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Old 06-03-2010, 04:28 PM   #1
borisb
Edge User
 
Cool enTourage eDGe goes retail!

(retracted)

Last edited by borisb; 08-15-2010 at 06:28 PM.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 05:00 PM   #2
walt526
Edge User
 
Cool. I'm not sure whether the eDGe will show off well at a college bookstore (particularly next to an iPad), as it takes a little bit of acclimation to the device. In other words, some of it's more useful functions aren't immediately obvious (I've had it for about a week now and am still discovering little things about it or Android everyday). The best "product demos" are ones in which someone experienced with using the device shows another how to do certain functions. But in most college bookstores, the staff isn't particularly well-trained, especially with regards to an unconventional device like the eDGe.

But in terms of online retailers, what I'd really like to see is a partnership with Amazon or some retailer that offers free shipping for an order above a certain amount (without inflating the price of the items). I'd really like to order a 3pack of Styluses (in addition to the Wacom pen I ordered, from Amazon), but the cheapest shipping option would basically add 50% to the cost. I'm still on the fence about ordering an extra battery and/or ac adapter, so I'll probably wait until then and order all the accessories at the same time.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 05:33 PM   #3
kenjennings
Edge User
 
What is a enTourage eDGe "Tomos" seen HERE?
 
Old 06-03-2010, 05:39 PM   #4
dcubed2
Edge User
 
For some reason, it seems to be a name for the optional colors. Why there's a different name, I don't know.

Glad to see more availability, though! More $$ means more resources for everything, including programming. Android 2.2, anyone?
 
Old 06-03-2010, 05:46 PM   #5
walt526
Edge User
 
I can't speak for other people, but personally I didn't make the decision to purchase it until I saw it for myself last week at the Netbook Summitt in San Francisco. But the person showing it to me was familiar with the device and guided me through. I'm not sure it would have had as positive an impression had the demo unit just been on a shelf without a dedicated and well-trained salesperson to walk people through it. At most college bookstores, the staff isn't going to be that familiar with devices that they themselves don't use.

The online reviews that I read were mixed. Some people really like the eDGe, but others seem to think that its a great concept whose execution needs a lot of refinement. Personally, I think that the current execution is solid (although obviously it's still a work in progress), but that parts of the UI on both the eInk and LCD are not an intuitive as one might think. I was able to acclimate myself to my dad's new iPad in about 5 minutes without consulting a manual or even a help menu; for the eDGe, it took considerably (and as I said before, I'm still discovering new tricks and features) plus referencing the user's guide and searching this forum to figure out how to do some stuff. I've never used a iPhone/iTouch (and only a iPod briefly), so it's not a matter of being more familiar with the iPhone OS (I had also never used the Android OS before the eDGe). Rather, the intuitiveness of the iPad comes from the fact that it does fewer functions with a more intuitive UI. Since the eDGe is a much more complicated device, it requires considerably more time to learn than a iPad or a device that is exclusively an eReader. Even if the user is relatively tech savvy.

Unfortunately, I could see some people (particularly college students) picking up the eDGe and deciding that they don't like it in less than 5 minutes because it's not immediately obvious how to access certain functions (e.g., how to annotate something on the eInk side) and there is no one on hand to show them how to do it. In other words, basically the reaction of the less favorable reviews that the eDGe has received from certain tech sites.

My advice to a new or prospective user of the eDGe is to be patient with it and give yourself a couple of days before deciding whether or not you like it. The required learning curve or acclimation period is higher than an iPad or a Kindle. Again, a lot of that is do to the fact that it has more extensive functionality than either of the devices. The other is that not only is the eDGe itself a work-in-progress, but so is Android.

In my opinion, the best salespeople of eDGes are eDGe users. If eDGe really takes off, it will be through viral marketing (i.e., people showing it off to their colleagues and classmates). Putting it on the shelves of college bookstores or other brick-and-mortar retail sites probably won't sell a lot of units (in fact, there's a good chance that an "unsupervised" user spending less than 5 minutes playing around with it will decide that they don't like it).
 
