Netbook, tablet PC and ebook reader all in one device / 28.10.2009 06:56
For a moment, we thought that all ebook reader devices would be alike. The most popular devices (at the moment) Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader are slim handheld tablets optimised for displaying text alone. Without a color display, without Internet access, without email, without the possibility to write down notes, getting an ebook reader means carrying an extra device along with a laptop PC. Not anymore, if we believe a company called Entourage achieves its goal and can develop an attractive product that merges ebook reader, netbook, and tablet PC into one small device.
The Entourage Edge is a netbook, tablet, and ebook reader with two separate displays. The black-and-white display is based on e-ink technology which provides flicker-free, high-contrast, and sharp images for reading ebooks and documents. Its resolution is 1200 x 825 pixels, and it is 9.7 inches in size. The ebook screen can display Epub and PDF documents. The color display, on the other hand, is a netbook PC screen that is powered by Google Android operating system. The resolution of the color screen is 1024 x 600 pixels and it is 10.1 inches in size. Although both displays have their own dedicated tasks, they can exchange information. For instance, if you are reading a PDF document in the ebook display and find an interesting link that you would like follow, you can click it and the web browser on the color display will display the page. You can also email excerpts from an ebook using the netbook color display.
Both displays are touch-sensitive. It is possible to scribble notes and graphs with an included stylus onto the screen. An on-screen keyboard lets you type or you can connect an external Bluetooth keyboard to the unit as well. Entourage is planning to offer a Web service that can automatically backup information stored on the device. The device can be closed like a laptop, opened so that both displays can be viewed simultaneously, or folded like a tablet.
In essence, the Entourage Edge is a light-weight PC with two touch screen displays. Its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity takes you to the Internet via wireless hotspots. 3GB of internal memory space is available for ebooks and other information. SD memory cards and USB flash drives are available for additional storage. The Edge can be used as a multimedia player as well. It comes with internal speakers and microphone and 3.5mm connectors for external microphone and loudspeakers. The device can play common audio files, like MP3, WAV, 3GPP, and OGG and common video formats, such as 3GP, MP4, and Flash Lite (H.264). Battery life is about 6 hours or 16 hours if only the ebook reader screen is used.
The unit weighs 2.5 pounds. Its dimensions are 8.25 x 10.75 x 1 inches. The manufacturer's list price for the Entourage Edge is $490. You can check the product availability at the company web site. There are not many applications available for netbooks running on Google Android yet, so you more or less have to survive with the preinstalled software for a while. The product comes with a web browser, audio/video record and playback, email, contacts, calculator, alarm clock, and a library application.
Netbook, tablet PC and ebook reader all in one device / 28.10.2009 06:56
For a moment, we thought that all ebook reader devices would be alike. The most popular devices (at the moment) Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader are slim handheld tablets optimised for displaying text alone. Without a color display, without Internet access, without email, without the possibility to write down notes, getting an ebook reader means carrying an extra device along with a laptop PC. Not anymore, if we believe a company called Entourage achieves its goal and can develop an attractive product that merges ebook reader, netbook, and tablet PC into one small device.
The Entourage Edge is a netbook, tablet, and ebook reader with two separate displays. The black-and-white display is based on e-ink technology which provides flicker-free, high-contrast, and sharp images for reading ebooks and documents. Its resolution is 1200 x 825 pixels, and it is 9.7 inches in size. The ebook screen can display Epub and PDF documents. The color display, on the other hand, is a netbook PC screen that is powered by Google Android operating system. The resolution of the color screen is 1024 x 600 pixels and it is 10.1 inches in size. Although both displays have their own dedicated tasks, they can exchange information. For instance, if you are reading a PDF document in the ebook display and find an interesting link that you would like follow, you can click it and the web browser on the color display will display the page. You can also email excerpts from an ebook using the netbook color display.
Both displays are touch-sensitive. It is possible to scribble notes and graphs with an included stylus onto the screen. An on-screen keyboard lets you type or you can connect an external Bluetooth keyboard to the unit as well. Entourage is planning to offer a Web service that can automatically backup information stored on the device. The device can be closed like a laptop, opened so that both displays can be viewed simultaneously, or folded like a tablet.
In essence, the Entourage Edge is a light-weight PC with two touch screen displays. Its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity takes you to the Internet via wireless hotspots. 3GB of internal memory space is available for ebooks and other information. SD memory cards and USB flash drives are available for additional storage. The Edge can be used as a multimedia player as well. It comes with internal speakers and microphone and 3.5mm connectors for external microphone and loudspeakers. The device can play common audio files, like MP3, WAV, 3GPP, and OGG and common video formats, such as 3GP, MP4, and Flash Lite (H.264). Battery life is about 6 hours or 16 hours if only the ebook reader screen is used.
The unit weighs 2.5 pounds. Its dimensions are 8.25 x 10.75 x 1 inches. The manufacturer's list price for the Entourage Edge is $490. You can check the product availability at the company web site. There are not many applications available for netbooks running on Google Android yet, so you more or less have to survive with the preinstalled software for a while. The product comes with a web browser, audio/video record and playback, email, contacts, calculator, alarm clock, and a library application.