Beefed-up specs and functions address the needs of Japanese comic fans.
After years of reluctance, Japanese manga publishers have finally started to seriously embrace online distribution. But while fans love the convenience of being able to store and read manga on a portable device, there’s a bit of a hardware problem that comes with consuming comics in that way.
Primarily, e-readers were designed to work with text. Sure, e-books might have some fancy cover art or a handful of illustrations here and there, but for the most part they’re made up of words. But it’s a very different story for digital manga, in which every page is made up of memory-gobbling images, not just for character and background artwork, but even for the lettered dialogue and sound effects.
Add in the fact that some popular series have dozens of volumes, and you can fill up an e-reader with manga pretty quickly. That’s why Amazon Japan is about to start selling a new version of the online retailer’s popular Kindle e-reader that’s specifically designed for reading manga.
The Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model boasts 32-gigabytes of storage space, eight times more than the standard Paperwhite. Amazon claims this gives it space for roughly 700 collected manga volumes, meaning you’ll have plenty of reading material, no matter how long your overseas flight or post-all-you-can-eat-buffet bathroom visit is. The page-turning function is also 33 percent quicker than other models, letting you quickly flip back and forth as you consult back issues to see the setup for the latest shocking plot twist. And to help you appreciate all the little details of your favorite artists’ work, the six-inch screen allows you to zoom in wherever you like.
The Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model officially goes on sale October 21 in black or white casings, priced at 16,280 yen (US$160) or, for Amazon Prime members, 12,280 yen. Domestic orders can be placed here.
Source: IT Media
Top image: Amazon Japan
Insert images: Amazon Japan (edited by RocketNews24)