Pandigital Novel (white)
Manufacturer: Pandigital Part number: PRD07T10WWH7
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The feature set of the affordable Pandigital Novel looks good on paper, but this color e-book reader and multimedia device is hobbled by its extremely slow performance and unresponsive touch screen.
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CNET editors' review
Pandigital Novel (white) price range: $84.95 - $158.98
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 08/17/2010
The good: E-book reader with color touch screen; built-in Wi-Fi; access to Barnes & Noble eBook store; SD expansion slot for additional memory; Web browser and e-mail capabilities; displays images and some video formats; support for audio and MP3 playback.
The bad: Resistive touch-screen is problematic; extremely sluggish performance; interface could be more intuitive; overall user experience could be better.
The bottom line: The feature set of the affordable Pandigital Novel looks good on paper, but this color e-book reader and multimedia device is hobbled by its extremely slow performance and unresponsive touch screen.
If you know of Pandigital, you probably know it for its photo frames. However, the company is moving into the hot e-book reader market with a device that a lot of people have been waiting for: an affordable color-screen e-book reader with ties to a major bookseller.
Integrated with the Barnes & Noble's e-book store, the Pandigital Novel is an Android-powered e-book reader that has a full-color 7-inch touch-screen display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multimedia capabilities. On the surface, this all sounds pretty good and when we first saw a picture of it it, we thought it looked a lot like the rumored smaller version of the iPad. The product is available in white and black versions for less than $200. You can find the Novel discounted to $169--or even less--at stores such as J.C. Penney and Bed, Bath, & Beyond.
Alas, the Novel, at least in its current state, has some issues that seriously hamper the device. For starters, while the Novel's 800x600-pixel resolution display is adequate, its sharpness level will probably disappoint anybody with a 2010 smartphone. More importantly, its resistive touch-screen interface isn't nearly as responsive as the iPad's capacitive touch-screen interface and the touch-screen interfaces of all those new smartphones (and the iPod Touch).
The device also feels underpowered. An Arm 11 processor powers the Novel, which measures 7.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 16 ounces. It has 1GB of built-in memory and has an expansion slot for SD/MMC memory cards--with support for cards up to 32GB in capacity. Pandigital rates its Novel's battery life at 6 hours in reading mode. That's not terrible, but it's neither near the iPad's battery life nor the battery life of dedicated e-ink-based e-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook, that don't have to be recharged for days or even weeks. (Charging is accomplished via the included Mini-USB cable and AC adapter; the rechargeable lithium ion battery is sealed and nonremovable.)
While the Novel has multimedia features as well as a built-in Web browser, e-mail client, calendar, and alarm, Pandigital is billing its new devices first and foremost as an e-book reader, touting its "easy access to Barnes & Noble's expansive eBookstore catalog of more than one million eBooks, newspapers and magazines, a wide variety of free eBooks and more than half a million free classics." Novel users can also use Barnes & Noble's LendMe feature that lets you share certain e-books with friends and family for 14 days; however, currently you can only lend a book out once.
Using the built-in Wi-Fi connection, you can browse and purchase e-books from the Barnes & Noble e-book store or import your own EPUB or PDF files. (You can drag and drop files from any connected Windows PC or Mac, or load them onto an SD card.) Once you get an e-book loaded, it's not half bad to read on (so long as you aren't in bright sunlight). It's also got the normal e-reader bells and whistles: adjustable font sizes, built-in dictionary, highlights, and notes. And the device automatically switches from portrait to landscape mode when tilted--but it's so sensitive, it sometime made the switch when we didn't want it to; an external lock switch (as found on the iPad) would be a nice addition here.
The Web browser (again, via Wi-Fi) is also functional, and the Novel plays back MP4 video files (the included sample didn't play smoothly, however), MP3 audio files, and displays JPEG images. So features aren't the Novel's problem; rather, it's the experience of using the device that leaves something to be desired.
Part of the problem, of course, is that that user experience simply doesn't compare to what the iPad offers. Now, it's not fair to put a $500 device up against one that costs less than $200, but the point is, to a large degree you're getting what you pay for. Everything just feels a bit sluggish. E-books don't load quickly, page turns don't happen as fast as they should (you use your finger to swipe), and the navigation isn't as intuitive as it should be.
As noted, some of the user experience issues are a result of the device feeling underpowered. But at the same time, the interface doesn't seem fully baked, and that leads to some frustrations. So does the resistive touch screen, especially if you're used to using a capacitive touch screen on your smartphone. On a more superficial level, the device, while it looks fine from a distance, betrays its budget nature when held in hand. In other words, the Novel doesn't have a particularly novel industrial design.
