IREX said its DR800SG model is designed to accept any e-book DRM protocol and file format, including Adobe PDF, EPUB, NewspaperDirect, Fictionwise and text. The goal is to enable users to purchase and display books, newspapers and magazines from any source.

"Consumers are ready for e-readers, but the device is only one piece of the equation," said Kevin Hamilton, North American CEO of IREX. "Users want to easily purchase content from a variety of sources, and we allow them to read it on an IREX e-reader as well as other devices."

Native Font Support

IREX announced last month that Barnes & Noble will be the primary bookseller on the new device. On Wednesday, the company said it has also made deals with newspaper and magazine aggregators NewspapersDirect and LibreDigital that will give IREX DR800SG users access to many periodicals.

Gartner Vice President Allen Weiner noted that the decision to partner with Barnes & Noble is a pragmatic one from a business standpoint, given the book retailer's name recognition and reach. "With multiformat support, however, it does not box consumers into a one-channel e-book purchasing choice, ala Amazon," he said.

Weiner also thinks that giving consumers the freedom to purchase content from a variety of sources will be a major driver for success in the digital publishing market. "Sleek devices with consumer-friendly features -- including the capability to purchase content on the go -- that support open e-book standards will introduce the e-book experience to an entirely new generation of readers," Weiner said.

From a features perspective, the DR800SG is comparable to the forthcoming Sony Daily Edition. Wireless access to content is included in the cost of the two devices, which will both retail at $399 price points.

Perhaps the best feature sported by the new IREX device is its ability to support native fonts and more flexible formatting, observed Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. This "will make newspapers and magazines look a lot better than they do on the Kindle DX," she said. (continued...)

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