First e-reader was neither Kobo nor Kindle

The first e-reader was neither Kindle, nor Kobo, nor Sony. The first e-reader was build 70 years ago and was intended to be the best reader for kids.

In 1949, Angela Ruiz Robles, a language teacher from Spain built what she called "La Enciclopedia Mecanica" ("The Mechanical Encyclopedia"). The major motivations for such invention were: 

• to stop children carrying heavy books 
• to make reading more accessible. 

Image. Angela Ruiz and the first e-reader

How did the reader work?

The device worked based on pressurized air,  allowing readers to add different spools containing the pre loaded documents. It also had a zoom option, allowing to focus on a specific area.

The patent application was very concise and summarized. The patent describes as "'It has some coils where you place the books that you want to learn in whatever language. 

By a movement of the same [the coils] it passes over all the topics, making it stop where you would like it to".

Image. First e-reader at the Museum of Technology

Why the reader did not get into the market?

Unfortunately, she (Angela Ruiz) was ahead its time and the implementation was quite impractical for those years. 

In her later years, when everything was technologically viable, Ángela tried to resurrect the project. In collaboration with the Instituto Técnico de Especialistas en Mecánica Aplicada, S.A. (ITEMA, S.A. she buolt prototypes ana analyzed the feasibility to produce 10 000 unit. The market price was supposed to be between 50 to 75 pesetas (old spanish money) of that time (equivalent to 1 US dolar).

Unfortunately, she did not manage to secure public or private funding.

Where is the reader?

The working prototype is at the "Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia de La Coruña - España" ("National Museum of Science and Technology in La Coruña - Spain").