Digital book readers - Kindle, BeBook, etc - Opinions please

[Malsua]

I recently picked up the Kindle 3g + special offers for $139. It was recently lowered from $189.00

The special offers are not bothersome. They only show up in Standby and at the bottom of the menu screen. When you read, you don't see them. After I read about how they are handled, my dislike of ads went away for the Kindle. You can easily ignore them and I got the 3g version for $50 off.

The browser as mentioned above sucks balls. The Nook has a functional browser...the kindle does not. It does work and will work for an emergency but it's not for casual browsing.

I have to give the nod to the Nook color as an overall better reader. It's just so much easier to read in low to medium light and the touch screen makes it very much less clunky.

The downside to the Nook is cost and battery life. The Kindle 3g for $139 is a bargain and I can recommend the special offers version to anyone. The Kindle is exclusively a reader whereas the Nook Color is a reader plus light use tablet.

[American Patriot]

I don't like the browser at all for Kindle. I don't even use it to buy books (or very rarely). I usually log onto my account and buy what I want and send it to the Kindle (I have the DX).

I love my kindle it's great. I don't have any of the other readers yet. Probably wont.

I MIGHT buy a new DX though, one of the charcoal ones, because I like that color better and they are thinner and lighter than one the one I have now.

[American Patriot]

As mentioned, I really like my Kindle DX.

But, as usual, technology has caught up, and surpassed what I bought at nearly 500 bucks. You can get a newer Kindle DX which weighs much less, is thinner and seems to work even better. The 5-way switch has been changed too, so it's not sticking up and possibly in danger of getting broken.

I keep mine in a zippered case that has kept is nearly pristine.

However, today I wanted to point out that Amazon has released not one, but FOUR new devices.

The lowest priced one is 79 bucks, and I think most of you guys might look that one over. It's easier than carrying around a stack of books in a backpack you know.

The one, however, I am MOST interested in is the "Kindle Fire". Have only seen videos so far.

It's a smaller-than-iPad, iPad like device, color screen and has a new browser called "Silk". It uses cloud technology and other coolish things like that. It's price? $199.

I looked at, this weekend and thought I fell in love with a think called the "Pandigital Supernova". After reading a lot of reviews, I fell out of love with it. I have my eye set on the Kindle Fire now.

Here's why.

1. It's a small, portable computer.
2. Has a browser (better than the Kindle "experimental one".
3. uses Android OS.
4. Cloud technology to store stuff.

bad things:

1. Doesn't give you full access to all the android apps or app store.
2. You have to use Amazon to purchase apps.
3. Cloud technology opens up privacy issues too.....

I'm looking for something that can EASILY do Facebook, web pages and email, doesn't weigh a LOT and isn't too damned expensive (iPad is still too much for me, my wife owns one and she's offered to lend it any time I want, I still carry a netbook instead).

Can Kindle Fire match the iPad?

Amazon's Jeff Bezos makes a bid to be the new Steve Jobs with the launch of a cut-price rival to Apple's touchscreen tablet

