Find eBook Readers Blog » Plastic Logic eBook Reader

Two more epaper technologies fail

Richard — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:08:32 +0000

Plastic Logic, whose large format flexible screened Que ereader made a big splash at CES 2010 before being canceled after the launch of the first iPad, and who most recently had an educational ereader using its novel plastic electronics in trials at a few Russian schools, has abandoned plans to manufacture its own ereader and will instead focus on licensing its technology out to others. Plastic Logic had just unveiled a new color epaper it had developed, but which now may well never see the light of day. (Via Financial Times)

Now comes word (via DigiTimes) that Delta Electronics and Bridgestone have given up on producing their much delayed QR-LPD color epaper. Delta had already said some time ago that it had suspended plans for releasing an ereader based on the color epaper created by Bridgestone, but would continue conducting R&D on the technology. Reasons cited include the much lower price of LCD displays and the fierce competition between devices.

The ready adoption of LCD displays by consumers has torpedoed the development of non-backlit color displays and flexible screen technology. These technologies are very expensive to develop and devices using them are seemingly impossible to deliver to market at a price that is competitive with LCD. Sure, there are users who really, really want a good reflective color display – but apparently not enough of them who are willing to pay the higher price to support such devices. I’m guessing that the only way we will see an ereader with color epaper hit the market and have a chance of success is if Amazon or another content-centric company releases it at near or below cost.

Samsung supposedly will put the electrowetting display technology it acquired from Liquavista into production next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns into a no-show as well, but my fingers remain crossed.

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Plastic Logic launches new ereader for Russian educational market

Richard — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:48:51 +0000

Plastic Logic has launched a new ereader designed for use in schools. Like the Que, Plastic Logic’s original ereader that was cancelled just after the iPad launched, the new Plastic Logic 100 utilizes a lightweight and shatterproof plastic display.

The Plastic Logic 100 features a large 10.7-inch screen that is designed to display digital textbooks full-size. The company is one vendor candidate that will be participating in a trial etextbook program set up by the Russian government that will be running in selected Russian school systems.

Plastic Logic is now taking orders for the new ereader and expects to start shipping later this month. The Plastic Logic 100 is so far only available in Russia, where it is priced at 12,000 rubles (just under $400 USD).

Some of the features of the Plastic Logic 100:

10.7-inch PlasticPaper display; touchscreen.
Study tools include annotations and note taking.
Resolution: 1280 x 960; 150ppi.
Dimensions: 216 x 280 x 7.65 mm (8.5 x 11 x .3 inches); weighs 475g (16.75 ounces).
CPU: 800Mhz.
Operating system: WinCE.
Memory: 4GB.
Battery life is said to be about a week.
Micro USB port.

* * *

Last week Richard Archuleta stepped down as CEO of Plastic Logic; a position he held for four years. His replacement is Indro Mukerjee, whose resume includes a stint as CEO of C-MAC MicroTechnology and a number of executive positions at Philips Semiconductors BV.

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Plastic Logic gets $700m investment

Richard — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:42:40 +0000

In what the WSJ describes as one of the world’s largest venture capital investments, a Rusnano-led consortium of investors will invest $700 million in Plastic Logic, Inc. and its plastic electronics technology.

Rusnano managing director Georgy Kolpachev said, “This investment signifies the potential that we see in the future of plastic electronics across a variety of commercial and consumer products.

“Flexible plastic electronic displays will provide another major milestone in how people process information. Entering this new disruptive segment at the stage of its inception gives Russia a chance to win a leading position in global market of future electronics.”

A plastic electronics fabrication facility will be built near Moscow that is expected to start production in two to three years. Part of the money will also be used to pay off a $50 million loan left from Plastic Logic’s failed launch of the Que ereader in early 2010.

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Plastic Logic and Rusnano to make plastic ereader displays

Richard — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:44:28 +0000

The FT is reporting that Rusnano has approved plans and funding for a joint project with Plastic Logic to produce plastic ereader displays. The plastic displays will be produced in Russia and then will be sent to Taiwan for assembly into ereaders, which will be sold in the US and Russia. The project is expected to begin in December.

Let us hope that the price of any ereader incorporating this screen is lower than that of the cancelled Que ereader.

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Plastic Logic and RUSNANO announce new plastic electronics production facility in Russia

Richard — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:06:46 +0000

Although the plastics electronics technology developed by Plastic Logic has many potential uses, it appears that the company still has plans to use it in an ereader aimed at business use. Plastic Logic’s Que ereader was cancelled after making a big splash at CES 2010 when the iPad made an even bigger splash. From the press release (the bolding is mine):

Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies and Plastic Logic Inc. today announced they have entered into an agreement to create Plastic Logic’s second volume production facility for its next-generation plastic electronic displays and establish a plastic electronics industry in Russia. Under the terms of agreement RUSNANO intends to make a significant investment in the company, which is the global leader in the emerging field of plastic electronics, as part of a large-scale investment project.

Plastic Logic said it will continue to house its core R&D facility in Cambridge, England, as well as maintain its commercial factory in Dresden, Germany and corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Plastic Logic has developed broad and deep intellectual property in plastic electronics. Plastic electronics technology has many economic, manufacturing, form factor and environmental benefits, and will ultimately replace traditional silicon semiconductor glass-based display products in a variety of devices in the future. Plastic Logic’s first application of the technology makes possible an amazingly thin, lightweight, robust and flexible active matrix display that is unmatched in the marketplace. The display is at the core of Plastic Logic’s first commercial consumer electronics product, a next-generation electronic reader for business that is currently under development.

