The once-nonexistent intersection of
netbooks and
e-readers seems to be populating quite hastily these days, first with this morning's questionable
Spring Design Alex and now with the entourage eDGe. On the left side of this dual-screen, dual-function hybrid, where ePub and PDF files are said to open by default, we've got a 9.7-inch e-paper display with 16 shades of gray. On the right, a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution screen with
Android. Both sides are stylus-centric touchscreen -- scribbling and note-taking is encouraged here -- and other amenities include 3GB memory, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth, SD slot, two USB ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, a Li-ion battery for up to six hours, and support for EVDO / HSDPA via external modem. No word on what processor's actually under the hood, but we won't get our hopes up for anything more than very casual browsing. The site just launched with pre-orders being accepted to the tune of $490, or $530 if you're wanting any color other than midnight blue, and will ship out February 2010. We also happened to stumble upon a PDF presentation from the company dated back to August 2009, if you feel so inclined to take a trip down memory lane.
Read - Entourage eDGe product page
Read - Aug. 2009 presentation [Warning: PDF file]
posted October 19th 2009 3:51PM
For some reason, this device intrigues me.
I like the idea of hybrid, but this is the wrong approach for me. Every day, I like the Pixelqi approach more and more.
@Engadget, I think it's a little early to call the ereader market over-saturated. Sure, I get that there are a lot of announcements and copycats these days adding nothing new, but *practically speaking* there's a) the Kindle (with unacceptably intrusive DRM) and some minor revisions, and b) Sony (with unacceptably intrusive DRM) with slightly more than one option. B&N (hopefully using the eReader format they recently purchased with mild and unintrusive DRM--just enough to keep publishers from wetting themselves and not enough to make users do so) is not yet an option. Counting a bunch of useless also-rans useful for little more than public domain reading doesn't seem rational.
At this point, the eReader market is so dramatically under-saturated it's astounding. In terms of "needs met" vs. "needs identified", the eReader market seems to have actually solved 3, 1) e-ink for daylight reading 2) omnipresent wireless access 3) small medium and large sizings, where the e-ink solution leaves out half your audience (surely I'm not the only one who does more reading not in direct sunlight than in it?) as well as making reference materials and textbooks persona non grata (refresh speed might not be important for pleasure reading, but there's more than fiction in the world), the cellular radio raises costs unnecessarily, when really, wifi alone would be sufficient for half the ebook audience. Anyone who got screwed on music a decade ago is still waiting for a solution to DRM that has already been discovered repeatedly -- need not met. Cost -- need not met, b/c hey, e-ink is the only possible tech allowed and Allah knows you have to pay a lifetime fee to a carrier for ubiquitous 3g access in case you absolutely have to buy a book while sitting in traffic.
You could drive a football stadium through the holes in the market left by present day ereaders.
I guess I haven't run into any DRM on the Sony reader I have. I can load txt files, html, pdfs, and it does the open format (epub I think)? Granted there may be DRM at the store, but it can load the open standard ebooks as well.
I agree, Jesse.
If they put a sweet looking case on it (red shiny plastic isn't my thing), I'd really be interested in this.
The problem I have is why is one side an ebook reader and one is a andriod OS. Why can't the andriod OS handle the e-book reading part? It seems the Microsoft Courier is hitting the right note on this one and providing two multi-functional screens.
You know, its the same with me. I find that for some reasons this device and the whole concept might actually work. an Ebook reader and a netbook. they could work harmoniously.
The specifications aren't very specific.
But the Wacom pen input is interesting. I didn't realize it was possible to get Wacom technology into a relatively low cost device, since they usually charge a premium.
I think 9.7" is too small, personally. But it's not too bad.
@all things considered: Default is "midnight blue"... choosing to pre-order the red one will actually cost you $40 more.
it does look interesting. if that e-book doubles as touch keyboard when using the netbook side, it'll be impress.
Since it has USB connection, I wonder if there's an android version of PDAnet. I'll be set
hhmm.... I will wait for a review... then maybe buy if it will be really good...
OMG OMG..the future is almost there! if only reading habit is in my gene..
A tad pricey, but still innovative. A student or perhaps even a business professional may find this very useful.
What is the "3mb" of memory referring to? The hard drive? Isn't that a peculiar number for a hard drive or ram for that matter?
Oops! I thought it said "3mb" not "3gb".
I second that on it being intriguing for a student. Wish this was out when I started in September.
I find this article discriminating against my people. The red heads.
Don't forget the stepchildren!
Hmm, apparently someone REALLY wants to forget the stepchildren.
Now you understand how blondes feel.
if only the could put those liquid nuclear battery...LOL
I'll stick to the Microsoft Courier :P
This does look a LOT like the courier... Frankly, I like this with the e-paper on one half to cut down on battery expenditure, but the Courier looks soooo polished. That presentation PDF looked like it came out of a student project.
This thing looks really cool! It was just announced at CES istage!
six hours does not an e-reader make.
