Pandigital Novel first impressions

[pendragginp]

Thanks, Coldsun. I was just coming here to see if anyone knew what was going on. I went to the Kohl's website to see what kind of price they were offering and saw the We're very sorry! The product or page you tried to access cannot be found flag.

[ColdSun]

My pleasure. I'm actually heading to Kohl's in a couple hours to get the refund on price difference they offered me when I purchased it Monday (I had to pay $259 for it but was promised I could come in and get the sale price of $179 and with rebate I had it down to $159).

I love my Pandigital, but I'm not sure I'm willing to spend $259 on it. If they don't honor the price (it is even written on my receipt!) I will return it and buy it later - when the price is a little more acceptable.

[jxh11215]

I saw here (http://www.slashgear.com/half-baked-...alled-0989166/) where this device got recalled.

[ColdSun]

It is NOT a recall. It is just to update the firmware so folks have a better version before it goes out the door.

It is really sad to see them post such a biased article. Most of these people haven't even tried it yet and are willing to throw it out the door. What a shame, its a very nice reader.

[Nate the great]

Y'all should check out their source (me), and read my comments. When a manufacturer asks for a device back that, my dear, is a recall.

[ColdSun]

I read your comments Nate. Do you support the wording used on Slashgear "half-baked" for this device? Now, we have clearly a difference of opinion on the device, true enough, but now we have a difference of opinion on how you are handling the device. I talked to Pandigital this morning. Did you? Let's not get picky with the wording here, because your "recall" is simply a matter of them loading a new firmware on the device. They aren't sending it back to the factory because some hardware issue. In fact, it isn't even leaving the stores. I haven't received any notice to return my device due to a defect. As far as I know, they simply refuse to sell it right now. When did the product change hands from the customer due to a request from the company?

I agree the firmware has some issues, but it really does seem you have it out for this thing.

[Avarwen]

You know they could have delayed it and this would not have happened. I wonder if it will be worth the bother after this update.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

I read your comments Nate. Do you support the wording used on Slashgear "half-baked" for this device? Now, we have clearly a difference of opinion on the device, true enough, but now we have a difference of opinion on how you are handling the device. I talked to Pandigital this morning. Did you? Let's not get picky with the wording here, because your "recall" is simply a matter of them loading a new firmware on the device. They aren't sending it back to the factory because some hardware issue. In fact, it isn't even leaving the stores. I haven't received any notice to return my device due to a defect. As far as I know, they simply refuse to sell it right now. When did the product change hands from the customer due to a request from the company?

I agree the firmware has some issues, but it really does seem you have it out for this thing.

Do you really think that Kohl's are going to be able to do the update? How? They're not equipped for it.

All the units are going to have to go back to Pandigital, or at least a designated repair service. That is a recall.

[ColdSun]

Assumptions. The same thing that were posted to Slashgear without even talking to Pandigital. According to PD they have dispatched technicians to Kohls to fix the problem. Maybe you should call and ask Pandigital? I just did.

After talking to "Rick" a techinican at Pandigital, he said it was NOT a recall and they have a company working with them with JUST Kohl's that is a consultant company that is going to the Kohls warehouse to update the firmware on the units only. This is ONLY with Kohls.

THESE are the facts. I'm done talking about it now, but I can't say I'm not disappointed in Slashgear and you, Nate.

P.S. I will post my own video of the device running by this weekend. People can judge for themselves.

Originally Posted by ColdSun

...In fact, it isn't even leaving the stores....

I know this is what Pandigital said to you, but be realistic. How many Kohls stores are there across the country. Kohls doesn't have technicians capable of installing firmware, and if they did they would not do a better job than the general public. If Pandigital sent a tech to every store it would cost a small fortune. If they have them shipped it will still cost them much of their profit margin, but that would be cheaper than sending a tech. Bottomline is that Pandigital's statements don't seem to stand up under scrutiny. I have to agree with Nate that this certainly has all the indications of a bona fide recall. I think the support people at Pandigital are just blowing smoke someplace.

[ColdSun]

Yeah ok. I guess you didn't read my post above about the warehouse and the consulting company doing the firmware upgrades. Thank you captain conspiracy.

[FriendOfEntropy]

Okay, so my conspiracy of employees acting individually to buy for themselves or holding to sell to friends at the deep discounts was apparently wrong since this appears chain-wide and the companies are admitting to such.

So, what to do but make up another conspiracy....maybe it's a concerted effort to delay shipping so far that you don't get your reader in hand to clip your UPC from the box until well past the July 15 deadline for submitting rebate forms has passed

That's it, they must be trying avoid pyaing the 15 bucks rebate per unit...ah, what's a little bad press firestorm at a brick and mortar retail launch.


Seriously though, I don't care about definitions (recall or not recall)...I only care whether the Kohls batch IS really firmware instead of hardware, and that I get it approximately at the estimated ship date, but most importantly that the price is honored. I'd gladly update the firmware myself if they'd ship it pronto, lol, but that doesn't appear to be an option since I ordered online instead of going to a store.

[ColdSun]

That is a valid concern - the price. I'm concerned with that too as I paid more for mine under the guarantee that today I would receive the difference when I went down there.

These devices weren't even supposed to be on sale until today. They weren't supposed to be on shelves. At least not according to Pandigital. So, folks, what do you want them to do? Pull it before non-techy people buy it or leave it on the shelves to have a non-techy nightmare? Is it a screwup? Yes. Is the device "half-baked?" No. I'm one of the few that has it and right now I have to wonder why Nate is bashing it so badly as it is leaps and bounds above a SmartQ7. Maybe its the buttons. He likes his buttons I guess. WinCe, he likes that too. I usually do as well. Don't know, but it appears Pandigital had to make a hard decision today and chose to make the one that would piss off the least amount of customers because some of us leaked Kohls had it and we went and got it early. Either way, you just can't make everyone happy.

[AnemicOak]

Makes more sense to me to delay the release than to have to deal with the poor reviews, word of mouth and returns you'd get by going ahead with the release. Will there be negative pub because of the delay? Some, but if holding off on the release solves the problems then the negative pub will be a lot less than doing the reverse.

[ColdSun]

Exactly. To be honest, my biggest concern is them keeping their word on the price. I'm going down there right now.