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• Dominic Rushe
• The Guardian, Tuesday 27 September 2011
• Article history
  Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos reveals details of its new tablet computer, the Kindle Fire Link to this video Jeff Bezos has been reading The Remains of the Day. A novel of quiet subtlety. Or so the Amazon boss told the audience at a press conference in Manhattan on Wednesday. From his actions, it seems more likely that he has been at the Sun Tzu.
  Bezos made a bid to be the new Steve Jobs, declaring war on Apple with the launch of a cut-price rival to the iPad, with the two technology titans now squaring up over who will own the device that delivers the future of music, movies and TV online.
  The $199 (£128) colour touchscreen tablet called the Kindle Fire was unveiled at a press conference in New York with all the secrecy and prerelease teasing Apple usually sprinkles on its launches.
  The new Kindle is far less advanced than the iPad. It doesn't offer a mobile connection, working only with Wi-Fi; it doesn't have a camera or microphone; and its screen, at 7 inches, is smaller than the iPad, at 9.7 inches.
  However, at half the price, analysts said it presents the first serious challenge to the iPad's dominance of the tablet market, as Bezos tries to build on the success of his company's Kindle book reader with a colour-screen, multimedia offering for US consumers. In Britain, buyers will have to wait until next year at the earliest.
  Janney Capital Markets analyst Shawn Milne said he expects between 2 million and 3 million Kindle Fire tablets will be shipped in the fourth quarter. Others are aiming higher. "At $199, the Fire is sure to be a highly disruptive product in the tablet market, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas," said David McQueen of Informa Telecoms & Media.
  Bezos revealed the device after introducing a new range of simpler Kindles, one of which will be available in the UK for £89 from 12 October. But it was the Kindle Fire that seized the limelight: a device intended to build on the popularity of the company's e-readers and reach a broader audience that wants to browse the web, listen to music and watch movies and video. The device will also feature a news stand for users, stocking Kindle Fire-friendly versions of titles from publishers including versions of Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Wired and Glamour.
  The event had echoes of one of Jobs's famous Apple presentations. Bezos, dressed causally in open-neck shirt and jeans, went for a slow reveal. First there was a history of the Kindle and a chance for Bezos to display some of the unkinder comments people had made about the best selling e-book reader when it was launched. Then came the new generation of Kindles, and finally Kindle Fire. And then the price. "We're building premium products at non-premium prices," said Bezos. "We are determined to do that."
  Bezos also announced a new web browser, called Amazon Silk, which he said was tailored for mobile devices, as the company that was once just an electronic shop also encroached on territory once dominated by Microsoft. "It's truly a technical achievement," he said.
  He then took a swipe at Apple, saying there would be no need to synchronise the Kindle Fire to a computer, as people do with their iPads. "That model, that you are responsible for backing up your own content, is a broken model," he said.
  Michael Gartenberg, analyst at Gartner, said the announcement pitched Apple and Amazon head to head in the battle for "cloud" media services. Both Apple and Amazon have been developing services that allow customers to store their music, movies and TV shows remotely – "in the cloud" – and then access them from any device connected to the web. Next week, Apple is expected to respond, with more details of its inevitably-named iCloud service next week. "For me, that was the most significant part of the announcement," said Gartenberg. He said the Kindle Fire looked like a good product and was priced to sell, but the real battle was "in the cloud".
  Amazon plans to begin taking orders for the Fire on its US website immediately, and will start shipping on 15 November. Bezos said the company was "making many millions of these" – but Amazon has no immediate plans to launch the Fire in the UK.
  Reaction at the event was mixed. Avram Piltch, editorial director at Laptop Magazine, said the device looked "more like an iPod killer than an iPad killer". He said the Kindle Fire looked set to be a big seller for people who want to use it to consume media, but it didn't have enough firepower to take on the iPad or other tablet manufacturers who were making devices for people at work rather than play.
  The new Kindle has its work cut out for it. Apple sold more than 29m iPads in the product's first 15 months on the market. Most of its competitors have bombed. Hewlett Packard scrapped its tablet device in an embarrassing U-turn that contributed to the ousting of its chief executive. Blackberry maker Research in Motion shipped just 200,000 of its own rival to the iPad, the PlayBook, in three months.
  But, said Gartenberg, Amazon has one big advantage over the other would-be iPad killers: content. "Amazon has millions of customers already buying their stuff. It has their credit card details, it knows their names. That's a big advantage," he said.
  Next Tuesday, Apple will have its chance to respond – except that its big launch for Christmas is the latest version of the somewhat smaller iPhone. The battle has just begun.

[American Patriot]

Pandigital Supernova launches at $230, but Kindle Fire is better and cheaper

Oct. 10, 2011 (7:28 am) By: Lee Mathews


Just over a year ago, Pandigital released the $199 Novel eReader. Like the Nook Color, it was full color and sported a touchscreen. Now Pandigital has officially unveiled a follow-up effort, the Supernova. But in the Kindle Fire era, this new model is doomed to fail.
Pandigital is calling the Supernova “the utmost in value and performance,” and I’m going to stop them right there. It’s not up to par with the Kindle Fire, and it’s not as cheap.
The Supernova offers a single-core 1GHz processor, a scant 4GB of internal storage, and a frighteningly low 480×800 pixels of resolution on its 8-inch display — at an estimated street price of $230. The Kindle Fire, on the other hand, packs a dual-core processor (of unknown speed, but it’ll be at least 1GHz), twice the internal storage, and a much sharper 600×1024 display. The Kindle Fire also weighs two ounces less and sells for just $199.
In fact, about the only thing the Supernova really has going for it is that it’ll probably be available outside of the United States. That’s the only real knock against the Kindle Fire at the moment, so it makes sense for Pandigital to try to move some Supernovas before Amazon expands its reach.
Once that happens, it’s difficult to imagine anyone shelling out more money for a less impressive tablet featuring a name brand with a fraction of the clout of the Amazon and Kindle badges. The Supernova will also have to contend with the likes of Lenovo’s IdeaPad A1, which is now up for pre-order as well. It’s pretty well a lock that additional manufacturers will follow with even more sub-$200 Android tablet options, so Pandigital will need to shave its MSRP if it doesn’t want to wind up sitting on a pile of unsold readers.
More atPandigital


(Note, yesterday the Supernova was $199 at Best Buy.)

[American Patriot]

Dublin Tech Darling Pandigital’s SuperNova Eclipsed by Amazon’s Kindle Fire

by John M. Zukoski | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions



Many residents in and around Dublin, CA were flabbergasted with the recent unveiling of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Bargain-priced at $199 and fully loaded with features, the Kindle Fire is poised to take on the legendary iPad as Amazon challenges Apple in the tablet computing market. Unfortunately for Dublin’s tech wonder Pandigital, the November 15th release of Amazon’s iPad killer could not have come at a worse time, as the famed digital photo frame maker looks to crank up the marketing of its own tablet computer called the SuperNova.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire has a 7-inch display and runs a heavily modified version of Google’s Android operating system. Equipped with a dual-core processor and 8GB of storage, this tablet computer supports web browsing, e-mail, PDF and Adobe Flash web content display, and digital music playback with ease. Users can read e-books with Amazon’s popular Kindle software, download Android apps and games through Amazon’s Appstore, purchase music via Amazon’s MP3 store, and stream video using Amazon’s video on-demand service. Amazon’s suite of digital stores and services are all pre-loaded right out of the box.

