The Plastic Logic e-Reader has been many years in development and might finally see the light of day this November. It was originally slated to only cost 12,000 rubles, but has dramatically increased to almost 25,000.
The price may seem quite high for a device trying to launch in Russia, but keep in mind the screens are made in Dresden and the rest of the units are made in California. Once the Plastic Logic Plant opens up in Zelenograd the costs should be dramatically lower, due to less import costs.
Plastic Logic has originally intended on launching their reader in the USA and UK, where its roots are. Needless to say they did not have the type of money needed to launch an innovative reader to the masses. While companies making similar products, like the Skiff, were bought out by Newscorp, Plastic Logic was floundering into obscurity. It was resurrected by a 700 million dollar investment from the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation and started moves to build them in that country.
It has been a rough ride since 2008 when the Plastic Logic Que was first announced, and though the market has dramatically changed in the interim, there still might be room for them to compete in the education market.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
