Cool tech and a very uncool Design.
I am definitely not a fan of this device. Why why why would anyone want to use a huge, heavy two-screen device? Sub-optimal for reading. Sub-optimal for writing. Sub-optimal for battery life. Sub-optimal for costs. What do you think?
A Viliv S10 with a Pixel-Qi screen would be a far far better solution. One screen. One backlight. Dual-mode. Real keyboard. Productive operating system. However, weight needs to be cut down drastically from the 1.2KG of the S10 which is why converged smartbooks/readers will probably end up as dockable single-screen tablet-only style devices.
Why the euphemisms? It does not look uncool, or sub-optimal :-). It’s clumsy, ugly, and BAD.
Still, kudos for producing a prototype, it will hopefully pave the way for some sub-bad gadgets.
Actually, the eDGe is my second favorite tablet design out there right now. Yes, a PixelQi display makes it better, but without that, the dual screen is an interesting way to get both e-paper and LCD together in one device.
What’s right about the eDGe:
1) the screen size … smaller than 9″ or 10″ is useless for a productivity device, in my experience. Larger is “no longer a high mobility device”, and stepping back into the dinosaur world of laptops.
2) E-paper with Wacom pen input for virtual-inking (can’t do that on most touch screens)
3) Android — touch screen OS (unlike Windows 7 tablets, which are just a desktop OS on a touch screen == awful, not to mention every other argument against using Windows OSes), useful software add-ons, e-reader software options, media player software, etc.
4) due to the dual screens, and the hinge, you can use it like a tablet, a portable “all-in-one” computer (when using a USB or bluetooth keyboard), an e-reader, etc. The only thing you can’t do (that would be nice) is use it like a netbook (no virtual keyboard mode on the e-paper screen, since it’s wacom based). It’s comparable to the OLPC2 concept, and Microsoft Courier, in a lot of ways.
Given the choice between this and ANY windows device, the eDGe wins. If the rumored Android version of the HP tablet is real, and has a PixelQi display, then that would be better … but if it doesn’t have a PixelQi display, then it’s kind of “six of one, half a dozen of the other”. The only thing on the horizon that is definitely more compelling, IMO, is the Notion Ink Adam. Android, PixelQi, 10″ screen. What’s not to like? (though, their planned UI modifications might ruin it)
The wild cards are: how good/bad will the ChromeOS convertible tablets be (and will they have Dalvik)? What will the Apple Tablet be like (if it exists at all)? When will the Moto AMP 10 hit the market? Will ICD ever actually release their 11″ tablet? (the latter two only being interesting if all of the other fail to live up to expectations)
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