Alex e-reader to feature Google Books

Jake Widman
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 03:32

Your IT - Mobility

Spring Design announced an agreement with Google that will make the more than one million Google Books accesible via the dual-screen Alex e-reader.

The Alex was first announced last October, just before Barnes & Noble announced its Nook e-reader, also a dual-screen Android-based device.

Both units feature a black-and-white screen for reading and a color LCD screen. The Nook uses the color screen for searching and browsing the reader's library, while the Alex provides full browser functionality.

The devices are similar enough, though, that in November Spring Design sued Barnes & Noble, charging that the Nook used Spring's trade secrets and violated the companies' NDA.

The Alex will make its formal debut during this week's Consumer Electronics Show, introduced at a press luncheon and on display at chipmaker Marvell's two booths. (Marvell announced a partnership with E Ink in November to work on a low-priced e-reader platform.)

Spring's alliance with Google will make it possible to download Google's EPUB-format e-books directly from the device.

In the announcement, Google product manager Brandon Badger said, "We are pleased to work with Spring Design and the Alex, which is an exciting new reading device, that combined with a wealth of free public domain books from Google, provides great value to eReaders."