This device actually makes sense. Sure, we'll soon hear comments about the mighty bezel running round the screens, but this is innovation.
Actually, for a book format, it's good to have some bezel to grab hold of. If it's all screen, you'll be constantly clicking and scrolling every time you want to pick it up.
However, it could use a re-design and squish those screens together a bit more.
The PDF clearly says "Capacitive touch with palm rejection
for user input." for the LCD
Up to 6hrs of battery life? So I can't spend all day at the beach reading a good book? Does anyone else find this a little limiting for a e-reader? There's something about not being able to read all day without being plugged in that is a major turn off. Seems like the battery should last longer in some e-ink screen only mode or something...
I suspect the user will be able to put the android side of the device into a deep sleep that will increase the ereader side battery life!
$490? Frakking Christ. Prices like these actually make the Kindle seem reasonable in comparison.
hmmm... the kindle doesnt support netbook components and an android os. your essentially getting two products here. a $350 touchscreen netbook tablet, and a $150 e-book reader. Seems reasonable to me.
Compared to the $489 of a Kindle DX? Wow, what a difference.
Btw, have you ever tried browsing the web on a Kindle?
Looks very much like the Microsoft prototype shown here some time back.
Perhaps someone is looking for a buy out!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/microsofts-courier-booklet-emerges-said-to-be-in-late-prototy/
It just don't look right!!! I'll wait for Courier
And for 2.5 lbs, I'm sure I will find some other solutions
After reading through the PDF, if it all works like they say it should, I'm very impressed.
You've clearly been studying at the Nilay Patel School of How to Offend People Needlessly. Stupid headline.
I think they got it right (except for the bezel).
This is the ebook reader that Princeton should have used in their trial textbook/ebook replacement program. This device is obviously aimed straight at high schools and universities. It has a large enough screen to display text from a textbook. It automatically shifts color pictures onto the color screen. It allows annotations on the textbook.
Pen input to highlight/annotate the e-ink screen, capacitive input for the color screen (which means decent on-screen keyboard).
For those individuals worrying about battery life, it seems like you can live with just the eink screen if needed.
I like the part where it says "You can watch a movie while taking notes". I know that half the students in my classroom would be using that option to "enhance" their education. And/or browsing the web during class. The penalty for living in the web-enabled age.
This is a great textbook replacement (9.7" eink, 10.1" lcd screen), but not so good for those who want to use it for recreational reading. Hopefully they will release a 5" or 7" version (the size of a paperback). I think this will be a winner. If B&N is smart, they will adopt/subsidize this.
Entourage Systems is not publically traded; if they were, I think it would be a smart place to put some money... heck maybe I will just invest $490 into them anyhow...
Yeah, I'm pretty much loving it. The back-to-back flipping and input on each screen (wacom/touch) seals it. The price is a little more than I'd like to pay, but I think it'd be worth it.
The bezel seems awkward at first, but some of that is used with hardware keys (which are _very_ welcome; I hate all-touch devices), and the margin is good for gripping it with one hand while leaving it clear, and especially (on the e-ink side) to rest your hand on when writing.
Better specs, same price?
this is pretty awesome---same size display as the kindle dx but with a tablet attached, for the same price
how come nobody else has thought of this?
But, is it a single device? (such nintendo ds with two screen x sync functionality) or is it just two device attached using a more elegant solution than a duct tape?
The screens interact (highlighting e-book text to Google it, downloading PDFs from email to the e-reader, etc.) so I guess that makes it a single device.
The powerpoint in the article's link clearly shows interaction between the two (although in some way it makes them sound like separate devices which communicate with each other):
- color photos or video from the ereader automatically show up on the color lcd screen
- documents are automatically sent to the ereader to allow you to save battery life
- highlight a phrase (or link) in the ereader, search for that phrase online in the android tablet.
$490 isn't a bad price, considering you get two devices for that price ($300 ebook reader + $300 android tablet).
the other cool thing is they talk about collaborative efforts, where you can share your notes with your classmates and/or your teacher.
What I don't like is that it's list of supported ebook formats is lame: epub and pdf. They are leaving everything else out in the cold: html, txt, mobipocket, prc, doc. Also I don't like that they haven't given the real key specifications (what kind of processor is in this thing)... the android tablet could be a dog.
But $490 is starting to burn a hole in my pocket. And I don't need one... definitely not one this big...
Seems like the two device approach would be better. That way you could upgrade one or the other when you wanted to. Usually if I'm reading a eBook, I'm not also wanting to be online, it's a different activity set.
I am not gonna lie. thats a pretty cool product
* is e-ink that much advantegous
Having eInk as one of the displays (instead of just two LCDs) would almost certainly improve battery life. Especially if lets you disable the LCD when you're just reading.
only will buy if, when you open the device, it plays "superman" by jane's addiction.
Sorry buddy, the specifications clearly state it will only be able to play Coldplay songs.