Amazon would not be able to sell the Kindle Fire for only $199 without cutting a few corners. In terms of hardware, the Kindle Fire does not offer any sort of photo or video camera capability, memory expansion, video output, GPS, Bluetooth support, or cellular data connection. The underlying Google Android operating system has been stripped of key Android features such as Maps, Gmail, Navigation, and the Google App Market. For software, users are bound to Amazon.
At only $199, the Kindle Fire is now the unquestionable leader in price for performance with a dual-core processor and a finer resolution display than the SuperNova. Equipped with a 1-GHz processor, 4GB of storage, and an 8-inch display, the SuperNova is the flagship product of a new line of Android tablets from Pandigital. Priced significantly below an iPad at $230, the SuperNova would have been touted as the iPad killer had Amazon not come out with an even sleeker device that is under $200. According to many industry experts, Amazon may be taking a loss with each unit sold, in the hopes of recuperating that cost through its various services and vast library of digital downloads. Without a massive content library like Amazon to help recover any upfront loss as a result of further price-cutting, Pandigital will have a hard time gaining traction.
Pandigital’s SuperNova is likely to be among the first casualties of the new Amazon tablet. What can Pandigital do to mitigate the fallout from this botched product launch? Amazon’s Kindle Fire is currently sold only in the United States, so Pandigital still has a small window to make an impact in the consumer market abroad before Amazon ships its tablet computer globally. Regardless of what happens with the SuperNova Android tablet, Pandigital has a bright future with its other award-winning eReaders, digital photo frames, and scanners sold through more than 35,000 retail storefronts in the United States, Canada and Europe. Dublin’s Pandigital has received numerous accolades and industry awards for its high-quality products that are renowned for their innovative technology, simplified user interface, contemporary style, and for providing exceptional value to consumers.

Published on October 19, 2011

[American Patriot]

Pandigital SuperNova Review

The Android 2.3-powered Pandigital SuperNova offers an 8-inch capacitive display and longer battery life, but it suffers from sluggish performance and bad design.

by Sherri L. Smith on October 21, 2011
Price as Reviewed: $229.00









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	Velocity Micro Cruz T408
	Vizio 8-Inch Tablet

Pandigital has launched its new flagship product, the Pandigital SuperNova, as a competitor of the Amazon Kindle Fire. Expanding on the positives of the 7-inch Pandigital Nova slate, the $229 SuperNova offers an 8-inch capacitive display, longer battery life, and improved cameras. But is that enough to distinguish itself as a front-runner in the budget slate space?
Design

One glance at the SuperNova, and its designation as a budget slate is all but confirmed. The tablet is swathed in cheap black plastic that is very effective at resisting smudges and fingerprints. The chassis seems sturdy enough, but there's nothing aesthetically appealing about the subtle striations on the front of the tablet doing their worst brushed metal impersonation.
A gray Pandigital logo sits at the top of the slate next to the front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. Four backlit physical buttons (Home, Menu, Back, and Search) of varying degrees of stiffness lie at the bottom. Buttons for power and volume are on the right, while a microSD card resides on the left. Micro HDMI, mini USB port, and power ports sit on top, while the headphone jack is inconveniently positioned on the bottom. The tablet's smooth rear is vacant save for a 3-MP camera and a speaker.
Despite its brick-like appearance, the 8.4 x 6.1 x 0.4-inch, 1-pound SuperNova is lighter than both the 1.1-pound Micro Velocity Cruz T408 (8.5 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches) and the 1.2-pound Vizio 8-inch tablet (8.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches).

Display and Audio

Images on the Pandigital SuperNova's 8-inch 800 x 600p display didn't have the brightness or vibrancy of the Vizio tablet. Watching a 720p trailer for Hugo on YouTube revealed dull color with noticeable pixelation in dark settings. Sacha Baron Cohen's Prussian-blue uniform appeared faded, while the normally warm gold background of the train station looked cold and listless. Though we haven't yet reviewed the Amazon Kindle Fire, we saw its brilliant 1024 x 600 display in person and were amazed.
Although it won't fill a small room, the slate's lone speaker gave surprisingly loud, clear audio. Carlos Santana's rich, soulful guitar was on full display on "Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)"; however, it didn't overshadow the organ, snare drum, or the bass guitar. Lower-end notes were underwhelming on Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass," taking the teeth out of this usually speaker-rattling ditty.
Touchscreen

Although it's a budget affair, Pandigital made the wise choice to make the SuperNova's display a capacitive touchscreen instead of resistive, like on the Nova. We found the screen to be fairly responsive and accurate; there were only a few occasions when we had to repeatedly tap the display. However, there was about a second of lag when we zoomed in and out using pinch-to-zoom or by double-tapping and scrolling.
Keyboard

The keyboard was the bright spot of the Supernova's touchscreen, offering a quick and accurate response. While the keys are large in both portrait and landscape, the overall experience was somewhat diminished by the notable lack of haptic feedback.
Software and Interface

Pandigital packages the SuperNova with a customized version of Android 2.3. The lock screen features the familiar large clock displaying the date and time and the charge level. Beneath the clock are two tabs; the right controls the sound, while the sliding the left tab unlocks the tablet.
The SuperNova has four home screens. The first screen has a Google search bar, a dedicated bar for our Barnes & Noble purchases, a Wi-Fi bar, apps for UPlayer, Barnes & Noble, Facebook, and Weather. Icons for Settings, Applications, and the Browser are located at the bottom of each of the home screens.
There are two blank screens with plenty of space for apps and widgets. The remaining screen has a music player and additional blank space for additional customization.

