Another ebook reader, the Alex eReader scores a 6/10 for its design and features, whereas a 7/10 for its performance. Not a very professional device, it is best as a birthday gift to a young teen or even an elder who is fond of reading books. The device is pretty simple and does not boast much. However, its price is way above the range considering its lack of major functionalities. Coming in at $400.00, you really have to decide if the device is worth the expense.
Pros
The Alex eReader is an Android based device that comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and a virtual keyboard for easy typing. This means you can simply download books from any e-store. It also has a 2GB internal memory alongwith an expansion slot, so you don’t have to worry about space issues. It has the ability to play MP3 music files, so you can read books as well as listen to music at the same time. You also get to play videos albeit not at a very high quality. There is also a built in speaker and a mic which can be used for voice notes. Files that can be played include MP3, M4A, AMR, MIDI, WAV and OGG Vorbis. Alex eReader also has an ePub compatibility that allows you to read free books from Google Books and also be able to loan ebooks from an online library. The best part is the web browser that works quite well and is also alleged to perform better than the Kindle. You can find various apps such as the calculator, email app, picture gallery, online library, music storage, reader and YouTube. A good device for some scrolling and browsing around when there is nothing else better to do.
Cons
Though it has a number of good points, the Alex eReader comes at a very high price, considering its lack of connection with any ebook store and its weak battery life. The color LCD is the main culprit behind the performance of the battery life. The device unfortunately fails to support Word files and that is a major blow as most readable files usually come in Word. Alex eReader seems to be still in the making as there are many devices and apps that are said to be coming soon and at the moment is not available for people to use effectively. It has no support for Flash and again this facility is said to be provided in the next versions of the reader. Despite all this, its current price is way too steep.
Conclusion
Though the device does sound cool enough, it really is a hassle for the average user who wants all the apps available and that too at a price they can afford. It is almost as equal to the iPad, with just a mere $100 difference but unlike the iPad, it doesn’t really live up to its performance much. If the manufacturing company, Spring Design comes up with a really improvised device that has all the apps installed and brings it to an affordable price, then it could gain an average user’s attention.