MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

violajack · 05-17-2011, 01:34 AM

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.

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.