We'll say this: after playing around with the Novel for a few days, we felt better about it than when we first started using it. There's some potential here and the size really makes a lot of sense. But it's hard to recommend the device because despite its good feature set, it doesn't really excel at anything and using it somehow makes you feel like you're living with last year's technology. (Also disappointing: like the Android-powered Alex eReader and Barnes & Noble Nook, you can't add any Android Market apps to the Novel--you're stuck with the ones Pandigital has hard-coded onto the device.)
Even if you find the Novel on sale, it's still too expensive for what you're getting, especially considering that the latest entry-level Kindle and Nook readers cost less than $149. Or, if you're looking for a more multifaceted tablet, you should probably step up to the iPad--or wait for one of the many Android-powered tablets that should be hitting stores in the upcoming months.
In the meantime, we Pandigital needs to upgrade the software (and possibly some of the components) of the Novel before it's worth recommending. For now, however, the Novel's a good idea that just needs to be fleshed out better.
User reviews
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Just what I wanted/needed/expected.
by uncletilmer on September 8, 2010
Pros: Competent book reader.
B&N account management and book downloading could not be simpler.
E-mail client is very good
Battery life is very good - better than expected.
Decent video and music player.
OK web browser.
Good e-mail client.Cons: Periodic freezes
Slow boot
Can be slow to adjust from portrait to landscape
Needs a file browser to access downloaded materialSummary: I got this reader for only about $120 after a coupon and rebate from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I did not need an iPad or anything close to it. I ...
Summary: I got this reader for only about $120 after a coupon and rebate from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I did not need an iPad or anything close to it. I wanted an e-reader. What I got was a competent reader with some extra features that are actually pretty nice. Overall, I'm happy.
Just noticed that I accidentally mentioned the e-mail client twice in the "Pros" section. Guess I really like that feature, huh?
I really like the B&N account management tool. Downloading purchased books could not be any simpler. Works great every time. I also like the e-mail client. I can e-mail PDF files to my Gmail account and plunk them directly into my bookshelf from within the e-mail itself. Nifty. You could do this with a USB cable, but e-mail over Wi-Fi is really handy.
The biggest complaint I have about the Novel is the instability of the OS. It's Android-based so you would think it would be OK, but every now and then the device locks up, requiring a reboot using a paper clip in the little hole on the top edge of the device. It does not happen a lot, but when it does, you need a paper clip or you are dead in the water. There's no way to do the battery pull trick you can do with a cell phone to reboot it. Again - it doesn't happen a lot, but it can happen. I'm not sure what triggers it, but once every 3 weeks or so I have it happen. I use the device practically every day so that's not frequent enough to make me want to toss the reader.
The other complaint I have is that there really needs to be a better device browser that allows you to manipulate downloaded files. If you download a file from a web site using the web browser, it goes into the "downloads" folder. That folder cannot be accessed unless you connect the device to your computer. That's kind of a pain. (If there's another way to do this, I haven't found it.)
I hear a lot of complaints about this device regarding speed. Yes, it is slow - but in the end it is a book reader. How fast do you need to turn those pages anyway? I don't have too many issues with performance once the device is booted up. It does take too long to boot - roughly a full minute. And - it can be slow to realize that you have reoriented it from portrait to landscape (and vice versa). It also can be slow to render web pages. But - you didn't buy an iPad did you? You spent about 1/4 of the money and got an e-reader. Don't expect it to perform like a $500 iPad.
Another complaint the Novel draws is the performance of the touch screen. I really have no issues with it. The directions tell you to use your fingernail or a stylus for the best results. I use the flat back edge of my first fingernail and find that it works great. It tooks some getting used to, but now it's second nature.
The bottom line is that I really like this little e-reader. It's a bit quirky sometimes and no one knows what you are talking about when you say you have one, but it suits me just fine.
Updated on Sep 8, 20104 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good Value E-Reader!
by TopBizCoach on November 26, 2010
Pros: 1. Good Display
2. Great Value-Solid E-color e-reader for about $140!!
3. e-Reader functionality works well
4. Easy to download books from Barnes and Noble
5. e-browser and other functionality works well
6. Nice sized/clarity screenCons: 1. Sold boot time: Seem like 1/5 to 2 minutes! Way too long!!
2. Tiny on/off switch
3. Bit heavy
4. Bit thickSummary: I just picked one of this up around Thanksgiving 2010 and compared it directly to the Color Nook and iPad for the primary purpose I will be using it for-reading ...
Summary: I just picked one of this up around Thanksgiving 2010 and compared it directly to the Color Nook and iPad for the primary purpose I will be using it for-reading books. I performs very similarly to the Color Nook, but is $100 less, so therefore has better value for the money in my opinion. The iPad offers the best funtionality and flexibility of the group, but it is limited by the lack of flash, usb port, etc. and is very heavy and cumbersome. Therfore for about 1/4th of the price I am quite happy with the Pandigital Novel. It has a clear, crisp screen, I can download books easily and turn pages as well as the Nook. Does anyone know how I can configue this so I can download and read Kindle books as well???
