Review of the Literati by Sharper Image

The Sharper Image Literati is a low cost ebook reader worth looking into. The new firmware update, which only recently came out, addressed many of the issues that were plaguing the device and resulting in incredibly poor reviews online. With just a few remaining issues that can easily be addressed by future firmware updates, the Sharper Image Literati is shaping up to be a real steal.

Available Features

After the firmware update, released in December of 2010, the following features are available on the Sharper Image Literati ebook reader:

Dictionary - The full Merriam-Webster Dictionary is available, allowing you to look up words on the fly, without leaving the book you are currently reading. The dictionary can be reached at any time by pressing the "Menu" button and selecting "Dictionary."

Display Options - The Literati has quite a few useful display options, including font selection, font size, night reading mode, and brightness adjust. The Display options can be accessed by pressing the display button, which has a rectangle on it, can be found in the lower left-hand corner of the keypad.

Preloaded Books - From the moment you power on your Literati, you will find that there are 25classic ebooks preloaded on the device, allowing you to begin reading immediately.

Online Store - Once you have enabled wireless networking and connected to a WiFi network, you can easily setup an account and begin browsing the ebook store, straight from your Literati. The store even has about 200 free books available in the store. News and Magazines can also be subscribed to via the online store.

"I'm Reading" feature - The Literati features a home page of sorts, called the "I'm Reading" tab, which can easily be accessed by pressing the "Home" button. The "I'm Reading" tab shows the books actively being read and the percentage complete.

Bookmarks - Any time you exit a book, a bookmark is placed, saving your current page in the book, so that you can easily resume reading.

SD Card Slot - The Literati supports up to an additional 8 GB of storage for ebooks via the SD card slot on top of the device.

Firmware Updates - In the future, more firmware updates will be released for the Literati, adding features to the devices, as well as addressing any bugs that may be found. Judging by the plethora of bugs and added features the last firmware update contained, future updates will be impressive. When firmware updates are available, you will be prompted to download and apply them any time you are connected to a wireless network.