BeBook 2 bites back at Kindle

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 9 Mar 2009 at 14:51

Endless Ideas has unveiled its second-generation eBook reader, complete with Wi-Fi, 3G and touchscreen.

The Dutch company was showing off an early prototype of the BeBook 2 at CeBIT, though it hopes to have a version on the market in the second half of 2009 as it seeks to take advantage of the Kindle's travel sickness.

Though technical details are still being finalised, Endless Ideas have clearly been focusing on the aesthetics, with the blocky edges of the original smoothed out, and the depressing grey case replaced with an alluring black effort.

This aesthetic rethink coupled with the BeBook's wide-ranging format support could make it a real contender for Amazon's juggernaut, though it will need to match the Kindle's superlative display, and possibly undercut it on price, to really challenge.

In a separate announcement, Endless Ideas has also revealed it will be releasing a Wi-Fi module for the original BeBook. The module will fit into the SD card slot and provide wireless access to eBook stores and RSS feeds.

The Wi-Fi module will be available in the next few months through the BeBook website for around $40.

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