Barnes & Noble Plans Own Brand of E-Reader
Barnes & Noble Inc. (B) plans to announce its own brand of e-book reader and could begin selling the device as soon as next month, according to people briefed on the matter. The device is expected to feature a six-inch screen from digital-paper maker E-Ink Corp. with touch input and a virtual keyboard, like the one used on Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone. The Barnes & Noble device is expected to also use a wireless connection to download books from the online e-book store that the books retailer unveiled in July, those people said. It’s unclear how much Barnes & Noble would charge for the device. Products with similar features sold by Sony Corp. (SNE) and Irex Technologies BV retail for $399.
