Hands-on with Plastic Logic Reader

We tested the Plastic Logic Reader in a hands-on session to see how it compares with similar devices from Amazon and Sony.

Plastic Logic (www.plasticlogic.com) is one of those companies that we keep hearing about but not actually getting to use their product. At CES, the company let us do a test out their new Reader, a paper thin display that matches the quality and crispness of similar products from Amazon (the Kindle) and Sony. Yet, the device is more portable because it is so thin and light – it feels like you can just shove it in a notebook bag or even with a bunch of paper magazines for the day and not even think about it too much. We have a slight concern over the fact that it is so slim it could get lost in a stack of newspapers and thrown out.

The 8.5×11 device uses the same E-Ink technology that runs at very high-resolution – about 130DPI. It is a touchscreen device – when we tapped on the screen to open a PDF file, the device registered our touch quickly and displayed the page with the characteristic gray-to-black flicker.

Besides the high portability concern over losing the device, we also wondered about the content. Another company that offers an e-reader, iRex, has a similar content distribution model where anything goes. However, Kindle and Sony Reader users enjoy the ability to easily purchase any best seller and thousands of other books. There does not appear to be any online store for the Plastic Logic Reader. That said, it’s an impressive device that should debut late this year.