New Chip Will Make Ebook Readers Faster and Cheaper
Wiredreports that Freescale is working on a new chip that was designed specifically for ebook reading devices. Wired says Freescale powers most of today's e-readers, including the Kindle and the Sony Reader. Freescale claims its new chip, called the i.MX508, will offer twice the performance at a reduced cost. The chip "integrates an ARM Cortex A8 processor with a display controller from E Ink." It would allow for faster page flipping. For example, the Kindle's current page flipping rate of 1.5 to 2 seconds could be cut to half a second with Freescale's new chip.
The chip could reduce ebook reader prices by $30 to $50, which means ebook readers could come down to around $150. Ebook readers using the new chip could be available as early as the third quarter of this year.
Wired 
