New Firmware

New member to the forum! I've been reading the posts that are listed in this forum and there are definitely some very knowledgeable, helpful people here. With the lack of updates/new information concerning the Edge, I was very hesitant to purchase one (I have the Pocket Edge). However, I thought the price was good (paid under $350), and the device had 2 capabilities I was looking for. I wanted a dedicated ereader (eink, not LCD), and I wanted to do some basic internet work (facebook, youtube, etc.). I am a teacher, so the academic possibilities are very appealing to me, but I really wanted one device that was a dedicated ereader with decent internet capabilities. My family is big into camping and traveling when we are not in school. Carrying just one device that could do the two things I really wanted was the final factor in causing me to purchase this device. I, too, am hoping for upgrade possibilities, but I am also pretty happy with the device as is. I felt it was a good buy and it meets my immediate needs. Sorry for the extremely long post, but I wanted to share my thoughts (even though they are probably worth much less than 2 cents).

As nice as it is to hear from Snow, one vague forum post doesn't change anything from alefor's clear-thinking analysis from earlier in the thread:

Originally Posted by alefor

OK let's put this all together..either we will see something new very soon (hardware, software or both), or it's over. I agree that anyone considering purchase should wait a month or two, unless there is some information soon from Entourage.

1. We were told 2 months ago that Froyo is "weeks, not months" away. While I personally dont care about the added functionality in Froyo, I think Froyo is important to market the device to new customers, especially with Honeycomb already out there. Many people who buy an eDGe are the "early adopter" types, to whom it may be tough to market Android 1.6.
2. Recently, there is no information / activity/ updates on these Forums by Entourage personnel except as censors for postings. The front page lists the 1.11 update (even though 1.13 is out) and some out-dated webinar messages. Not a good face to show potential customers.
3. Supplies of the product seem to be dwindling according to web sites, as noted above
4. There were no new offerings at CES 2011. There have been no comments at all from Entourage about the possibility of new hardware, which could of course be to allow existing stock to sell before an announcement.

There can be, in my opinion, only 2 logical explanations when taking this info together. The first is that we will see some new hardware (or Froyo, or both) in the very near future. If I were making decisions (although I admittedly have no business sense) I would be coming out with new hardware running Honeycomb very soon.

The second explanation is that this is the end of the road for Entourage and the eDGe.

Originally Posted by alefor

OK let's put this all together..either we will see something new very soon (hardware, software or both), or ... The second explanation is that this is the end of the road for Entourage and the eDGe.

There is at least one other possibility: They may be preparing to be bought, which, I admit, may result in option No. 2 above.

So, if Froyo, new hardware, etc. are on the forefront, that's great! I look forward to the newest hardware/software iterations of an already fantastic and novel device! It really fills a critical need that no other device addresses fully.

However, if we are nearing the end of the road for the eDGe family, what options are available? Do you think it is feasible for users to maintain the device for a period of time? (I have no idea what "rooting" does, but people initially seemed excited when that happened... could that allow for updates, increased functionality, etc.?) Or, are there other devices that might work well to fill the void? The Eee Note looks interesting, but it is unclear if you can open and annotate PDFs/ePubs, and the screen would be really hard to read in bright sunlight (ie, significant glare). (I don't know if eyestrain would be an issue, as there is no backlight.) Then there are convertible netbooks (like this one, again from Eee), but you deal with eye-strain, lack of easy reading in sunlight, and the need for additional programs to annotate PDFs. I suppose that Kindle DX, Nook, and iPad are options, but, again, it will be hard to annotate PDFs with these devices.

I'm sorry for the stream of consciousness... I would just like people's thoughts on what to do if a worst case scenario is, indeed, inevitable (and I hope it is not!).

The Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 sounds pretty good. Has a dual digitizer and full blown windows so no problem with software for annotation. The screen is suppose to have good angles but don't know about the glare, outdoor reading etc. We will have to wait for reviews.

