Intel eBook Reader Review
Jan 21st, 2010 by Kenny
The god father of the electronic devices -Intel has come out with digital E book reader. Positioned as a text to speech reader, this electronic reader is being touted as a reader targeted to help handicapped who cannot read because of their reading disability.
With portable text to speech Intel reader the company is foraying into niche tech gadgets markets. Priced at $1500 the Intel reader is pegged in a premium price range segment. But the price rationale fits well with the fact that traditional braille readers cost $10,000.
A built in digital camera scans the printed text- converts it into digital text and reads out aloud at a speed of 120 to 250 words per minute. The reader stores the text in the form of a digital e book. The portable text to speech reader comes with a manual in Braille notation and tutorial audio CD to assist visually impaired to read without any additional help.
US $957.99
This device comes with an Intel Portable capture station via which the users can digitize large amounts of text at one go and read it later.
The device has a screen size of 4.3” and has a 5 mega pixel camera placed at its bottom edge, this feature allows users to custom scan the printed text. The device has mini USB and custom USB ports that allows the users to transfer data from their PCs.
Intel text to speech reader gives ample opportunities to the user to customize the settings. The device can be adjusted to read out the menu items such as settings, help, shoot mode and library. The users can adjust the font and picture size and even the reading speed.
The reader can play text transferred from PC’s and users can have fun creating their own audio books. The device can also double up as MP3 player.
The Intel reader operates on Intel’s Linux based moblin operating system. With a large memory size of 2 GB, the device can store up to 500,000 text only pages and 600 pages of scanned text.
The users can also attach a key board, mouse and external drive to the reader to increase the ease of use.
Powered by a rechargeable and replaceable 6 cell lithium-ion 3300 mAh battery, which has a charging time of 150 minutes, the Intel reader can :
- Play up to four hours of music or text to speech
- Scan and process more than 85 graphic images of printed text
- The device can remain in standby for move than 120 hours.
Within a short period of time Intel text to speech reader is being endorsed by several humanitarian organizations owing to its immense use to the visually impaired. However, the device does come with some limitations such as it cannot read street signs and certain newspaper layouts, does not recognize handwriting, it does not support PDF and e pub formats and is available only through select outlets in United States.
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