Old 06-03-2010, 05:53 PM   #6
robot
Edge User
 
Nope Tomos seems to be a name of device (all range of colors have Tomos in their name).
Also notice that there's EE logo on top of device now http://www.academicsuperstore.com/pr...ages/1431613/4
I wonder if there's any other difference.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 06:15 PM   #7
ChrisF
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by robot View Post
Also notice that there's EE logo on top of device now http://www.academicsuperstore.com/pr...ages/1431613/4
I wonder if there's any other difference.
I was noticing that too. I dislike blantant logos, but many people see it as a status symbol. I guess I would be okay advertising the best device I've ever owned.

Anyone else notice how much cdw is taking for profit?
 
Old 06-03-2010, 06:20 PM   #8
walt526
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisF View Post
Anyone else notice how much cdw is taking for profit?
Yep. Pretty ridiculous.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 06:50 PM   #9
dontpanic
Edge User
 
"Tomos" was a model name that existed for about 3 days for the eDGe. During those three days, a couple of contracts went through . It is the same model everyone has. The logo was added to all models recently.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 07:01 PM   #10
walt526
Edge User
 
Hmm... Tomos makes me think of Tums. Now I've owned a few gadgets over the years that induce heartburn when I think of them. Fortunately, the eDGe isn't one of them.
 
Old 06-03-2010, 07:16 PM   #11
NiaTrue
Edge User
 
Funny, "Tomos" makes me think of ancient Greek clothing.

Fabulous news though. Congratulations!
 
Old 06-03-2010, 10:50 PM   #12
aidren
Edge User
 
Quote:
Personally, I think that the current execution is solid (although obviously it's still a work in progress), but that parts of the UI on both the eInk and LCD are not an intuitive as one might think. I was able to acclimate myself to my dad's new iPad in about 5 minutes without consulting a manual or even a help menu; for the eDGe, it took considerably (and as I said before, I'm still discovering new tricks and features) plus referencing the user's guide and searching this forum to figure out how to do some stuff. I've never used a iPhone/iTouch (and only a iPod briefly), so it's not a matter of being more familiar with the iPhone OS (I had also never used the Android OS before the eDGe). Rather, the intuitiveness of the iPad comes from the fact that it does fewer functions with a more intuitive UI. Since the eDGe is a much more complicated device, it requires considerably more time to learn than a iPad or a device that is exclusively an eReader. Even if the user is relatively tech savvy.
I agree with you, walt.

I purchased the EE without any demo, as many others here. I had been following ereaders for about a year and a half, and was just not willing to spend the $$ on a 'one trick pony.' I had finally decided to purchase the 'Alex', and I googled them to get back to their website, and one of the hits was a post at 'mobileread' where someone was asking about the Entourage Edge. I ended up at the Entourage site, and my decision was made in a couple of hours, because I had a large ereader on one side, and a 'sizeable' lcd for browsing and other apps. It was like, wow... and I'm not one to buy 1st generation... this was my first time for that.

But, I whole-heartedly agree with the learning curve. It has taken me some time to learn about 'hidden menus', with Boris' help, and others. I really hope when the sdk comes out that someone will be willing to change the UI, at least within apps, because the eDGe certainly has the environment, in terms of 'real estate' to accommodate that. After all, Entourage has done that with their 'toolbars' on the eReader side.
 
Old 06-04-2010, 08:00 AM   #13
Gunnerp245
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by walt526 View Post
Cool. I'm not sure whether the eDGe will show off well at a college bookstore...
Put it in a 2 or four sided kisok with various informative videos running. It will sell itself.
 
Old 06-04-2010, 09:46 AM   #14
walt526
Edge User
 
My experience with college bookstore staff is... well let's just say less than reassuring. Maybe that's just the universities that I've attended.

As for selling itself... the eDGe is at least one or two hardware generations from having instant, fall-in-love-with-it impact. It has great, unrivaled-for-the-price functionality, but the UI (particularly on the eInk side) is not very intuitive and feels clunky. The weight is also a turnoff when compared to an iPad or Kindle. On a whole, it's a great device. But I think that its flaws are more obvious in the first five minutes of using it, while the features take time to discover--that's why so many of the tech reviews have been so lukewarm.
 
 

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