Quote:
Originally Posted by Dellaster
That's not something I wanted to hear.  |
I'm sure it's true of all devices, but I'm *really* noticing it with the edge: if you already work with text the way that the edge is designed to work, you'll probably be happy. If instead you look at the edge and think, "oh, that might be a cool thing to be able to do" then your mileage may vary.
There are reports of happy owners, satisfied owners and yes, some disappointed owners. I would say the bulk of what people who own the device have been reporting is positive for the device in general, but noticing areas of usability improvement. I know of one person who returned their device already, but even he didn't hate it - just decided it wasn't for him.
I've said in a few posts that you really have to know what you want out of the device, and what you want has to be what the device offers, in order to be happy with this purchase. There is no other device right now that offers some of its features, and it seems from reading the collective experiences that if those are the features you truly care about, then the fact that it's not sleek and cool like an iPad or that there's a learning curve probably won't bother you very much.
I've had the keyboard click keys I didn't mean for it to. I've had the power cut off unexpectedly. I've rotated the screen inadvertently I don't know how many times by pressing a physical button by mistake. I've spent an hour trying to get highlighting just right.
But, I tend to choose devices for features instead of polish, and I am very happy with the features that I use on this thing, mostly: journal app, reading/annotating pdfs, checking email and twitter, web browsing and a few games. I think you do need to care about handwritten notes, pdfs and a few key apps that run without disrupting your text screen in order to like this device.
If you just wanted to read, and thought, "Oh hey, I guess having an LCD tablet attached must make it better than just a reader," then this maybe isn't the device for you. If you just wanted a speedy little netbook, and thought, "Oh hey, I guess it must be better if I could also handwrite on another screen," this maybe isn't for you.
I think you have to know you want a stylus to mark up text (probably pdfs) or take journal notes AND know that you want a basic functioning slate tablet device. Furthermore, you have to want that as an all-in-one convenience even at the expense of size and weight. Otherwise, I can't see (a) why someone would choose a bigger, clunkier device and (b) how you could overlook some of the first-gen glitches forgivingly. (Of course, just because I can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.)
It probably also doesn't hurt if you don't mind "using the machine." Good technology is like a good referee: you know things are going well the less you notice it. One thing to know about the edge is that you'll be aware of the technology; yes, you'll be reading/taking notes, but you'll be aware that you're using technology to do it because you'll ask yourself, "Now which button am I supposed to press again?" or mentally talk your way through, "Home... Settings... About... Battery..." This machine clearly didn't fall off the Starship Enterprise, and you will have to think about what you're doing while you're doing it. The UI is not so smooth as to approach invisible. It's like the difference between an accelerometer to auto-rotate the screen vs. needing to press a button to do it. Some don't mind it, and some dislike it. Some would rather have the manual control in case there's a situation where we actually want the non-intuitive layout. Others don't even want to have to think about orientation - they just want to focus on what they're actually using the machine for.
I say all this not to imply that people who aren't happy didn't think about their purchase enough or are somehow at fault. I'm just replying to Dellaster's comment about being concerned about negative feedback from others knowing he's already purchased, and trying to paint what I think is a realistic picture of who's generally happy with the device so he can have reasonable expectations.