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Old 05-17-2011, 12:46 AM   #1
North19
Edge User
 
Thumbs up How did people not love this product?

I have never fallen for a computer/device before. I have a kindle: ehh, fine. I have a netbook that's useful and convenient, and a Blackberry and a desktop that are necessary. Over the years there've been software I really liked, but never hardware.

But I just got my PE today, and I never want to put it down. I have to figure out now how to manage to buy an EE before they're all vanished. I haven't even taken advantage of the annotation features yet, and I'm already psyched for what I've tried so far.

I just don't understand how this device didn't do better. I like the convenient buttons. I like the resistive touchscreen; I can see how it might be frustrating if you want to swipe with your fingers all the time but for stylus work it's great. I like how substantive it feels, but not heavy.

I am getting used to Android, and I think I like it. I like the stripped down clarity of mobile Android apps; not so much visual clutter as fullsize websites. (For example, I found the HuffingtonPost app through amazon, and it's so much clearer to read than the full website.). (But it is bugging me to not have found a straight-forward way to exit apps.) Also I'm frustrated to not have been able to make printer share work, but I'll figure it out.

I loaded a bunch of free google epub books that I've had in the past on the kindle; I really liked the tag system and how quick it felt to code them.

I like the coordination between e-ink and tablet; great to be able to search on the web for something without any exiting.

I love being able to play Pandora music in the background. It seems to be able to stream music wifi without any loss of speed for the stuff I was doing.

I think the marketing went wrong somewhere, but I really hope they're planning (or have sold to someone who is planning) a next-gen version of this, because it's such a cool idea.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 12:54 AM   #2
bcswan
Edge User
 
I totally agree! I've never heard about this, but once I did I thought to myself "I gotta have it!" but then as soon as I did they discontinued it. BTW they're not doing a next-gen they're going to make a slate. Or so www.goodreader.com says
 
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Old 05-17-2011, 01:34 AM   #3
violajack
Edge User
 
I followed this one from the beginning, but wasn't willing to spend the price of a full sized eDGe when a netbook could be picked up for the same price. I have since discovered the wonderful world of Wacom Penabled tablets. When I got my pocket eDGe off woot, I also wondered why it didn't take off. I think it has to do with a few things.

1. The original eDGe is heavy and bulky. It's the same size as a netbook. Why deal with Android 1.6 when you can get full on windows for the same price/size/weight/battery life. To beat a windows machine (that can run all your stuff), you have to do better at one of those. The pocket eDGe didn't come out until much later, and then at a price still in the range of netbooks. Also, the 2.2 upgrade is still considered a beta! In a market where dual core tegra 2 honeycomb tablets are the thing, it's hard to compete.

2. Marketing. I think enTourage was looking for more institutional partnerships rather than marketing directly to the consumer. Their videos target students almost exclusively. I'm well out of school, but love my woot pocket eDGe as an e-reader + Android tablet + portable notepad combo. I would not be interested in the big eDGe (I played with both at CES, and was surprisingly uninterested in the big one when I saw and held it in person. I thought I would like the big one better, but side by side, I preferred the feel of the pocket version.) Also, the biggest advantages of the eDGe aren't so sexy in videos. Everyone wants to see the tablet play videos and do that racing game that follows the tilt of the machine. eInk notetaking is by far the best feature for me, but that just doesn't show well on a tv ad.

3. Price. I really like the pocket eDGe I just got off woot - for $150. It's an ideal companion tablet and notepad. I may have gone for it at $199, but probably not higher than that. I can't see college kids (or their parents ) throwing down $499 on a companion device when they would still need a regular computer also.

That said, I am very happy with my pocket eDGe. It will be replacing a Windows 7 running Archos 9 as my portable notepad. The OneNote import tool is invaluable and I think enTourage should have done that themselves and then heavily marketed it. I have a pre-order on the HTC Flyer that I put in before I got the eDGe. I think I'll still get it, do some comparisons for the various websites I write for, and then return it. The pocket eDGe really fill all my needs right now. Syncing with OneNote over Evernote is a huge bonus and something I didn't know existed until I started reading these forums in anticipation of my woot eDGe's arrival.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 02:53 AM   #4
Kewlcat
Edge User
 
I agree with everything thats been said here...I just received my PE yesterday & I keep thinking how did this not work out...then I remind myself the original price at which it was ntroduced...

even if they had just marketed it to students, had it been at the current price point, I think it could have fared better...

