[bodex]

Review: black Pandigital Novel | The Digital ReaderHopefully people will get these in their hands soon and see how hack-able they are.edit. And a third hardware button (for wi-fi), interesting...

 

[Nate the great1]

Shoot. You beat me to it. But you missed the other post:Chinese Tablet Syndrome ? Is your e-reader at risk? | The Digital ReaderHas anyone seen that type of screen damage before? It was a first for me.

 

[Nate the great1]

And yes, that screen damae is why I didn't put all that much effort into hacking the black Novel. Typing stuff with the onscreen keyboard was a PIA. Also, I really don't think anyone should buy it.

 

[bodex]

Yeah, I just watched the video (accidental drop-test, nice! )That is not great. I try to avoid dropping things in general, but you would think these would be made to survive a few feet drop onto carpet. Hopefully that isn't common to all of the PDNs.Also, besides the internal SD card are the other components the same (processor, battery, ram, etc)?

 

[Nate the great1]

[quote name='bodex;39317]Yeah' date=' I just watched the video (accidental drop-test, nice! )That is not great. I try to avoid dropping things in general, but you would think these would be made to survive a few feet drop onto carpet. Hopefully that isn't common to all of the PDNs.Also, besides the internal SD card are the other components the same (processor, battery, ram, etc)?[/QUOTE'] Nothing is the same between the 2 models (for the hardware, at least).But you don't need to take my word for it. We've already seen the insdes of both models. The pictures are floating around this forum.

 

[pocket_aces]

Aside from the Indian tablet which may or may not be manufactured in China, aren't all tablets "chinese tablets," including the iPad?I would have liked to have seen, in your article, either a working link to the FCC docs you reference (not everyone knows what or where you're talking about, and I've personally never seen these docs of which you speak) or some more details about the black Novel versus the white one (e.g., what is the processor in the black Novel versus the white Novel). You say that the white Novel has "better hardware" than the black Novel, but what does that mean? Does "better hardware" only refer to the touchscreen panel or is there more to that? Specifically, is the processor the same between the two or different?

 

[Mark Adams]

I thought I'd seen that the FCC link was dead.

 

[Nate the great1]

[quote name='pocket_aces;39334]Aside from the Indian tablet which may or may not be manufactured in China' date=' aren't all tablets "chinese tablets," including the iPad?I would have liked to have seen, in your article, either a working link to the FCC docs you reference (not everyone knows what or where you're talking about, and I've personally never seen these docs of which you speak) or some more details about the black Novel versus the white one (e.g., what is the processor in the black Novel versus the white Novel). You say that the white Novel has "better hardware" than the black Novel, but what does that mean? Does "better hardware" only refer to the touchscreen panel or is there more to that? Specifically, is the processor the same between the two or different?[/QUOTE'] Here's the FCC link:https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas...ame=N&application_id=933054&fcc_id='POTPRD07TIt's been posted on SlateDroid a bunch of times.

 

[Mark Adams]

Hey Nate, you ever get tired of people saying Thanks?Add mine to the pile. ;-)

 

[PDboy]

I do have to wonder why the reviewer thinks these tablets don't make good ereaders. That's primarily why I bought mine and I think it works fantastic as one. He mentioned the swiping on the native reader as an issue. But even though I prefer a tap to a swipe I don't seem to mind it with the PDN app. I can easily hold the white PDN with one hand and swipe with the other. Besides there are so many other reading apps that are more flexible. And I just don't see how pressing a button would be any better (except having an extra button for Home) than a screen tap. But the reviewer shows where he's at when he suggests the Nook or Kindle in place of it . I suspect that he doesn't fully understand that some people want more than a single purpose device, want a back light, want fast page turns that don't flash to black, want a bigger screen, want color, want better contrast, want B&N and Kindle stores on the same device, want to really surf the web, etc. I don't know what he means by "they are tablets first and e-readers second". They can be whichever the user wants. Just because a tablet type device can be more than an ereader does not mean it can't be used as one. Perhaps the reviewer was bothered by all the available choices on the PDN? To conclude that if a device is more than an ereader it shouldn't be used as one is just silly.

 

[iplaythisgame]

Thats just it, He (and I) don't find it comfortable to use two hands on a device this size. If it were bigger you couldn't hold it up like a book, so swipe only would make sense. Or if it were smaller then one hand could hold it and make the swipe. Thats why I prefer fbreader as my ereader app, tap page turns.And he posits that since the device is marketed as an ereader and makes it hard to do otherwise that there are better options if you want a tablet that you can read on.(with buttons) Or buy a eink reader if you only want to read. This is kind of a fall in between the cracks device.

