3 buttons, 3 million topics: Wikipedia in the palm of your hand. OpenMoko‘s $99 WikiReader arrives today, and could be useful for kids (or luddites), but it’s an odd little gadget in a world of 3G smartphones.
The WikiReader isn’t a connected device. Instead, Wikipedia comes on an SD card. You can pay $30 to have two updates sent out per year, or freely download a 4GB archive that’s specially tailored to the WikiReader’s screen. Speaking of which, the monochrome screen is touch-enabled and has a virtual keyboard for typed searches. It’s not-backlit, but 2xAAA batteries can power the device for several months.
The WikiReader also seems pretty well constructed. It has a scratch-resistant tempered glass screen, and a plastic case geared for durability. Fun fact: it was designed by Thomas Meyerhoffer, who used to work at Apple, helped design the Chumby, and makes surf boards that look like snowboards.
https://gizmodo.com/what-if-apple-and-chumby-designed-a-surfboard-5297581
But here’s the weirdest thing about the WikiReader: it can’t display images, monochrome or otherwise. I get that they want to maximize battery life and keep the SD card updates manageable, but really? That screams fail. [Wikireader via DVICE]
