"Touted as the first Android-based e-book device to provide full Internet browsing, the Alex features a 6-inch EPD display from E-Ink, as do most e-reader devices, including Amazon's Linux-based, market leading Kindle 2. Yet the Alex appears to be alone in also providing a 3.5-inch color LCD display. In addition, the device features earphones, speakers, and side-mounted control buttons, says the Fremont, Calif.-based startup.
"For communications, the Alex provides both WiFi and a cellular data modem that supports 3G, EVDO/CDMA, and GSM, says the company. Cellular telephony does not appear to be supported. A removable SD card is said to enable enables users to expand their text with multimedia add-on editions, says the company.
"The Alex's dual-display technology is dubbed by Spring Design as the "Duet Navigator." The idea is to offer the reader a way to explore multimedia content and other background information related to the text in a separate, but linked display. The Android OS is said to be optimized to support integration between the color and monochrome displays while preserving battery life. Users can capture and cache web content on the LCD screen, and toggle to view it on the EPD screen "without taxing the battery life," says the company."
