Pandigital Novel Overview

Pandigital, a digital photoframe specialist, understands the value of color in displaying images. It’s no surprise then that the company is bringing color to eReader screens as it moves from digital photos to digital books. With a name like Pandigital Novel evokes, one, the image of a paperback or, two, a thing that introduces a new concept or approach.

On the one hand, Pandigital Novel’s approach of coupling eReader capabilities with multi-media functions is not entirely new. The iPad has already done it.  Like the Kindle and the Nook, the Novel has reading and shopping capabilities. Thanks to Paradigital’s  partnership with Barnes & Noble, Novel owners not only get convenient access to B&N’s expansive ebookstore catalog; they also get to use B&N’s LendMe Feature, allowing them to loan out certain books to friends for 14 days.

Then like any tablet, the Paradigital Novel is also capable of surfing the web, sending and reading emails, playing music, and displaying videos on its 7-inch color screen.

On the other hand, the Novel seems to have everything the press have been clamoring for: a cheap color screen ereader with note-taking capability and convenient access to a major bookstore.

Features – Hardware and Software

The Novel comes in a medium-sized chassis measuring 7.5 inches tall x 5.5 inches wide and, like the iPad, 0.5 inch thick. At 16 ounces, however, the Novel is heavier than rival eReaders.

Despite its tablet personality, the Novel bills itself primarily as an ebook reader. To help readers connect with the B&N store as well as browse the web, the device is integrated with an 80.11 g/b WiFi. Wireless access is dependent on proximity of device owner to a WiFi hotspot, but this could also mean browsing the web is faster.

The B&N store offers more than 1 million paid and free ebooks, newspapers, and magazines. Browsing for books is easy; clicking on a book reveals a pop-up of book details including plot overview, synopsis, author, and price.

Backlit LCD makes the device more suitable for reading indoors and for night reading than for reading outdoors in direct sunlight. Touch resistive screen is not as fast as touch capacitive screen in responding to finger gestures, but the Novel can handle note-taking and highlighting of phrases really well.  An orientation sensor conveniently shifts page display to landscape or portrait mode when tilted.

1GB built-in storage is good enough for “hundreds of books” only, though storage can be expanded via SD/MMC card slots. Processor is Android, which means you have access to expansive Google eBooks collection. The Novel supports three file types: PDF, ePub, and HTML.

The Bottom Line

The Pandigital Novel will be available from major retailers such as Sears, Staples, and K-Mart for $199. For those who have been waiting for a color eReader that is cheap, can browse the web, and play videos, the Pandigital Novel is due for a limited release in June.