Viewsonic debuts monochrome VEB 620 and VEB 625 e-book readers

Viewsonic has introduced the VEB 620 and VEB 625 e-book readers, a pair of monochrome devices with 6-inch displays that have a few handy features but don't deserve high price tags.

Both e-readers offer 2GB of onboard memory with SD card expansion slots, and they both support multiple file types including ePub, PDF and MP3. The 800 x 600 resolution display also rotates thanks to an internal orientation sensor.

Battery life is also noteworthy, as the VEB 620 can support up to 8,000 page turns on a single charge, while the VEB 625 isn't too shabby either at 6,500 page turns. However, only the VEB 625 features built-in Wi-Fi, and there's no note of 3G yet.

With each device available in black or white, the VEB e-readers are on sale in the UK now, priced at £175 ($271) the VEB 620 and £205 ($317) for the VEB 625.

I was hoping the monochrome picture and the lack of Internet connectivity options would bring these prices down, and maybe when they're available in the US, they will be. But otherwise, I don't see how Viewsonic can seriously compete with the Kindle and the Nook with these rather basic devices.