Android Phones
Alex Android ereader can be pre-ordered, but has its time already passed?
March 16, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
Android Devices
All morning I watched everyone talk about the Alex ereader going on sale today but whenever I went to the site, it wasn’t on sale. It was the same “coming soon” page that we’ve seen for several weeks. After several checks throughout the day, I finally see a revamped SpringDesign.com that includes an order page.
My question is: are Spring and the Alex too late? No, I don’t mean just today’s tardiness; is Spring Design too late in getting their ereader to consumers?
The Alex was met with skepticism when first announced, but quickly impressed media at CES. I said that I would recommend it over the Nook, even with the power of Barnes & Noble’s library of eBooks (Alex uses Borders and Google Books). But the Nook has months of lead time and the nation’s No.1 physical retailer, the Kindle has the weight of Amazon, and the iPad has years of Apple loyalty and apps on its side. Who is left to purchase the Alex?
The Kindle and Nook will probably corner the e-ink market because of Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s enormous retail presence. Meanwhile, the advantage of having an Android touchscreen won’t mean much to average consumers, who are more likely to be wowed by the iPad or computing power of the many other tablets/slates expected to be released this year and next.
Based on my limited time with the Alex ereader, I think it’s a strong product that I hope will find a niche. However, the current ereader/slate landscape has drastically changed since January (crazy, right?) and the Alex has a tough rough ahead.
Take your chance with the $399 Alex Reader in Charcoal or White at SpringDesign.com.
I don't think it's particularly late, in that no one else is offering superior tech, and there doesn't seem to be any in the pipeline yet. (And no, the iPad is *not* a readerThe problem is the price…$399 for the same basic tech that you can get for $259 from the competition? It makes no sense.
I personally see the iPad as a crippled tablet, but it is a "reader" because Apple has a library of books that people are likely to purchase. I personally have no desire to own one, but I'm sure plenty of people will buy the iPad for its media features and Apple logo.
The people who still want a true reader with e-ink screen will then choose between the Kindle, Nook, and Spring, which are as you point out $150 cheaper. That's another hurdle that's going to hurt them in a major way.
If by competition you mean the Kindle ($259), with the Alex I will be able to check out digital ebooks from the library. At the present price of $9.99 an ebook, I'll break even after 14 books.
Perhaps by competition you mean the Nook or Sony touch ($259 and $299 respectively), which both allow one to check out ebooks from the library. However, with the Nook I am making a leap of faith that, in ripping off the technology and speeding up production, B&N's cost-cutting short-cuts were the cause of the Nook's speed issues. With the Sony, well, I can't abide screen glare, and I'm willing to pay a hundred dollar premium to avoid it. <shrug>
Finally, since the system on the Alex is open, I have no doubt that, even if it isn't a huge market success, enough enthusiasts will get them, that as a group, we can tinker with it as the years go by, and it will stay useful.
i don't care if it's alex, the nook, or google's tablet — i need not just an android-based e-reader, but an android-based e-reader WITH google mail, calendar, and contacts (with background sync over wifi) so that my e-reader is also my PIM.