SoftBook was one of the first commercialhandhelde-readers produced for readinge-books that released in 1998 by SoftBook Press, Inc. ofMenlo Park,California, US.[1]
The SoftBook, designed byIDEO andLunar Design,[2] featured a brownleather cover which flipped back to give the device a more book-like feel, and was notable for its large 6 × 8 inch (15.2 × 20.3 cm)touchscreen display which allowed you to navigate theHTML-based pages as well as highlight and draw simple notes on the pages. It could store approximately 1,500 pages (expandable up to 100,000), and claimed that therechargeable battery allowed up to 5 hours of reading time.
Use of the SoftBook did not require adesktop computer or anInternet service provider; it had anRJ11 telephone jack and internal 33.6 kbit/smodem to connect with the "SoftBookstore" todownload books. Publishers includedHarperCollins,McGraw-Hill,Simon & Schuster,Warner Books, and others, and subscriptions to periodicals such asNewsweek,Time, andThe Wall Street Journal were available (which could be downloaded automatically overnight if users kept the device plugged into a phone jack). Users could upload their own documents via SoftBook's Internetwebsite for downloading to their SoftBook.[3]
The SoftBook was the first device to comply with theOpen eBook specification, which was "based primarily on technology developed by SoftBook Press".[4]
Technical specifications printed on the back of the product box:
SoftBook utilized theUS 4597058 andUS 4725977 patents.
SoftBook Press, Inc. was founded by James Sachs and Tom Pomeroy in 1996,[5] and located at 1075 Curtis St., Menlo Park CA, 94025. Book conversion was managed byThe Lowe-Martin Group of Ottawa ON.[6]
In 2000, SoftBook Press was acquired byGemstar-TV Guide International, who also acquired its competitor,NuvoMedia (creator of theRocket eBook), and merged them into theGemstar eBook Group.[7]