Have you heard about it? The hot new device? I have recently seen a flurry of discussion about a new gadget: the Xteink X4. This is only a sampling of the blog posts about it:
- Early Days With Xteink X4 - Joel Chrono
- I Love Reading on the Xteink X4 - JP
- Barebones e-reader: Xteink X4 - www-gem
- XT Eink X4 - Bit-101
What is it?
It is an ereader. The big deal is that it is small and relatively cheap. It’s about A6 sized and retails for $69 USD. It’s got a magnet so you can stick it to the back of your phone and take it everywhere.
There is open source firmware you can install to enhance it’s features.
Why did I get one?
At first, I looked at all this discussion, and I thought “I don’t need one.” I didn’t feel like buying yet another gadget . It’s neat sure, but I already have an Amazon Kindle. I don’t love Amazon, but I have it and it still works. I like to ask “what can I do with this that I can’t with the old one?” when I am thinking about buying something like this. At the end of the day, it is a toy. $69 is a lot of money to spend on a toy.
And then I realized exactly what I would use it for. Sometimes I have downtime at work. I often wish I had a book with me during these moments. A book—or even my kindle—are a little too inconvenient, and, well, conspicuous, to pack. I have my phone, but that is obviously quite distracting.
So, with that specific use case in mind (and of course I will read it in other places too), I ordered one for myself. It is really nice. People are raving about it for a reason. It is a supremely convenient way to read—at work, on the bus, in waiting rooms, etc. I have a book everywhere I go now, and it’s not connected to the internet. How wonderful.
The build quality is okay. You can only expect so much at this price point. I’ve already had one button crack, and that does not give me very much confidence in the longevity. We shall see.
Overall, I can recommend it. It’s pretty cool.
