Franklin eBookMan and Microsoft Reader Collaboration Ends

Franklin Announces OS Update, Mobipocket Reader Integration and Price Drops

By Planet eBook Editor
October 25, 2001

In a couple of press releases this week Franklin has announced a major update to the eBookMan operating system, price drops for all its devices, and that it will not be integrating a version of Microsoft Reader into the eBookMan device.

The news on Microsoft Reader, which many people have been speculating about for quite a while, appeared towards the end of Franklin's announcement, stating that "its collaboration on a version of Microsoft Reader for use on eBookMan models would not be continued."

The software changes for eBookMan include an updated operating system and desktop manager, but the major new release is the inclusion of the award-winning MobiPocket Reader. The inclusion means eBookMan users gain access to more than 4,000 more titles. The Mobipocket Reader now works on all popular PDAs, including those running PalmOS, WindowsCE /Pocket PC, Franklin eBookman and Epoc32.

See press releases below for full details.

Press Release

Franklin Releases New Software for eBookMan Line

Now Bundled With MobiPocket Reader, Bringing Over 4,000 eBook Additional Titles to the Award-Winning Multimedia Content Player

October 23, 2001

BURLINGTON, N.J.—Franklin Electronic Publishers, the leading worldwide provider of handheld electronic books, today announced a major software release for its award-winning multimedia content device, eBookMan. The software release provides users with several important new features and enhancements to the device, including an updated operating system (OS), Desktop Manager (DTM), and new memory storage, application and audio capabilities. A key element of this software release is the inclusion of the award-winning MobiPocket Reader, for reading eBooks downloaded from the web, and MobiPocket Web Companion, an automated tool that allows users to take favorite online news sources on the go.

"By design eBookMan can support multiple eBook formats and we will continue to work with our partners to develop the tools and provide the content customers want," said Barry Lipsky, Franklin's president and chief executive officer. "With the addition of the more than 4,000 titles available for Mobireader, Franklin now provides eBookMan users the most comprehensive eBook library currently available for any handheld. Together Franklin and MobiPocket are working with several major publishers to make more content available for eBookMan everyday."

The new software for eBookMan has been compressed to give the end user more storage space for content, applications, and data. Consumers can store any content they choose on the device or on optional Multimedia Card (MMC) and can run applications directly from the MMC. The "backward compatible" OS will run older versions of applications and content and allows users to back-up their entire device contents onto an optional MMC card. As protection from power failure, the "MMC Back-Up" tool can completely restore the system and saved content by simply inserting the back-up MMC card.

Franklin announced that its collaboration on a version of Microsoft Reader for use on eBookMan models would not be continued.

Franklin has expanded its relationship with MobiPocket and is now bundling the award-winning MobiPocket Reader and Web Companion with eBookMan software. MobiPocket recently won the "Technical Achievement Award for Best eBook Technology" at the Frankfurt eBook Awards (FeBA) in Frankfurt, Germany and currently brings more than 4,000 new titles to the eBookMan platform. The FeBA was established to promote the excellence in the emerging eBook market. The Technical Achievement Award is given annually to the best Technical (hardware or software) enhancements in the presentation and functionality of content for eBooks. Franklin's eBookMan won the award in 2000.

The latest version of MobiPocket Reader has been enhanced specifically for eBookMan and provides an ever-expanding wealth of available titles from today's major trade publishers. MobiPocket Reader also provides the ability to read eBooks published in Palm document (Aportis doc) format. In addition, MobiPocket Reader is capable of reading .prc, .txt, .htm, .html, and .pdb files. The Reader is available in all of the languages supported by eBookMan, Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. MobiPocket Web Companion allows eBookMan users to access online eNews/Periodicals and take their favorite sources with them by downloading content from popular websites like Bloomberg, C/Net, USA Today, Newsweek and The Sporting News. A significant milestone in eBookMan's improved content and application capability is the inclusion of the award-winning MobiPocket Reader and Web Companion.

A helpful addition to the installation and set-up of eBookMan is the inclusion of a "Virtual Tour." The Virtual Tour provides the user a quick glance at some of the key product features and offers a step-by-step introduction on how to use them. Franklin's proprietary eBook reader, the Franklin Reader v1.5, is also improved and now supports eBooks with images. Readers will appreciate the convenience of underlined hyperlinks, the ability to switch between eBooks and the "Go to" menu, and the improved alpha-search capability.

Additional upgrades to eBookMan include a friendlier Desktop Manager that allows the user to perform multiple file selection using a standard "shift-click" and "control click" method to transfer data and content between the eBookMan RAM or MMC and the DTM. A new audio format enhances overall music sound quality and reduced file size of high-bit rate MP3 files (96 KBps and above). Voice Memo sound quality is also enhanced with a new automatic gain control (AGC) to prevent overload and produce a consistent recording volume.

