Prospective buyer, some questions about writing on PE

[muranternet]

Question 1: Where's the best place to get a Pocket eDGe? I know the product (maybe the company) is heading for EOL.

Question 2: What's the best way to use it: stock 1.6, ermine, or root it with something else?

Question 3: The ideal application for me is as follows: connect a full keyboard via USB or Bluetooth and use it as a word processor, with the e-Ink screen as the editing panel. Is this even possible?

I like to write, and use a Kindle 3 for proofreading and annotations, finishing the edits back on a regular PC from my notes. I suppose what I really want is a PixelQI tablet with a full keyboard attachment, but I haven't seen any available aside from prototypes at ridiculous prices. The eDGe looks like it might fit the bill if I can finagle it into what I want.

Many thanks for any answers.

[Filark]

Hi there!

You'll find Pocket eDGes (US, anyway) at Amazon, ebay and (if you want to watch for it to come up again) Woot.com. Check www.entourageedge.com for their list of sellers in other countries.

You can leave it on 1.6 (Dingo) without missing much, or you can take a small risk and update to 2.2 (Ermine) which is very nice but not officially supported. It seems a lot of new buyers are rooting the device, but that's because they like messing around with gadgets, as far as I can tell! It certainly isn't necessary to root it.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean about how you want to use it for your writing. It works fine with most keyboards, and you can edit on the e-ink side if you convert your work to epub or pdf, so I would imagine you can do what you want. It has Docs to Go on it, too, on the LCD side.

I think it would be a very handy tool for a writer. It's one of the uses I had in mind for mine (haven't done it yet -- too lazy ), especially being able to look up references as I need them without having to have 2 devices, or taking notes (journals) on the e-ink side while I research.

The only thing I wonder about is whether you would be happier with a full-sized edge (an EE) if you can find one. The 9.7" screen would be much nicer for marking up your manuscripts, and the 10.1" LCD would be nice, too. It's a bit heavy, but if you are at a desk or using a bookstand that won't matter.

Good luck!

Oh, and check out the forum at http://www.entourageedge.com/forums/forum.php if you haven't already!

[muranternet]

Editing on the e-Ink side is the thing. When you say you can edit epub/pdf, does that mean markup (like on a Kindle/Sony) or editing like an actual rich text editor?

I'll check their forums, but they seem to be down an awful lot.

I thought about the full-sized eDGe, but at that size it seems like netbooks or subnotebooks are the better choice. Give up e-Ink, but get stability, customization, and full PC functions.

[Last_of_the_PEs]

If your main aim is to do word processing, I'd get a 10" tablet, even if you had to use a Bluetooth keyboard.
Not being a writer, I'm not clear on the value of using eInk to hand-annotate text -- I prefer to edit with a keyboard. I'm not sure you can type into a document, then edit it on eInk with the stylus, all in the PE without converting. I've tried to figure out how to get the keyboard to work, editing on the eInk side, but haven't succeeded.

[Filark]

I don't think you can type on the e-ink side at all, with the internal keyboard or an external one. Editing on the e-ink side would be like a Sony, but with more possibilities. You can attach notes, web pages, documents, recordings to your epub or pdf. You can copy sections from the e-ink side onto a document on the LCD side. You can email your pdf (probably epub, too) from the e-ink side through the email function on the LCD side.

You might be able to do rich text editing on the LCD side (probably can), but a PC can do it better. Just depends on what you want! For me, if I ever get back to it, I will probably sit with my laptop in front of me and my PE to the side, with notes and plans and research on the PE and active input going to my laptop, then maybe sent to the PE so I can retire to my comfortable chair for rereading and editing.

The forums have been working well for the last week or so . . . drop by!

[muranternet]

The hand-annotation on eInk is so that you can do stylus markup as if you were using paper and red pen. Some people just prefer working like that.

For me eInk edits are useful on the Kindle because I can read the draft in a form like a published one, take notes, let them stew, and later look them over to see whather or not they still work, as opposed to just editing the hell out of everything on the document as soon as the idea strikes. Not all edit ideas are good ones.

I may still play with this if I find an eDGe on the cheap, although it sounds like you can't do any word processing on the eInk side anyway.

[inkyfantastic]

Originally Posted by muranternet

I may still play with this if I find an eDGe on the cheap, although it sounds like you can't do any word processing on the eInk side anyway.

That is correct.

[sarah11918]

Originally Posted by muranternet

it sounds like you can't do any word processing on the eInk side anyway.

No, but if by chance you would like to have your marked-up pdf visible on the e-ink screen while you word process on the LCD screen, you may find the combination valuable.

[muranternet]

Minor necro: I picked one up finally off Woot. I'm surprised my wife let me do it as I've been collecting a bunch of silly gadgets recently. I just turned a used Droid into a PipBoy 3000 complete with arm mount (running CM7 and a custom kernel). I guess I earned some husband points by rooting her Nook Color.

It's awesome that it comes with Documents to Go (even an older version) and I can plug in a USB keyboard. I learned on typewriters, so little mushy Bluetooth keyboards just don't cut it for me. (Now to find a good foldup USB keyboard that feel right...)

