Foxit has axed development of its eSlick ereader, intending instead to focus on “platform-independent PDF technology” which it hopes to license to third-parties. Initially unveiled back in December 2008, the eSlick was rebadged Netronix hardware that Foxit loaded up with their own custom software; it was priced at $199 though lacked any form of wireless connectivity.
That specification hole – together with the fact that Kobo began selling their own version of the Netronix hardware for $50 less – left the eSlick looking uncompetitive against discounted Kindle and nook devices. According to Erik Bryant, Assistant Vice President Sales at Foxit, “We have been licensing our PDF and ePub technology to a number of eBook vendors. Our decision to discontinue eSlick is to eliminate the possibility of competing with our partners.”