Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.
Skip to Main ContentThe payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.
Re-activateThe ranks of e-book readers have shrunk by one—sort of.
Yesterday, Plastic Logic announced that it is canceling its e-reader, the Que proReader, which was announced three years ago but never made it to market.
When Electronics Editor Paul Reynolds saw the Que at the CES trade show earlier this year, he was impressed by the 10.4-inch screen but thought the steep price—starting at $649—might be too much for the average consumer. (See our video, "Que e-book reader at CES.")
The price seems even higher now, given the recent price cuts among the established brands (the now $189 Amazon Kindle, the $199 Barnes & Nobel Nook, and the Sony family of Readers, from $299 to $150). In the official company announcement, Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta said:
"We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product. This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers."
Archuleta, however, says that the company will continue to move forward with a "second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product." But no timetable was given in the official announcement—perhaps wisely so.
If you're shopping for an e-reader, your choices remain Amazon's Kindle, B&N's Nook, Sony's Readers, or lesser-known models from Aluratek, BeBook and iRex—for now.
Our lab technicians say Consumer Reports has a few new models—the Spring Design Alex, the Entourage eDGe and the WiFi-only version of the B&N Nook—under test and we'll soon update our Ratings of e-readers (available to subscribers). So, stay tuned!
In the meantime, what do you think? Are you disappointed by the stillbirth of the first-generation Que e-reader? Will Plastic Logic's next generation survive to see the light of day? Or are current e-readers—and developing e-book apps for tablets like the iPad—enough for consumers?
—Paul Eng
—Paul Eng
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience.
Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop
