FRANKLIN’S BOOKMAN EXPANDS WITH PLUG-IN BOOKS

10 Jan 1995

The perception is that only Japanese companies develop and market dinky hand-held devices such as electronic books, but Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc, Mt Holly, New Jersey has built itself a fine business with its pocket language dictionaries and thesauri, and it now wants to make its devices even more attractive, coming out with the Bookman, a line of hand-held electronic books with a cartridge slot that takes additional titles that cost $10 and up. The Bookman, due in US stores this month, has a built-in database including dictionaries, Bibles, encyclopaedias and many other titles, with a slot in the back for a snap-in cartridge containing one other reference book. The Bookman platform has a typewriter-style keyboard; four colour-coded keys to perform different functions depending on the book or cartridge in use, and a liquid crystal display screen. It will come in three models – pocket, desktop and speaking desktop – at from $60 to $150; initial books will be Merriam-Webster dictionaries and the Holy Bible, with cookbooks and languages planned; plug-in education, health and fun books are set.