The Androider

All the excitement around today’s news of a Barnes & Noble eReader running Android may end up being for naught.

According to IREX Technologies, their new DR800SG series eReader is going to be the device that Barnes & Noble uses for their Kindle-killer.  This soon-to-be released unit packs an 8.1-inch, touch-screen and multi-mode 3G capabilities powered by Verizon Wireless. 

The Barnes & Noble eBook strategy is very much aligned with IREX’s approach to the market. IREX’s open platform, powered by Barnes & Noble’s comprehensive eBookstore, is an appealing proposition for people who love to read. Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest bookseller, so we understand how to create a great shopping experience for people looking for simple and convenient access to their favorite subjects, authors and material. – William J. Lynch, president of BN.com

Unfortunately, the open platform used for the device doesn’t appear to be Android.  As pointed out by Jaap A. Haitsma, the eReader uses GNOME as the OS.

You can write programs for these devices by installing the SDK. I’ve tried it a while ago and it works pretty nicely. I only find it a pity that IREX doesn’t advertise this at all at their main website.

We did some digging around the IREX site for Android only to come up completely empty-handed.  This is not to say definitively that this is the same device the WSJ is talking about.  In fact, that’s where it gets muddy.  The Journal says that the screen size is 6 inches and that the carrier will be AT&T.  Awfully conflicting stuff if it’s the same product.

This is where we throw it back to you… do you think these are the same devices?  Is Android going to be part of the picture?

Thanks for the tip Carl!

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