some generic questions

I've been looking for a portable e-reader device that'll natively view PDF's and allow me to do things like take notes, highlight, underline etc., and the eDGe seems to be the perfect device for this purpose. However, before I make a final decision, I do have some questions.

Some of these questions, have appeared before, but since there was some updates since they were asked, I hope people don't mind them being asked again with these updates in mind

1. How does the eInk side work with dual column PDFs (such as scientific papers)? There was a problem I saw where annotations made to one column would not stay there, and when you moved to the other the annotations would move with it. Has this issue been resolved?

2. Will the annotations still stay on PDF when I move it off of the eDGe? For example, if I made hand written corrections to a rough draft, can others see these corrections? There were some posts about the PDF annotations being saved as a graphic, but there were some resolution issues.

3. How easy is it to move data from the eDGe to a laptop and vice versa? Things such as PDFs, music etc.

4. How scratch resistant is the screen? Will scuffs eventually show up, and if so, how quickly?

5. How is the PDF viewing and note taking on the pocket version?

6. Is there a way to hook it up to a monitor or a projector for presentations?

1: Dual column scientific papers are a bit difficult if the type is small and requires zooming & panning (which is currently awkward, I find). Many times I've read people longing for landscape support to make reading such papers more practical. I'm not sure about the annotation part - enTourage has been trying different things to handle annotations in different scenarios, the latest being to lock you in on a zoom level once you start annotating. Another user can confirm if annotations pan with the text or if they stay locked to the position on the screen rather than the position of the underlying PDF.

2: To move the PDF off the eDGe, you have to "export" it. This will include the Pencil annotations if they're currently visible. Note that exported PDFs are exported as imaged pages, not as selectable text. So, others will be able to see these corrections, but I'm not sure if you'll have a problem with resolutions. There are a number of people on the forums that grade papers in this way.

3: As easy as images from a camera, or files on an external hard drive, or moving files around using SD cards and USB memory sticks...

4: If you have a normal touch, you won't notice scratches. A couple of users have pointed out that if you have a very heavy hand with the stylus, it is possible to scratch the screen. Both screens are somewhat matte and wear isn't that noticeable. My glossy cell phone screen shows a lot of scratches by comparison (although I did drop the phone on a garage floor once...).

5: PDF viewing on the PE is essentially not practical - the screen is just too small to handle letter-sized pages. If the PDF reflows, then obviously there's no issue, but not that many PDFs reflow well. Note taking works great for me, but it's like writing in a detective-style notepad vs a college pad.

6: Yes! Most DisplayLink compatible USB-to-VGA adapter does the trick (I think $50-$80 typically). I can look up the post that lists a bunch of the supported models for you if you need it.

Since I don't do that much annotation or read scientific papers, others will hopefully chime in on their experiences.

1. Right now, the annotation works... just not ideally. If you zoom to a level where you have to pan around the journal article in order to see new parts of the page, the annotations don't "anchor" to the text... they move as you pan, remaining in the same position as the screen. Rumor has it (via a conversation with tech support) that this will be fixed in the next month or two.

I use the EE almost exclusively to read scientific articles. It works fine, as long as I don't zoom in more than allows me to see one whole page at a time. Reflow does not work well because the figure legends get incorporated into the actual text of the article. Other users have suggested opening the PDF on both the eInk side and the tablet side. You can zoom as much as you like on the tablet side, then make your notes on the eInk side. Many users report that this works well.

Though not perfect, I have found the EE to be IMMENSELY helpful as a scientist. It has radically decreased my printing and the weight of my briefcase. Also, enTourage as a company seems like it is really striving to fulfill the needs of its users.

2. Yes, though the resolution of the annotated PDF is less than the original since it is saved as an image. This is not problematic, but is a tiny bit annoying.

3. Super easy. Dropbox plus the tools that come pre-packaged with the eDGe (USB support, SD card support, etc.) have made it very easy to do. I transfer a lot of papers, and dropbox makes it very user friendly.

4. No issues yet, but I encourage you to buy the cleaner. It smudges quickly. (Or, I am very, very dirty )

Hope that helps!

I routinely read 2-column scientific papers on my full sized eDGe and they look very good. I usually have to zoom in a couple levels to make reading more comfortable but not enough to force panning to read the page. Highlighting is the main problem, as there are some bugs in Adobe's software that causes some serious headaches when you try to highlight text on PDFs with complex formatting.

Data moving is very easy, especially if you make use of dropbox.

Thanks everyone for the replies! Looks like the PE is out-I like being able to write normally

For internet connection, I know it can access normal wireless networks I have access to, but does it have it's own wireless network that I can connect to? i.e. can I connect to the internet anywhere, or only to networks I have access to?

It can connect to any unsecured wireless access point, or secured ones for which you know the password. It does not come with its own cellular or wireless capability, though, as you see with the Kindle, for example.

Don't dismiss the PE altogether - it does make a great personal companion device

I don't fully understand your internet access question. It doesn't have "3G" (like you have on cell phones), which means you have to be near a Wifi hotspot (e.g. coffee shop, airport, school, office, home) for internet access.

Gee, I don't remember mind-melding with Dr. T...

glen, I find the larger edge the perfect size for handwriting. I don't have the PE, but I have a 4.5 inch tablet that I also write on and if being able to do lots of handwriting while stationary (even if on a train/plane) is more important than keeping on hand at all times and whipping out while standing in line or walking down the street, I'd go for the larger one, too.

Also, I don't know whether it's just the difference in the owners of each device, but most PE owners mention a "slight lag" in writing (ink shows up slightly after the actual stylus stroke) and most edge owners barely refer to lag at all. It could just be that us old-timers have gone through a few software updates and are now quite happy with the speed of the e-ink, whereas PE owners are newer and perceive what we're quite happy with as a slight lag. Maybe boris could weigh in on whether the PE is a bit laggier than the EE, since that's just the impression I get from what various people report.

Still every now and then I want the smaller version, just for fun, but it's hard to justify since I already have a smaller handwriting tablet.

Originally Posted by sarah11918

Maybe boris could weigh in on whether the PE is a bit laggier than the EE, since that's just the impression I get from what various people report.

I just tried it and the difference in lag is barely perceptible, although the PE is ever so slightly slower. Your comment that EE owners have gotten used to it is probably indeed the case. The PE definitely uses a different eInk screen (it's 6", and 16 shades of gray), so it could be it has different characteristics when it comes to input & drawing speed.

Originally Posted by borisb

Gee, I don't remember mind-melding with Dr. T...

Memory loss is a common side effect of mind melding with a biologist

Originally Posted by sarah11918

glen, I find the larger edge the perfect size for handwriting.

(Apparently "ditto!" was too short of a message for the Forum to accept)

I, too, find it to be a perfect size for note taking. And, if you're going to be reading PDFs with tiny print, the PE might not be the best option, anyway.

Originally Posted by Dr. T

It can connect to any unsecured wireless access point, or secured ones for which you know the password. It does not come with its own cellular or wireless capability, though, as you see with the Kindle, for example.

That's what I thought.

Thanks everyone for your responses-I am seriously beginning to think about purchasing this device.

Overall, I've been quite pleased with mine. It has definitely increased my productivity.

Feel free to post any other questions/concerns you might have. There is a great cohort of very knowledgeable and helpful people on this Forum, as you have seen.