I paid $199 for mine & for that price I think its awesome...I would probably go up to $300 for the full sized edge, but not more for all the reasons listed by violajack...
Also I know that that the EE has some advantages because of its bigger size, but software wise it seems to have more issues than the PE...

Really think that as the company now has good & loyal customer base, they should work on a 2nd generation of this product & re-introduce them at better price points than the original ones ($400-550)...
 
Old 05-17-2011, 05:08 AM   #5
edgewise
Edge User
 
to solve your exiting apparently problem, look for an apparently called advanced task killer...unobstrusive and effective.
 
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Old 05-17-2011, 10:11 AM   #6
North19
Edge User
 
I do think the price points were way off.

But reviews I read online often seemed to not get what it was designed to do. It was as if some reviewers were given a microwave and whined that it didn't keep things cold. It seems to me as if it was so different that many reviewers wanted to jam it into some existing category of device: it's so much bulkier than a Kindle; it has too many buttons, not like an Ipad, etc etc. Some weren't willing to take it on its own merits, which may have also been a flaw in how review copies were sent out and promoted.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 12:04 PM   #7
sarah11918
Edge User
 
There are 3 types of gadget people: those who think a stylus is stupid (greater than 50% maybe?); those who THINK they like a stylus, but then complain about not getting non-stylusy sleekness/performance because, yanno, it's built to use a stylus; and us.

The vast majority of those who really and truly wanted a stylus as a top priority (and knew what that meant they'd be getting) were satisfied with the edge, especially those with a tolerance/appreciation of first generation devices. It was never perfect, but at a time when your only other options were a full-fledged tablet pc or a very old iRex Illiad, many of us were willing to overlook or wait out the faults. The rest of the world who expected iGoodness? Not so much.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 12:37 PM   #8
North19
Edge User
 
Sarah, that makes a lot of sense. I *like* the stylus. Yes, I also like keyboards and mice (never have liked trackpads), and I can see the joy of iTouch tech, but it's only good for some things. I wouldn't want to use it for anything that required more precision, for the same reason I don't like trackpads. I'm always doing stuff accidentally on my netbook trackpad; I'm just too clumsy with my hands.

I do think it would be fun if they could come up with tech that allowed both the precision stylus touch option, and the finger pinch/swipe zooming... but I'm getting used to zooming with the stylus-hold option in Opera mini, and it's growing on me.

@Edgewise, I'll look for that app; thanks.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 02:44 PM   #9
cBird
Edge User
 
I, too, followed this one from the beginning and, like Violajack, was unwilling to spend the $$ for a device that was getting mixed reviews and seemed targeted to students. I think the company could have used some marketing advice.

If not for the love of my QT 7 [(my first fall for hardware (the PE is my second)] running Andoird 2.1, I'm not sure I would have bought the PE were it not for the Android 2.2 upgrade...which seems past beta to me.

I've had my PE for over a week and besides feeling somehat overwhelmed w/all the options, following the forum, and losing sleep, I am composing a list of 'what am I doing wrong and how do I' for all the wonderful, resposive experts. Be sure to check out the five videos mentioned elsewhere in the forum. I found four of them really helpful.

Summing it up I agree w/everything you've all had to say and, Sarah, I am definitely of the 'us' type.
 
Old 05-17-2011, 09:29 PM   #10
Kewlcat
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarah11918 View Post
There are 3 types of gadget people: those who think a stylus is stupid (greater than 50% maybe?); those who THINK they like a stylus, but then complain about not getting non-stylusy sleekness/performance because, yanno, it's built to use a stylus; and us.
This makes sense...although personally I didn't think about the stylus too much...I'm not too fussed about the input methods, as I think for the most part its just a matter of getting used to...
Also I prefer resistive screens to capacitive screens, for the sole reason that I can operate them with my fingernails...kinda like my very own, personal inbuilt styli

Quote:
Originally Posted by North19 View Post

But reviews I read online often seemed to not get what it was designed to do. It was as if some reviewers were given a microwave and whined that it didn't keep things cold.
LOL! Yes, I guess it had to do with them selling it on HSN where a large number of the people who bought it weren't exactly 'Tech-savy'...

But what I did not get was this...even amongst the so-called 'Tech-Savy' crowd there were a lot of reviews which thought that the dual-book concept was "such a bad idea", "what good is it", "its neither this nor that"...they just didn't seem to 'get it'...I can understand that it doesn't serve the needs of everyone...but these reviews simply seemed to trash the device because it did not fit their needs/expectations...they couldn't imagine scenarios where it could be useful for OTHERS...

