enTourage eDGe Dualbook Fuses Tablet and E-Reader

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2010— -- A first-time exhibitor to the Consumer Electronics Show is already making a bit of splash this week with an ambitious device that offers both a Kindle-like black and white e-reader with a full-color tablet-style computer.

The enTourage eDGe (yes, it's really written out just like that) debuted at the Las Vegas show Tuesday, although the company behind it, enTourage Systems, had previously announced the device in the fall.

The eDGe opens like a book and features the e-reader on one side and the color LCD on the other.

With a 9.7-inch screen (measured diagonally), the e-reader reads both PDFs and ePub files and boasts zooming capabilities and the ability to take the glare-free screen out in the sunlight.

If you're someone who likes to scribble in the margins, the e-reader uses e-ink technology, so you can take notes on the tablet as you read, or create a whole new page for journal entries or doodling. Once you're done, you can save the notes and then upload them to a server to e-mail them to friends.

On the opposite side, the enTourage eDGe color touch screen is a tablet-style netbook that plays movies and MP3s, organizes books, notes and pictures and provides e-mail and instant-messaging capabilities.

The 10.1-inch screen is slightly bigger than its alter ego and lets you view images from e-books on the color display.

With a virtual touch screen keyboard, you can type e-mail messages and instant messages.

Or, if you're in class, the audio recorder will let you record lectures for playback or sharing. It can also record video or capture still images and includes an alarm clock and calculator.

The Wi-Fi-enabled tablet runs on the Android operating system, and Bluetooth connectivity means you can always add an external keyboard if you want to work laptop-style.

At 3 pounds, it's light enough to take on the go and, although it comes with 3 GB of usable memory, you can use an SD card or USB flash-drive to boost storage or transfer files.