For my needs - Alex and Nook with their tiny LCD screens still don't provide what I'm looking for. When I read a physical book I like to have a PC on the Internet sitting next to me so I can actively research new ideas and take notes. Sure the Nook, Kindle, Alex and other eReaders can cram huge libraries in a small package. But I still need a laptop with Internet access and basic word processing sitting next to me. I want a dictionary, Wikipedia and Google and a place to put my thoughts.

The Android OS is not a 20-year, billion dollar re-engineered Windows product. But it is much nicer than Windows 286 or 3.1! Nor does Android have the Apple marketing team's efforts to sell anti-establishment, anti-Big Brother, used by the glitterati and chic, will you believe us if we tell you we invented water? Android is a little young and clunky. But Android accomplishes some things very admirably:
= Android is very light;
= Android has an incredibly small footprint;
= Android is very close to being an OS that can be freshly downloaded on each boot-up
(Google's market play - and they do have an enviable financial war chest)

Anyone who has upgraded from Badger to Coyote with their eDGe - how long did it take to wirelessly download the new OS and upgrade? The most powerful PC can't replace Windows XP with Windows Vista or 7 in 5 minutes.

I concede there are some bumps. Not physical ruts like the first car owners found when driving unpaved roads but impediments to full speed just the same. For a six month old product I find the level of reliability and usability in the eDGe significantly exceeding my expectations. I am also very encouraged at how an OS upgrade can so incredibly change the experience with the device as when I went from Badger to Coyote.

The frontier can be a little rough. Enjoy it or not. :-)