Apps

As the Supernova is not a Google-certified Android device, it doesn't have access to the Android Market. Instead, Pandigital has included the GetJar app store, a move tantamount to replacing the NFL superstar Peyton Manning with also-ran Kerry Collins. Without the Google integration, we were left without Google Talk, Maps, Reader, Gmail, Voice Actions, and a slew of other apps.
In addition to GetJar, Pandigital pre-loads apps such as the Barnes & Noble reader, which we used to purchase Stephen King's latest work, Mile 81.. All our Barnes & Nobles purchases went into our account and were easily accessed on the main home screen. We enjoyed using InTouch, a news and social media aggregator that let us follow our Twitter and Facebook streams as well as get the latest news from sources including CNN.com, CNET, and People.com. Unlike Pulse--where you can view content from multiple sources--InTouch only let us look at one media source at a time. OfficeSuite Professional 5 is also included, but we could only view--not edit--our files. Facebook and the UPlayer media player were also pre-installed.

Performance

Powered by a 1-GHz Cortex A8 Processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage, the Pandigital SuperNova is good enough to handle tasks such as surfing the web, watching videos, and playing games. Opening apps and switching between screens took approximately 1 to 2 seconds. And despite taking 2 minutes and 30 seconds to download, Angry Birds Rio was a quick and seamless once we began playing. We didn't notice a lag as we zoomed in and out to figure out the best spot to aim our avian ammunition. Birds flew uninterrupted into boxes and other birds in a satisfying manner
However, during our benchmark testing, the slate showed a repeated lack of oomph. On the CPU portion of the generically named Benchmark test, the SuperNova scored 1,363, failing to match the 2,708 average for Android tablets. It even fell behind the Cruz T408's 1-GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU and 512MB of RAM (1,411) and the Vizio (1,528) which has a 1-GHz processor and 512MB of RAM.

Compare Benchmark CPU results with similar tablets/mids

The SuperNova fared better in the graphics department, scoring 7,483 on the An3DBench test, 446 points above the 7,037 category average. The Vizio only managed to score 5,885, but the Cruz T408 also did well scoring 7,454.
Camera and Video

The SuperNova is equipped with a 3-MP rear camera and a 1.3-MP front-facing camera, notable upgrades from the Nova's 1.3-MP rear-facing and VGA front-facing cameras. Still images from the rear camera were bright and clear, but they looked washed out. Although shots from the front-facing camera were bright, they were very grainy and lacked detail.
The rear-facing camera's 640 x 480p video of New York City traffic had bright yellows and a gorgeous blue sky, but we noticed a bit of a lag during playback. In terms of video chats, GetJar has an extremely anemic catalog. Although we were able to download Skype, we found that the app didn't recognize our camera. However, audio came through loud and clear.
eReader

As an eReader, the SuperNova offers a mixed experience. The SuperNova has a dedicated shelf for books and magazines downloaded from the Barnes & Noble Bookstore (which gave us access to B&N's 1 million-plus books and magazines). Accessing books and magazines from the shelf on the home screen was convenient, though there was a noticeable 3- to 4-second wait when loading books and magazines. When we sat down to read, we were happy with the clear, sharp text from the extremely bright screen. However, we had trouble viewing the screen when we were outdoors on a sunny day.

Navigating through pages was quick and responsive. We were disappointed that there was no page-turning animation, but sliding left or right to access pages was just as good. Accessing the dictionary, highlighting a word, or adding our personal notes was as simple as tapping and holding a word and choosing from the pop-up menu. The additional settings at the top of the screen, including text size and background color, ensured that we would be able to read comfortably without the threat of eye strain.
There is a large drawback, however. When we switched from portrait to landscape or vice versa, the app would skip ahead of our page, causing us to have to hunt for our place.
Web

While conducting searches in the web browsers and downloading apps was relatively speedy, loading websites was not. It took the mobile versions of The New York Times and ESPN 8.8 and 10.5 seconds to load, respectively. Loading the desktop version of Laptopmag.com took 37.2 seconds.
Even worse, the wireless radio was inconsistent, as it unexpectedly turned itself off a few times during our testing, forcing us to go back into settings and enable it.

Battery Life

The Pandigital SuperNova gave us a decent 6 hours and 19 minutes during the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous web surfing via Wi-Fi). However, it wasn't enough to match the 6:54 Android tablet average. The Vizio performed slightly better, lasting 6:44. The Nova clocked in with a subpar 4:19.

