I may have declared e-readers dead prematurely. The Literati is coming to October to Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and other mass-market merchants in October. It’s a Sharper Image product–although “The Sharper Image,” like “Polaroid,” is now a floating brand name that available to be licensed for just about anything.
Sounds like the device’s most distinctive feature is its screen: It’s 7″ (an inch bigger than the Kindle and the Nook) and is color (LCD, presumably). No word on what sort of battery life it delivers. There’s Wi-Fi onboard and a wireless bookstore powered by Kobo, the Canadian company behind Borders’ e-reader.
As you can see in the photo below, the Literati looks a bit like a taller, skinnier Kindle. It’ll go for $159–which is a little less than the 3G Kindle and a little more than the Wi-Fi one–or less.
