Here’s something different. The 4.3″ Ematic Twig. I can’t decide which name is funnier, the Ematic Twig or the Naxa Noodle that turned up back in July.
This is the second new Ematic device in as many months. The other one is a 7″ touchscreen ereader that comes with Kobo eBooks and looks like a Sony Reader clone.
The most unusual thing about the Ematic Twig is its 4.3-inch 800 x 480 resolution TFT touchscreen. Most tablets have 7-inch and larger screens. The smaller screen definitely makes it a lot more portable and pocket-friendly. The device measures a mere 4.5″ x 3.0″ x 0.5″.
Underneath its diminutive frame, the Ematic Twig runs Android 2.2 and is powered by a undisclosed dual-core processor. It has Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and a g-sensor. The $89 model comes with 4GB of internal memory. There’s a second model that comes with 8GB of memory. That model, the Ematic Twig EL480B, costs $99. Both support microSD cards up to 16GB.
If size really doesn’t matter, the Ematic Twig should be a hit at those prices. There’s even a pink model for the ladies.
Interesting, especially the fact it claims to have a dual processor.
I also noticed this media player that “doubles as an ebook reader”
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ematic-Surge-8GB-HD-Video-MP3-Player-with-4.3-Touchscreen-EM714VIDHD/16529124?findingMethod=rr
Actually they make the claim about doubling as an ebook reader on this one as well:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ematic-4GB-MP3-Video-Player-Black/17196406?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyViewedItems
Wow, do they have a enough different gadgets? Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a video player with a 3″ screen. I’m holding out for one with a 2″ screen.
I own an Archos media player with this same size and resolution of screen. It’s great for watching DVD quality video, but there is no way it’s practical for any kind of reading. The text comes up too small.
I believe the smallest you can go with a screen and be productive is 7 inches and at the rate mobile phone screens are growing, I believe the two will converge and you’ll have a 7 inch moble phone screen.
As a veteran of the PDA era of ebook reading, I know a 4in high res screen can be a good reading experience with the right software. I’ll be looking into the ematics. If the battery life holds up…
I also have an Archos with a 3.5 inch screen. At the time I was looking for something a bit larger under $100. I wish I’d known about this for music and video but not as an ereader. When I see ppl on the train reading Nooks etc. even they look small. I’ll have to check this out though especially around the holidays, it might be a bit cheaper.
I read books a lot on my phone, Droid X 4.3″ screen. I also have a Kobo WiFi and an iPad 2, but my phone works very well with the right software (currently Aldiko) and I can adjust font size to whatever size for ease of reading. This would be a great little gamer for the grandkids who love Angry birds on the iPad and my phone when they can get their hands on it.
I’ve read on my PalmTX for years and had no problems at all. With auto scroll it’s very comfortable to read, and fits in my small handbag. Because it goes with me I have it when I have a few spare minutes in the car or waiting somewhere. But because it won’t sync with Windows 7 (grrrr) I’m springing for the Ematic Twig. I should have it in the next couple of days. The reason I bought it is because of the small size. I’m used to the size, and so are all my purses.
Let us know how well it works after you’ve had some time with it :-).
From my own experience I can say that a “4.3-inch 800 x 480 resolution TFT touchscreen” can deliver an excellent ebook-reading experience. I’ve read many books on my HTC Incredible Android phone, which has a 3.7″ 800×480 screen. Its small size (compared to a device with a 7″ or larger screen) is an advantage in many cases, because it is easy to hold and operate with one hand, without disturbing anyone (e.g. on a bus or subway.)
I’m guessing you’ve done all your e-reading on devices much larger than a phone, so it would naturally strike you as unreasonable to read on such a small screen. But I can assure, it’s easy to get lost in a good book, even on a small screen, if the screen quality is bright and sharp.
My two concerns would be the battery life on the Twig..and the quality, of course. But if the build quality is okay, it’s a pretty impressive device.
Well, I bought one of these – it doesn’t appear on the ematic web site, but there is another 4.3″ screen so I suspect this is simply a repurposed gadget to hit the “tablet” market. It uses http://slideme.org/ market place as delivered. I am not sure that it will stay with me, as I am an android noob. I loved my Palm TX (and Palm Pilot, and Palm … well, you get the picture), so the size isn’t an issue. The question is mainly if I can beat it into submission.
At this point, it’s 80/20 against keeping it, since it feels repurposed.
Nathan, you should check out the samsung galaxy media player and maby do a review on it.