Now Bundled With MobiPocket Reader, Bringing Over 4,000 eBook Additional
Titles to the Award-Winning Multimedia Content Player
BURLINGTON, N.J., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Franklin Electronic Publishers
(Amex: FEP), the leading worldwide provider of handheld electronic books,
today announced a major software release for its award-winning multimedia
content device, eBookMan. The software release provides users with several
important new features and enhancements to the device, including an updated
operating system (OS), Desktop Manager (DTM), and new memory storage,
application and audio capabilities. A key element of this software release is
the inclusion of the award-winning MobiPocket Reader, for reading eBooks
downloaded from the web, and MobiPocket Web Companion, an automated tool that
allows users to take favorite online news sources on the go.
"By design eBookMan can support multiple eBook formats and we will
continue to work with our partners to develop the tools and provide the
content customers want," said Barry Lipsky, Franklin's president and chief
executive officer. "With the addition of the more than 4,000 titles available
for Mobireader, Franklin now provides eBookMan users the most comprehensive
eBook library currently available for any handheld. Together Franklin and
MobiPocket are working with several major publishers to make more content
available for eBookMan everyday."
The new software for eBookMan has been compressed to give the end user
more storage space for content, applications, and data. Consumers can store
any content they choose on the device or on optional Multimedia Card (MMC) and
can run applications directly from the MMC. The "backward compatible" OS will
run older versions of applications and content and allows users to back-up
their entire device contents onto an optional MMC card. As protection from
power failure, the "MMC Back-Up" tool can completely restore the system and
saved content by simply inserting the back-up MMC card.
Franklin announced that its collaboration on a version of Microsoft Reader
for use on eBookMan models would not be continued.
Franklin has expanded its relationship with MobiPocket and is now bundling
the award-winning MobiPocket Reader and Web Companion with eBookMan software.
MobiPocket recently won the "Technical Achievement Award for Best eBook
Technology" at the Frankfurt eBook Awards (FeBA) in Frankfurt, Germany and
currently brings more than 4,000 new titles to the eBookMan platform. The
FeBA was established to promote the excellence in the emerging eBook market.
The Technical Achievement Award is given annually to the best Technical
(hardware or software) enhancements in the presentation and functionality of
content for eBooks. Franklin's eBookMan won the award in 2000.
The latest version of MobiPocket Reader has been enhanced specifically for
eBookMan and provides an ever-expanding wealth of available titles from
today's major trade publishers. MobiPocket Reader also provides the ability
to read eBooks published in Palm document (Aportis doc) format. In addition,
MobiPocket Reader is capable of reading .prc, .txt, .htm, .html, and .pdb
files. The Reader is available in all of the languages supported by eBookMan,
Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. MobiPocket Web Companion allows
eBookMan users to access online eNews/Periodicals and take their favorite
sources with them by downloading content from popular websites like Bloomberg,
C/Net, USA Today, Newsweek and The Sporting News. A significant milestone in
eBookMan's improved content and application capability is the inclusion of the
award-winning MobiPocket Reader and Web Companion.
A helpful addition to the installation and set-up of eBookMan is the
inclusion of a "Virtual Tour." The Virtual Tour provides the user a quick
glance at some of the key product features and offers a step-by-step
introduction on how to use them. Franklin's proprietary eBook reader, the
Franklin Reader v1.5, is also improved and now supports eBooks with images.
Readers will appreciate the convenience of underlined hyperlinks, the ability
to switch between eBooks and the "Go to" menu, and the improved alpha-search
capability.
Additional upgrades to eBookMan include a friendlier Desktop Manager that
allows the user to perform multiple file selection using a standard
"shift-click" and "control click" method to transfer data and content between
the eBookMan RAM or MMC and the DTM. A new audio format enhances overall
music sound quality and reduced file size of high-bit rate MP3 files (96 KBps
and above). Voice Memo sound quality is also enhanced with a new automatic
gain control (AGC) to prevent overload and produce a consistent recording
volume.
To learn more about the new eBookMan with version 2.0 OS, please visit the
Franklin website at http://www.franklin.com.
About eBookMan
eBookMan(R) is a multimedia content player offering mass-market audiences
a robust feature set and an optimal display screen at an affordable price.
All three eBookMan(R) models have a large 240 x 200 pixel LCD that displays
87 percent more information than a typical handheld. Each model gives
consumers a vehicle to download thousands of electronic books, audio books and
musical works, to synchronize between users' personal information manager
programs and Microsoft(R) Outlook(R), to record and play voice memos and to
write notes easily with natural handwriting recognition. Franklin's open but
secure architecture also enables publishers and developers to offer more
titles in a protected environment.
About Franklin
Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. (Amex: FEP), the worldwide market
leader in handheld electronic books, is the designer and distributor of the
award-winning multimedia eBookMan(R) platform. The Company is the exclusive
producer and distributor of the ROLODEX(R) Electronics brand of personal
information management products. Franklin has sold more than 25,000,000
electronic books and currently publishes more than 200 titles, including
dictionaries and bilingual dictionaries; encyclopedias; Bibles; entertainment
titles; education and tutorial publications; and medical reference works.
Franklin products, available in sixteen languages, are sold in 45,000 retail
outlets worldwide, through catalogs and on line at franklin.com. The Company
has sales and distribution subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, the Benelux countries, Canada, Australia and Mexico, and production
management offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
ROLODEX(R) is a registered trademark of Berol Corporation, a subsidiary of
Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.
About MobiPocket
MobiPocket is the only software and technology company that enables the
reading and secured distribution of electronic text, across all existing OS
platforms. MobiPocket is also engaged in the online distribution of eBooks
and of e-content software through its own website. The Company, founded in
March 2000, is headquartered in Paris, France, and is partially financed by
Viventures. Since its ignition, the Company has significantly leveraged
content synergies with VU, establishing a core partnership with Vivendi
Universal Publishing. In addition, the MobiPocket software package, developed
internally, can be customized to meet clients' needs in a timely manner.
Special features may include wireless Internet access to content, sub-pixel
rendering to enhance the reading experience, or supporting multimedia
features.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters
discussed throughout this release, including, but not limited to, those that
are stated as Franklin's belief or expectation or preceded by the word
"should" are forward-looking statements that involve risks to and
uncertainties in Franklin's business, including, among other things, the
timely availability and acceptance of new electronic books and organizers,
changes in technology, the impact of competitive electronic products, the
management of inventories, Franklin's dependence on third-party component
suppliers and manufacturers, including those that provide Franklin-specific
parts, and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to
time in Franklin's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.franklin.com
CONTACT:
Chris Strano, Director of Marketing of
Franklin Electronic Publishers, +1-609-386-2500, x6110
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