Edge Dual-Screen E-Reader is Also a Netbook

Sure, $600 will get you an e-reader and a netbook, but for just $490, you could have both in the Edge — excuse me, the eDGe — a dual screen package from Virginia-based start-up Entourage — excuse me, enTourage. I will not be honoring bizarre capitalization for the rest of this post. Anyway, the edge consists of two panels, with a 9.7-inch E-Ink screen on one side and a 10.1-inch LCD touch screen on the other. The E-Ink screen acts like your typical reader, letting you navigate with a stylus and download books in PDF or ePub format. The netbook side is limited to e-mail and Web browsing, but does include audio and video playback. The entire package weighs 2.5 pounds, and it measures 8.25 x 10.24 x 1 inch closed.

Powering the Edge is an ARM processor and Google’s Android mobile platform, with 4 GB of storage expandable by SD or USB. The two screens are connected, in that you can drag text from the E-ink display onto the netbook side, and there are other features such as text-to-speech, audio recording and a virtual keyoard. The problem, of course, is that an affordable tablet would wipe the Edge off the map. But if you’re feeling adventurous, you can pre-order an Edge now for its February 2010 release. [via Wired]