State of the Art
Don’t Quit That Kindle Just Yet

Illustration byStuart Goldenberg

One step beyond the Kindle, the new, smaller Cool-er book reader has a removable battery, and one charge is good for 8,000 page turns. What could be wrong?'

By DAVID POGUE
Published: May 27, 2009, New York Times

So often in life, reality doesn’t live up to the marketing; the fine print gets you every time. Vacation resort brochures always show the beaches and pools gleaming, well-lighted and completely empty. Movie trailers harvest 45 seconds of hilarity from even the biggest duds. And as for online dating profiles — well, you know.

Likewise, when you hear the description for the new Cool-er e-book reader ($250), from a British company called Interead, you have to sit up and take notice. It’s supposed to be just like the Amazon Kindle, but smaller, lighter, thinner and $110 less expensive. (The name Cool-er comes from “Cool E-book Reader.”)

The Cool-er has enough memory to hold 700 books, but its memory-card slot can accommodate 2,800 more books, which should just about cover your next flight.
Unlike the current Kindle, the Cool-er has a removable battery. The company says that it will offer additional batteries for $5. And one charge is good for 8,000 page turns, which is more than the Kindle or the Sony Reader.

Read the full piece at the NYT online.