Destined to be the perennial show floor demo but never the shipped product, Netronix's 13.3" Android-powered writing slate made another public appearance this week in Taipei.
Charbax caught up with Netronix at Computex a few days ago and shot a video of the latest pre-production model. Like the one I saw at CES 2015, this device is based on a 13.3" Mobius screen (1600 x 1200 resolution). It has a dual touchscreen (capacitive and electromagnetic stylus) and runs Android 4.0.
It's a nifty device and it would make a great competitor to the DPt-S1 from Sony, but as I pointed out before this device is no where close to landing on a store shelf. Netronix needs a customer before they can start production, and with a cost of over $600 per unit and a MoQ of 1,000, we're looking at close to a million dollar investment.
Only a company like Sony, which cares as much about flagship products as profitable ones, can afford that kind of a boondoggle.
Netronix 13.3" eReader Specs
- Screen: 13.3" Mobius E-ink
- Resolution: 1200 x 1600
- Touchscreen: Capacitive, electromagnetic stylus
- OS: Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Formats supported: JPG, PNG, PDF, ePub, MOBI, FB2, HTML, TXT, RTF, Doc.
- Print documents from your PC to Notepad
- MicroSD card slot
- Battery: 1.5 Ah Li-polymer
- Connectivity: Wifi
- Dimensions: 310 mm x 233 mm x 6.6 mm
- Weight: approximately 400 grams
Kickstarter?
We’d have to raise a million dollars. Do you think that could be done?
Since a prototype device does already exist, I don’t understand how there can be a minimum order quantity of 1000 units. Wouldn’t it be feasible to simply increase the price per unit to lower the MOQ? I don’t see the problem with individually hand-assembled units that would cost 200 dollars more. These are prices for early adopters anyway.
Sony managed to find buyers at double that 600 dollars for a seriously functionality-limited product. If this comes with an open Android, programmable for hackers, there might be enough interest from the croud.
Netronix not being a bloody amateur in the business also means low risk for potential buyers. What am I missing?
You haven’t worked in anything related to mass production environment, have you?
To build a prototype and to mass produce something is vastly different, it’s not just about “individually hand-assembled” (I assume you meant that mass production = handle by robot). Think about the logistics, purchasing, stocking, etc… It’s simply not workable for a design-oriented company to do it.
BTW, for a thousand units I’m sure it will still be assembled by hand, let’s talk about hundreds of thousands of units before thinking having it assembled by robots”. Heck, Foxconn is still using manual labour to assemble millions of iPhones each year!
I don’t know why you’re lecturing me; I don’t see how you’re disproving anything I wrote in the post.
I was not responding to you, sorry.
For instance, please go for Kickstarter, I may jump in if the price is indeed 600USD.
The software is really crude though, at least from the video. I’d worry about aftersales support. The hardware looks okay.
This is a reply to you. : )
Also, with Sony at just $799. If they figure out EPUB support, this will be DOA.
many Kickstarter projects have raised several millions and with crappier products. Go for kickstarter! Besides, you put a minimum of units. If that minimum isn’t met, you simply don’t do it. It’s a win-win situation for you. Besides, you will raise way more.
Pitch it clearly as an e-ink monitor. Include the tested functionality out of the box. This will multiply sales. People with sore eyes are crying out for an e-ink monitor.
The world is screaming out for this product every school , every work place and every person that reads a newspaper or book would use this i are very interest to invest in this technology if it can be manufactured and sold at a realistic price there is no reason why
this wouldn’t sell as many units per year as apples ipad please let me know if you are looking for investors
sir,
Do you design and develop customized version of tablet pc with e ink display , freescale processor, 8 mp camera, finger print scanner, 12.1 inch display, barcode reader, . what is the design and development cost for this specification . thank you
I am a journalist, not a product designer, sorry.
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