“The production facility for the next generation of plastic displays will become the first step to establish the new branch of a electronics industry in Russia. By the time of the launch, the Russian facility will be the world’s most advanced fabrication plant in the plastic electronics industry,” said RUSNANO Managing Director Georgy Kolpachev.

Founded in 2000 by researchers from the Cambridge University Cavendish Laboratory in the UK, Plastic Logic opened its first high-volume, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany in 2008, where it will continue with production of the company’s first commercial product.

“RUSNANO’s investment will enable us to dramatically expand operations in support of volume production of our next-generation products, and to continue to advance our technology platform to deliver on our broader long-term vision,” said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta.

“As a global company, we evaluated multiple countries for our expansion efforts and ultimately Russia offered the best strategic partnership opportunity,” added Plastic Logic’s CFO Rik Thorbecke. “Russia provides access to an enormous talent pool of scientists and engineers, and proximity to our European centers in Cambridge and Dresden. We have been very impressed with the caliber of the RUSNANO organization and, most importantly, its commitment to undertake the significant investment required to build a world-class volume production center capable of producing hundreds of thousands of units a month.”

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Plastic Logic Que eReader Officially Dead

Richard — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:21:21 +0000

Plastic Logic released a press release today in which the Que ereader is officially pronounced DBA (dead before arrival):

Plastic Logic today announced it is revising its product strategy and plans to shift its focus to bring to market a second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product. The company said it has cancelled its QUE product, which it debuted at CES in January 2010 and planned to ship earlier this year.

"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," said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta. "This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers."

Archuleta indicates that Plastic Logic has not completely given up on plans to release an ereader at some point:

"We plan to take the necessary time needed to re-enter the market as we refocus, redesign and retool for our next generation ProReader product. We continue to perfect our core plastic electronic technology and manufacturing processes that are central to our product’s unique value proposition.

I reported yesterday that it looked as though Plastic Logic was in the process of being becoming part of Rusnano, a Russian state-owned nanotechnology corporation. I would think that Rusnano is more interested in Plastic Logic’s plastic electronics technology than in making an ereader. This technology has the potential to revolutionize electronics:

"We remain the industry’s leader in the development of plastic electronics technology for commercial purposes and are continuing to actively advance this technology in our labs and in our manufacturing facility."

Plastic electronics technology has many economic, manufacturing, form factor and environmental benefits, assuring that it will replace silicon in a variety of devices in the future. The technology makes possible an amazingly thin, lightweight, more robust mobile form factor that the QUE illustrated – and remains unmatched in the marketplace of traditional silicon semiconductor glass-based display products.

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Plastic Logic News

Richard — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:05:59 +0000

The Financial Times is reporting that Plastic Logic is in “advanced talks” with Rusnano – a Russian state-owned nanotechnology corporation. The most likely outcome, providing that the negotiations are successful, will be an injection of cash by Rusnano, which will then control the company. Another likely outcome will be that future Plastic Logic production facilities will be built in Russia.

While it is very doubtful that we will ever see the Que ereader released, Plastic Logic’s plastic chip technology could prove to be very important if further developed.

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Plastic Logic Que Delayed Again

Richard — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:19:54 +0000

Plastic Logic’s Que – probably the longest hyped ereader to never make it to market so far – has suffered another setback. Already delayed pre-order shipments were supposed to go out this week, but instead of a shipping notice customers got an email from Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta informing them that the Que has been delayed yet again and that their pre-orders have been canceled.

This is just another delay according to Plastic Logic, but I would not get my hopes up. In an iPad world with both the Kindle and nook priced below $200 it is hard to see where the $650 Que can fit in and sell enough units to be even close to profitable.

The Que might have been a contender if released eight months ago, but it has just taken Plastic Logic too long to get their ereader finished and into consumer’s hands and the marketplace has passed them by.

(via eWeek)

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Plastic Logic Not for Sale; Que to Ship in June

Richard — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:31:44 +0000

CNET News reports that Plastic Logic is not for sale after all. Investor Hermann Hauser, who was interviewed for a recent Financial Times article says that his comments were taken out of context.

"My comments were taken out of context. I was talking about partnerships we are working on, the value of Plastic Logic technology and its potential for the future–not a sale of the company. The company is not for sale.

Engadget reports that Plastic Logic expects to ship the Que ereader around June 24th according to an email sent by the company to a customer with a pre-order.

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Plastic Logic to be Sold?

Richard — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:30:59 +0000

The Financial Times has an interview with one of the founders of Amadeus Capital Partners, which is a venture capital firm that has invested in Plastic Logic. The interview intimates that Plastic Logic is currently in negotiations with a buyer. Plastic Logic might be of interest to potential buyers more for the plastic chip technology behind the Que ereader rather than solely as an ereader business.

The launch of Plastic Logic’s Que ereader has been delayed until the summer of 2010.

Update: Engadget reports that investor Hermann Hauser who was interviewed for the FT article has denied that Plastic Logic is for sale and that his comments were taken out of context.