Any self-respecting geek knows that iPad is on its way to Japan. This week came flooding in and were subsequently .

But have you heard of the ? This weekend Japanese firm will throw their hat into the ring with the launch of a device that can be used as a photo frame, movie player and MP3 player. And yes, it is indeed an e-reader too, which boasts a matte liquid screen screen that makes it easy to read outdoors.? At 500 grams, it¡¯s 180 grams lighter than the iPad. And the price? A mere ?9,880.

Granted, the EYE-Reader lacks an EYE-store so you¡¯ll have bring your own media, via USB memory stick or SD/SDHC cards.? reports that in a test drive it performed well when displaying manga but a closer inspection of the EYE-Reader¡¯s specs, unfortunately, shows that it has a few limitations. Characters are not displayed as text but as images, which is all very well if you¡¯re reading comics but a drawback if you¡¯re trying to search for text as you would in a document. Also, PDF files have to be converted into JPEGs, the screen resolution is rather shoddy (the 8-inch screen displays at 800 x 600 pixels) and the two-hour battery time is a let-down, as is the six-hour charging time.

So, yeah, EYE-Reader is little more than a jumped-up photo frame, and we don¡¯t see putting a dent in iPad sales. It does, however present an appealing alternative to the Kindle, which at ?44,000 also displays manga as images but has .

points out that at this price it would might be good for reading while on the toilet or in the bath. We have to agree.