Compare LAPTOP Battery Test results with similar tablets/mids

Verdict

At $229, the Pandigital SuperNova improves on some of the problem points of the Nova. However, the addition of a capacitive screen, improved battery life, and cameras with more megapixels isn't enough to make the SuperNova a viable competitor to the $199 Kindle Fire. Plagued by poor design, an ugly washed-out screen, and a limited app offering, the Pandigital SuperNova can't hold a candle to the Kindle Fire.

Pros

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• Affordable
• Responsive capacitive touchscreen
• Decent performance

Cons

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• Limited app selection
• Unattractive design
• Cheap build quality

[American Patriot]

Pandigital Goes Head To Head With Kindle Fire

8:00 PM - October 6, 2011 - By Wolfgang Gruener -
Source : Pandigital
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A few weeks ago, I got my hands on the 7-inch Pandigital Nova, which sells for $189. With this attractive price, you will have to accept a resistive touch screen as well as the omission of Android Market. However, for an extra $40, Pandigital will be offering the "SuperNova" in October, which will sport an 8-inch capacitive touch screen as well as a 1 GHz Samsung Cortex-A8 processor.
The housing appears to be styled in the same way as the Nova, which isn't bad as there is a very subtle matte texturing that gives the device a nice, expensive-looking finish. Though it seems to be running Android 2.3 (like the Nova) there's still no access to the Android Market. Neither tablet qualifies for the Android Market due to the lack of certain sensors such as a GPS unit. However, access to third party app marketplaces such as GetJar provides users with some apps (The Kindle Fire will also have a limited selection of apps initially.)
Like the Fire, the Nova and SuperNova are also pitched as eBook Readers. However, the Pandigital devices are tied to the Barnes & Noble store. If you directly compare the Fire with the Nova and SuperNova, then there are clearly advantages on the Fire side, such as Amazon's cloud services as well as the Silk browser and a dual-core processor. However, the Nova and SuperNova include dual-cameras, which the Fire has not. That said, the Fire comes with 8 GB preinstalled memory, while the Pandigitals have only 4 GB.
Your choice may come down to what is important to you. If it is the software and services package, the Fire has the advantage. However, the omission of cameras is a big deal and show that other tablet makers such as Pandigital will try to deliver competitive products even against an aggressive Amazon.

[American Patriot]

Eight-inch Android 2.3 tablet sells for $229
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By Eric Brown
2011-10-06

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Pandigital SuperNova announced an eight-inch Android 2.3 tablet that costs just $229 and offers one-stop access to Barnes & Noble's eStore. The SuperNova offers a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 4GB internal storage, a seven-inch, 800 x 600 screen, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, says the company.

Pandigital's $170 Nova and $180 Planet seemed like pretty good deals when we covered the seven-inch tablets Aug. 2. Several days later when the company unveiled a slightly downgraded, seven-inch Star tablet for $160, and said all three tablets were equipped with Cortex-A9 processors, we were both surprised and impressed. But Pandigital continues to surprise us, this time in that the promised, top-of-the-line eight-inch SuperNova tablet turns out to feature an older Cortex-A8 processor. In this case it's the highly-regarded, 1GHz Samsung S5PV210 "Hummingbird" system on chip (SoC). Performance might not lag far behind the smaller siblings, however, considering that they run on an unnamed Cortex-A9 processor with no stated clock speed.

Pandigital SuperNova, with GetJar App Store shown on right
(Click on either to enlarge)

The SuperNova would have been priced perfectly at $229 a few weeks ago, but Amazon.com's $200 Kindle Fire changed the equation, and the SuperNova may require a price cut sooner rather than later. While the SuperNova offers a slightly larger eight-inch display, its 800 x 600 resolution is behind the times compared to the seven-inch Kindle Fire's 1024 x 600-pixel IPS (in-plane switching display) screen, let alone the Toshiba Thrive 7" with its 1280 x 800 display. Meanwhile, the SuperNovas's Hummingbird certainly doesn't compare to the Fire's dual-core, Cortex-A9 Texas Instruments OMAP4 processor.
Are we being unfair in comparing the SuperNova to the Fire? Perhaps, but life is tough for discount tablets in the post-Fire era, and with the SuperNova's one-touch access to Barnes & Noble's eStore, Pandigital is placing its Android tablets in direct competition with the Amazon's first tablet.
To some, Pandigital would have the advantage over the Fire in offering a standard Android 2.3 stack as opposed to the highly customized, Amazon-focused Fire firmware. However, most other seven-inch Android tablets these days are moving up to the Android 3.2 version of Honeycomb. On the other hand, most of those start at $300 -- the newly discounted price of the seven-inch HTC Flyer -- and go up from there.
SuperNova details
The Pandigital's 1GHz Hummingbird processor is backed up with 512MB RAM, as well as 4GB internal flash storage and a 32GB-ready microSD slot, says the company. Front and back cameras are available, but no megapixels are listed.
The tablet offers 802.11b/g/n, and unlike its siblings, it provides Bluetooth 2.1, says Pandigital. A micro-HDMI port is also supplied, as well as a mini-USB 2.0 OTG (On The Go) port and a mini headphone port, says the company. Other features are said to include an integrated mic and accelerometers.
The tablet is reasonably thin for a budget model, measuring 6.13 x 8.38 x 0.44 inches, and weighs a typical 16.6 ounces, according to the Pandigital specs. The battery is said to last six hours under mixed use.
In addition to providing Android 2.3 and one-touch access to the Barnes & Noble eStore, the SuperNova offers Adobe Flash 10.3 support and access to the GetJar app store, says Pandigital. Pre-installed apps are said to include Facebook, MS Exchange support, ES File Explorer, OfficeSuite Viewer, and a U-Player app that provides access to YouTube.
In-house apps include an InTouch social networking aggregator that offers combined views of Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts, as well as RSS news feed data, says Pandigital. Also supplied is a Wi-Fi Connection Wizard for automating firmware updates, which the company says will include future versions of Android.
Stated John Clough, president, Pandigital, "We added some features to the SuperNova that we didn't offer in previous versions of our tablets, but felt were important to the consumer for this flagship product, including an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen display and integrated Bluetooth."
Availability
The Pandigital SuperNova will be available in mid-October at leading retailers across the U.S. for $229 MSRP, says Pandigital. More information may be found at its SuperNova product page.

