Don’t rush and buy a Nook or a Kindle, Android is here. Velocity Micro has announced the release of an Android reader. The device is named Cruz Reader and just to show how significant that is, Velocity Micro has thrown a full website for their newly born at www.cruzreader.com. The reader is priced at $199 and you can pre-order it right now, yes right now you can place an order at velocitymicro.com totaling $199 + $15 shipping or you can opt for 1-day shipping for around $37 and as promised they will ship you your Android Cruz Reader on September 15th (which is today).
The configuration of the reader is pretty good. You get a 7 inch 800×600 touch screen display, a built in tilt activated accelerometer, a USB (yes a real USB) and even an SD card slot for upgrading your storage capacity further than the 2GB SD card that’s shipped with the reader. Cruz Reader also has a number of applications pre-installed including: Dictionary, Notepad, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Contacts, Games, and others. The reader comes shipped with Borders E-book portal Android application for book shopping.
A great feature is a built-in 802.11b/g Wifi card which even better gives you full browser support. Now, your choices are getting more and more. You can go with Amazon’s Kindle (6in Black and White $140), Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Apples iPad or stick to an Android with a big screen, in full colors and full browser internet access at $200.
Cruz Reader will have a bigger brother, Cruz Tablet and its priced at $299 but with a capacitive touch screen in comparison to Cruz Reader which still have the old classical touch screen which you have to poke with your fingers like GPS devices. Cruz Tablet ships in October but we will keep you posted of any changes or updates.