| 1968 — | Newspad (vision), Arthur C. Clarke
Clarke, who may be best known as the science-fiction writer who predicted the age of communication satellites, anticipated the development of e-readers and electronic newspapers is his book and the classic movie titled “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The following passage from his book describes his vision that is quickly becoming reality: “When he [Dr. Heywood Floyd] tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized newspad into the ship’s information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world’s major electronic newspapers.” Note: “foolscap” refers to a traditional European paper size of 8½ by 13½ inches that preceded adoption of the modern international A4 paper size.
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| 1972 — | Dynabook (vision), Alan Kay, Xerox PARC
What Kay envisioned actually was a multipurpose notebook computer, not an e-reader. However, he did anticipate that it also would be used for reading digital editions of books and periodicals. |
| 1981 — | InfoScreen (vision), Roger Fidler, Knight-Ridder Inc.
Fidler predicted in an essay he wrote and illustrated for an APME special report that by the year 2000 nearly all newspapers would be online and that lightweight, magazine-size e-readers, which he then called InfoScreens, would be able to access and display interactive, multimedia newspapers. |
| 1991 — | Sony Bookman
This CD-ROM device with a small, low-res screen was modeled after the Sony Walkman CD-ROM music player. Unlike the Walkman, which once dominated the mobile music player market, the Bookman never caught on. |
| 1996 — | NewsPad (prototype), European collaborative project
This device was envisioned as a multimedia tablet computer that could be used to play video and animated news stories locally broadcast by newspapers. El Periódico de Catalunya, the largest newspaper in Barcelona, Spain, conducted pilot demonstrations. |
| 1998 — | Softbook by Softbook Press and Rocket eBook by NuvoMedia
These were the first true e-readers in the general consumer market. Both were confined to purchasing and downloading eBooks via telephone dial-up services from each enterprise’s online bookstore. |
| 2001 — | REB 1100 and REB 1200 by Gemstar
Gemstar LTD purchased the Softbook and Rocket eBook patents in 2000 and licensed RCA to re-manufacture the devices. The REB 1200, also sold as the GEM 2150, was the first e-reader to have a full-color display. |
| 2004 — | Sony Librié
This was the first e-reader to use the electronic paper display technology developed by E Ink Corporation. It was sold mostly in Japan. |
| 2006 — | iLiad Reader by iRex Technologies
The first commercial e-reader with an 8-inch electronic paper display. Sony Reader
Experience gained from the Librié led to the introduction of this e-reader for the international market.
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| 2007 — | Kindle by Amazon
This is the most successful e-reader in the U.S. market today. Cybook Gen3 by Bookeen
Similar to Sony Reader.
HanLin eReader by Tianjin Jinke Electronics
Similar to Sony Reader.
FLEPia by Fujitsu Frontech
This is the first e-reader with a color electronic paper display. Sales are currently limited for corporate field tests only.
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| 2008 — | Mentor eBook Reader by Astak
Introduced a line of e-readers in three sizes — 5-inch, 6-inch and 9.7-inch — at the IDPF trade show in New York on May 14. Readius by Polymer Vision
The first pocket-size e-reader with a roll-up electronic paper display. Polymer Vision has announced that it will begin selling the device in the United States in 2009.
Note: This is not intended to be a complete list of companies known to be developing or manufacturing e-readers.
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Re: Digital book readers - Kindle, BeBook, etc - Opinions please
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Originally Posted by MTStringer
BeBook Classic
Best ereader for: Those who primarily read blogs, newspapers, and magazines (and don’t mind paying for ease-of-use and thoroughness).
Best ereader for: Wealthy textbook or PDF readers.
Best ereader for: Readers who read a combination of books and magazines/blogs/newspapers. Non-U.S. readers. Mac/Linux users.
Best ereader for: Those who will never read a DRM book.
Newspaper publishers have long held an affinity for the concept of e-readers. In theory, the development and adoption of e-readers with a capacity to wirelessly access and display digital editions of newspapers would allow publishers to eliminate the production and distribution costs associated with their printed editions, which now account for more than half of most newspapers’ operating expenses.
That insight has not been lost on e-reader companies. Nearly all e-readers on the market today also can serve as music and audio book players, and several companies are planning to introduce e-readers that can function as mobile phones. The ability to communicate and listen to audio content might help to justify the cost of an e-reader, but most early adopters are likely to be serious readers who are attracted by the ability of these thin, lightweight devices to store a virtual library of books and periodicals that can be quickly accessed and comfortably read anytime, anywhere.
Kindle Daily Newspapers: Of the three leading e-readers in the market today, only the Amazon Kindle offers a selection of U.S. daily newspapers. As of early 2009, Kindle owners could subscribe to or purchase single copies of 34 newspapers — 24 of which are U.S. newspapers that include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. All are non-interactive, static snapshots of the newspapers’ editorial content delivered wirelessly once daily without advertising. The participating newspapers provide Amazon with their stories from a single edition, which Amazon automatically converts into its proprietary HTML-based, one-column format. (The Kindle does not support PDF.) 
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