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[American Patriot]

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Am.../dp/B0051VVOB2

[Phil Fiord]

Have you looked at http://www.google.com/chromebook/#features

[American Patriot]

No, why would I? That's a computer with a keyboard....

[Phil Fiord]

It was an option for a full featured cloud comp that has access to android apps. In other words, though it would have a kybd, it can do what you need and much more.

[American Patriot]

I have two lap tops. A lap top and netbook already.

The kindle is nothing like a computer. A computer is nothing like a kindle. A kindle fire is more like a tablet.

I don't want to carry around a laptop.

[American Patriot]

Today @ PCWorld
Amazon Boosts Kindle Fire Production

By Sarah Jacobsson Purewal, PCWorld Oct 26, 2011 6:20 AM
Amazon is boosting production of its Kindle Fire tablet, thanks to immense pre-order demand. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said the company is "increasing capacity and building millions more than we'd already planned."
The Kindle Fire is Amazon's first Android tablet device; the device launches Nov. 15 and costs $199. It's not the most tricked-out tablet -- it ships with just 8GB of memory (and no expandable memory), no camera, and no 3G, but its sub-$200 price tag and the fact that it runs Android (albeit Android 2.3) appears to be more than enough to get people riled up.
Amazon has high hopes for the upcoming holiday season. According to Bezos, "Sept. 28 was the biggest order day ever for Kindle, even bigger than previous holiday peak days."
"In the three weeks since launch, orders for electronic ink Kindles are double the previous launch," Bezos said in a statement. In addition to the Kindle Fire, Amazon also introduced the Kindle Touch 3G, which sells for $149; the Kindle Touch, priced at $99; and the Kindle, which retails for $79.

[American Patriot]

It was an option for a full featured cloud comp that has access to android apps. In other words, though it would have a kybd, it can do what you need and much more.

Sorry, Phil, I haven't had a lot of time to respond, and I still really don't so this might be short.

Basically, I want a very light weight tablet computer that can do some very basic things. I need to do email (web based, Earthlink and Gmail). I need to be able to read PDF files. I need to be able to browse the web easily (needs a good and fast browser). I need to be able go to Facebook or other "social networking" stuff easily. I need to be able to SEE and browse through TAA.

I don't need to (or generally want to) play games or anything. I'm not really going to use it for reading books (I carry my Kindle when I'm traveling).

The Kindle is an e-ink thing. It works great in bright sun light and you have to use a book light in the dark. I could use a tablet to read in the dark, but not sure that's very good on the eyes.

Anyway - that's what I'm looking for. A lap top and a netbook simply don't fit the bill any more. And a telephone (smartphone - I have a blackberry) isn't very good either. Too small for my poor eyesight.

[American Patriot]

New Android tablet undercuts Kindle Fire at $179

By: Todd Haselton | Oct 25th, 2011 at 11:40PM
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Filed Under: Tablets

Leader International announced a new tablet on Monday that undercuts Amazon’s upcoming Kindle Fire by $20. The $179 Impression 7, also known as the I7, is equipped with a 7-inch display with an 800 x 480-pixel resolution, a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, two USB 2.0 ports, a microSD card slot, a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera and support for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networks. We admit, the price caught our eye until we noticed the I7 runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), an operating system designed for smartphones that is now two generations old. In addition to the Impression 7, Leader International also announced the Impression 10 (I10), a 10-inch tablet that will make its debut alongside the I7 in November for $349. Leader International said the tablets will be available from retailers across the country, although the company did not mention any retail partners by name. Read on for the full press release.

