eDGe E-Reader More Tired Than Wired
| by Rob Jackson on March 15th, 2010 |
The Entourage eDGe E-Book Reader has a unique form factor, offering a dual screen display with one being an LCD panel and the other being e-Ink. That’s about the only compliment Wired.com gave the device as putting its uniqueness to good use was a little more… challenging:
You’d think this mash-up would be fabulous. It’s not. Despite our initial enthusiasm, after testing the eDGe we found it to be a Frankenstein-ish monster that’s hobbled by a slow processor, some puzzling design choices and touchscreen technology that seems like it was cooked up during the Clinton administration.
At three pounds, the eDGe is five times as heavy as a Kindle and nearly twice the heft of the upcoming iPad. It’s comparable in weight to the average netbook, but since you almost always have to cradle the eDGe in your arms, it gets irritating to tote it around for more than an hour.
And that verbal assault pretty much continues, eventually giving the E-Reader a 4 out of 10. For $500, that’s a big chunk of change to swallow when plenty of high rated alternatives exist.To be honest, I think it’s a fate that many eReaders will face.
Just as the iPod dominates media players, the iPad and Kindle will continue to dominate the tabletish eReader designs for 2 main reasons:
- Demand for these devices is much more limited than say a typical phone or computer
- iPad and Kindle are already household names and solid products
Anyone have their eyes on the eDGe or another Android eReader?
1. MonkeyCheese wrote on March 15, 2010
Sorry I’m not looking to get tablet/eReader right now. I think this is something that needs time to development some more. I’d rather get the eDGe over the ipad cause i think the duel screen deal is a great idea like the Microsoft Courier. But eDGe still needs to work on the design some more cause 3 pounds is quite hefty for something that people are going to try and hold like a book. But the tablet/eReader thing I’m still not seeing cause it seems like its a keyboardless laptop that you can surf the web with and doesn’t have nearly any of the capabilities of a computer/laptop. Of course this is why I’d like to wait and see what will develop from the tablet/eReader.
2. ernest leitch wrote on March 15, 2010
One of my friends dad had his eye on the device. I never heard about it until he told me. I’ve been watching for reviews and I don’t think he’ll buy it now. Doesn’t sound like it lived up to it’s promise.
3. LincKraker wrote on March 15, 2010
I had high hopes for this device. The CPU in this is a Marvell PXA168 which, according to the product overview, is supposed to be able to run at a speed of 1.2ghz. After reading this I’ll have to wait for a few more reviews before settling on purchasing one.
http://www.marvell.com/products/processors/applications/pxa_168/pxa_168_pb.pdf
4. zefi wrote on March 15, 2010
# iPad and Kindle are already household names and solid products
OH, THE PUN! LOL!
5. barry99705 wrote on March 15, 2010
The iPad isn’t even out yet! How the hell is it a “solid” product?
6. Android App Reviews wrote on March 15, 2010
iPad… Every woman will already have something similar ;)
7. Dennis wrote on March 15, 2010
the iPad is as much of an eReader as any netbook, or even my phone.. People buying it specifically for the purpose of reading books, do not know what an eReader is.. yes it can be done, but it’s not a good choice.
8. RockmanX20 wrote on March 15, 2010
I had a pre-order for the device, but I canceled it after doing some extensive research on it.
1. It does not have 3G
2. It does not offer the books that I need for class.
3. It does not connect with Android Apps
4. The touchscreen is resistive and not capacitive.
5. The speed of the entourage is slower than I thought.
6. Writing on the tablet has too much delay for me to take notes.
7. Entourage is already talking about a 2nd generation device.
I really did want this device to be good, perhaps once they come out with a 2nd generation device and the Microsoft Courier isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, then I’ll consider buying then.
9. Frank wrote on March 15, 2010
It’s disappointing that they made such a nice device, with so many cool features, but offer support for only two ebook file formats, epub & pdf. Granted, those are my two favorite formats, but for a $500 device that touts itself as an ereader as much as anything else, it’s support for only two formats is a glaring omission when compared to its ereader competition. Think I’ll just wait for the Pixel Qi screens to come out and pair one with a good netbook – will be cheaper and have even more features. :)
10. Dean wrote on March 15, 2010
I agree, calling the iPad a solid product IS a bit premature. Part of me thinks the iPad will be the iFail because Apple really didn’t bring anything really new to the table. I can’t wait til you see comedy sketches making fun of it as a big iPhone. The 2010s equivalent to the 1980s boom boxes.
11. Puckersuck wrote on March 16, 2010
What’s with ripping the entourage edge for 3 lbs? It has two displays! And honestly, I like a little weight to my devices; they stay where I put them. Wouldn’t mind carrying around 3 lbs. If you’re looking for a knock, no spell checker. Let’s see, virtual keyboard, mp3, mpeg, web with wifi, PDF reader, I have a Google Voice #, open source…edge over iPad…Always:)