Is the world crying for another e-Reader device? Sharp certainly hopes so.
On Tuesday, the consumer electronics giant announced plans to launch its own e-Reader later this year. Instead of trying to keep up with the Kindles, nooks, or even Sony's Digital Reader, Sharp has actually created its own e-book format called XMDF.
Now, of course, we have to wonder why consumers would want to adopt a new format. Well, of course, it's because XMDF adds in goodies that your current e-Reader does not have -- audio and video.
Also, because they are planning to use a new and improved XMDF format, the content could even be shared across a variety of devices, such as computers, phones, and TVs.
As far as where the content is coming from, that's as much of a mystery as the actual devices that Sharp plans to create. The manufacturer says they will invent their own digital platform for distribution and even have a few publishers ready to roll out with them. We have to wonder if they plan to become the next iTunes or will partner with someone like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
We shall see, but the timing isn't all that bad. Amazon recently announced that they've been selling 180 Kindle books for every 100 hardcover books sold, so the days of paper books may be numbered.
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