Quote:
Originally Posted by borisb
I for one meant a smaller version of the "full size" eDGe with a 5" eInk screen and a 5" LCD screen in a book-like form factor.
Its purpose would be distinctly different from the 10" EE - i.e., it would be for quick notes, light novel reading, web browsing, email, social networking, and other apps (along the lines of iPhone "utility" apps). It would *not* be for reading PDFs, studying, or extensive notetaking.
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I just don't think that there is a large enough market for such a device. Particularly since smartphone penetration is expected to increase dramatically over the next two years as costs drop, further decreasing the potential market for the 5" eDGe. We're already seeing a dramatic increase in the availability of budget eReaders. Seems to me that someone who wants a smaller eReader and means to surf the web and check email already has more cost-effective options than a 5" eDGe. If the screen is too small for annotation, notetaking and whatnot, then there's not much point in having an integrated device.
Furthermore, the smaller form factor would likely require the use of smaller--and thus more expensive--internal components, the cost of which will be far greater than the cost of the smaller screens. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure that we'd see a less capable device that would cost more money aimed at a very small subset of prospective eDGe customers (so smaller group to amortize the R&D costs) and whose purchase of the 5" eDGe would possibly cannibalize the full-sized... not exactly a winning combination for enTourage. Plus it's development would distract from enTourage's focus on fully capitalizing on the original eDGE's potential.
The more that I think about it, the less I like the idea.