Pandigital Novel -- not that great, is it?

[captcrouton]

I put my vote in with those who say if you need to hack or jailbreak a device to make it functional, it's a failure and a no-buy. That's why I don't buy apple products. Part of it is the risk factor, bricking a 500 dollar device whilst voiding the warranty causes me to resist the urge. But the other side is just principle. The company is too lazy or too controlling to give the device full functionality. They don't need my business.

Ignoring the personal insults, which seem to be getting worse on MR, has anyone actually seen the black, 2GB, newer model at any of the retail stores? I looked around out of curiosity and noticed that the brick and mortars in my area are only selling the older, 1GB, white models which were the ones recalled several weeks ago. Not only that, but they are selling for more than what they had been originally sold for before the infamous recall.

[eswarjj]

ok people. I tried the white one. hacked it after installing the new firmware (windows requirement for this OR SD card frankly sucks). i really like the device. BUT only as a play thing. the one that ruined it for me was the screen. wait wait .... don't jump on me. i am not taking about the touch part. it was the screen itself that ruined it. with less than an inch turned away from holding it flat (not sure if my description of this makes sense), there was a huge blind spot. it was already not so clear to look at from more than a couple of feet away. this fading away was really a bugger that I fresh installed the latest ROM and returned it the next day (the bn store was fine; but even there some books that I had already bought as ePubs wouldn't download - not sure why the format error kept popping up). The price seems right but they just need a good screen, period.

[eswarjj]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Ignoring the personal insults, which seem to be getting worse on MR, has anyone actually seen the black, 2GB, newer model at any of the retail stores? I looked around out of curiosity and noticed that the brick and mortars in my area are only selling the older, 1GB, white models which were the ones recalled several weeks ago. Not only that, but they are selling for more than what they had been originally sold for before the infamous recall.

how are you liking the DGX. I had a hard time with the ones I got and eventually returned them. The problem was it losing battery dramatically. In less than 4 hrs, I'd lose 25% battery with the kindle pretty much on sleep. For the first one, I called support and they made me return and re-order a new one as they could not guarantee a new one as replacement. The second time around I just didn't care to call them

Originally Posted by eswarjj

how are you liking the DGX. I had a hard time with the ones I got and eventually returned them. The problem was it losing battery dramatically. In less than 4 hrs, I'd lose 25% battery with the kindle pretty much on sleep. For the first one, I called support and they made me return and re-order a new one as they could not guarantee a new one as replacement. The second time around I just didn't care to call them

It appears to drain the battery a bit fast, but I think it is a firmware problem wherein the device thinks it has less battery charge than it does. It can be at 50% when I plug it into the computer to load a non-Amazon book. That takes a minute or two, and when I unplug it the charge might go up to 90%. There is no way the battery would charge that much in such a short period of time. Most devices I've had in the past that did that simply needed a firmware update to properly address battery charge levels. But i still get several days of reading, perhaps 20 hours are so of use, before it drops to 50%. The 3G is worthless, but I blame that on AT&T which sux in my area. other than that I love it. It will be used most of the time whereas my K3 will be used only when I need portability.

[nklein]

so does anyone like this ereader? it looks nice and sound great but does it work good as a ereader thats all I'm looking for, a backlite ereader?
thanks

ps how do u get ebooks on it? I have a imac are they compatible?

[magicmonster]

IMHO it works fine as a reader as long as everything is in epub. Calibri can convert almost anything into epub so you should have no problems.

[eswarjj]

Originally Posted by nklein

so does anyone like this ereader? it looks nice and sound great but does it work good as a ereader thats all I'm looking for, a backlite ereader?
thanks

ps how do u get ebooks on it? I have a imac are they compatible?

I hated the display because
1. it was not very bright
2. it has this blind spot kind of thing where the angle is pretty lame (it's not even like a bad angle; just regular angle you use regular books from)
Not worth it as an ereader imho. you may still buy it to tinker. There is alots of stuff out there you can do with this. Screen response is acceptable after the update.
getting books on, you may use calibre. but for s/w updates you need an SD card as it does not support mac

[magicmonster]

The Novel will find epubs that have been side loaded when you select the my library icon. If you purchase books from the Barnes and Noble and go into the reader you can select what books you want pushed to the reader. As long as you have a wifi connection it will receive them on the device.

This message was typed out on the Novel. I find the back light is plenty strong. The Novel during the boot process dims the screen to my setting and I kind of find it amusing that they had it set so bright. Like any lcd there is a viewing angle that it is harder to read off of; however it would not be an angle I would be reading at anyway. If you purchase it from Bed Bath & Beyond you can return it without a problem if you don't like it.

[sashusmom]

The PDN white works great as an ereader if you hack it to install aldiko or eReader(fictionwise). The native reader with B&N works OK, but I prefer aldiko. Calibre works well too. Mine doesn't have a "blind spot".