 

[lawman]

Let's not insult the guy. The website is called... the DIGITAL READER. He points out that it's billed as ... an EREADER.I hold the white with one hand and turn pages with the other. Aldiko also recognizes tap page turns, btw. Personally, I hate the 10" form, and the 5" is too small. The weight isn't an issue for me.Nate's review was an honest opinion. Opinions are like a-holes - everyone has one and they all stink.That said, I DO have a nook, and love it for long reads. It's a 1.5 trick pony, however.

 

[cutterjohn]

[quote name='PDboy;39612]I do have to wonder why the reviewer thinks these tablets don't make good ereaders. That's primarily why I bought mine and I think it works fantastic as one. He mentioned the swiping on the native reader as an issue. But even though I prefer a tap to a swipe I don't seem to mind it with the PDN app. I can easily hold the white PDN with one hand and swipe with the other. Besides there are so many other reading apps that are more flexible. And I just don't see how pressing a button would be any better (except having an extra button for Home) than a screen tap. But the reviewer shows where he's at when he suggests the Nook or Kindle in place of it . I suspect that he doesn't fully understand that some people want more than a single purpose device' date=' want a back light, want fast page turns that don't flash to black, want a bigger screen, want color, want better contrast, want B&N and Kindle stores on the same device, want to really surf the web, etc. I don't know what he means by "they are tablets first and e-readers second". They can be whichever the user wants. Just because a tablet type device can be more than an ereader does not mean it can't be used as one. Perhaps the reviewer was bothered by all the available choices on the PDN? To conclude that if a device is more than an ereader it shouldn't be used as one is just [URL=silly.:confused]silly.:confused[/URL]:[/QUOTE']Easy. They're ENTIRELY useless as reader outdoors(or rooms w/many windows) on nice sunny days. I do most of my reading during the day, so I want eInk OR monochrome LCD so that I can use it on sunny days as a reader. Yeah, after dark it doesn't matter so much as not many eInk readers have integrated lighting and when they do, they suck. (Also never seen a good clip-on or usb light.) Which oddly enough leaves the old-fashioned mono-LCDs which can be easily backlit as the best all arounders, although I've REALLY come to like eInk screens the only reason that I got one was because I cracked the corner of my Palm IIIx screen and my Franklin reader has a bad backup cap so it loses everything every time you change the batteries... (OS is stored in RAM on that one, only a minimal bootloader in ROM and I never got around to getting an MMC card for it(can be used to restore OS, etc. from).)Probably some other problems too like weight maybe, although I've never handled the PDN, I know the GT is the same size as my PRS-505, just a little thicker. The GT is a little bit lighter than the PRS-505 too boot, but I imagine the added weight of the 505 comes from it's aluminum chassis, plus case which I ALWAYS leave it in... saved it from damage as I've dropped it twice accidentally...

 

[Guiltyr1]

If the Black is running 2.1; can't we make an image made and run the white the exact same way???

 

[clockworx]

If the Black is running 2.1; can't we make an image made and run the white the exact same way???

Who said it's running 2.1?

 

[PDboy]

[quote name='cutterjohn;39621]Easy. They're ENTIRELY useless as reader outdoors(or rooms w/many windows) on nice sunny days. I do most of my reading during the day' date=' so I want eInk OR monochrome LCD so that I can use it on sunny days as a reader. Yeah, after dark it doesn't matter so much as not many eInk readers have integrated lighting and when they do, they suck. (Also never seen a good clip-on or usb light.) Which oddly enough leaves the old-fashioned mono-LCDs which can be easily backlit as the best all arounders, although I've REALLY come to like eInk screens the only reason that I got one was because I cracked the corner of my Palm IIIx screen and my Franklin reader has a bad backup cap so it loses everything every time you change the batteries... (OS is stored in RAM on that one, only a minimal bootloader in ROM and I never got around to getting an MMC card for it(can be used to restore OS, etc. from).)Probably some other problems too like weight maybe, although I've never handled the PDN, I know the GT is the same size as my PRS-505, just a little thicker. The GT is a little bit lighter than the PRS-505 too boot, but I imagine the added weight of the 505 comes from it's aluminum chassis, plus case which I ALWAYS leave it in... saved it from damage as I've dropped it twice accidentally...[/QUOTE']The reviewer does not mention an objection to the backlit LCD form. I would not say that the PDN is entirely useless during the day and I have one. If I want to read outside, which is somewhat rare, I bring a pbook or my Jetbook. I do most reading inside (with and without windows) and underground where a backlight is an advantage.The PDN is a little heavier than I would like but it is not a problem. It is lighter than the iPad though.

