The forthcoming E1 will mark the debut of yet another Chinese manufacturer into the eReader market. Owen released the specs for the new E1 on 30 December 2009, though we don't yet know when it will be for sale. Owen has experience making personal music players for the Asian market, and this is their first eReader. The E1 is a very small, black plastic 5-inch e-ink eReader with mp3 audio capabilities thrown in.
Unlike so many eReader clones and variants these days, the E1 appears to be an original design, with its most visible feature being the series of 10 buttons along the right margin of the gracefully curved reader. We've seen the 10-button setup on many other eReaders, but always on the bottom, never the side, and we're a bit concerned they'll get in the way when you're holding the unit, as the sides are the favorite place for page turn buttons on other ebook readers.
The E1 has an SD card slot, a USB port, and a battery designed to last for 10,000 page turns, or about 34 weeks. We're not sure about ebook file format support as yet, but do know it will recognize MP3, OGC, and WMA audio files (most eReaders only do MP3 or perhaps AAC, so this is an improvement) as well as JPG and PNG graphics.
Connecting: There has been no mention of connectivity beyond the usual USB 2.0 cord in the initial press release, so we'll have to wait and see what Owen's approach will be to wireless connectivity.
Accessories: We have no word on future accessories for the Owen E1
Price: There is as yet no word when the E1 will debut or what the price will be, though it appears it will initially be a China-only distribution.
The Owen E1 shows yet another Chinese company entering the eReader market.
eBook Reader Basics