Spring Design's Alex E-Reader Bites The Dust
Remember Spring Design's Alex? That was an e-reader that had tons of
potential just over a year ago, and today, it's no more. Proving yet
again just how difficult it is to compete with giants in the industry
such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Spring Design has decided that
the Alex simply cannot keep up with the competition, and according to a
spokeswoman for the company, it's being laid to rest for good. Here's
the exact quote:
"It's out of stock. It is our understanding that the investor stopped the money."
There was no extra information given, but no more money generally means no more product. The Alex had a tough road right from launch. The company was charging $399 for an e-reader, and while Android was available on the second screen, that's generally not enough to convince someone to pay tablet pricing for a standalone e-reader. The design was certainly unique, with a dual-screen 6" e Ink display, a second 3.5" Android-powered touch panel and built-in Wi-Fi. But there was no integrated (and free) 3G like there is with the Kindle, and that probably led to its demise.
Either way, it's a tough day to see one of our own fall, but such is life in this cutthroat industry.
"It's out of stock. It is our understanding that the investor stopped the money."
There was no extra information given, but no more money generally means no more product. The Alex had a tough road right from launch. The company was charging $399 for an e-reader, and while Android was available on the second screen, that's generally not enough to convince someone to pay tablet pricing for a standalone e-reader. The design was certainly unique, with a dual-screen 6" e Ink display, a second 3.5" Android-powered touch panel and built-in Wi-Fi. But there was no integrated (and free) 3G like there is with the Kindle, and that probably led to its demise.
Either way, it's a tough day to see one of our own fall, but such is life in this cutthroat industry.
