New to the e-reader market is newly released KeyReader from wireless hotspot provider (and one of the three Wireless@SG providers) iCell. Competing with Kindle, Nook and the Sony Reader might seem to be a tough thing to do, but KeyReader is focusing on local content.
Content Offerings of KeyReader
The first in its offering is over 900K digital books from National Library Board (NLB)’s digital library. According to The Straits Times, iCell is also discussing with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) the possibility of making available the content from SPH’s Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, and its search engine Rednano.
NLB Digital Library Ebooks
The benefit of the KeyReader over competing e-readers is that the former allows Singapore users to download NLB’s ebooks wirelessly. These ebooks can already be downloaded on computers by any Singaporean/PR/Foreign with FIN user who has an NLB Digital account, but are subjected to the “borrowing” system as per library standard. This means that you have to “reserve” a book if all the digital copies have been loaned out.
If you are a foreigner without a FIN, you will not be able to access this digital library.
It does seems like the availability and access limits of these ebooks on the KeyReader will be a little different: being able to keep downloaded books, except for some that will only be available for 21 days due to digital rights management issues.
KeyReader vs Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader
If you have been fed up with the inability to download books wirelessly on other e-readers in Singapore (here, here, here), KeyReader’s capability to do so (of course, since it was developed by a wireless service provider) might be attractive to you.
But even if you can do so, what is the point if you cannot have books you want? The NLB digital library is quite limited. Popular books like The Da Vinci Code cannot be found; Malcolm Gladwell’s books are available, but most are in audiobook format, only Blink! is in text form.
“Coming To A Store Near You”
The KeyReader will be priced between SDG 399-499, and will be available from end-March onwards online as well as at selected retail outlets.
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