LAS VEGAS — The Amazon Kindle’s E Ink screen is easy on the eyes for reading, but the software’s really laggy. The iPhone’s touchscreen is slick and fast, but you’ll wear your eyes out reading off it for several hours. What if you combined the benefits of both these products into one?
That’s the idea behind SpringDesign’s Alex e-book reader, which features a 6-inch E Ink display on top and a 3.5-inch touchscreen at the bottom. Most interestingly, the device is running Google’s Android OS, specially modified for e-book reading. Using the touchscreen you can select tools for creating annotations and highlights for a book, and you can also switch between books from your library. Two large physical arrow buttons on the sides of the device allow you to “flip” pages.
Tim White, chief systems architect of SpringDesign, said it was important for an e-book reader to run on an open platform such as Android.
“We’re trying to be an open reader,” White told Wired.com. “The world is an open place, and early manufacturers [such as Amazon] are controlling the environment. That’s not the way we’re used to reading and sharing information, especially in the age of the internet.”
Running the Google OS doesn’t mean Alex owners will be able to freely swap books. SpringDesign formed a partnership with Borders for e-book content, and of course, its e-books are DRM-protected — tied to one device each. Alex owners will, however, be able to exchange annotations and highlights, a feature designed for university students.
Also, only smartphones can be certified Android OS devices with access to Google’s Android Market app store. So, while the Alex has the core functions of Android — such as video playback, an e-mail app and access to a digital photo album — it won’t have the full powers (i.e. third-party apps) of an Android smartphone. However, SpringDesign is inviting Android developers to code apps and content for the Alex, which will be called the Alex Marketplace.
The design of the Alex is downright funky and not ideal, but I do like the idea. I had some hands-on time with the device, and I especially enjoyed being able to quickly access the Alex’s e-book library using the touchscreen. With dedicated e-book devices such as the Amazon Kindle, the process of switching between books has always been a major drag thanks to the sluggish refresh rate of E Ink screens; it was a lot easier selecting titles on the Alex.
However, the Alex’s Android OS was pretty rough around the edges. Some of the UI was hardly intuitive. The icons for making notes for annotations and highlights were signified by vague graphics of boxes, for example. It’ll take a bit of time to memorize what every button does in the Alex — a far cry from the iPhone experience.
SpringDesign does not disclose the processor used for the touchscreen, and it didn’t seem very fast. A video played on the device looked laggy compared to videos I’ve seen on other smartphones.
In short, my first impressions are the Alex has a lot of potential with its innovative design and independent app store, but it’ll face some challenges in the fiercely competitive reader market. Its price tag won’t help — $360, which costs $100 more than the Barnes & Noble Nook, which is also an Android-based device with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display. SpringDesign better hope it wins its lawsuit against Barnes.
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Product Page [SpringDesign]
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
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