[zorah]

I have the PDN white. Wow-what a love it/hate it factions this device spawns. Yes, mine is hacked, but I got it knowing ahead of time that if I wanted any android capability it would need the hack. I also did not get it with the unrealistic expectation that it would be the end all be all tablet device either, because it's primary device is an e-reader. The rest are nice additions. I got it mostly to have as a dedicated e-reader, but I wanted one that I could put my Kindle books on, that also allows me to read B&N if it ever suited (I get gift cards a lot as presents), and e-pub is great too. With the hack, I have all of that, plus some supplemental freeware apps that do make it more like a tablet, so that is a nice bonus. I have the Asus Tablet netbook which I adore, and I like having a keyboard, but then also a tablet function when I want; but my surfing on the fly or before bed, I prefer on a netbook, though I am using my Novel for some light surfing too. But for reading e-books, I greatly prefer a thinner slate form factor, and the 7" Novel fits the bill perfectly, and at a price point that I think is fine, considering the added features, which I do use already. (photos, web browser, multiple e-reader platforms). Worth a little aggravation of hacking-which isn't for everyone. Easy for some, more involved. But again, I KNEW it would need hacking to have the features of Android, so the device was bought with that awareness, and also the fact that its main stated function is an e-reader, and not as an iPad rival.

[lamoe]

Thought the stand that came with the unit was one of the worst designs I’d seen in a long time (was an industrial designer for 30 years) – too narrow and no adjustment.

Made my first one using a CD case, 10 pcs of Velcro tape (it has more holding power than most tapes), and 2 pcs of thin, strong Christmas ribbon. Used white VELCO and ribbon to match the reader.

Take the CD case apart and break off the ears.

Cut 4 pcs Velcro about 1” long (FUZZY side - these are the hinges), 4 pcs about 1/2” long (Fuzzy side - these hold one end of the ribbon to the case and wrap around the other end) and 2 pcs about 4” long (HOOK side - these provide the adjustment).

Cut 2 pcs of ribbon about 9” long.

Attach one half of the CD case by sticking 2 pcs of the 1” long tape to the top back of the unit (don’t cover up the switch or rest hole) and the case itself (1/2” on each), these are the hinges. Stick one end of the ribbon to the bottom of the case, on the OUTSIDE of the 1st case half stick a 4” piece of hook tape. Now wrap the free end of the ribbon with a 1/2” fuzzy tape and you have an adjustable vertical stand.

Do the same with the other half of the case on the unit or first case half but tape it the side to make a stand for viewing movies or pictures.

Found out the CD cases are kind of flimsy so I went to the hardware store (Menard’s) and bought a small piece of Lexan for $2. Using the CD case as a template, cut the same sizes using a box cutter (score the plastic and it breaks just like glass).

Now I can stand the reader on a table at whatever angle I want and show movies / pictures to other people.

Can also make a decent sleeve by using what’s called “car headliner” material from a fabric store. It’s padded and easy to work with (no sewing). Get a piece that is 7 1/2” wide x 16 1/2” long. Fold the 16 1/2 “ length in half and use a pen to score the sides to about 6 1/2” wide. The pen point causes the material to compress and adhere to itself. Cut along the scored lines and use 6 pcs of electrical tape to make the side seams (1 pc initially and 2 more about 1/4” in to reinforce it). Use some of the left over Velcro to make a top closure.

[nklein]

Originally Posted by zorah

I have the PDN white. Wow-what a love it/hate it factions this device spawns. Yes, mine is hacked, but I got it knowing ahead of time that if I wanted any android capability it would need the hack. I also did not get it with the unrealistic expectation that it would be the end all be all tablet device either, because it's primary device is an e-reader. The rest are nice additions. I got it mostly to have as a dedicated e-reader, but I wanted one that I could put my Kindle books on, that also allows me to read B&N if it ever suited (I get gift cards a lot as presents), and e-pub is great too. With the hack, I have all of that, plus some supplemental freeware apps that do make it more like a tablet, so that is a nice bonus. I have the Asus Tablet netbook which I adore, and I like having a keyboard, but then also a tablet function when I want; but my surfing on the fly or before bed, I prefer on a netbook, though I am using my Novel for some light surfing too. But for reading e-books, I greatly prefer a thinner slate form factor, and the 7" Novel fits the bill perfectly, and at a price point that I think is fine, considering the added features, which I do use already. (photos, web browser, multiple e-reader platforms). Worth a little aggravation of hacking-which isn't for everyone. Easy for some, more involved. But again, I KNEW it would need hacking to have the features of Android, so the device was bought with that awareness, and also the fact that its main stated function is an e-reader, and not as an iPad rival.

Hi thanks for the great info!
so I'm assuming that the novel is a much better if u hack it?

can u please send me ALL files/links I need to hack the white novel?
thanks

also would it be better to buy the newer black novel or is the white one better (before/after its hacked) ??????

[nklein]

ok I just read that theres a canada version of this does that affect hacking or if this makes the novel better or worse? and what does this mean on there website

"Pandigital Novel Android Open Platform kit."
does this mean I wouldn't need to hack it?

[magicmonster]

I installed a game on it and it would not display properly. I deleted it and shut it down and when I rebooted it froze up and would not go past the boot process. I reflashed the device to the originally firmware and it still freezes up during bootup. I also tried the reset hole with no sucess. This appears to be a hardware issue. It was still within two days of the thirty day mark and I was able to take it back to BBB. After shopping around and trying both the Kindle and the Nook; I finally wimped out and bought the Kindle 3 and will be buying the lighted case shortly. I still want a android device in the future but I may wait for gingerbread version to come out before I try it again.