& then there were the "its ugly", "its soooo thick" "looks like an old Fisher-Price toy" comments...I couldn't help wondering if I was the only one who thought it actually looked good?!?!
maybe its a pet-peeve, but what is it with people wanting every piece of technology to be paper-thin these days?? I for one am happy that it actually 'feels' close to a real book...

Quote:
Originally Posted by cBird View Post
I am composing a list of 'what am I doing wrong and how do I' for all the wonderful, resposive experts. Be sure to check out the five videos mentioned elsewhere in the forum. I found four of them really helpful. .
Which videos are you talking about, cBird? & I would definitely be interested in your list too...seeing as I am in the same boat as you of "feeling somehat overwhelmed w/all the options, following the forum, and losing sleep"
 
Old 05-17-2011, 10:02 PM   #11
overfloat
Edge User
 
Lets be honest though. 2 things bother me about this device:

1. This thing is slow. Much slower than it should be. I blame Android for being unnecessary bulky. Opera Mobile is faster on my 400mhz/128mb ram Nokia N800 from 2007 (the N800 also had better flash support)
2. I think entourage had a massive missed opportunity by not letting you use the e-ink screen as a keyboard. This is the first thing everyone says when they see it "Can you use the other screen as a keyboard?"
 
Old 05-17-2011, 10:31 PM   #12
emusan
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by overfloat View Post
Lets be honest though. 2 things bother me about this device:

1. This thing is slow. Much slower than it should be. I blame Android for being unnecessary bulky. Opera Mobile is faster on my 400mhz/128mb ram Nokia N800 from 2007 (the N800 also had better flash support)
2. I think entourage had a massive missed opportunity by not letting you use the e-ink screen as a keyboard. This is the first thing everyone says when they see it "Can you use the other screen as a keyboard?"
I must ask... are you upgraded to ermine? I noticed a significant speed boost with that.

Also, as for 2. its kind of hard given that you have to use a stylus on the e-ink side, finger input will not work(unless you have a wacom pen-abled finger of course ).
 
Old 05-17-2011, 10:44 PM   #13
cBird
Edge User
 
This is the link for the four videos I found informative: https://www.entourageedge.com/edge-live
I had no trouble setting-up and registering, so didn't get much from the first video.

I'm sure you've found obsessed2's Resources post w/enough links to take you into the weekend and possibly into June!
http://www.entourageedge.com/forums/...et-Edge-Owners

I don't understand the obsession with thinness either, Kewlcat. Don't think I'll have a list very soon. I just found a thread on XDA Developers with directions for getting Android Market functioning on the PE, which is a priority for me because I have many paid apps that I really like.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1057206

I'm not seeing the advantage of a keyboard on the eInk screen, Overfloat.

Last edited by cBird; 05-17-2011 at 10:45 PM. Reason: spelling
 
Old 05-17-2011, 11:23 PM   #14
overfloat
Edge User
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by emusan View Post
I must ask... are you upgraded to ermine? I noticed a significant speed boost with that.

Also, as for 2. its kind of hard given that you have to use a stylus on the e-ink side, finger input will not work(unless you have a wacom pen-abled finger of course ).
Yup, I upgraded as soon as I got it - I never used Donut on the device.

The stylus-only input on the e-ink side sort of bothers me - if I'm reading news downloaded with Calibre, i'd rather be able to hold the device and tap away with 1 hand so that I can use it on the subway opposed to poking my device with a stylus. The screen is small enough that entourage could have made it resistive opposed to wacom stylus-only. you can rest your hand on the edge of the screen while writing and not interfere with a resistive screen.

The benefit of having a keyboard on the e-ink screen is obvious - being able to use the device laptop-style ala Acer Iconia http://www.pcworld.com/article/22449...en_laptop.html

I'm not saying that I expect the PE to do it - just that it was a missed opportunity.
 
Old 05-18-2011, 12:19 AM   #15
Kewlcat
Edge User
 
to be completely honest, even I had initially thought it would have been cooler if the e-ink side could do that...until I realised what it would be sacrificing in order to achieve that...

if the device is intended to be used for writing, annotating etc, then having the e-ink side as a touch screen would be a bad idea since it would be really uncomfortable to do these wthout resting your hand on the screen...
Also based on my understanding, a limitation of the 'Electronic Paper' technology itself is the slow refresh rates, so I cant see how a keyboard on that side would be anything but frustrating...

Of course if & when this technology improves its refresh rates, then having that side as a touch-screen with a keyboard (as an option for those who dont intend to use it for writing) would be nice...
 
 

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