Sharp enters into the e-reader market with Galapagos


Bangalore: Sharp has announced the launch of an e-book service and tablet-style computer dubbed Galapagos. The Galapagos reader will go on sale in December. Initially the company is planning to offer access to about 30,000 books, newspapers and magazines. It also plans to expand its offering to include movies, music and games next year. The new device has been designed specifically for the Japanese readers. The new features in Galapagos like 'Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service,' rich graphic capabilities, easy-to-use interface and terminal devices are designed to meet the need of its target audience. Content will be displayed in the XMDF e-book format. The two types of e-book readers are the mobile type and the home type. The mobile type has a 5.5-inch LCD screen and the home type features a 10.8-inch high resolution display. Both the devices have wireless LAN 802.11b/g capabilities. To view computer data such as documents and maps on the media tablet, users can convert it into XMDF format. They can also connect to friends and family with the help of the embedded social network service. Sharp is also considering launching the device overseas and reportedly is in negotiations with Verizon Communications of the United States, Masami Obatake, director in charge of the company's communications business.