25.4 cm) version – all with backlit touchscreen displays, 2GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity. Gizmag visited the Elonex booth to have a look at the e-Readers and tablets on offer.

In addition to displaying what is claimed to be the UK's cheapest e-Book reader – the GBP79 (US$122) 500FB freeBook, which offers access to over a million free titles – and the first color e-Book to come in under the GBP100 (US$155) mark, Elonex also showed off its 7-inch 710EB and some new touchscreen Android tablets.

The entry-level eTouch 700ET tablet carries a suggested retail price of GBP99 (US$153) and features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlit resistive touchscreen display. It's powered by the company's own ARM-based LNX Code 9 processor supported by 128MB of system memory, and runs on the Android 1.6 operating system, which has been touch optimized. The tablet features 2GB of NAND flash storage that is expandable via an included microSD media card slot.

The eTouch 700ET features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlit resistive touchscreen display
The eTouch 700ET features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution, LED-backlit resistive touchscreen display

There's orientation correction thanks to an included accelerometer, a mini-USB 2.0 port for connectivity to other devices, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi too. Elonex says that its Li-ion battery should be good for 3.5 hours between charges.

The eTouch 750ET also sports a HDMI-out port to allow users to view 720p high definition video content on big screen televisions, and there's also a full-size USB port.

The 1000ET has a 10-inch LED-backlit, resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600
The 1000ET has a 10-inch LED-backlit, resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600

Rounding off the Elonex tablet launches is the 10-inch 1000ET model, which carries a suggested retail price of GBP149 (US$231). Its LED-backlit, resistive touchscreen display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 and its ARM-based LNX 11 processor runs at 1GHz, supported by 256MB of system memory. The tablet also benefits from a newer version of Android, 2.1 to be precise, but retains the same amount of storage and microSD expansion capabilities of its smaller siblings.

A protective case with built-in tactile USB keyboard is available as an optional extra for all of the new tablets.

Gizmag tests the keyboard case at IFA
Gizmag tests the keyboard case at IFA

Also on display at the Elonex booth were seven LCD and e-Ink e-Books, including a couple of freeBook models. The 700FB and the 500FB offer readers access to over a million free titles in ePub and PDF format from the company's dedicated portal. The 7-inch model supports up to 720p high definition video playback as well as popular photo and audio formats. There's 2GB of internal storage, SD/MMC card expansion and a claimed battery life of 8 hours reading, 4 hours video or 10 hours audio (via headphones).

The 5-inch (12.7 cm) 500FB offers a choice of five font sizes for viewing comfort, AVI video and WAV/MP3 audio playback and a gigabyte of internal storage with SD/SDHC/MMC expansion. Its 2000mAh battery is said to be good for 6 hours reading, 4 hours of video playback or a good 20 hours of audio (providing the backlight is turned off).

The 500EB color e-Reader
The 500EB color e-Reader

Each of the freeBook models has a twin e-Book model, offering similar specs but capable of displaying DRM content as well as free books. The 500EB model also benefits from a storage increase to 2GB.

The remainder of Elonex's products are all e-Ink models and include a 5-inch touchscreen reader with physical QWERTY keyboard and 512MB of internal storage, and a Wi-Fi-enabled 6-inch (15.24 cm) device with enough storage for about a thousands e-Books and a 532MHz ARM-based processor.

The Elonex 621EB e-Reader
The Elonex 621EB e-Reader

Our U.S. readers might like to note that the company told us there are no current plans for a Stateside release. It is also worth noting that prices quoted in the official release (and reproduced here) differ from those given at IFA, so checking with Elonex is advised.

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