Model:
edgejr
Release Date:
November 12, 2010
Original Price:
$399.99
Processor:
1.2 GHz Marvell ARMADA PXA168
Memory:
4 GB flash memory
This has got to be the coolest little device I have ever owned.
First of all, it's only about 7½"x5½"x1" - about
the size of a paperback book. But when you open it up, the first
thing you notice is that, unlike a conventional ebook reader, this
thing has two screens!
The screen on the left is an e-ink screen, similar to the type
found in the popular Amazon Kindle readers. There is no backlight
on e-ink screens, so you need a light source to be able to read,
but there is no glare to speak of. This means that you can see
anything on this screen perfectly clear even in bright sunlight.
This side uses a Wacom Penabled touchscreen, so it will not
respond to your fingers - you have to use the included stylus.
The screen on the right is a full-color LCD screen utilizing a
resistive touchscreen. This functions in the same way as the
iPad, but you have to press slightly harder for it to register.
Being LCD, there is a backlight which aids in nighttime use, but
the battery is drained quicker when using this screen.
What is really neat is the fact the the screens will fold back on
themselves. Imagine, if you will, opening a magazine. As you open
it, you fold the front cover back against the back cover. Same
thing here. This way, theoretically, you can just use whichever
side you need at that moment. In practice, however, what happens
is that the screen you are not using, which is folded around to
the back gets fingerprints and risks being scratched easier. I
just open it and hold mine like a book. I like the feel of a good
book in my hands anyway. :) Another feature is the LCD screen can
rotate 90° or 270°.
The operating system software installed on this device from the
(now defunct) factory is Google Android 1.6. There is a beta
upgrade for Android 2.2 that was released before the company went
under, but there are risks involved with loading this upgrade to
your Pocket eDGe. A small percentage of units were shipped out with
borderline components. This means that, while you will likely never
have any trouble with your PE, if you were to try to upgrade to
the beta 2.2, there is a slight possibility that the hardware
cannot support the upgrade. If you happen to have one of these
units, there is a chance that you could brick it beyond repair.
For a more thorough discussion on this issue, I would advise
you to look around the Pocket eDge forums at
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=218.
I, myself have yet to take that plunge - "If It Ain't Broke, Don't
Fix It!"
The PE features several means of connection - WiFi, BlueTooth, USB
connection to a computer as well as a USB port that will accept a
flash drive! There is also a micro-SD slot for additional storage
space.
Aside from that, I am perfectly happy with my PE. It will run most
Android software that I am interested in. I get good battery life -
I only have to charge it about once a week, and I read every night
for at least an hour or two. Google's Android MarketPlace doesn't
work with the default 1.6 OS (although if you upgrade to 2.2 you
can get MarketPlace to run), but the Amazon MarketPlace does run
and there are plenty of free MarketPlaces if you look around. All
in all, I would say that it's a shame the company dropped the
Pocket eDGe, but if they hadn't it might have been years before I
got my hands on one at such a good price! :)
>>
Click here to download the User's Guide (PDF - 405 kb)
>>
Click here to download the User's Guide (epub - 2.6 mb)