It's certainly not perfect, but I got it to access WI-Fi the first try out of the box and was reading a new book I downloaded seconds later. Not sure why others are panning the technology. If you want a nice color e-reader at great value, I'd recommend it.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This ebook (black Version only) rocks!
by kenleaderofmen on November 11, 2010
Pros: I love the photo gallery/slideshow program. Web browser and email is excellent. I now leave the laptop at home . As an E reader in FULL COLOR... the Pandigital Novel is in a class of it's own. With the SD disk storage, I'm good to go anywhere!
Cons: No issues here....
Summary: I am reading two books about Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax presently. The text is resizeable and reverseable. Wherever I go the Ereader is easy to see and picks up ...
Summary: I am reading two books about Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax presently. The text is resizeable and reverseable. Wherever I go the Ereader is easy to see and picks up right where I left off. I'm a happy camper!
I'm giving three of these to my sons for Christmas
Updated on Nov 11, 20102 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Meets my expectations and needs... I recommend it
by lfisher320 on August 25, 2010
Pros: The price is hard to beat. I purchased mine in June from a local Bed Bath & Beyond for $116 after discount coupon and rebate. Without question the Novel is no iPad. HOWEVER, I didn't expect an iPad experience. With some practice it works fine.
Cons: Needs more apps to become available. Some "features" simply don't make sense, e.g., sorting books by author results in a sort by FIRST NAME... excuse me?!
Summary: I have a Nook and I've also used my son's iPad for several hours. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages in regard to MY needs. For ...
Summary: I have a Nook and I've also used my son's iPad for several hours. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages in regard to MY needs. For example, I find the iPad too heavy for periods of extended reading and the browser on my Nook to be very awkward. I'm not claiming that everything about the Novel suits me and they still need to work on some fundamentals, including leaving the display on while plugged in to power and displaying your slides unattended. Overall though I find myself using the Novel more and the Nook less.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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update works great
by soulbird995 on July 26, 2010
Pros: runs web well for social, reads well.
Cons: need to update right away. with out hacking you cant add apps yet. no web video yet. needs a stand alone app for notes.
Summary: its not a super computer but for a reader with that little bit extra its great.. once the apps are a go i think for the average person you can ...
Summary: its not a super computer but for a reader with that little bit extra its great.. once the apps are a go i think for the average person you can easily save $300 buck. getting it and not the ipad.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A little sluggish with native SW but full color, video!
by bbdec1 on July 19, 2010
Pros: Video, browser, wifi, ANDROID!!!! can be hacked to use as an Android tablet.
Cons: a little sluggish with original SW but others say hacked model using Aldiko or Kindle SW is faster.
Summary: Bed, Bath and Beyond price is $169 minus $20 rebate for full color, replaceable battery (and internal memory) and hackable to become a true tablet--Well worth the money.
Summary: Bed, Bath and Beyond price is $169 minus $20 rebate for full color, replaceable battery (and internal memory) and hackable to become a true tablet--Well worth the money.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Too slow to be practical. Frequent lock ups.
by mike4488 on November 21, 2010
Pros: Nice features, good looks.
Cons: Features work poorly. It is too sluggish and it locks up. Imagine reading a gripping tale and you can't turn the page. Interface is frustrating. Entering data is problematic. Data you spend ten minutes entering on the keyboard is usually rejected.
Summary: As Carnoy says in his review, it all looks good on paper and what it can do would be very cool to have on an ereader - only it's ...
Summary: As Carnoy says in his review, it all looks good on paper and what it can do would be very cool to have on an ereader - only it's too sluggish, frustratingly so. I am returning the one I got for a gift and waiting until technology improves. Not ready for prime time.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Returned it
by kicooke on July 19, 2010
Pros: The price was great. Used some BB&B discounts and got it cheap with a rebate. Interesting concept.
Cons: Poorly executed as the processor is just too slow.
Summary: I was sitting in my doctor's office when I saw the BB&B flyer with the novel on sale. I went right after my appointment and picked one ...
Summary: I was sitting in my doctor's office when I saw the BB&B flyer with the novel on sale. I went right after my appointment and picked one up. I like the form factor. I did not like the interface but later learned it could be hacked. I bought it mostly for the browsing capability but was disappointed that it kept dropping the wireless connection. After surfing about 10 web pages the browser would lock up and become unresponsive.
Its probably pretty awesome as a reader but did not suit my purposes as an internet tablet. Its a shame Pandigital did no put a more robust processor in this unit.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Buyer Beware!!
by TennisCoachHall on December 8, 2011
Pros: Once the issues were resolved she could read books on it.