New “Impression 7″ Tablet Makes Quality Mobile Entertainment Easy and Affordable
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Leader International Inc., a provider of reliable, feature-rich, affordable tablets, today announced the availability of its new Impression 7 (I7) tablet. The seven-inch tablet delivers value and performance for both novice and experienced users. Units will ship to retailers in early November at an MSRP of $179.00, just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season.
Powerful Portability
The I7 features a 1Ghz processor and 512MB RAM, Android 2.2 with Adobe Flash 10.1, and a seven-inch resistive TFT display that delivers brilliant color in 800×480 resolution.
The versatile I7 also includes Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), 4GB built-in flash memory, G-sensor, two USB 2.0 slots (including one full-size and one mini port), micro SD card slot (up to 16GB), 0.3MP camera and stereo output. Each unit also comes with a handsome synthetic leather portfolio case.
“The Impression 7 offers the best of mobile entertainment,” said Gary Bennett, Leader International’s Vice President of Sales, North America. “The seven-inch screen is perfect for web, email, music, games and videos. Plus, unlike other popular tablets, the I7 allows for additional memory and delivers more functionality with an SD slot and USB port.”
Impression 10 and Impression 7 Available for the Holidays
Leader’s I7 and I10 (10″, MSRP $349.00) tablets will arrive by early November at national retailers. Both units come packaged with charging and USB cables. Impression support, based in the United States, is available at no cost to customers; toll free, at 1-888-733-3312, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST.
For more information about Leader International and the Impression family of tablets, visit the company’s website at www.leaderinternationalinc.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LeaderInternational.

Tags: $179, Android 2.2, Froyo, i7, Impression 10, Impression 7, Leader International

[American Patriot]

Kindle Fire information Technical Details

Display	7" multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.
Size (in inches)	7.5" x 4.7" x 0.45" (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).
Weight	14.6 ounces (413 grams).
System Requirements	None, because it's wireless and doesn't require a computer.
On-device Storage	8GB internal (approximately 6GB available for user content). That's enough for 80 apps, plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.
Cloud Storage	Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.
Charge Time	Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or enterprise networks with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
USB Port	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
Audio	3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8.
Documentation	Quick Start Guide (included in box); Kindle User's Guide (pre-installed on device)
Warranty and Service	1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here.
Included in the Box	Kindle Fire device, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide.

[American Patriot]

Introducing Amazon Silk

September 28, 2011 by The Amazon Silk Team 717 Comments
Today in New York, Amazon introduced Silk, an all-new web browser powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and available exclusively on the just announced Kindle Fire. You might be asking, “A browser? Do we really need another one?” As you’ll see in the video below, Silk isn’t just another browser. We sought from the start to tap into the power and capabilities of the AWS infrastructure to overcome the limitations of typical mobile browsers. Instead of a device-siloed software application, Amazon Silk deploys a split-architecture. All of the browser subsystems are present on your Kindle Fire as well as on the AWS cloud computing platform. Each time you load a web page, Silk makes a dynamic decision about which of these subsystems will run locally and which will execute remotely. In short, Amazon Silk extends the boundaries of the browser, coupling the capabilities and interactivity of your local device with the massive computing power, memory, and network connectivity of our cloud.
We’ll have a lot more to say about Amazon Silk in the coming weeks and months, so please check back with us often. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AmazonSilk. Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about career opportunities on the Amazon Silk team, please visit our jobs page.

[American Patriot]

The Implications of Amazon's Silk Web Browser

By Joe Brockmeier / September 28, 2011 11:13 AM / 0 Comments
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This post is part of our ReadWriteCloud channel, which is dedicated to covering virtualization and cloud computing. The channel is sponsored by Intel and VMware. Read the case study about how Intel Xeon processors and VMware deliver unprecedented reliability in the face of RAM errors.
Jeff Bezos wasn't just rambling today when he was talking about Amazon's cloud services in the middle of the consumer-focused Kindle triple-launch. Amazon's Kindle has massive implications for the tablet market, but the Silk browser has some implications for the Web at large. And don't expect the Silk browser to stay confined to the Kindle Fire.
By funneling traffic through Amazon's own servers, it may create some privacy implications and security concerns for individuals and businesses. It also changes the landscape a bit for cloud computing providers.

More on the Kindle Fire
and Kindle Touch

• Amazon Kindle Store Opens In France
• Big Question (Answered): "Who is the Intended Market for the Kindle Fire?"
• The Implications of Amazon's Silk Web Browser
• What Did Amazon's Kindle Fire Just Do To Android?
• Amazon's New Cloud-Fueled Web Browser Will Predict Your Browsing Habits

