Pandigital E-Reader Review

The Pandigital E-reader Novel tried to become a full-color, value-for-money, Android-based e-reader which also doubles as a tablet. Unfortunately, it did not meet expectations. Its retail price of $200 is more expensive than Amazon’s Kindle e-reader ($139). If they try to contend with Apple’s iPad, it falls short as it is slower and lacks the flexibility of a real tablet.

Pandigital Novel  is really promoted as an e-book reader and you may notice it upon booting as you can see a widget for an e-book store with tabs for bestsellers, new releases, etc. and My Library where you can sort by date, title and author. Every widget shows the book cover though the cover lines are hard to read.

Since the Novel features a 7-inch, 800×600 resolution LCD, you may consider the readability on this tablet average at best. It has a problem on pixilation. The default size of the font is medium though you get more choices and larger size font show expanded pixilation.

This e-reader is made from thick, white plastic which is heavy to carry. Its dimensions (7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches) are just right though you may be surprise of its weight. It also features a built-in Wi-Fi, so you can connect easily from wireless hotspots. Further, it can connect via mini-USB though you have to charge it on the charger included in the set and not on your PC.

Pre-installed apps are a plus. It has Barnes & Noble’s Reader which is the highlight of this e-reader. It also features a web browser, a player for video, music and pictures, email, a shop B&N app, alarm clock, search, calendar and importation of SD card content.

As for the performance, Novel is somewhat sluggish. Navigation and page flipping is not smooth. The resistive touch display may be the reason for its unresponsiveness. This e-reader loads apps and books in a very time-consuming way.

It is hard to justify buying Pandigital Novel but if it was priced a little bit cheaper, we may just forgive and forget its number of faults. For it to be able to compete with the big boys on this e-reader market, they need to create their next device lighter and make the touch screen more responsive.

You may want to consider reading more Ereader Reviews online to find the best E-reader on the market today.