Sharp Announces 5.5-Inch And 10.8-Inch Android Tablets Called Galapagos

Sharp Inc. announced e-book reader with the name “Galapagos” in Tokyo yesterday. There are two versions: the smaller one, the “mobile type”, has a 5.5-inch LCD screen (1,024 × 600 resolution) that’s optimized for displaying paperback books (it will be available in red and black). It also comes with a trackball to scroll through pages.

The other model, the Galapagos “home type”, need you to turn pages just like you do on the iPad. It has a 10.8-inch LCD screen (1,366 × 800) for magazine content formatted across a two-page spread. By way of comparison: The iPad has a 9.7-inch LCD screen featuring 1,024×768 resolution.


Major Features :

• "Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service" for periodical publications, including newspapers and magazines. Content from the most recent editions can be read whenever desired.
• Users can receive and enjoy the most recent editions of newspapers and magazines, automatically delivered at a pre-arranged time. (Prior service registration subject to fees is required)
• The users can categorize and organize the downloaded content by categories, including "unread / recommended", "most recently read", "favorite", and "scheduled delivery".
• The free trial version of e-book content will be automatically delivered from the e-book store. Contents that the users find interesting can be purchased immediately.
• The downloaded content will be stored on an e-book, and users can enjoy the e-book content even in a place without wireless network services.
• Rich graphic capabilities and easy-to-use interface that give full consideration to the book culture of Japan.
• Complies with XMDF e-book format, to support Japanese expressions such as vertical writing and ruby. When users enlarged content on previous mobile terminals, the display needed to be scrolled to see the content fully. Content complying with XMDF format enables adapting to a change of font sizes without altering the content and picture layout.
• Evolution of the terminal devices with periodic software updates.
• Automatic software updates of the media tablet will enable users to enjoy not just XMDF format content, but other e-book content services also, including various software applications. Users can enjoy the evolution of terminal devices with periodic software updates.

Other Features :

• Track ball feature in the mobile type with 5.5-inch screen. Users can rotate the track ball like a PC mouse and can flip the pages with one hand.
• Sharp's e-book application software for PC "GALAPAGOS Station" enables users to organize downloaded content on PCs. Users can mark and add comments on the e-book content.
• PC data, including documents and maps, can be converted to XMDF format, and can be viewed on the media tablet.
• Web browser will display websites for PCs on a high resolution LCD screen.
• Pre-installed social network service application enables sharing readers' comments and e-book list with friends.

[Via crunchgear and ecoustic]