Originally Posted by Dr. T

So, if Froyo, new hardware, etc. are on the forefront, that's great! I look forward to the newest hardware/software iterations of an already fantastic and novel device! It really fills a critical need that no other device addresses fully.

However, if we are nearing the end of the road for the eDGe family, what options are available? Do you think it is feasible for users to maintain the device for a period of time? (I have no idea what "rooting" does, but people initially seemed excited when that happened... could that allow for updates, increased functionality, etc.?) Or, are there other devices that might work well to fill the void? The Eee Note looks interesting, but it is unclear if you can open and annotate PDFs/ePubs, and the screen would be really hard to read in bright sunlight (ie, significant glare). (I don't know if eyestrain would be an issue, as there is no backlight.) Then there are convertible netbooks (like this one, again from Eee), but you deal with eye-strain, lack of easy reading in sunlight, and the need for additional programs to annotate PDFs. I suppose that Kindle DX, Nook, and iPad are options, but, again, it will be hard to annotate PDFs with these devices.

I'm sorry for the stream of consciousness... I would just like people's thoughts on what to do if a worst case scenario is, indeed, inevitable (and I hope it is not!).

Originally Posted by Dr. T

.....Or, are there other devices that might work well to fill the void? The Eee Note looks interesting, but it is unclear if you can open and annotate PDFs/ePubs, and the screen would be really hard to read in bright sunlight (ie, significant glare). (I don't know if eyestrain would be an issue, as there is no backlight.) .....I suppose that Kindle DX, Nook, and iPad are options, but, again, it will be hard to annotate PDFs with these devices.

I'm sorry for the stream of consciousness... I would just like people's thoughts on what to do if a worst case scenario is, indeed, inevitable (and I hope it is not!).

The ASUS EEE E121 looks great, but I think you would want to get Adobe Acrobat Pro for annotation, or something similar. With that, its a great device for pdf's, but only with an LCD screen. Its fairly expensive but a full-blown Windows PC, available with 4GB of RAM. I played with it for awhile at Fry's and its very fast, a little heavy. Boot time is 20 seconds.

Thanks to fgruber, I just read about the Fujitsu, which looks like the machine for me, a bit smaller than the ASUS but only 2GB of RAM. Should run Windows 7 and OneNote just fine. They're coming out here in Japan soon, and I plan to get one as soon as they are released.

The iPad 2 is great, but not for annotating.

Originally Posted by NiaTrue

There is at least one other possibility: They may be preparing to be bought, which, I admit, may result in option No. 2 above.

Sad to say that I think this is a likely scenario, given the total lack of apparent activity by Entourage (at least we as users/customers see nothing on the horizon). They may be waiting for some deal to go through. In the description of company officers, this is their pattern with companies. Only time will tell (and I hope I am wrong, as I've said, I have no business sense at all).

Regarding updates, I am really tired of reading all the Apple bashing in this forum and elsewhere, when they are the ONLY company to make updates easily available to users. The old Win Mobile phones were only update-able by the carriers which meant it never happened, because they want you to buy another phone. Android is the same. Why isnt Android designed so that users can do the updates? We would all have Honeycomb! Apple is the only one that does it right. And I think thats a major impetus to stick with Apple. This demonstrates a significant design flaw with every major mobile OS except iOS.

Originally Posted by alefor

The ASUS EEE E121 looks great, but I think you would want to get Adobe Acrobat Pro for annotation, or something similar. With that, its a great device for pdf's, but only with an LCD screen. Its fairly expensive but a full-blown Windows PC, available with 4GB of RAM. I played with it for awhile at Fry's and its very fast, a little heavy. Boot time is 20 seconds.

Thanks to fgruber, I just read about the Fujitsu, which looks like the machine for me, a bit smaller than the ASUS but only 2GB of RAM. Should run Windows 7 and OneNote just fine. They're coming out here in Japan soon, and I plan to get one as soon as they are released.

The iPad 2 is great, but not for annotating.

I use a program called PDF Annotator (http://www.ograhl.com/en/pdfannotator/) on my Lenovo Tablet PC--it's been really great, I recommend it.

