Sharp Galapagos Android Devices to Enter Tablet Fray

PCWorld Business Center:

Sharp plans an aggressive foray into the tablet market this December--well, sort of. Sharp plans to launch a new online content service and two tablet devices, but it is positioning its tablets as e-readers rather than going head-to-head with tablets, and the Galapagos service and tablets will only be available in Japan--at least initially.

According to the Sharp press release, "Two models of the e-book readers have been developed--a mobile type featuring a 5.5-inch LCD screen that reads like a paperback book, and a home type featuring a 10.8-inch high-resolution HD LCD that allows users to enjoy magazines formatted across a two-page spread."

Sharp intends the devices primarily as a means for engaging with its Galapagos books and publications, but the Galapagos devices have a bit of an identity crisis. While Sharp considers them e-readers, the tablets use the Android mobile OS, have color displays, and will have Web browsing and social networking capabilities. Other e-readers have similar features, but the Android roots mean the devices could be capable of much more.

Sharp Will Launch XMDF E-book Reader Later This Year

PCWorld:

Japan's Sharp plans to enter the increasingly competitive e-book reader market later this year with a device that can read a new e-publishing file format of its own, it said Tuesday.

The company will launch an e-book reader in Japan before the end of the year and is also working towards a launch outside of Japan. The device, which has not yet been detailed by the company, is likely to hit the U.S. after Japan and Sharp said it is already in launch talks with Verizon Wireless. ...

Sharp's e-book readers will read files in a new version of XMDF (ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format), a format developed by Sharp and used in some of its previous devices.

The new version adds support for multimedia data and will allow audio and video to be embedded into e-book pages.

The original version of XMDF was accepted into the international standard for e-publishing (IEC62448), although its use remains largely confined to Japan. ...

Sharp said it has yet to decide if its reader will support other formats in addition to XMDF. ...