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"We had a couple of other, smaller nitpicks. The e-ink screen itself...didn't have quite as dark lettering as the lettering on the Nook's screen. The letters also looked a little sharper on the Nook. Spring claims the Alex's e-ink display offers the fastest refresh rates on the market, but it didn't seem terribly faster to us than the Kindle or Nook."

"One of the Alex’s most appealing features is the ability to sync its two displays in selected apps. For example, when reading books users can press the slim button between the displays to see the text and images from a book in color on the LCD screen."

"Though I noticed at once the difference in text contrast in a side-by-side comparison of the Alex and the Kindle, the Alex's more muted contrast didn't detract from its readability, nor did it strain my eyes."

"Reading Jane Eyre on a sunny day was pretty much the typical e-reading experience: the black text looked crisp, and there was the expected second-long refresh when we turned pages."

"The 6-inch E-Ink EPD is just as crisp as the Kindle and Nook, and the 8 shades of gray allow for the right amount of contrast. We never experienced eyestrain either when reading indoors or out in the sun. Text sizes range from Tiny to Small, Normal, Large, and Huge."

"For now the device's OS can only display eight shades. Still, fonts look crisp and are easily readable on the monochrome screen. The Alex's screen contrast is roughly comparable the Nook's display, and much easier to read than Sony's Daily Edition or Touch Edition."

"How does the Alex fare with its primary assignment? Fairly well, in fact. It uses the same E Ink screen as the Kindle, Sony and Nook, so text is sharp and clear in bright light."