The Entourage Edge is either one of the weirdest netbooks or one of the strangest eBook readers I’ve seen so far this year. That’s because it’s a bit of both. But I can’t help but wonder if the sum might equal less then the parts in this case. I got to spend a little time with one last night, and I’m intrigued, but a bit skeptical that this little guy fills a real need.
On the one hand, the idea of a device that combines an ePaper display and an LCD to provide both a high contrast eBook reading experience and the ability to surf the web or look at photos in full color is kind of nifty. On the other hand, do you really want to hold a 3 pound device with an extra display when you’re reading a book? And do you want an e-Ink display when you’re using the Google Android OS on the other window to look up information on Wikipedia?
That said, while Entourage would love it if the general public rushed out and purchased these devices, it’s aimed at markets such as education, business, or law right now. And when you think about the fact that you could store a whole library of books on the built-in 3GB of flash memory, you realize that while 3 pounds is pretty heavy for a book, it’s pretty light for a few dozen or hundred books. And if you’re a kid with a backpack filled with books, you’ve got to love that.
Anyway, that’s the case that Entourage is trying to make for this device which should be available in February for about $490. You can check out their pitch after the break. What do you think? Do you want one? Or would you rather just read eBooks on your netbook?
The goal of the Edge, the company says, is to offer a device that can replace the textbooks and notebooks carried around by typical high school students.
The Edge’s main selling point is, of course, the fact that it has two screens to do true work on. Verdict: https://bit.ly/entourage-edge-impressions
I don’t want to read eBooks on a (traditional) netbook. I do like reading eBooks on my TabletPC (despite its weight and size) and my UMPC. I am interested in a device that permits some degree of web-surfing and PIM interaction combined with an eReader. Until Courier gets here, this might be a viable option. If I am going to plunk down money for an eReader, I like the idea of getting more than just books. But not for almost $500. Their pricing structure needs reconsideration, unless this thing’s performance is off the chain). Which, right now, it is not. Any word on productivity and inking? Will you be able to blog from this thing at least? Sorry, didn’t watch video due to compressed lunch hour.
– Vr/Zeuxidamas..>>