14 DAY TRIAL // The e-reader market segment has definitely been seeing a slew of new members recently and it seems that there are more to come. The Skiff, as well as devices from Lenovo, ASUS and Samsung have already been released and/or revealed to be part of the companies' plans for 2010. Joining the eager crowd is a company that has mostly flown under the radar, but that seems ready to take the market by surprise with a new type of dual-screen e-reader aimed at educational use.
Regardless of the type of e-paper used and of the richness of available content, most e-readers are alike in the way that they use a slate form factor. Intent on distinguishing itself from the fold, Astri is working on a dual-screen product that can open and close like a small notebook. The device is labeled MID. MID, in this case, stands for My Interactive Device instead of Mobile Internet Device.
Astri's e-reader is built with a 5-inch e-paper touchscreen on the left and a 4.8-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) on the right. The LCD has a resolution of 800 x 480 and is meant for web browsing, whereas the e-paper is meant for reading and taking notes. Both screens have touch capabilities.
Astri showcased a prototype of this e-reader during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. The device runs on the Android operating system (OS) and is powered by a Marvell processor. Unfortunately, the model showcased still seemed to have some issues with the touch recognition and there was no indication of whether the company planned to make the two screens capable of communicating with each other.
Currently, the company is working towards scoring OEM deals. Astri intends to launch the product sometime this year, but there is no clear indication as to exactly when and where the e-reader will become available. Also, the price has not been suggested.