Named 2010 Best Ebook Reader @ CES
Spring Design Alex is the best ebook reader on the market now. I don’t know who came up with the lame name, but it’s absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing.
Like Barnes & Noble’s Nook, it has a 6 inch electronic ink screen on top of a 3.5 LCD screen. They call it an iPod Touch + Kindle. Electronic ink means that reading the text is like reading an actual book. The 3.5 LCD screen is used for navigation and normal computer tasks. If the 3.5 LCD screen is too small, you can sync both screens together. It’s also powered by Android, Google’s rapidly dominating OS for gadgets and smart phones. That means any Android application can be run on this ebook reader. Not only does it let you carry thousands or millions of books (supports pdf files!), you can also browse the internet, check your email, and listen to music. I would much much rather have this over a iPad, netbook, or Amazon’s Kindle. This thing rocks!
Ebook Readers are the future! Books like newspapers are on the way out. They weigh too much, they take up too much space, and I can’t search them. With this ebook reader, combine an entire library of books weighing over 50 pounds into a tiny device weighing only 11 ounces, 4.7 by 8.9 by 0.6 inches. That’s smaller than a regular book! I could go on vacation with just a backpack of clothing, my cellphone, and this device. No books, no mp3 player, and no laptop.
I’m trying my best to wait a month or two before ordering one. I want to see whether the price drops from its current $399 price tag and how well it’s received by fans. The Spring Design Alex is definitely on the top of my Minimalist Buy List.
** UPDATE **
Yesterday, Endgadget put out their review of the Spring Design Alex. I especially like the fact that they included pictures and a table of the ereader along with other ereaders:
| Measurements |
Weight |
|
| Spring Design Alex | 4.7 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches | 11 ounces |
| Amazon Kindle 2 | 5.3 x 8.0 x 0.36 inches | 10.2 ounces |
| Barnes & Noble Nook | 4.9 x 7.7 x 0.5 inches | 12.1 ounces |
| Sony Reader Touch Edition | 6.9 x 4.8 x .4 inches | 10.1 ounces |
Overall, they don’t like the fact that the Alex doesn’t have 3g internet access, Android apps are still limited, and there’s no way to purchase new books. Spring Design is planning a whole series of updates in the summer for these problems, but it’s not a big deal to me. I plan on getting Sprint’s 4G Mobile Internet, and I don’t purchase new ebooks. I spend a lot of time reading RSS feeds and PDF books. Nevertheless, I have started to think that purchasing a cheap netbook and a Nook/Kindle might be better. I refuse to purchase any Apple products like their iPad.