Originally Posted by fgruber

The Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 sounds pretty good. Has a dual digitizer and full blown windows so no problem with software for annotation. The screen is suppose to have good angles but don't know about the glare, outdoor reading etc. We will have to wait for reviews.

even if I never use Beehive or Honeycomb or Birdsnest (pun intended) on my PE it still is the only thing out there that does what it is does-and does it pretty well. Perhaps folks were attempting to make Entourage into Apple when, in fact, its Entourage and it never wanted to be Apple. I continue to be happy with my device.

Originally Posted by goodspeech

even if I never use Beehive or Honeycomb or Birdsnest (pun intended) on my PE it still is the only thing out there that does what it is does-and does it pretty well. Perhaps folks were attempting to make Entourage into Apple when, in fact, its Entourage and it never wanted to be Apple. I continue to be happy with my device.

I agree; I really like (and frequently use) the EE. I was just curious what else is out there should things go poorly. I still hold out hope, however, that enTourage will make a turnaround soon!

My N810 was abandoned by most long ago, and it's still an entirely functional device. It still does exactly what I bought it to do, and it still travels with me everywhere. Barring an actual need for a physical repair, I suspect the edge will hold up just fine.

In terms of other devices, I'm still keeping my eye on the ASUS Eee Note (800?). It's a bit more basic than the edge and uses non-backlit LED instead of e-ink, but it's due out in the US this month, rumoured to be under $200 and handles pdfs well. If I wanted a full-blown tablet PC, I'd go that route, but I'm not in the market for an entirely new laptop (at laptop prices) and would rather live with the limitations of a dedicated device than use Windows again. (Not bashing, just a statement.)

Hi,

I am reading the entire forum since a week now as I plan to buy an EE.

For me the good points were :
- A big e-reader screen that can compete with the Kindle DX and the Pocketbook pro 903 and the Asus EE DR900.
- Good PDF handling : Compared to these three devices above, the EE seems to add functionalities while playing with PDF.

The bad points so far are :
- Lack of precise information about what is going on : which means for me a company that don't care of their customers ...
- YOU CAN'T HAVE A LANDSCAPE PAGE on the E-reader screen without manipulating PDF files on your computer first ...

I am really stuck and don't know what to do anymore due to the fact you don't seem to get information on the future of this device and hypotethical updated firmware with simple functions as the landscape mode on the e-reader screen. I don't talk about Froyo either...

PS : Sarah11918 pay attention the non-blacklit lcd of the Asus EEE 800 seems to have some issues with ambiant light. Hope you have seen it, otherwise I can try to find the videos of this matter that I checked while searching for a good device two weeks ago ...

I think it should also depend on what you wanna do with it. I get a lot of PDF's, annotate, use internet and email. for me the eDGe is really perfect with those 2 screens. Specially 2 different screens, like eInk ánd LCD in a single device. I think every device has it's pro's and cons. the perfect one doesn't exist. It all comes down to functionality and price.

Originally Posted by alefor

Regarding updates, I am really tired of reading all the Apple bashing in this forum and elsewhere, when they are the ONLY company to make updates easily available to users. The old Win Mobile phones were only update-able by the carriers which meant it never happened, because they want you to buy another phone. Android is the same. Why isnt Android designed so that users can do the updates? We would all have Honeycomb! Apple is the only one that does it right. And I think thats a major impetus to stick with Apple. This demonstrates a significant design flaw with every major mobile OS except iOS.

Android runs on hundreds of different hardware configurations produced by dozens of manufacturers, while iOS only runs on two produced by one. The situations really aren't comparable. And of course, for those devices whose manufacturers cultivate an independent developer community, users can, quite literally, install their own updates.

Apple deserves every bit of bashing that can be heaped upon them for their closed, dumbed down philosophy and most of all for their ego. Though I may buy an iPad 1 if the price drops below $250 on eBay with all the iFans doing as the WhitePlasticMaster commands and "upgrading" to the IP2 because it's, uh, thinner or something.