eDGe E-Reader More Tired Than Wired

• Rob Jackson
• 15 years ago

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?