 

[cutterjohn]

[quote name='PDboy;39635]The reviewer does not mention an objection to the backlit LCD form. I would not say that the PDN is entirely useless during the day [U]and I have one[/U]. If I want to read outside' date=' which is somewhat rare, I bring a pbook or my Jetbook. I do most reading inside (with and without windows) and underground where a backlight is an advantage.The PDN is a little heavier than I would like but it is not a problem. It is lighter than the iPad though.[/QUOTE']yeah, you got it. But I think that ALOT of people read outdoors or in brightly sunlit rooms. I feel that it's a mistake on the reviewers parts not to mention the drawbacks of current color LCD screens and these conditions. Color eInk will fix this IF it ever comes out, and maybe the OLED LCD displays will help, but I haven't seen one to experiment with, but I have tried just about every color LCD from plain baare to ones with all sorts of extra coating and things that were supposed to help in those conditions, but ended up doing virtually nothing to improve readability. (Actually transflective screens were the only reason that I bought my second color PDA, and have tried more simply for the hope of something that really works...)I'd've gotten a jetbook, personally, but IIRC at the time all they were selling was still the old Franklin readers...As to not being entirely useless, I'll agree conditionally if you agree that you need to find a fairly well shaded area to be able to read the screen comfortably for any extended period of time here... (speaking of it purely as an ereader, and not some hackable android tablet that can do other things, which is abonus for the white one, but not the black yet...)

 

[pocket_aces]

Here's the FCC link:https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas...ame=N&application_id=933054&fcc_id='POTPRD07TIt's been posted on SlateDroid a bunch of times.

Thanks for the link. I've seen a couple of posts here that attempted to put that link up, but, as someone else mentioned, it was always a dead link, though perhaps because it wasn't copied over properly. Regardless, I had meant for your blog's readers, who can't be assumed to be members here, to be able to understand your FCC reference also.So......it looks like the black Novel has a different processor than the white one? I'd be curious to see how it runs alongside a stock white Novel attempting the same action (e.g., loading up the same book), if someone with a working black Novel and a working white Novel doesn't mind attempting it.

 

[pocket_aces]

[quote name='cutterjohn;39621]Easy. They're ENTIRELY useless as reader outdoors(or rooms w/many windows) on nice sunny days. I do most of my reading during the day' date=' so I want eInk OR monochrome LCD so that I can use it on sunny days as a reader. Yeah, after dark it doesn't matter so much as not many eInk readers have integrated lighting and when they do, they suck. (Also never seen a good clip-on or usb light.) Which oddly enough leaves the old-fashioned mono-LCDs which can be easily backlit as the best all arounders, although I've REALLY come to like eInk screens the only reason that I got one was because I cracked the corner of my Palm IIIx screen and my Franklin reader has a bad backup cap so it loses everything every time you change the batteries... (OS is stored in RAM on that one, only a minimal bootloader in ROM and I never got around to getting an MMC card for it(can be used to restore OS, etc. from).)Probably some other problems too like weight maybe, although I've never handled the PDN, I know the GT is the same size as my PRS-505, just a little thicker. The GT is a little bit lighter than the PRS-505 too boot, but I imagine the added weight of the 505 comes from it's aluminum chassis, plus case which I ALWAYS leave it in... saved it from damage as I've dropped it twice accidentally...[/QUOTE'] Yes, there's no beating e-Ink's reflexive displays for reading outdoors in the sunlight, but, as you say, they kind of suck in darker conditions. The best all-around tech for e-book reading might turn out to be Pixel Qi's tech, which tries to marry the best of both worlds.

 

[Nate the great1]

[quote name='PDboy;39635]The reviewer does not mention an objection to the backlit LCD form. I would not say that the PDN is entirely useless during the day [U]and I have one[/U]. If I want to read outside' date=' which is somewhat rare, I bring a pbook or my Jetbook. I do most reading inside (with and without windows) and underground where a backlight is an advantage.The PDN is a little heavier than I would like but it is not a problem. It is lighter than the iPad though.[/QUOTE'] The iPad has gotten so much news coverage it would be hard not to know about LCDs and sunlight.