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Franklin to offer $50 readers next year

© Richard Loeffler

Franklin, the manufacturer of the Franklin eBookman, has reduced its worldwide workforce by 15%. It reports negative sales of $1.1 million in the second quarter for eBookman.

This week Franklin has teamed up with MobiPocket. CEO Barry Lipsky says that MobiPocket e-bookreader gives publishers easy access to a large market comfortable with handheld devices. Franklin has been selling digital reference content on handheld devices to lawyers, doctors and other professionals since the 1980s, will be releasing a new series of reading devices some time in 2002 priced around $50. The devices will be smaller and less expensive than the eBookman. The company hopes to offer them for sale in bookstores as opposed to electronic stores.

Most e-publishing observers believe that the e-book market will be driven by low cost multi-use handheld devices, compatible e-book formats, and the convenience of using digital content.

The Center for eBook Information is lauching the "Open an eBook" Campaign to promote literacy, accessibility and enhanced reading. The theme will be "Open an eBook...Discover New Worlds of Reading" The campaign is led by the Open eBook Forum and will be supported by leading eBook technology vendors, publishers, authors, libraries and educators. Key sponsors will be Adobe Systems, InterTrust Technologies Corporation and Microsoft Corporation. The key messages of the campaign will be: · Open an eBook to advance literacy · Open an eBook to provide access to more books for people with print disabilities · Open an eBook to enhance reading with interactivity and extend beyond the book · Open an eBook to provide portability and mobility of content · Open an eBook to encourage reading programs for education and learning · Open an eBook to expand the joy of reading

Under the campaign will be the announcement of a free eBookstore for young readers. The Open an eBook Web site will be the main vehicle for distribution of information about the campaign and will include public announcements, campaign updates, downloadable logos and other tools, as well as opportunities to share information and provide feedback. (http://www.openanebook.org)

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