Astri dual-mode Android e-ink e-reader

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

It's the Edge Mini-Me....cool, I like it...add Wacom and it's a winner to go fast an light when you don't wanna take your Edge along. Another interesting product that we have essentially no detaisl about and will likely never see make it to the market...but good find!! If it could fold in half it would be a nice portable ebook/PDA type hybrid...

That's what I was thinking as well. It's a nice concept and I'm afraid it will not make it out of that concept state. Naturally, the current design has some drawbacks (as far as I can deduce from the videos), but let's hope somebody will pick it up and run with it!

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

It's the Edge Mini-Me....cool, I like it...add Wacom and it's a winner to go fast an light when you don't wanna take your Edge along. Another interesting product that we have essentially no detaisl about and will likely never see make it to the market...but good find!! If it could fold in half it would be a nice portable ebook/PDA type hybrid...

Depending on the types of apps available for the Android side and a few other factors, I could see replacing my iPod Touch with this.

[ziegl027]

Originally Posted by Boston

I too love the size...

Now if the e-ink screen functioned as a keyboard for the lcd screen when in landscape mode (so its truly a mini-laptop)...then it would be the first device I've seen with a compelling reason to pay a premium and upgrade.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this, too. I haven't watched all of the videos, but it would also be most excellent if the device could be folded screens-out (like the Edge). Then you could just read on the e-ink side or just use apps on the LCD side.

Very promising design. Me like.

[Nate the great]

Some more details are out:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/01...reader_update/

[daffy4u]

I think you posted in the wrong thread Nate, that's an Asus link.

[Charbax]

The Marvell people told me it was removed the next day when I tried to film a proper video of it, they said because someone had actually broken it trying to fold the LCD all the way back behind the e-ink part.

Dual 4.8" and 5" LCD touch screen and e-ink wacom is the type of solution that I have been envisioning Archos should release since 2007 (see my original post at http://archosfans.com/2007/06/11/ebook-module-idea/ ) as an add-on dock to their Android series of 4.8" Tablets. It'd be awesome with a very thin and light 5" e-ink dock to cover the LCD and also to swivel around to the back of the device so basically fold into 4 different modes:

1. LCD only mode, then e-ink should be folded back behind the LCD and just sit there doing nothing.

2. e-ink only mode, then the e-ink screen covers the LCD screen

3. Dual mode where you hold both screens open like this Astri prototype and do features like the Entourage Edge.

4. Closed mode when each screen are closed onto each other to protect both and enter in the pocket safely and not have to use any leather cases to protect any of the screens. Thus even though adding e-ink may add 5mm thickness in an optimized design, you would save just as much by not having to use a leather protective case when carrying around in your pocket.

I would pay $149 for a 5" e-ink Dock for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android series. Cleverly the e-ink add-on should not come with a lot of power, processing, storage, it should basically be just a screen with a very little buffer, very little cache storage and very little power to flip pages. And when it's docked to the Archos it should draw from all the processing, connectivity, storage and power that the Archos already has. Also, Archos does have a proprietary dock connector which I think should be able to support safely and sturdily docking onto it some swivel e-ink with wacom add-on solution like this.