Technical Implications

From a technical perspective, it seems Amazon has come up with a fairly creative solution for dealing with the problem of Web browsing for mobile devices.
As Amazon says, modern Web sites are getting more and more complex. Rendering a single Web page for many sites requires hitting tens of domains and upwards of 100 files. That can be sluggish even on modern desktops, and they have a lot more horsepower than the Kindle Fire's 7-inch package can hold.
Focusing on EC2 means that Amazon is putting out a clarion call for companies to host their sites on AWS infrastructure. The promise is that if you host there, you're going to be reaching your customers that much faster. Granted – right now you're only going to be reaching your customers that happen to have a Kindle Fire tablet.
But does it seem likely that Amazon will put that much emphasis on Silk just for the Fire? I don't think that's likely. Amazon has several jobs posted for Silk engineers, and while mobile is mentioned, it's not exclusive. I strongly suspect that Amazon is going to be releasing a Silk desktop browser eventually. Probably not in the near future – Amazon needs to make sure that its infrastructure can handle the onslaught of all the Kindle users before trying to scale to an unknown number of desktop users.
Another side-effect of Silk is that Amazon is making AWS a household name. Sure, there are plenty of providers – but how many have a major consumer device to showcase their services?
As an aside, I wonder what happens when Amazon has another major EC2 outage as they did earlier this year? Does this mean that their customers using the Silk browser are going to be unable to reach the Web?
Note that Amazon isn't the first to do something like this. On a smaller scale, Opera lets users turn on server-side compression that goes through its servers. However, it does look like Amazon is doing it on a much larger scale, and certainly has a heftier infrastructure than Opera.
If Amazon is successful here, look for Google, Apple and Microsoft to quickly follow suit. If the split-browsing idea catches on, it puts Mozilla in an interesting position as the only major browser maker without the kind of infrastructure to deploy the cloud-side services.
Privacy, Security and Content Integrity

What's of greater interest here is that Amazon is positioning itself to filter content viewed by millions of users – assuming the Fire sells well, of course.
From Amazon's press release about the Silk, "with each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity and the location of any cached content." Amazon goes on to say that Silk is going to be learning from the "aggregate traffic patterns" of Web users. In short, Amazon is watching you.


And not just in aggregate. Each Kindle is tied to an Amazon ID, which gives Amazon a great deal of information about you already. Introducing Silk into the mix and Amazon is going to be in a position to know a great deal about your Web browsing habits along with your buying habits and media habits. Now Amazon is in a position to know what books you buy, what shows you watch, the Web sites you visit and much more. I'm curious to see how Silk handles things like corporate intranets where it has no access to the sites in question.
Granted, Amazon isn't the only one with insight into your browsing habits – so is your ISP. But this introduces a new relationship between Amazon and its customers that bears noticing. And Amazon is taking a more active role in the experience by trying to pre-fetch and deliver data ahead of time.
I asked the EFF what they thought about the implications of the Silk browser. Given the fact that they've had no time to look at it closely, they declined to give a specific comment – but pointed to the reader privacy act that they're supporting in California. While that's targeted at records for booksellers and relates to digital and physical books, it might be time to expand the scope a bit.
Then there's the question of content integrity. Amazon has indicated that it plans "optimized content delivery," and the example given is compressing images for display on the Fire. On one hand, this makes sense – you may not want a 3MB image when you're going to be viewing it on a 7-inch screen. Then again, maybe you do want the uncompressed image. With Amazon caching so much content, how do you know if you're getting the latest content and not something that's 10 minutes old or worse. In the majority of situations, it may not matter if you get cached content that's slightly out of date, but it may matter a lot to publishers.
Until the Kindle Fire ships, there are more questions than answers. I'm eager to get hands on a Fire so I can test out Silk and see for myself how it works. I'm not yet concerned about the privacy issues, but I do think they bear watching. What do you think? Is the Silk model something you're excited about, or is Amazon a middle-man you'd rather do without when browsing the Web?

[American Patriot]

Congress, wary of Amazon's Silk browser, demands answers on privacy

By Nate Anderson | Published October 14, 2011 12:42 PM
Congress is trying to wrap its collective head around Amazon's new Silk Web browser.
At a privacy hearing yesterday, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) expressed outrage at the way Silk's "split" design can funnel all user browsing data through Amazon's backend servers.
"My staff yesterday told me that one of our leading Internet companies, Amazon, is going to create their own server and their own system and they're going to force everybody that uses Amazon to go through their server and they're going to collect all this information on each person who does that without that person's knowledge. Enough is enough."
Today came a similar shot from the other side of the aisle, with Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) dashing off a letter (PDF) to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about the same privacy concerns.
“Consumers may buy the new Kindle Fire to read ‘1984,’ but they may not realize that the tablet’s ‘Big Browser’ may be watching their every keystroke when they are online,” Markey said in a statement. “As the use of mobile devices, especially tablets, becomes ubiquitous, we must ensure that user privacy is protected and proper safeguards are in place so that consumers know if and when their personal information is being used and for what purpose."
To that end, Markey has some questions for Amazon. As the co-Chair of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, Markey wants to know in the next few weeks:

• What information does Amazon plan to collect about users of the Kindle Fire?
• How does Amazon intend to use this information?
• How will Amazon convey its privacy policy to Fire and Silk users?
• If Amazon plans to collect information about its users' Internet browsing habits, will customers be able to affirmatively opt in to participate in the data sharing program?

Good questions, all, though Amazon has already provided partial answers. The company told us at the Kindle Fire launch that Silk will collect and retain user data, but only in anonymized and bundled form. In addition, users can switch off the backend Amazon processing and run Silk as a normal Web browser, where traffic does not pass through Amazon's servers. But Silk's "split" operation appears to be the default (Amazon says it makes browsing on the Fire much speedier), and the amount of information Amazon could have access to is staggering.