Video demo after the cut

In fact, this particular flavor of Doom II is based on PrBoom, an open-source project from id Software’s original code. What’s most impressive is the refresh rate; apparently the Pocketbook 360 Plus uses E Ink’s latest Pearl display and a new Freescale processor, which together do away with the flashing black screen we usually associate with ereaders.

Sadly, according to The-e-book, Pocketbook is unlikely to ship the 360 Plus with Doom 2 preinstalled. No word on when exactly the 360 Plus will ship, nor for how much.

[via The-Ebook-Reader]

Video after the cut

Now, it’s all a render, not a real device, so we’ll have to take the functionality with a pinch of salt. Still, the idea of a compact tablet with lengthy battery life and running Google’s OS is an appealing one. There’s also an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation, and a touchscreen interface.

Pocketbook hasn’t let slip any details about their mirasol ereader, so we don’t yet know if it’s resolutely ebook-centric or will have tablet-style functionality too. Hopefully all will become clear over the next day or two.

[via The Digital Reader]

That tablet, the PocketBook IQ701, has a 7-inch TFT color touchscreen, and runs Android 2.0. The company is positioning it as a mobile entertainment/ereader hybrid, with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity; there’s no word on when it might reach the market, but we’re guessing it’ll be sooner than the Mirasol.

We’ve been tracking Qualcomm’s mirasol panels since their early, tiny inception back in 2008; more recently, the company has been talking about video-capable ereader devices with longer battery life than could be achieved even with an E Ink display. The exact specifications and functionality of the PocketBook Mirasol are unclear, however, but it’s said – in current prototype form – to do 12fps video.

Qualcomm mirasol prototype demo:

[via The Digital Reader]

Press Release:

PocketBook USA, the North American division of PocketBook International, will display their entire line of e-reader products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6-9.

One of the world’s top five producers of electronic reading devices, PocketBook sells more than 50,000 e-readers each month through offices in the USA, Germany, Russia, China and the Middle East with a distribution network covering more than 20 countries worldwide.

The company will showcase six different product models — PocketBook Pro 602, Pro 902 – standard models, PocketBook Pro 603, Pro 903 – premium class models, PocketBook IQ701, and Mirasol – PocketBook’s newest model.

The IQ701 offers a number of different features including a seven-inch color TFT touch screen with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Functioning on the Android 2.0 operating system, this model is best suited for customers seeking entertainment in an e-reader. The newest PocketBook model, Mirasol, features Qualcomm’s full-color Mirasol display which is based on a reflective technology.

It seemingly won’t be ready in time for IFA early next month, however, so we’ll have to make do with the five models the company is willing to tell us about.  Both the Pro 603 and Pro 903 have integrated 3G modems and Wacom touchscreens, too, presumably for ebook annotation.

Each of the ereaders runs Pocketbook’s open-source software and have wireless access to the Bookland ebook store.  Onboard storage is 2GB – we’re guessing it’s expandable – and Foxconn are apparently the OEM tasked with building the new range.  No hard specifications on the Pocketbook IQ tablet, beyond that it will be available in a choice of three colors,

[via Lesen]

Video hands-on after the cut

Roger Pelizzari has been reviewing the 360° over at Nate’s Ebook News, and he’s very impressed.  Initial boot is a matter of 10 seconds, while ebooks open in 5 seconds.  Most impressive, though, is page-turn time.  The 5-inch E Ink Vizplex 600 x 800 monochrome panel flips through pages in about half a second, a rate which Roger reckons is “hardly noticeable” and twice as fast as Amazon or B&N’s devices.

There’s also more flexibility with the software than the big companies permit, and already there’s a custom Fbreader config file out there adding page turn by accelerometer flick (something Pocketbook themselves are planning to add to an official release); you can also remap all the hardware buttons and there’s a developer kit for creating other apps for the device.  A wireless-enabled version, the Pocketbook 302, is on its way, but for now those readers not locked into Amazon or B&N’s respective ebook stores could do a lot worse than the $239.99 Pocketbook 360°.

[via MobileRead]

The new eReaders are selling for $275 for the 301 and $240 for the 360. The 360 is the newest model, has a 5-inch e-Ink Vizplex display, and runs a Samsung 400MHz processor and memory expandable up to 32GB. The 301+ has a larger 6-inch version of the same e-Ink display.

The 301+ also has memory upgradable to 32GB, can be had in four colors, and can play MP3′s. Both of the readers are set to ship in about two weeks and support multiple languages. The company is also taking pre-orders for the Onyx, its next eReader.

PocketBook already sell one ebook reader, the PocketBook 301, which has a larger display than the 360°.  According to hands-on reports from the 360° launch, it’s considerably lighter and more compact in-person.

The 360° has already caused controversy, with both PocketBook and Bookeek claiming they have exclusive worldwide distribution deals with ODM Netronix.  The prototypes were also labeled according to the rival “mentor” brand of Astak, which could throw another spanner in the works.

[via MobileRead]