B&N 'color' Plastic Logic e-reader report was wrong

Jenn  iPhoned a much-distributed and tweeted video-interview with an alleged Barnes and Noble spokesguy who went on and on about how B&N's e-reader (in partnership with Plastic Logic) would be out in the Spring and "Ours will be in color" -- so, a posting to this effect went up on Mashable "on the big news" and was carried by Engadget, FastCompany, WIRED, et al, as reported by Jenn.   (Click on image to see the video.)

  I didn't run (or walk) with it because nothing in the guy's report matched what Plastic Logic has been saying the past half year and why would a Barnes and Noble salesman sitting at an exhibit be suddenly informally announcing a Plastic Logic color E-reader for the spring?
  (There'd be no way for Jenn to know this though.)

MobilitySite, which had also reported the interview and the color news, reports today that Plastic Logic has denied the report.

' "The video report is inaccurate and the individual (who was apparently filmed while attending a trade show was not an authorized Barnes & Noble spokesperson) was misinformed.

  We are excited to have Barnes & Noble powering the Plastic Logic e-commerce store.  While colour is on Plastic Logic’s roadmap, it is not on the map for the Spring of 2010. &n bsp;Plastic Logic has said for quite some time it is working on colour, but not for a product in the coming year." '

  Well, I doubt that he just attended the tradeshow and put on a B&N shirt and lanyard and readied himself for interviews (while around actual B&N staff) for the sport of it.  More likely, he was a temp staffer helping with B&N's exhibit, misinterpreted what he was hearing from employee conversations, and then eagerly passed that on when interviewed.
 People get overexcited by the word "color" when it comes to e-readers.

 He didn't, as speculated, probably make it up as a video-worthy answer to her question of what made the B&N reader better than its competitor(s), as they kiddingly refer to the Kindle);  he actually mentioned earlier in the video, w/o being asked, that it would be in color.

  As for why B&N didn't instead choose to quietly retract it or just say instead that "it may be not be ready by Spring 'exactly' -- what?  It's not going to be ready in the coming year.  They've been very clear about that.

Any color we see will be of the LCD variety, unless Pixel QI is involved.  E-ink color just is not ready.

  I recently got a 10" Netbook that I will be writing about.  I love it, and one thing it's shown me is why any Tablet device may not do that well after all, if as high-priced as reported and marketed in a big way for reading of entire e-books along with web browsing, though the latter would be a fun use of it using home or office WiFi.

  But trying to read an actual book on a 10" LCD color screen is not going to be one of the world's big pleasures.  Surfing the net?  That's another matter entirely and doesn't demand linear concentration of the eyes on only words for a good length of time.

  One thing about e-reader news today - wishful thinking drives a lot of it.  But there's an energy in gadget excitement that I definitely understand too well. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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