enTourage eDGe, The First Dualbook
But what if the reason why you’re annotating a section is because you aren’t sure what a certain word means? This is where the second screen comes into play and any confusion about why the device is a dualbook is cleared up. If you’re reading something on the eReader, you can highlight any confusing word or phrase on the e-Ink screen, that word or phrase will then instantly appears on the other LCD screen. It then prompts the user to to look up the word or phrase on Wikipedia, Google, Dictionary.com, or with a few other options. These two screens allow you to not only read and search but also to switch right back to reading on the other screen saving time and removing the need to shuffle around screens on the tablet. This is a fantastic way for students to eliminate the weight of unnecessary print books, while also being as efficient as possible with one single device for both computing and reading. enTourage has pretty much removed the need for big backpacks filled with books, notebooks, and laptops.
The only problems I had during my time with the eDGe was its lack of 3G and responsiveness. The device already has a 3MP camera, SD/MMC card slot, and great screen sizes working for it, but the lack of 3G and the old Android 1.6 OS were problems that I immediately had to discuss with the available representatives. Thankfully, they assured me that they were in talks with telecommunication companies to not only get 3G or 4G available for their dualbook, but also to make a semi-subsidized program available to bring down the costs for consumers. In regards to Android 1.6, they told me that they were hard at work on getting FroYo 2.2 running as soon possible. Unfortunately, they were unable to give a definitive timetable when pressed about a possible release date for either a mobile broadband or Froyo model, but they did responded with a confident “soon.” The current eDGe costs about $499.99 making it an equally priced competitor to Apple’s iPad, and the enTourage website is readily available to process your order if you are interested in purchasing the first ever dualbook. We at Skatter Tech hope to get a sample unit as soon as possible for an in-depth analysis and review in case you want our reassurance before you make the plunge.
Links: enTourage eDGe