Plastic Logic debuted the first e-reader designed for the business user, the QUE proReader.  Let’s take a look at QUE’s (pronounced Q) hardware specs:

-8.5 x 11 inch form factor

-10.7 inch shatterproof plastic touchscreen

-WiFi and 3G (via AT&T)

-o.33 inches thick

-Available in 4GB & 8GB versions

The functionality is the where the business users will see their most important features.  The QUE will give people access to their presentations, documents, and e-mails.  Of course, there will also be access to top magazines, books, and newspapers.  Several big publications will work to optimize their content for the QUE. 

Check out this list:  the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Huffington Post and The Sporting News Today, Barron’s, Fast Company, Forbes,  USA TODAY, the Financial Times, Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, MIT’s Technology Review, Popular Science, and IDG publication titles, including Macworld, PC World, CIO, Network World, and Computerworld.

The most interesting development is that Plastic Logic is partnering with Good Technology to develop QUE mail and QUE calendar.  This will enable mobile professionals to have email and calendar updates from a broad range of popular email and calendaring services, including Yahoo!, Google, Windows Live, and Microsoft Exchange, automatically pushed directly to their QUE devices over WiFi and 3G networks.  Plastic Logic plans to have these ready to go by fall of 2010.

Pricing is where I see a possible issue:  4GB is $649, and the 8GB is $799.  You can currently pre-order the QUE at the QUE store, and later on from Barnes & Noble.  That is a big price tag.  With the new netbook/e-readers arriving, will you really want to shell out this kind of money when you get something with the same functionality for $200 less.  All of the publications are nice as well, but I can’t imagine those papers and magazines will limit themselves to one format.  It wouldn’t make sense with all the Kindles and iPhones in the world.  I’ll be curious to see how this works out.

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