The display could be reversed and it was much easier on the eyes when reading.Cons: 1. Too many software issues
2. Customer service is hard to reach and there's a long wait waiting for someone to answer.
3. Just before the year was up the sound went out and it has been 4 weeks and they still haven't sent it back.Summary: Pandigital does not put in enough effort to make sure they are putting out a quality product. When technical issues occur they walk you though downloading and android software that ...
Summary: Pandigital does not put in enough effort to make sure they are putting out a quality product. When technical issues occur they walk you though downloading and android software that would fix the problem but then tells you if you do it that it will void the warranty. I spent too many hours of my time on the phone with tech support for a product that didn't work properly out of the box. So my daughter didn't use the product often and just before the warranty ended she went to play a songs and the speakers just gave static. To have it serviced I had to send a copy of my receipt. I registered it with an agent at Christmas and I have to still dig up a receipt to get it serviced. I believe they do this in hopes for customers to lose their receipts. I had to go through who I purchased it from to get a copy of my receipt to show my date of purchase. Now thy have had my device since November 7th, tracked it through USPS, but haven't logged it into their system until November 18th. The agents were not sympathetic to my issues all they did was make excuses for a product that didn't work properly from day one. Don't buy Pandigital, I know I won't be making a purchase from them again.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Loving my White Pandigital Ereader (AKA "Lie-Pad")
by scraphappy7 on February 17, 2011
Pros: Less expensive
Easy to make into an Android
Light & easy to carry
FunCons: Would like "buttons" on screen, rather than using volume button (Hack, anyone?)
Needs pocket for a stylus-fingers ok but stylus is precise.
Some apps do not work on the Pandigital platform due to hardware (it's not a phone).Summary: I've had mine since after Christmas 2010, when I took back the black one and went to BBB for the white one (easier to hack). I've tried various ...
Summary: I've had mine since after Christmas 2010, when I took back the black one and went to BBB for the white one (easier to hack). I've tried various hacks and have settled on the one from the Pandigital site (today I discovered they have updated the Android platform again so giving it a whirl). Supposedly getting a "market" to buy apps. One of the hacks did have it but you can buy or get free .apk files from lots of places.
I didn't know that Android is different than IPad and/or Blackberry so bought some apps that don't work for me. I added the Adobe Reader app and have converted hundreds of web pages and documents with Cute PDF writer. Now I can view my craft and cooking recipes at my craft/cooking areas! Tossing all the paper!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Pandigital
- Part number: PRD07T10WWH7
- Description: Read. Surf. Play. The Pandigital Novel Color Multimedia eReader will change the way you curl up with a good book. With instant access to the Barnes & Noble online bookstore, the Pandigital Novel Color Multimedia eReader lets you read and carry hundreds of books, magazines, and newspapers with you wherever you go.
General
- Product Type eBook reader
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 5.5 in x 0.5 in x 7.5 in
- Weight 1.2 lbs
- Color White
- Slot provided type [Picklist] SD Memory Card,
MultiMediaCard Display
- Type 7 in Color TFT active matrix
- Display Resolution 600 x 800
- Touchscreen Yes
- Display type 7 in TFT active matrix
- Max resolution 600 x 800
Memory
- Flash Memory 1 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card,
MultiMediaCard,
SDHC Memory Card - Flash memory installed 1 GB
Operating System / Software
- Operating System Android
- OS Required Apple MacOS X,
Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 Communications
- Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g/n
Location
- GPS Navigation None
Multimedia
- Supported Digital Video Formats MPEG-4
- Supported Digital Audio Formats AAC ,
WAV ,
MP3 EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats EPUB ,
PDF - Supported Still Image Formats PNG,
JPEG,
BMP,
GIF - Features Expandable memory ,
Touch screen ,
Wi-Fi
Power
- Battery installed (max) Lithium ion
- Power supply device Power adapter
Input Device
- Type Touch-screen
Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card,
1 x MultiMediaCard - Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x Headphones - Output - Sub-mini phone stereo 2.5 mm Battery
- Technology / Form Factor Lithium ion
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter
- Compliant Standards WEEE,
FCC,
RoHS,
UL,
CE Dimensions & Weight
- Width 5.5 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 7.5 in
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
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Manufacturer: Pandigital
Specs: Android,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11b,
IEEE 802.11g,
7 in Color TFT active matrix,
5.5 in x 0.5 in x 7.5 in,
1.2 lbs -
Manufacturer: Pandigital
Specs: Android,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11b,
IEEE 802.11g,
7 in Color TFT active matrix,
5.2 in x 0.5 in x 7.2 in,
12 oz
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Pandigital products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Pandigital
- Address:
6300 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568 - Phone: 1-800-715-5354
- Email: info@pandigital.net
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