Drawing courtesy of OpenMoko

I remember buying a small electronic dictionary for my daughter a few years ago that also contained a encyclopdia. It was not Britanica or even Encarta (RIP) class. But, I thought it was useful and quite amazing to find in such a small inexpensive product (around $50 if I recall correctly).

But, this is 2009 and almost every phone with a web browser is capable of searching and reading Wikipedia. So, why does the OpenMoko project think that a single function $99 device with the contents of Wikipedia stored on an 8GB microSD is going to impress anyone enough to buy it?

OM Wiki Reader

It might be appealing to parents as something to give their kids. However, there is one catch: Some teachers and schools do not allow Wikipedia to be used as a reference source.

OpenMoko's Wiki Reader would have been an astonishing product in 2000. It would have been well received in 2005. But, in 2009, meh. We'll just point our mobile device browsers at:

m.wikipedia.org

Via Engadget: OpenMoko branches out with new $99 WikiReader device