Andre Yoskowitz
11 Aug 2010 14:51
After being shown off first at CES and given an April release date, Plastic Logic delayed their e-reader in March and then again in June frustrating would-be owners who pre-ordered as early as February.
In late June, the company cancelled all pre-orders, making it very clear that the company was in trouble.
Today, Plastic Logic has announced that they are completely canceling all plans for the Que, due to increased competition from Apple, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
"This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers," said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta of the decision.
"We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer makes sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product."
Differentiating the QUE from other e-reader was the fact it was aimed at the businessman demographic. The device would have retailed for $650 for the 4GB/Wi-Fi model and $800 for the 8GB/Wi-Fi/3G version. The Que featured a large 10.7-inch screen, and had built-in support for Microsoft Office documents as well as PDFs.
Over the months, while Plastic Logic kept delaying their product, Apple sold 3.3 million iPad tablets, and Amazon slashed the price of their popular Kindle device to $189, while releasing a Wi-Fi only Kindle for $139.
A first-gen e-reader from a nobody brand for $650 or a second-gen e-reader from one of the top e-tailers in the world for $139. You made the right decision here, Mr. Archuleta.