It's sad that enTourage didn't encourage customization, as I'd really like a custom ROM. The specs on the device seem like it should support Gingerbread handily. As it is, I'm planning to load up ermine, root, and maybe figure out how to get ROM Manager to work on it before I play with it too much, although it seems there isn't a simple way to get into a true recovery mode. One thing I do want to fiddle with is to move directory pointers around, to expand /data into the space filled by /sdcard (why oh who would anyone structure like that) and treat the card as /sdcard instead of /extsdcard.

So now my new questions:

1) Does Mobileread have a files archive where the various zips are stored? I mean things like the golden update Donut recovery ROM, the ermine ROM, etc.? I need to get all mu ducks in a row before I start playing with the OS.

2) How does the Docs to Go work? Since the enTourage Market is gone, does it go away when you update to ermine? Or is a replacement included in the ermine update? Do I need to save the apk file before wiping? I have it already at version 3 but it's tied to Google market, which I may or may not get to work.

3) Has anyone done any work with the battery? Can it be replaced or is the PE a limited lifespan device? How about an extended battery?

4) What's a nice protective folio-style case? (Maybe none given the clamshell; if so I'll just toss it into a Rockefish case and get a gel skin.)

5) Screen protector recommendations for both sides, since I'll be marking up on e-Ink? I really like the Zagg shields for capacitive touchscreens, but don't know if they work well on resistive or whatever the e-Ink touchscreen is.

6) Must I use a Wacom stylus for e-Ink? If I do, anyone have a good rec for one that will work on both sides?

7) Anyone ever use a foldup USB keyboard that feels good?

Thanks for being such a great community!

[ken_jennings]

Originally Posted by muranternet

. . .
2) How does the Docs to Go work? Since the enTourage Market is gone, does it go away when you update to ermine? Or is a replacement included in the ermine update? Do I need to save the apk file before wiping? I have it already at version 3 but it's tied to Google market, which I may or may not get to work.

I have a full-sized EE upgraded to ermine. DocsToGo is still installed. It says it is Version 3.001d (866). I don't know if that is different from the version in Dingo.

Originally Posted by muranternet

4) What's a nice protective folio-style case? (Maybe none given the clamshell; if so I'll just toss it into a Rockefish case and get a gel skin.)

Any netbook carry case should be good. I use a Netbook bag from Everki which is big enough for the EE, a mini USB keyboard, and lots of other accessories.

Originally Posted by muranternet

6) Must I use a Wacom stylus for e-Ink? If I do, anyone have a good rec for one that will work on both sides?

Yes, a Wacom pen is necessary for the Wacom screen. The LCD screen is just a touch screen so anything you poke at it will work, including the edge's wacom pen. I use the pen from a Motion Computing LE1700 tablet.

Originally Posted by muranternet

7) Anyone ever use a foldup USB keyboard that feels good?

I haven't liked any foldup I tried. Unstable feel. I use a SolidTek mini USB keyboard.

[muranternet]

Thanks Ken... I think the version of D2G I read on an early release was 2.something for Dingo.

I may have to customize a case for the thing. Folding back the device doesn't bother me as much as the fact that it rests on one of the displays when standing up. Something with two flaps to cover the base screen when standing, maybe, so a 4-fold design, or 3-fold since I don't think the eInk side is useful in landscape mode anyway.

Bummer on the keyboard... I was hoping that one of the Z-style ones would feel okay. Problem is I really need full size to feel good, although I don't need accessory keys or a 10-key. I'll check some out and see if they have decent travel cases to keep junk out of the contact board, or just buy a bunch of cheap full size ones and replace them like I do for my desktop (I'm a pounder).

[sarah11918]

This is the keyboard I (and a few others from the old Edge board) have. I think it's a good size for travel (roughly the same as the EE itself), thin but full sized keys.

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Slim-Key...dp/B003PHJJV6/

And they've been unavailable for the longest time, but now that I check the link again, they have them. I really like it.

[ivanjt]

I have an 'I-Rocks KR-6523' a little larger than my EE (43 cm x 14 cm). I don't mind it being larger for the simple reason it has full sized keys which makes it very useful when I have to check a server install - two uses 1 keyboard.

[Filark]

You might want to handle your PE for a while before you decide on a case. I have mine skinned (decal girl, gelaskin on my EE) but no permanent case. I almost never fold it the way you're talking about. Instead I hold it like a book or put it in a bookstand with both screens facing me. The EE I do use with one screen up and one flat sometimes.

XOskins makes a screen protector which seems strong but is too shiny IMHO. I use it anyway for both screens on my EE. My PE has a cheaper matte screen protector. They give a different sound, or feel, to the screens. So far no problem whatsoever using the Wacom stylus with either screen protector.

You seem like a person who might have a USB keyboard lying around unused. I dug up an old gaming keyboard from our back room and it works just fine.

I think we have a full version of Docs to Go which should entitle us to updates, no??

[Gunnerp245]

Originally Posted by Filark

...I think we have a full version of Docs to Go which should entitle us to updates, no??

I have updated Docs2Go; select check for updates from within.