hiebook Released and Shipping

By Planet eBook Editor
October 14, 2001

The latest handheld device with support for ebooks -- the hiebook -- has been released by Korea eBook and according to eBookHome it is now being sent to customers who pre-ordered through its store. Additionally, the US and Canadian retail distributor, eBookAd, is offering for free download the hiebook Reader and HiBuilder software for reading and building eBooks.

Unlike the REB and Rocket devices, the hiebook device is a mid-range price, multi-purpose device that includes personal organizing functionality, as well as features for audio input/output, handwriting recognition, games, eBook reading software and playing MP3s.

The device features, backlighting, screen rotation, bookmarks, notes, underlining, drawing, search, hyperlinks, page navigation and footnotes, and allows the user to read his or her own content by converting it using HiBuilder.

Coming support for PDF files?

It is possible PDF files will be supported in the future. According to the hiebook FAQs, "When we release our programming SDK later this year, it is very likely that a third party will develop a PDF viewer for hiebook. The hardware is certainly capable of rendering PDF files."