Nathan at The eBook Reader Blog reports learning that manufacturer Spring Design is phasing out its dual-screened Alex e-book reader. Nathan had noticed that the e-book reader was listed as out of stock on the Spring Design website, and that its Twitter and Facebook accounts had not been updated since November. When he emailed the company, he received this response:
Thank you for your interest in Alex. Spring Design is phasing out the current Alex Reader within the next 6 months. We have not announced the product change and introduce any new product yet.
Spring Design was notable for having a similar design philosophy to the Barnes & Noble Nook, and for suing Barnes & Noble over allegedly copying that design after Spring Design shared it with them during a meeting in 2009.
Given the terseness of the response, and the lack of updates from the company, not to mention the high cost of the reader ($349 in a world of sub-$200 models), it seems unlikely a new model is in the offing. Looks like another e-reader also-ran bites the dust.
