ASUS DR-900 E-Reader Officially Revealed

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ASUS has revealed a new, 9-inch ebook reader device at CeBIT 2010 to compete with the Amazon Kindle and other large-format e-reader devices.  The ASUS DR-900 E-Reader is a near feature match for the Amazon Kindle DX, sharing similar size, hardware and connectivity options.

The new ASUS DR-900 E-Reader includes a 9-inch e-ink display, similar button-style navigation to the Amazon Kindle DX, standard WiFi connectivity and an option for a 3G-equipped model.  Like other e-ink ebook readers, the ASUS DR-900 sips power, lasting long enough for 10,000 page turns on a single charge.  The screen itself features a 1024 x 768 resolution, with software capable of displaying ebooks and other documents in PDF, ePub and HTML file formats.  The new DR-900 has been hinted to also carry text-to-speech capability and RSS, but ASUS’ press release left a bit to be desired on the stat front.  The rest of the DR-900 hardware includes a USB connection, a 3.5mm audio jack, storage options of either 2GB or 4GB and an SD card slot.

The drawback to the ASUS DR-900, at least at present, is the lack of a content partnership like what Amazon boasts with its Kindle.  What good is an ebook reader without books?  Expect ASUS and other third party e-reader manufacturers to address this in the coming months, with more news of open platform ebook retailers and related news.