Toshiba has introduced a new seven-inch color e-book reader in Japan, the BD50. A local alternative to the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, the Android 2.3 slate carries a 1024×600 LCD as well as 8GB of internal storage space. A 1GHz Freescale CPU powers the device and is paired with 1GB of RAM.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a USB port come along with the design, along with a microSD memory card slot. The 0.4-inch, 11.6-ounce body houses a battery that is said to be good for 7.5 hours of life.
When the tablet goes on sale in Japan on February 10, it will cost 22,000 yen (about $285) after tax. While costlier than its US counterparts, the price will include a 5,000 yen ($65) coupon for purchases from the BookPlace content store, which offers over 50,000 e-books and e-magazines