To learn more about the new eBookMan with version 2.0 OS, please visit the Franklin website at http://www.franklin.com/.

Press Release

Franklin Offers Lower Prices and Adds Rebate for eBookMan Line

Incredible Savings Make It Easier than Ever to Read, Listen and Get Organized on the Go

October 24, 2001

BURLINGTON, N.J.—Franklin Electronic Publishers, the leading worldwide provider of handheld electronic books, today announced a price reduction on its multimedia content device, eBookMan(R). The mid-level 8MB EBM-901 has been reduced from $179 to $149, and the 16MB EBM-911 has been reduced from $229 to $199. Additionally, Franklin is offering a mail-in rebate for the entire line of eBookMan including the opening price point EBM-900, valid through January 2002. With the rebate, customers can save an additional $30 - $50 depending on which model they choose. When customers combine Franklin's price reduction and rebate with the $50 rebate currently offered by Audible.com, the value and price savings are unprecedented. The net price after mail-in savings is just $49 for the EBM-901, while the higher end EBM-911 can net to $99 should the user opt for both rebates.

"These price reductions and promotional rebates are a compelling reason for new handheld users and eBook readers to embrace eBookMan technology," said Barry Lipsky, President and CEO of Franklin Electronic Publishers. "We continue to leverage our existing relationships with developers and publishers, as well as formulate new partnerships, to bring new and compelling content that our users demand."

The aggressive pricing promotion, plus several prominent content deals recently announced with Audible.com, McGraw-Hill, and the award winning MobiPocket and others, make eBookMan a great buy. There are over 20,000 audio books currently available to eBookMan users, as well as thousands of popular fiction, non-fiction and reference titles to choose from. The addition of MobiPocket's Web Companion also allows eBookMan users to take favorite news sources with them by downloading content from such popular sites as Bloomberg, C/Net, USA Today, Newsweek and The Sporting News. For the school-age user of handheld devices, eBookMan offers a variety of educational content from dictionaries and spelling aids to language translators, scientific calculators and the always-popular CliffsNotes(TM). Franklin has also had success in vertical markets, such as healthcare, featuring the most recent editions of important medical references like The Physician's Desk Reference, Stedman's Medical Dictionary and The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics.

"With the addition of the more than 4,000 titles available for Mobireader, Franklin now provides eBookMan users the most comprehensive eBook library currently available for any handheld," added Mr. Lipsky.

Consumers can purchase eBookMan from the Franklin website or through a variety of retail outlets including Best Buy, Amazon.com and J&R Electronics, among others. Additional information can be found at http://www.franklin.com/ebookman.

About eBookMan

eBookMan(R) is a multimedia content player offering mass-market audiences a robust feature set and an optimal display screen at an affordable price. All three eBookMan(R) models have a large 240 x 200 pixel LCD that displays 87 percent more information than a typical handheld. Each model gives consumers a vehicle to download thousands of electronic books, audio books and musical works, to synchronize between users' personal information manager programs and Microsoft(R) Outlook(R), to record and play voice memos and to write notes easily with natural handwriting recognition. Franklin's open but secure architecture also enables publishers and developers to offer more titles in a protected environment.

About Franklin

Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. (Amex: FEP), the worldwide market leader in handheld electronic books, is the designer and distributor of the award-winning multimedia eBookMan(R) platform. The Company is the exclusive producer and distributor of the ROLODEX(R) Electronics brand of personal information management products. Franklin has sold more than 25,000,000 electronic books and currently publishes more than 200 titles, including dictionaries and bilingual dictionaries; encyclopedias; Bibles; entertainment titles; education and tutorial publications; and medical reference works. Franklin products, available in sixteen languages, are sold in 45,000 retail outlets worldwide, through catalogs and on line at franklin.com. The Company has sales and distribution subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Canada, Australia and Mexico, and production management offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

ROLODEX(R) is a registered trademark of Berol Corporation, a subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.

About MobiPocket

MobiPocket is the only software and technology company that enables the reading and secured distribution of electronic text, across all existing OS platforms. MobiPocket is also engaged in the online distribution of eBooks and of e-content software through its own website. The Company, founded in March 2000, is headquartered in Paris, France, and is partially financed by Viventures. Since its ignition, the Company has significantly leveraged content synergies with VU, establishing a core partnership with Vivendi Universal Publishing. In addition, the MobiPocket software package, developed internally, can be customized to meet clients' needs in a timely manner. Special features may include wireless Internet access to content, sub-pixel rendering to enhance the reading experience, or supporting multimedia features.