Just seven months after unveiling the Entourage eDGe, a device that somewhat awkwardly combined an e-reader and a LCD screen, Entourage is gearing up to launch a pocket-sized version.
The original dual-screen eDGe has a 9.7-inch E Ink screen on the left half and a 10-inch touchscreen LCD on the right. That means you could use it as an e-reader, a notepad or as a netbook–or all at the same time. In practice, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
The Pocket Edge will have folding, book-like body with a six-inch black-and-white E Ink screen on one side and a seven-inch color LCD touchscreen. It will still run the Android operating system, says The Digital Reader.
Entourage is planning a 3G edition of the Pocket Edge for Verizon and a separate, Wi-Fi-only model.
The original Entourage eDGe made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Then, e-readers and netbooks were two of the hottest consumer electronics products. Entourage tried to combine the two and birth the eDGe. But the Frankensteinish device suffered from some major problems.
For starters, the eDGe was just too big and heavy. The 10-inch screen size meant that it couldn’t easily be whipped out and used to read e-books on the train or browse web pages on the road. The device’s weight, about twice that of the iPad, put a strain on the arms if it was held up for more than 15 minutes.
The eDGe ended up as a device too big to be an e-reader and, without a keyboard, too uncomfortable to be just a netbook.
The Pocket Edge hopes to correct some of those problems. In terms of tech specs, it will have features similar to the bigger version. It will come with a USB port, a micro SD card slot, a camera and a non-removable battery.
Along with the smaller screen, the changes mean that the Pocket Edge will be lighter, about one pound, compared to the three pounds of the original.
What’s disappointing to hear though is that the Pocket Edge will use the older Vizplex version of the E Ink screen and not the new Pearl E Ink display that’s in the latest Kindle and Sony e-readers. The Pearl has a much better contrast and for e-reader enthusiasts the older technology in the Pocket Edge is likely to be a disappointment.
It’s also indicative of why the eDGe didn’t become a hit the first time around. If the device is mediocre e-reader and a passable netbook, consumers have little incentive to buy a half-baked device that’s doesn’t offer the best of either worlds. Instead, they are better off getting a Kindle or a Nook that does one thing very well and using a netbook or a tablet for their other computing needs.
Entourage hasn’t said how much the Pocket Edge will cost but the device is expected to ship in late October. So far, the word is it will be cheaper than the $500 original model.
Check out more photos of the new Pocket Edge below.
The Pocket Edge Combines an E Ink and LCD Screen.
The Pocket Edge has a USB port and a micro SD card slot.
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Photos: Nate Hoffelder/The Digital Reader
